Carly Phillips - Under the Boardwalk

He was laughing and he didn’t look taken aback by her family’s stories. The same stories had always been fodder for gossip and teasing by friends and had sent more than one boyfriend ducking for cover. She was amazed at Quinn’s fortitude. Then again, he had nothing invested in Ariana. And the Costas family was always good for a laugh.

She glanced at her aunt and her cousins. “Go away,” she yelled at them, and to her surprise, her family scattered.

She and Quinn shared a burger in silence. She didn’t know why he’d sought her out, and until he was ready to talk she wasn’t about to ask.

When they finished, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

“You can’t pay. You’ll insult the family,” she told him. Another thing that bothered macho, I-want-to-pay-my-own-way kind of men.

He inclined his head. “Okay, then let me thank your aunt and we can be on our way.”

“We?”

He nodded. “I need you to come with me.”

She raised an eyebrow, unwilling to accept anything at face value. “Where?”

“I can’t say.”

She exhaled a frustrated breath. “Why am I not surprised? Tell me something, Quinn. What can you tell me?” She was so tired of asking for answers and receiving nothing.

He extended his hand. A peace offering? She didn’t know but reluctantly she placed her palm in his. Her skin tingled and warmth reached all the way through her body. Damn the electricity between them anyway. It was what had gotten her into trouble the other night in his hotel room and was destined to be her downfall with him now.

He curled his fingers around hers. “You shared some of your history with me.”

“Not willingly,” she muttered.

He laughed. “I’m just going to return the favor.”

She had no idea what he meant, but her rapidly beating heart prompted her to go with him. They said goodbye to her family and Aunt Kassie made him promise he’d come back soon. Then Ariana followed him to the parking lot and his familiar black truck.

Dusk had fallen and darkness had begun to settle around them. She glanced back at the rental she’d parked close to the building. “What about my car?” she asked.

“You can pick it up later.”

“I don’t want Uncle Constantin reporting I’ve been kidnapped.” Then she’d have the entire family in an uproar, and that was definitely something they didn’t need.

A smile pulled at his lips and Ariana felt ridiculously validated at the sight. “The cops would have a field day with that, since I’m one of them,” Quinn said, taking her completely by surprise.

“You’re a cop?” she asked, glancing his way.

He stopped short and drew a deep breath. “I meant I’m feeling more and more like one with all this damn watching over you,” he said, correcting himself.

“Aah. Now that makes more sense.” Even if his true explanation caused her stomach to roll over in disappointment. He hadn’t sought her out for the pure pleasure of her company as she’d begun to believe. “So you’re just here tonight to make sure I don’t go over to the casino and ask questions.” Ariana folded her arms over her chest defensively.

“It would make my life easier if that was the reason.” He shook his head and placed his hand beneath her chin.

Warmth spread from his touch throughout her body. Delicious, tingling warmth, and she didn’t want to lose the feeling.

“Let’s just forget about the casino and everything about that place for tonight, okay?”

Ariana found herself wanting to give in.

After all her worrying about her sister, uprooting her life and trying to help out, was it so bad to give in to her wants and needs for a little while?

She swallowed hard and met Quinn’s deep gaze. “Okay.”

• • •

Quinn drove to the rec center in silence. He had no business bringing this woman deeper into his life, but he couldn’t help feeling the desire to do so. He’d seen her reaction to her family, the mortification and embarrassment. Maybe if she saw the kids at the center, those with no family-embarrassing or otherwise-she’d feel better about her own.

And maybe if he spent some time with her away from the casino, he’d get over his growing feelings. Yeah, right.

He pulled into the parking lot and shut off the motor.

“Would you believe I pass this place all the time but I’ve never been inside?” Ari asked.

He nodded. “No reason for you to come here. But there are people I want you to meet.” A scratching sound distracted him and he turned. “Did you hear something?” he asked Ari.

“No. I-”

“Okay, okay, I confess,” a small, familiar voice said from behind him. From much lower behind him.

“Shit.” He reached over and grabbed, coming up with a fistful of clothing, and pulled.

“Ouch!” Sam yelled from her crouched position behind the seat. “I can get up myself.”

“Then do it. Now.”

“Sam?” Ari asked in shock. “How long have you been there?”

“Too long.” Sam sat on the back seat and stretched out her legs, groaning as she moved. “God, Quinn. How long does it take you to eat a stinkin’ meal, anyway? You were in that diner place forever!” she complained.

He glanced at Ari, who was obviously biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

He was pissed at Sam for running away again and even more annoyed at himself for being so distracted by thoughts of Ari, he hadn’t even noticed the kid who’d snuck into the back of the car while he was at the rec center with Connor.

“Sam, you can’t pull stunts like this,” Ari said in her soft voice. “What if someone had stolen the truck with you in it?”

“Nobody wants this hunk of crap.”

“Samantha,” Quinn warned before turning to Ari. “If someone had taken the truck, they’d have returned her and her smart mouth in no time. Get out of the car, miss,” he said to Sam, pulling out his cell phone as he spoke.

“Do your foster parents know you’re here?” Ari asked.

“I’m just about to find out.” He started to dial at the same time Sam burst into tears.

Midnight. Unable to sleep, Ariana paced the floor in her sister’s room. She’d tiptoed in and now glanced around, memories of the past, both happy and sad, overwhelming her. Ariana often wondered why Zoe hadn’t moved out of her parents’ home. Why, beyond college, she hadn’t taken that step toward becoming an independent adult. But any time Ariana asked, an argument had ensued. Zoe would berate Ariana for her feelings toward the family and her need to stay away, and Ariana would tell Zoe she could do so much better than a life as a showgirl/con artist.

One of the reasons Ariana had taken off for Vermont instead of teaching at a local college was so she could escape not just the lifestyle but the constant disagreements. Now Ariana would give anything to have Zoe standing in front of her so they could have a good old-fashioned sisterly fight.

Ariana was already feeling raw and the earlier scene with Sam hadn’t helped. Quinn had returned Ariana to the diner for her car, then taken Sam back to her foster parents, but not before Sam had indulged in a full-blown scene. She’d cried and begged him to let her stay with him, while blaming him for choosing Felice and Aaron in the first place. Ariana’s heart had twisted with pain for them both.

The end result was that Ariana felt twice as guilty over the rift with Zoe, because at least she had family, while Sam had none. And she agonized because she couldn’t find a way to fix things for an innocent child, the victim of other people’s decisions, not her own.

A knock sounded on the door and Ariana turned, startled. Her mother strode inside, tying her black silk robe around her waist as she walked. “I heard noises and thought I’d find you in here.”

Ariana swallowed hard. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“It wasn’t you. Your father’s snoring did that hours ago.”

Ariana laughed. Nicholas always fell asleep, mouth open, the most obnoxious noises coming from deep in his chest. When they were kids, she and Zoe would toss popcorn at his open mouth in an effort to see who had the best aim.

She glanced at her mother and grinned. “I don’t know how you stand it.” Her mother had been complaining about her father’s irritating habit for years.

Elena shrugged. “When you love someone, little things like snoring don’t bother you.” Elena placed a hand on Ariana’s shoulder. “And one day, you’ll have feelings so strong, you’ll understand what I mean.”

Without warning, Ariana thought of Quinn. She wondered if he snored-and if she’d ever find out.

“Now tell me. How’s Quinn?” her mother asked as if reading her mind.

“He’s fine, as you well know, since you sent him over to Aunt Kassie’s place earlier.”

“And how was your dinner?” she asked, casual as she pleased.

“What would you expect with Daphne hovering and Gus telling him our sordid stories?”

Elena smiled. “At least Quinn knows what he’s getting himself into. And this one’s got strong character. He won’t run just because your family’s got their own special quirks.” Her mother brushed a strand of hair out of Ariana’s eyes. “I always told you that Jeffrey had a stick up his behind.”

“Mom, please. Let’s not relive history, okay?”

“Of course not. I just want you happy and I think Quinn’s a good man.”

“Good enough to make me come back home, you mean?” Ariana figured it was time to deal with all that was unsaid between mother and daughter.

“It isn’t normal for a daughter to move out and not return for five years. You needed your own life? Fine.” Her mother spread her hands out in front of her. “But to stay away so long? Are we so bad a family?”

Ariana twisted her fingers together and tried to find the words to explain why she’d made the decisions she had. “I was right to leave, because I needed space and I needed to find out who Ariana Costas really was.” But since coming home again, Ariana was forced to acknowledge the scary truth to herself-she still didn’t know.

But there was another truth. And this one she could admit to aloud. “I was wrong not to come home. That was the coward’s way.” She realized that now.

“I still don’t understand why you stayed away.”

Ariana met her mother’s gaze, reaching out for her hand at the same time. “I think that’s the problem. I don’t understand all of you anymore than you understand me. But I promise to try harder, okay?” She made a vow to do just that. She couldn’t look at Sam, who had no family, and turn her back on her own.

“Will you stay then?” her mother asked.

Ariana couldn’t go that far. She shook her head. “I need to live my own life. But I’ll come to visit this time,” she promised.

“If you have such a good life, how come you never discuss it?” Elena asked. “How come I don’t know anything about friends? Men? Your job?”

Ariana winced because her mother had hit a nerve. The life she didn’t talk about was dull compared to life here. Compared to Quinn and the excitement he brought into her days and nights, her life in Vermont was routine. Nothing out of the ordinary ever occurred. Her friends were carbon copies of herself, professors in conservative suits who met for coffee a few nights a week, and turned in early to work the next day. Nothing like her bright and cheery twin, whom she missed badly.

It was exactly the life Ariana had been seeking when she’d left her family behind. She didn’t expect them to understand it and so she kept details to herself, especially now when that life seemed pale in comparison.

She met her mother’s inquiring gaze and had no idea how to explain, so she merely shrugged. “I’ll try to be more open,” she promised her mother.

Elena nodded, a slight smile lifting her lips. “Okay then. How about you start with Quinn?” she asked, not being subtle at all.

Ariana laughed and hugged her mother tight. “I really did miss you,” she told her.

“Then prove it by talking.”

She grinned. “I hate to admit it, but I really like the man.” She drew the line at discussing exactly how much she liked him with her mother. “Unfortunately he’s got his share of secrets. He’s a hard man to get to know.”

“Aah,” her mother said, a knowing sound that gave Ariana the chills. “It’s not like you’re an easy nut to crack yourself,” she reminded Ariana. “Which means you two will have no trouble maintaining the element of the unknown that helps keep things interesting early on in a relationship. As for sexual attraction, well, I’ve witnessed the undercurrents between you. That’s not a problem either.”

While Ariana blushed at her mother’s frank talk, Elena nodded, pleased with what she obviously considered a good match. “Just remember, if you’re going to make it for the long haul, secrets have to give way to trust.”