Summer Lovin'

impeccably normal, or her wacky family, the Costas clan didn't stand a chance.

She understood this just as she understood the ramifications of Ryan Baldwin's claim. A claim she intended to check out ASAP. In the meantime, while she got Quinn and Connor digging into the man's past and present, she needed to buy her and her family some time.

No way could he reveal the truth to Sam or Social Services just yet. 'Please don't tell me you think you can snap your fingers and all will go your way,' she said with sugared sweetness.

He shrugged, but there was a definite arrogance to him she hadn't noticed earlier. Hadn't wanted to notice, she was forced to admit. She'd been taken in by his good looks and suckered by his claim that he was a public servant.

Now that she allowed her training to kick in and looked more closely, she realized his European suit was more expensive than any social worker could afford and his voice held a trace of a fine New England accent. Which meant he not only had the intent to fight her family in court, should it come to that, but probably the financial means, as well.

The Costas family didn't.

She gathered her wits and her defenses and pulled on every shred of self-confidence she could muster to go toe-to-toe with him. Her family and Sam's emotional well-being were at stake. 'Okay, let's agree on a few points, shall we?'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Go on.'

'Right now my family has custody and controls access to your niece. You need that access as well as a smooth introduction. Are we on the same page so far?'

'So far, yes.' He studied her with those astute brown eyes.

'I'm also sure you don't think we're just going to hand Sam over to a complete stranger, blood relation or not. We're going to want to know what kind of home you plan to provide for her. Fair?'

He inclined his head, but didn't answer.

She studied his expression closely. A muscle ticked in his jaw, telling her that something she'd just said had put him on edge.

She intended to push him a little further. 'Are you married?'

'No.'

'Engaged?'

He shook his head.

'So you're a single guy then. Interesting,' she said, referring to more than his ability to raise a teenage girl. 'You mentioned that your sister ran away when you were young but you never mentioned other family. Are your parents still alive?'

'Yes.' His expression grew more shuttered.

She narrowed her gaze. 'That's it? Yes? Do they know you found your sister's child?'

'Yes.' His jaw tightened, almost imperceptibly.

'Yet they aren't here with you.'

He paused, then said, 'We thought it best I come down and check out the situation first.' The tick in his jaw became more pronounced.

She made a mental note to have Quinn look deeply into their family history. If he had been thirteen when his sister ran away, what had his parents done about finding Faith before the trail had grown cold? Ryan Baldwin's silence spoke louder than any words could and perhaps whatever was behind that reticence would provide her with the leverage she needed to stall his revelation to Sam.

She sidled up beside him, this time more aware of his expensive cologne, a scent that under other circumstances she could definitely get used to. 'I'd like to propose a deal. A quid pro quo of sorts.'

'Again, I'm listening.'

'You just can't spring this on my family or Sam. She's fragile and needs to get to know you first.'

He nodded in understanding, his expression softening. 'That sounds fair. What are you proposing?'

'Katherine, the social worker, has put off the final evaluation a few weeks while she's away on a family emergency. They're so overburdened they can't spare anyone for this case. I suggest you hold off telling Social Services or Sam who you claim to be.'

'Who I am.'

She shook her head, refusing to accept him at his word just yet. 'Whatever. What I'm suggesting is that you continue your charade. Pretend to be a social worker and come by as often as you like during these last few weeks of the evaluation period. You'll get to know Sam and see her in her element here.'

He frowned. 'That sounds awfully one-sided. What do I get out of this?'

'My cooperation in getting to know Sam. If you dump this news on her, I can promise you every defensive mechanism she has will surface and your chances of winning her over will be slim. She considers me her sister. She trusts my judgment. Like it or not, you need me, Mr. Baldwin. So do we have a deal?' She held out her hand.

He hesitated for a second, before grasping her hand. If Zoe thought the first sparks between them were a fluke, she immediately discovered she'd been mistaken. The man might have lied from their first meeting, might be the biggest threat to the Costas family since her father's bout with cancer, but somehow the attraction was there, strong and undeniable.

She gathered her composure- which wasn't easy when she liked the feelings he evoked- and yanked her hand back. 'One more thing.'

'What's that?' he asked, flexing his fingers as if he needed to shake himself free of her touch.

She understood and had to force herself to focus on their predicament. 'When Sam gets her birthday gift, you will grin and laugh and look the other way.'

'What's the gift?' he asked warily.

'You'll see.' Despite herself, she couldn't help but grin.

* * *

RYAN TRIED TO MAKE HIMSELF comfortable at the party. With the truth out in the open between himself and Zoe, he felt as if he'd just dodged a bullet and also knew for a fact that he'd bought himself some time at the Costas home. As tough as it was to admit, Zoe had raised many good points, the most important of which was that he needed her. Zoe's parents were Sam's guardians, which put them at a legal advantage. Emotionally, they also had the upper hand since they knew Sam and understood how she would react to his sudden appearance in her life. He'd foolishly thought he'd be rescuing her from hell and she'd greet him with open arms. Zoe made him realize Sam might well resent him for all the years she'd suffered in foster care, and now that he thought about it, such a reaction would be understandable.

No fourteen-year-old would be able to rationalize the situation enough to forgive and forget immediately, no matter how much he wished otherwise. Still, he tried to play devil's advocate, to think through all possibilities. Though there was a chance that Zoe was trying to discourage him with her warnings about Sam's defense mechanisms springing into place, he decided it was unlikely Zoe would lie about something so important.

As an attorney, he'd learned to read people and trust his instincts, and Zoe Costas, for all her family's eccentricity, seemed to be honest and upfront. Most important, it was obvious that she loved Sam- enough not to put her emotions at risk. He felt the same way and that's why he'd agreed not to rush into revealing who he was.

An hour after she'd uncovered his real identity, the last of the guests had left the party and only the family remained gathered in the family room. They were a large group, Elena and her husband Nicholas; Zoe's twin, Ari, and her husband, ex-cop Quinn Donovan; Quinn's best friend, Connor Brennan, and his fiancee, Maria; Nicholas's sister, Kassie, who owned a local diner called Paradeisos; a man named Gus; Elena's sister, Dee, and her husband, John…the list went on and on.

All except for the monkey, who thankfully had departed with her trainer, but not before dropping her pants and mooning the crowd one last time. Sam had slipped the monkey five dollars, tucking the folded bill into the white- lace panties beneath the primate's dress. Spank had changed clothing before leaving, much as a bride would prior to her departure with her groom.

Ryan had been speechless. He still couldn't believe this day, which had been filled with one shock after another.