your son.' She took a step backward, and then another.
Ryan knew she was searching for distance. He couldn't allow her to find it. Zoe was used to love and acceptance from her family, yet she'd closed herself off to the possibility of finding love with him.
Ryan had every intention of changing that.
NEAR MIDNIGHT, Ryan, unable to sleep, opened his door to find a light shining from the living room. He figured it was Zoe, but instead found Sam wandering around the room, looking at his framed pictures. Most were of family and he could understand her curiosity. He still had a lot of questions about Sam herself. They hadn't spent much time alone since they'd met and he figured now was as good a time as any to try and forge a deeper bond with her.
He strode into the room and cleared his throat.
Sam jumped back, a squeal escaping her throat. 'You scared me.' She hugged a framed photo tight against her chest.
'I didn't mean to. What are you doing up so late?'
She shrugged. 'I couldn't sleep.'
'Me neither. So what are you looking at?' he asked.
She placed the picture face down on the table and stepped back almost guiltily.
He joined her and turned over the frame. It was the one he had of her mother. He stared at the familiar blond hair and bone structure and shook his head. 'It's amazing how much you look like her,' he said, turning the photo so she could see it again.
'My memories were getting blurry.' Sam pulled the picture from his hand. Glancing at the photo, she blinked and a tear fell.
In her oversize pajama pants and tank top, she was an odd mixture of child and young adult. He wanted to hug her, but knew she wouldn't accept comfort from him yet. 'You can keep the picture,' he said instead.
'You mean it?'
'I wouldn't have offered otherwise.'
She looked at him with gratitude in her wide eyes. 'Do you have one for yourself?'
He shook his head.
'Then- '
Realizing she was about to decline his gesture, he came up with a more acceptable idea that would help them both. 'How about we take this to a photo machine and make you a copy? You can even pick out your own frame.'
She smiled. 'I'd like that a lot.' She paused, biting on her lower lip. 'Can I ask you something?'
'Sure.' He leaned against the wall and studied her.
'Why are you being so nice to me?'
He hadn't known what to expect, but she'd stumped him with that one. 'Any reason I shouldn't be nice to you?'
She glanced down at her bare feet. 'I don't deserve it.'
He swallowed hard, surprised at how her sudden insecurity and vulnerability affected him. 'I'll admit you can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but it's part of your charm.' He laughed. 'Besides, you're family.'
'So?' She curled her toes into the hardwood, her body a bundle of raw nerves.
He wondered if she was serious. Glancing up, meeting her gaze, he realized she was. As Zoe had tried to tell him time and again, Sam didn't understand being loved and accepted. It would take a long time to convince her there was nothing she could do to change the way he felt about her.
'
'You mean it?'
His throat filled as he looked at the young girl. 'I mean it. I guess what I'm saying is, you're my family and I love you.' He held his breath, wondering if he'd gone too far too fast.
But when Sam unexpectedly stepped forward and gave him a quick hug, he realized his honesty had been a good thing for them both. 'You should get some sleep,' he told her.
'Yeah. I have a big day ahead of me. I promised Grandma Vivian I'd help her fix up the garden.'
'You did, huh?'
Sam raised her shoulders. 'Ima messed it up. It's right I help fix it. Besides Grandma said if I did, she'd build a special pen for Ima to stay when we come visit.'
Ryan blinked. 'You're kidding.'
'Well she wouldn't build it herself, but she did say she'd have one built for Ima. It works for me.' Sam yawned, then flipped her hair out of her eyes with her hands. 'I guess I'm beat.' She started for the hallway, then turned. 'Night, Uncle Ryan.'
She padded down the hall, leaving him with a warm, fuzzy feeling of family that he'd never had before. A feeling he wanted to share with Zoe, so rather than head for his room, he paused outside her closed door.
On the other side was another female with whom he had unresolved issues and feelings. He didn't believe any talk with Zoe would be nearly as productive or end as well as the one he'd just had with Sam. But he was too wound up to sleep and decided it was time she hear what he had to say.
Although it was late, he knocked once and walked inside. Zoe lay in bed under the covers, but she didn't seem shocked to find him standing by her side. She moved over to make room for him to sit, while she propped herself up against her pillow.
'What's going on?' she asked, her voice rough from sleep.
Ryan tried like hell not to focus on her skimpy tank top or think about the matching pair of equally skimpy panties she likely wore beneath the covers. Instead he reached for her hand and chose his words.
'I had a bonding moment with Sam.'
A smile touched her lips. 'That's great. You and your family are beginning to make headway with her.' Her voice held a somber tone.
'You don't sound thrilled.'
'It's a mixed blessing,' she said. 'As much as I'm happy for you, your progress with Sam means that my family's role in her life is coming to an end.'
'We'll work things out. You
Through the darkness, Zoe merely stared. 'We have to be up early,' she said at last.
In other words, she was asking him to leave. Not yet, he thought. 'You don't believe me, do you?'
'About what?'
'That you'll see Sam again.'
She sighed. 'Actually I do believe you. We agreed early on that you're a man of your word and I've seen that for myself many times since we met.'
He appreciated her belief in him- because faith was a solid basis for a long-standing relationship.
'Then what's going on in that beautiful head of yours?' he asked, and to make certain she couldn't avoid the issue or him, he turned on the lamp on the nightstand.
With her long black hair tangled around her face, she'd never looked more endearing or desirable.
'I was thinking that since you have things under control with Sam- '
'Relatively under control,' he joked and got a laugh in return.
'I thought that as soon as we solve this key mystery, I'd take her home. I know we haven't figured out who's after her, but at this point she's as safe here as she is at home…I mean in New Jersey. I hope you'll give my parents the courtesy of a few weeks more with Sam to say goodbye before you move her up here for good.'
He narrowed his gaze, wanting to hear more before he jumped to any conclusion about where this conversation was heading. 'Go on.'
'Well since Sam will have to start school in the fall, you'll need to register her, and she'll need time to get settled in at your parents', of course. But it's still early and I'm sure my parents would appreciate some quality time with Sam, that's all.' She toyed with the blanket, her nerves clearly showing.
