Free Falling for a Stranger by Barbara Freethy Page B

next door for two decades, but Steven had always kept to himself, even more so after Sara's mother died.
    "He's surprisingly happy about it," Aiden said. "Although, I think that's partly due to the fact that I'm taking Sara off his hands."
    "I thought they were getting along better," Drew said.
    "They are. Steven is trying to be a father, which means a lot to Sara. She's always wanted more of a family."
    "Well, she's going to get more family than she wants when she marries into the Callaways," Drew said dryly.
    "Damn," Aiden said, his gaze now on the television screen. The Giants had just blown their chance in the bottom of the ninth. They were going into extra innings. "Miller can't hit for shit this season."
    "He'll be back," Burke said, shifting his chair so he could get a better view of the game. "He hit .360 last year."
    "What has he done for me lately?" Aiden asked.
    "You always give up on people too fast," Burke said.
    "And you'll ride a losing horse all the way back to the stable."
    Drew smiled to himself as Burke and Aiden jumped into an argument over the Giants' starting lineup. He'd mediated a lot of their battles, but today he was going to let them fight it out on their own. His mind was on Ria.
    If she worked for the yacht club, maybe he could get some information about her from the office.
    "I'll be right back," he muttered, although neither Aiden nor Burke were paying attention to him.
    He left the restaurant and walked down the hall to the office. The receptionist gave him a friendly smile.
    "Can I help you?" she asked.
    "I was wondering about your sailing lessons."
    "We have lessons to fit every ability level. Are you a beginner?"
    "Intermediate. I think I saw a female instructor out on the docks…"
    "That was probably Tory Harper. She's excellent and a seasoned sailor. She's sailed all over the world."
    "Sounds perfect. Does she have any openings?"
    The woman moved to her computer. "Let's see. When would you want to take the lesson?"
    "What is the first available?"
    "Tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock. It's an hour slot."
    "I'll take it."
    "Name?"
    He paused, wondering if Ria would check the schedule. He decided to play it safe. Since she'd used a fake name, he would, too. "Tim Roberts," he said, adding his own cell number to the reservation.
    "Great. Tory will meet you at the dock," the woman said with a smile. "Have fun."
    "I intend to." He couldn't wait to see Ria's face when he showed up for his lesson.

Chapter Six

    She'd handled Drew all wrong, Ria thought, as she got off the bus and walked down the street to her apartment building. She'd been so shocked to see him, she'd veered from the script she'd so carefully composed and instead lied like an amateur. He'd immediately seen through her, and she wasn't surprised. His intelligence and quick brain had been one of the things that had drawn him to her, not to mention his sexy smile and strong, masculine body.
    She drew in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racing heart. But the adrenaline rushing through her veins was overwhelming and her instinct to flee was taking over. Leaving San Francisco today was her best option, but there was no way Megan would leave before the prom. It was one week away, and it would break her heart to miss it. Megan had already had too much heartbreak, and the last thing Ria wanted to do was make her niece unhappy again.
    So she would wait, at least until after the prom. Then she would reevaluate and have a long heart-to-heart talk with Megan, because she was coming to realize that the shy, terrified fifteen-year-old who'd come to live with her a year and a half ago was not the increasingly more confident sixteen-year-old who seemed to have locked her past away along with her old name. Megan wanted to be normal. And she was doing everything she could to forget that her life was anything but routine.
    Ria knew it was probably a coping mechanism and a part of her wished she could compartmentalize so well, but she couldn't.