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For now she sat in theentrenched herself in the back, deterh Zoe had agreed, she'd had a gut feeling Ryan would not So she'd instructed Saht for her until she beca in the back with Sa Sa happy and relatively quiet and each bathroo could relieve herself somewhere besides the car or the carrier

Unfortunately, taking along Ima hadn't appeased Sa in the back seat Ryan had long since stopped trying to make conversation with her and after a short talk about the Red Sox and Yankees, in which Zoe discovered that being a Mets fan made her rise further in Ryan's estimation, they'd reverted to a silence that included Saroans

For her part, Zoe tried not to stare at Ryan's handsome profile or reach out and touch his hand to reassure him that in time he would win Salanced in the rearview o"

"Yeah, well, I have to pee again"

Zoe shook her head Between Sa Ryan's patience Not even Iun to train, needed to relieve herself that often

"I'll make you a deal You watch your mouth, especially e hit Boston , and I'll stop as " Despite his dark sunglasses, Zoe could tell he atching in the mirror for a reaction from the teen

Zoe turned toward the back seat in ti, but she didn't volunteer a yes or no answer

Although Zoe agreed that Sam needed to refine her choice of words, she couldn't help but fear that Ryan's demand had more ominous undertones, ones that had roots in his late sister's behavior and the reasons she'd run away from home Zoe didn't want to see Ryan, the relaxed man she'd come to enjoy in New Jersey , revert to the stuffier ain when his uncle had arrived

"I' for an answer," Ryan said

Zoe shivered and pushed up the air-conditioning vents so they pointed away from her, but the chill remained

"I don't see that I have a choice but to follow your rules unless I want a flood back here," Sam muttered

A muscle twitched in Ryan's cheek "You just reet there"

Saht better of it and whipped her head around to the side, glancing out the"Whatever you say, oh great one," Sam muttered

Ryan raised an eyebrow Zoe's way "Is she always this pleasant?"

Zoe couldn't help but stifle a chuckle "I have to say she reserves her best behavior for you"

"I feel so privileged" Ryan grinned and they shared their first easy laugh of the day