Carly Phillips - Under the Boardwalk

There was no doubt Sam needed a home and every possibility Elena and Nicholas could provide one. A good one. One that would make Sam happy. Quinn had thought he was out of options, a group home being the only solution. Now Ari’s family was offering him hope and he had to admit he was optimistic. Cautiously optimistic.

Elena joined him at the table. “Nicholas is fine with the idea. He’s a good man, and when he heard about Sam’s situation, of course he agreed she should come live with us.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s noble, Elena, but you can’t…” How could he say this delicately? he wondered. “You can’t adopt Sam just to help fill the void left by Zoe’s absence.”

Elena whacked him on the shoulder. “Bite your tongue at such a suggestion. First off, Zoe’s coming back. And secondly, both my girls are adults. They live their own lives, and Sam coming here would have nothing to do with that,” she assured Quinn.

“What did Family Services say?” he asked next.

“They went into a lengthy explanation about the requirements, the classes, home inspections, and time it takes to approve a family.” Elena waved a hand, dismissing the process as unimportant. “But Sam doesn’t have that kind of time. She can’t go on living in an environment where she knows she isn’t wanted. It’s not healthy and it’s bad for her self-esteem. Besides, she can stay here.”

“Can I, Quinn, please?” Sam came bouncing back into the room.

“I tried to restrain her.” Ari followed after her, a concerned expression on her face. “But Sam insisted on being here when Mom told you her idea,” Ari said to Quinn, neither expressing support for her mother’s decision to take Sam in, nor protesting it.

And given her family history and problems with her relatives, Quinn couldn’t figure out which side she came down on. Right now he only wanted to smooth the worry lines and promise her everything would be okay. How could he when he wasn’t sure what was bothering her?

He only knew what upset him and he turned to Elena. “So Sam knows about your plan?” Quinn asked.

Elena’s nod confirmed his fear. Nothing about the foster care system was easy or guaranteed, and he hated to have the kid’s hopes raised once more only to endure disappointment later. It was one thing for his heart to beat faster in his chest and for him to feel the potential excitement of a solution he once thought impossible. It wasn’t okay for Sam to be led on a journey of false hope.

“Isn’t it cool?” Sam asked. “And Elena’s willing to look into adoption,” she said, awe in her voice. “Somebody wants me!”

Oh shit. This thing had gone too far in a short time. “I have some connections,” he said, trying to take back some control. “Let me see if I can speed up the reference and home check.” His being a cop who vouched for the Costas family would go a long way toward helping with references.

Neither Zoe nor Ariana had mentioned anyone in the family having a criminal record, but the department ran thorough checks, including fingerprinting, and that was just the beginning of potential problems and snags.

“Hey, Quinn.” Sam poked him in the shoulder. “Me and Ari and Zoe can be sisters! Did you see pictures of Zoe? She looks just like Ari. How awesome is that?”

It was frigging fantastic, Quinn thought. If he could make it happen. Until then, everyone had to keep their wits about them.

“When she comes home, my Zoe will love you,” Elena assured the young girl.

He glanced at Ari. She leaned against the counter and remained silent, looking as torn as he was. But the one thing that stood out as if he could read her mind was her guilt over her knowledge about her sister. Now that she knew Quinn was a cop and she could believe his claim that her twin was alive, keeping the truth from her mother was eating away at her. Quinn understood.

Like Ari, he hated the deceit, but Elena was too unpredictable to trust. She’d just proven she would act on emotion, not common sense. And he was certain Ari agreed or she would have begged him to fill her mother and father in on the situation regarding Zoe, too.

He shook his head, pushing thoughts of the Damon sting out of his mind. He had to deal with Sam first and he walked over to her side. “There are no guarantees this will work,” he reminded her. “Elena and the whole family need to go through the approval process.”

“They’ll pass,” Sam said with certainty. “And then even Spank can be my sister.”

She laughed again, but her words sobered Quinn. There was also a home evaluation they’d need to pass. “I’m not sure the monkey’s going to help this situation,” he said, imagining one of the uptight social workers walking into the house, with construction and various relatives all around them and a monkey diving into their lap. He shook his head. Why couldn’t life ever be easy?

“What are you saying?” Elena asked.

“Is having a monkey living with you even legal in this state?” Quinn wondered aloud.

“Quinn!” Sam wailed, while Elena glanced away.

Apparently she hadn’t checked out the legalities, and he wasn’t one bit surprised. As a cop he had to know many things, but this wasn’t something he’d encountered before.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, one step at a time. Since teenagers are so much harder to place, the department’s been known to put things through faster if something special comes up. Let me make some phone calls and let’s see if we can get the process going. Elena, you and Nicholas are going to have to take eight weekly training sessions.”

Elena swiped her hand through the air, a gesture she seemed to favor. “I raised two children. What can they possibly teach me that I don’t know?”

He rolled his eyes. “Nobody gets out of those classes, so get yourself signed up and start them immediately. They’re three hours each,” he added for good measure.

“Do not tell that to Nicky,” she ordered everyone in the kitchen. “He has no patience for classes, but once he’s there, he’ll do it for Sam.”

The girl beamed and for the first time Quinn realized she wasn’t wearing her hat. Her hair was hanging long down her back, and she was truly happy. He’d just have to make sure this worked out for her or die trying.

“What about Spank?” Sam asked, holding the monkey’s hand. “If my caseworker sees her and it’s not allowed, they won’t let me come here and that can’t happen.”

A long, drawn-out sigh came from the other side of the room. Quinn glanced over at Ari. “I suppose if I can handle a dog, I can handle a monkey,” she said, obviously resigned to doing her part in this scheme. “Since I can’t stay here and get any sleep during the day and since Spank hates the noise, I’ll take her with me,” she explained to her mother.

“Where?” Elena asked, hands perched on her hips.

“I’ll be staying at a friend’s,” she said vaguely. “We’ll work out the details later, okay?”

Elena kissed her daughter on the cheek. “You’re a good girl, Ariana. But let’s see if Aunt Dee and Uncle John can take her first. They’re used to her from spending their days here, and that would keep her close for Sam.”

Ari smiled, but there was no eager light in her eyes.

Quinn wasn’t sure exactly what was bothering her, but she’d offered her help along with his house. Because that’s what Sam wanted.

His gut told him the Costas house could very well be the right place for this child. Sam felt it. Hell, he enjoyed their warmth and giving spirit. Even their eccentricity appealed to him, making him feel at home in a way he’d never experienced before. He felt himself sinking deeper into the quicksand of this family and damn but he didn’t mind at all.

Yet when he looked at the woman who had spent the night in his bed, the woman who was his most intrinsic link to the Costas clan, he realized despite Ari’s offer, she’d begun to withdraw from her family.

And he had a hunch if he didn’t get her out of here, then Ariana pulling away from him would come next.

Ariana couldn’t get out of her parents’ house fast enough. Although the rational part of her knew her family could give Sam a good home, the irrational part of her-the one that hadn’t parted with the adolescent in her who was embarrassed by her odd family-worried about Sam. Thirteen was an impressionable time and, more than most, Sam needed a support system that included friends. Not people who’d laugh behind her back and set her up as the butt of cruel jokes.

To his credit, Quinn remained silent on the ride to his house. They were headed toward the beach. More than once, he looked into the rearview mirror longer than usual, and took what seemed to be an out-of-the-way route to the ocean.

Although she had a lot on her mind, she sensed he was preoccupied, too. He glanced in the mirror again and she couldn’t take it anymore. Her head pounded as she broke the quiet in the truck. “What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something’s up?” He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“You’re antsy. You keep checking the mirrors. And though I don’t know where your house is, I’m certain we’ve circled around a few times.”

“You’re quick, Ari.” He grinned, shaking his head. “I’m just being careful, that’s all.”

“About Damon?” Chills walked all over her skin.

He nodded. “He knows I have this house, so it’s not going to be a problem if he is having me watched, but I’d rather know about it going in.” He rolled his shoulders in a definite release of tension.

“Understandable.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I don’t know how you live like this.”

He turned his head to the side, glancing at her. “It’s getting harder,” he admitted. “But it’s almost over. Now, what’s going on in your beautiful head? You’ve been completely overwhelmed since the whole foster-care talk back at your parents’.”

Ariana couldn’t believe how perceptive the man was. “It’s my family. Or rather Sam and my family. My parents have to give up being pickpockets and cons,” she said, stating what had been preying on her mind.

Quinn sighed, his understanding clear. “I’ll talk to them.”

“The new business, the spa. It has to be legit.” She was revealing more than he knew about her relatives.

He nodded. “I know. I’ll make sure I oversee it. Nicholas likes me,” he said, and when she turned her head his way, he shot her his most endearing grin.

This time she squeezed his hand tighter. “I like you, too, Quinn.”

“Then tell me what’s really bothering you. It’s not just concern for Sam. I can tell.”

She shut her eyes tight as he pulled into a short driveway leading to a two-car indoor garage. “How about you give me the ten-cent tour first,” she suggested, stalling.

“You got it, but then there’s no more hiding from the truth.”

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”

“Low blow, Ari. And being angry at me won’t change the fact that you obviously have a hell of a lot to come to terms with. You might as well start somewhere.” He turned the key in the ignition, shut down the motor, and climbed out of the truck.

She joined him at the foot of three wooden steps leading into the house.

“You can park in here.” He gestured to the empty space beside his truck. “I have an extra garage remote in the kitchen drawer, if I can find the damn thing.” He unlocked the door and unset the alarm. “The code is 1213,” he told her.

“Random choice?”

He let out a harsh laugh. “My birthday. I remember my mother telling me she knew I’d be bad luck from the minute she went into labor on Friday the thirteenth.”

Ariana winced and as they walked into the kitchen, she turned toward him. “Are you trying to convince me of what a spoiled brat I am because I have problems with my family?”

He shook his head. “It’s not my place to judge. The only measure anyone can use to judge life by is their own experience. Having a family doesn’t necessarily mean you found growing up to be easy.”

Grabbing her hand, he led her to a cozy room with a cabinlike feel, and they sat on the couch.

“So tell me, are you feeling like a spoiled brat?” he asked.

“I’m feeling like childhood memories are overwhelming me.” She rubbed her eyes and leaned back, sighing. “What if Sam has the same problems I did living with my family?”

“I’m not sure. You’ve never told me what those problems were.” He met her gaze, hoping that by now she knew she could confide in him. When she remained silent, he added, “I don’t have to come from the same background as you to understand.”

She leaned forward. “Let me ask you something. Do you find my family a little… weird? Unusual? Strange?”

He laughed. “Well, yes, but that’s what makes them special.”