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Emotion Zoe shared, since she now had no choice but to take the distance she'd tried to maintain and place it firoodhis niece accepted by his family Zoe would have no place in their lives beyond that of a long-distance friend She couldn't when she and Ryan, for all their passion, had so little in coaze, her throat heavy with grief No ed her to believe otherwise, her mind told her that their different lives, different ways of doing things, and co-term On a selfish note, his fa wo and the independent person she intended to beco nod, Zoe then watched as he changed his focus toward hisit was time, Zoe stepped back and away

Ryan reluctantly turned from Zoe to stare at his mother and his head spun He was in awe, couilt and her desire to do better Shock, gratitude, and even love for this wonoring her attempt to remain stoic and alone, Ryan placed his arm around her shoulder If he needed the physical connection to his parent, he decided that shesurprise, she wrapped her aresture

But he couldn't take his eyes off Zoe She stood off to one side, her expression soft as she smiled She was clearly touched by the rew more uncomfortable She shifted from heel to heel and appeared unusually alone for a woman normally filled with confidence

He wanted to pull her into the moment, but she obviously wasn't ready for such ayou for Sam's sake, not for my own," Zoe said into the silence

His mother eyed Zoe warily She obviously still didn't knohat to make of Zoe's place in this situation and Ryan wasn't ready to fill her in Not when he knew even Zoe wasn't ready to hear the truth

Before he could ease the tension, Zoe started to talk "You see, my family has been where you are Sam has tested us, too, and we discovered that she responds well to punishainst rules for their own sake All Sam wants is to be loved, accepted and to know she fits in" She finished quickly, out of breath

"That's…"

"I'" Zoe interrupted his h the air "This is all between you and your son" She took a step backward, and then another

Ryan knew she was searching for distance He couldn't allow her to find it Zoe was used to love and acceptance from her family, yet she'd closed herself off to the possibility of finding love with hi that

NEAR MIDNIGHT, Ryan, unable to sleep, opened his door to find a light shining froured it was Zoe, but instead found Sa at his framed pictures Most were of family and he could understand her curiosity He still had a lot of questions about Sam herself They hadn't spent ood a tie a deeper bond with her

He strode into the roo her throat "You scared ainst her chest

"I didn't ed "I couldn't sleep"

"Me neither So what are you looking at?" he asked

She placed the picture face down on the table and stepped back aluiltily

He joined her and turned over the frame It was the one he had of her mother He stared at the familiar blond hair and bone structure and shook his head "It's a the photo so she could see it again

"Myblurry" Sa at the photo, she blinked and a tear fell

In her oversize pajama pants and tank top, she was an oddher, but knew she wouldn't accept comfort from him yet "You can keep the picture," he said instead