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He wanted ure them out

Yet she'd offered him the opportunity he'd come for and he couldn't turn her down "You're sure the ti physical and emotional distance between thehed "As sure as I'll ever be I just need a chance to break it to my parents first"

"Of course And then what?" He flexed and unflexed his hands, nerves taking over

Questions raced through hishih the New Jersey red tape, or did she plan to have hier? And hoould Sa she had family after all this time?

"I don't— " Zoe started to speak

"Elena, they're back!" Saut, and prevented Zoe frohtened look He understood and wondered if Sairl fumbled with the lock on the screen door, but finally worked the catch, opened the door and waved them inside "Come in! You left so early you never opened your presents," she said to Zoe

Saaze, but that wasn't unusual and once he saw her excitement and smiles, his concern eased She was too happy to have heard a thing Now all he had to worry about was Zoe viewing his eifts

"Do you want to help irl grabbed Zoe's hand and they walked into the family room

Ryan followed and seated himself on a chair across from them so he could watch

Sa behind her "Elena said if you were gonna be rude and leave, we could still enjoy the traditional parts of a party, so I already opened the presents, well all except for the ones froer could

"I see And what did I get?" Zoe asked, laughing

"Aunt Dee and Uncle John bought you a subscription to an online dating service that lets you pick out whatever traits you want in a guy They said you'd better lance at Zoe to know she was blushing He also didn't have to look down at his clenched fists to realize the thought of her with any other h a litany of other gifts until she reached the end "And Elena and Aunt Kassie said you already got your gift froazebetween them in that one look

"And this is fro behind her back "I made it myself," she said softly, suddenly shy "Since you have one that Ari made you, I wanted you to have one from me, too So I could be a real sister, too"

"Oh, Sa and over her shoulder, Saged him, the "social worker," not to take her away froe he could do He glanced fro type pillow that said Sisters & Best Friends 4 Ever A wave of nausea swept through hi Sa her of the security she had finally achieved in her otherwise unsettled life

How could he do that to her? Ryan wondered