brown hair as he flipped through the papers. “His sister’s birth certificate, even her death certificate…Holy hell,” he muttered. “All this bastard has to do is demand a DNA test, and he can prove he’s family. From there, a judge would only be too happy to hand her over.”
“Jeez, Quinn. Thanks for the vote of confidence. He says he’s from Boston, has two siblings including Sam’s mother, and from what I can gather, they’re on the uptight side.”
“That much was obvious from the way he jumped out of the way when Sam tried to put the pig in his arms,” Connor said, chuckling.
“And you’re one to talk. My family still gives you hives.” Zoe laughed.
Connor had the grace to flush red in his cheeks. “Only because I’m not used to so many wacky people in the room at one time.”
“He was probably afraid the pig would soil his designer duds,” Quinn offered helpfully.
Zoe drew a deep breath before giving her opinion. “He seems nice enough. In fact, I wish I’d met him under other circumstances. If I could just get him to loosen up a little, we could have some fun.”
“Changing from tight-ass briefs to boxers would accomplish the same thing.” Connor rolled a pen between his palms as he contemplated the thought. “Seriously, Zoe, you can’t get involved with the guy. Talk about a conflict of interest!”
“Hell yes, she can,” Quinn said.
Zoe and Connor’s gaze flew to their partner’s. “What?” they asked simultaneously.
“You already made the decision to stick close to home until we figure out how to handle the guy, right?” Quinn leaned forward, elbows on his desk, and pinned Zoe with a determined glare.
Too bad she’d long ago learned how to handle wannabe bad guys like Quinn. “Yes. But you don’t scare me, so lose the Bad Cop look. I’m already on your team,” she reminded him. “Of course I’m sticking by Sam’s side. What’s your point?”
“Well, it’s summertime. She’ll be all over the place with her friends, and we don’t want Ryan Baldwin loose in town, asking questions and stirring up trouble. So use that chemistry to your advantage and when you can’t be with Sam, make it your business to be all over Baldwin. From what I noticed in the kitchen last night, you won’t find the assignment a hardship.” A smart-ass smirk was on Quinn’s face while Connor was doing his best not to snicker.
Zoe strode up to the desk and leaned forward. Nose to nose, she warned him, “You keep this up, and I’ll tell Ari you’re smoking the occasional cigar. You’ll be sleeping on the couch for at least a week.” Zoe stood straight, folded her arms over her chest and grinned. “We both know even one night without my sister would be a hardship.”
Quinn let out a laugh. “See now this is why I agreed to this partnership. You give as good as you get and you don’t get on my nerves—much,” he added, with a wink. “Listen, Zoe, all kidding aside, we need you to stick close to this guy.”
She nodded, understanding how serious this was. “I will.”
“But watch yourself,” Connor said. “There’s no good outcome on this one, and if you get involved, you could end up hurt.”
This time it was Zoe’s turn to laugh. “Not a chance, guys. To be hurt, you have to fall for a guy, and that’s definitely not my MO.”
Both men snorted. “Like it was either one of ours?” Connor asked.
“Hey, just because the two of you are now whipped doesn’t mean I’ll end up the same way.”
She didn’t intend to live by her parents’ example. Her parents were and always had been head over heels in love, which usually meant stormy disagreements and heated apologies that ended up with them in the bedroom, locked inside for hours. She and Ari had learned to keep themselves busy during those times, though at such a young age she probably shouldn’t have been aware of what the glow on her mother’s face afterward really meant. But they shared a romantic, storybook kind of love.
The give and take between her parents represented the best in a relationship, but they’d married young. And the older Zoe got, the more she feared that settling down with any man after all her years alone would mean compromises that would chip away at the essence of who she was. A person that was still too undefined, she thought.
Zoe had had her share of relationships and men. If love had been in