Summer of Love - Carly Phillips Page 0,6

he did, he realized Zoe was laughing along with Sam.

Zoe shook her head and tried to control herself. Sam’s old, tired joke wasn’t what had her laughing but poor Ryan Baldwin and his blank, lost stare. She wondered if it was painful to be that uptight and straitlaced. Oh, well. As Sam’s new social worker, a couple of days with the Costas clan would cure him in no time.

She had to admit that his sandy-blond hair and brown eyes made for a darn cute package, despite that he was a social worker and by definition a stickler for rules. She reminded herself that he was a man who would no doubt make her feel strangled and constrained way more than even the safe house had done. Still, she found herself tempted to test the waters and wondered how he’d react if she reached out and pinched his—

“He’s got a stick up his butt—” Sam said in a stage whisper.

Ryan’s eyes opened in shock.

Zoe refrained from laughing and instead leveled Sam with a stern glare. Thankfully Sam got the message and gazed downward, appearing contrite for Ryan’s sake. Zoe knew she was probably anything but.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

“That’s okay,” Ryan said.

“I’ve got to go talk to my friend Stacey,” Sam said.

Zoe nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Before leaving, Sam glanced at Ryan. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Baldwin. You’re gonna let me stay with Elena and Nicholas, right?”

Zoe’s heart clenched, not just at Sam’s plea but at her sudden polite tone. That wasn’t who Sam was, and Zoe hated the anxiety and insecurity Sam was forced to live with every single day.

“Go have fun. Nobody’s making any decisions today.” Zoe ruffled the girl’s long hair, and after Sam had sped away, she turned to Ryan.

“If there’s anything you can do to speed this process along, it’ll be better for everyone, believe me. In the best interest of the child,” she said, parroting Katherine and everyone else in the government bureaucracy. “I mean since that’s what you’re all about, and we are what Sam wants…” Zoe trailed off as Ryan’s expression shut down.

Apparently, she’d crossed the line. The Costas clan tended to do that too often. Pleasing the social worker and worrying about conforming to someone else’s standards was the one thing that had the entire family on edge. They were an out-of-the-box sort of group and nothing, not even adopting a child, could change that.

Thankfully Social Services had agreed to the foster placement and the past few months had been uneventful. Now if she could just get her mother to stall Sam’s birthday present until Ryan Baldwin left, she’d feel much better.

“I’m sorry. No more pushing. I promise. So, how about a tour of the house?” she asked with forced cheer, recalling that had been one of the first things the other social worker had requested.

He seemed to relax and even crack a smile. “Has anyone ever told you you’re just like your mother?”

She cocked her head to one side. “If you mean because I’m pushy, tend to ramble, and usually get what I want, then yeah, people do think my mother and I are alike.”

“I was thinking that you’re both like a tornado of sorts.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “But I have to admit; you two can be somewhat refreshing.”

“That’s one way of putting it, and coming from someone more…How shall I put this delicately? Coming from someone more stuffy than I am, I think I’ll even consider it a compliment.”

He laughed at that, two dimples suddenly becoming evident. With his guard down and his smile genuine and unstrained, Zoe was struck again by how handsome he truly was. It was strange that she’d notice him at all since a “suit” was the last kind of guy she’d normally be attracted to, but what the heck. The rush of adrenaline proved she wasn’t dead, as her mother accused her of being.

“I’d like to take that tour now,” he said, changing the subject back to business.

“Come.” Zoe grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the house.

She kept things light as she pointed out the spa and how it was completely separate from the house. Entrances on opposite sides of the property meant nobody could get in or out of the house from the spa. She showed him all the safety precautions they’d taken and couldn’t help but show her pride in the business her family had made a success in such a short time.

He asked questions, and she answered. He even laughed