Ryan had never faced a greater challenge. Except for keeping Zoe happy. He had no idea how he'd accomplish both goals.
"I'll try to be more understanding," he promised, not just for Sam's sake, but for his and Zoe's. The key to any kind of future with this woman lay in her believing in him.
She nodded. "That's all I can ask for."
Her hand still lay on top of his, and as gestures went, he knew it was a big one.
They waited five minutes more, but there was no sign of Sam. "Want to go in after her?" he asked.
"I guess I'd better." Zoe reached for her seat belt buckle when a piercing scream shattered the silence.
Both Ryan and Zoe darted out of the car.
He ran to the end of the small building in time to see Sam running and shrieking.
"Come back!" she yelled and began to run toward the patch of grass on the boulevard.
In that instant, Ryan somehow knew exactly what was going on and he sprinted past Sam, determined to stop the wandering pig. Unfortunately Ima had other ideas and the little runt continued to bolt toward the grass. The highway lay just beyond.
He managed to step on the leash, which gave him a chance to reach for the pig, but she was more than an arm's length away. He stumbled and she scooted ahead, giving him no choice but to dive into the grass and grab her leash just in time.
He rose to his feet, trembling pig in hand, to find Sam and Zoe staring at him with wide, frightened eyes.
"Your stowaway, I presume?" He held Ima out for Sam.
She grabbed her pet, first wrapping her hand around and around the leash so the animal couldn't run away again. "You saved her from becoming roadkill," Sam said, obviously grateful he'd shown up when he had.
Zoe cleared her throat loudly.
"Thank you," Sam added.
"You're welcome." He met her gaze and for a brief moment, all her teenage anger and resentment disappeared.
Only gratitude and pleasure shone in her blue eyes and Ryan warmed, happy to be the recipient of something other than her disgust.
"What happened?" Zoe asked.
Sam shrugged. "It was so fast, I'm not sure. I used the bathroom and then I took Ima out so she could do the same thing. Somehow the leash slipped out of my hands and she bolted. I was so scared when she started running for the highway." She shivered. "I didn't want some car makin' bacon out of her."
Ryan shook his head and tried not to laugh at her description. "You should have told me you wanted to bring her along. Then you wouldn't have had to sneak her out for walks behind my back."
"We were afraid you'd say no," Sam said.
"We were afraid?" He glanced Zoe's way.
She clasped her hands behind her back and began whistling, deliberately not meeting his gaze.
She definitely wasn't innocent. "You didn't have much faith in me, did you?" he asked her.
She looked away. "I guess not."
The admission hit him in the gut and hurt more than it should have. He wasn't sure what disappointed him more, her lack of trust or himself and what he'd done to bring it on.
In silence, the three of them walked back to the car. Before getting in he paused to brush the dirt off his arms and khaki slacks, figuring he resembled a major-league ball player after a long skid home.
Unable to help himself, he glanced up at the sky and laughed.
* * *
SINCE RYAN WOULDN'T HEAR of Sam staying in a hotel and Sam wouldn't remain at Ryan's without Zoe, Zoe found herself unpacking clothing in one of the two extra rooms in Ryan's townhome in downtown Boston .
The condo was an old brownstone duplex apartment that had been renovated inside with gorgeous crown moldings and auburn-colored wood floors. Although the apartment had obviously been decorated by a professional, Zoe couldn't fault Ryan for going to excesses. Every piece in the apartment served a purpose or looked as if it belonged.
For warmth and personal touches, on the shelves she'd passed in the living room he'd placed photographs— Ryan and a couple that had to be his parents, Ryan and his uncle, whom Zoe hoped to avoid on this trip because he made her uncomfortable, and a photo of his sister, Faith, at Sam's age. Forever young because of her untimely death.
Zoe liked Ryan's home, and the fact that it lacked the uptight, artificial feeling she'd feared she'd find here, gave her hope. Hope that Ryan had more of the man she liked inside him.
It had been a day of contrasts, she thought. Her mind strayed back to the incident at the rest stop with the pig. He'd thought nothing of his own safety or his good clothing, as he'd dived into the dirt to save Ima because he knew how much the animal meant to Sam. And because he knew his life wouldn't be worth squat if Sam lost her pet.
His expression when he'd handed the pig back to Sam had been priceless, a man so proud of his accomplishment— until he'd realized even Zoe hadn't trusted him enough to ask permission to take Ima along. The hurt and desolation in his gaze stayed with her even now.
But then there was the moment at the car when he'd brushed off his filthy pants and arms. He'd been dirty, disheveled and sexy. A man comfortable in his own skin. And when he'd laughed— oh, when he'd looked up and flashed those dimples— Zoe could have sworn the sun shone more brightly in the sky. She'd felt the heat and happiness and wished it could always be that way between them.
"I'm unpacked!" Sam bounced into the room and onto the bed.
"Someone's in a good mood."
"Yeah well you-know-who said Ima could stay with me in my room."
"No kidding? Well make sure you keep her in her crate so she doesn't mess the floors," Zoe warned.
"Yeah, yeah. So how long do we have to stay here before we can go back home?" Sam asked.
Zoe shivered, not wanting to admit to Sam that for all they knew, this would be her home.
Chapter Nine
TO ZOE'S SURPRISE, they spent the next few days having a lot of fun. Ryan took them to Faneuil Hall, on the Duck Tour, and they hit many historical landmarks. They had dinner at Legal Seafoods one night and at Union Oyster Bar the next, and Davio's, an Italian restaurant in the North End on the third evening.
Now they found themselves at Ryan's office where he proudly showed off the brownstone where he and his partners worked. He'd wanted Sam to meet his associates and the rest of the staff, and perhaps because she was still experiencing twinges of gratitude over his saving Ima, Sam went without argument. For Zoe, it was a chance to see Ryan in his own environment without his family pulling at him and without hers changing him.
Zoe waited until Sam headed off to get something to eat with Ryan's secretary before she inclined her head toward his office, indicating she wanted to talk to him alone.