Chapter Two

“As you can see, Miss Haberlan, you’ve gained quite a fortune as well as power over the bank,” Ivan Miller said, grandly waving his hands over the legal papers that covered her father’s desk.

Lori could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on as she sat in his leather chair and looked everything over. She and Ivan, her father’s lawyer for over thirty years, were going over the paperwork piece by piece.

“You have a few months to think this through, no rush of course,” Ivan continued as he began stacking papers. “We can discuss this more thoroughly after you’ve gotten settled in. Where are you staying at?”

“I don’t know. I came straight here from the airport.” She picked up a file and leafed through it. The number hadn’t changed in the last hour. There were still several zeros in it, many more than she thought there would be.

“I can recommend a hotel, if you’d like.”

“That would be marvelous,” she said, smiling at Ivan. “Tomorrow, I’d like to look for a private place though. Do you know of any moderately priced houses for rent in the area?”

“I know of some nice condos nearby, fairly new and not too expensive. I can give you the number.”

They packed up the papers into Ivan’s briefcase. Before he snapped it shut, he handed her a single folder.

“A copy of your father’s will and some financial papers, in case you want to look them over.”

“Thanks.” She tucked the folder into her bag and they left the bank.

Ivan drove her to a nice hotel and even helped her to check in. “I’ll have to get a new driver’s license,” she murmured, looking through her wallet. “This sucker’s no good to me here. And if I’m going to be around for a couple of months, I’ll need one.”

Together, they took the elevator to her floor and headed for her room. Ivan stopped at the door and handed her the key, unable to stop himself from suddenly hugging her.

“It’s so good to see you again, Lori,” he said softly, leaving the professional tone behind. “I know you left abruptly, and not under the best conditions, but I just want you to know that he only did it because he loved you.”

Lori’s heart lurched in her chest and she swallowed back a sob. “I know. I loved him too. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it back in time for the funeral.”

The older man sighed and wiped his eyes behind his glasses. “It was a beautiful service.”

“I’m sure it was.”

Ivan straightened his tie and pulled a business card from his wallet. “Here’s the number and address of that office where you can rent a condo. The people who run it are very friendly. If you have any questions or problems, just let me know. I’ll do my best to make this all as smooth as possible for you. I know you’re anxious to get back to Europe.”

“I am, but I also want to spend some time here. I’ve missed it. And thank you so much for helping me.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Then he turned and walked away.

Lori unlocked the door to her room and stepped inside, dropping her luggage on the floor and tucking the business card in her purse. Then she looked for a phone book and began flipping through the pages. She found a few Donetti’s, but no Tony’s or Anthony’s or Antonio’s. Sitting down on the soft bed, she dialed them all, asking if they knew Tony. None of them did.

Sighing, she set the phone book aside and reached for her purse. She opened her wallet and looked at the first picture. It was of herself and Tony sitting on the beach, hand in hand. She loved that picture because of how happy she seemed to be, and because it was the only photograph she had of him. She wondered if he’d changed much.

Back then, his hair had been short, but still long enough so she could run her fingers through his curls. And his eyes. . . his eyes were what attracted her to him in the first place. They were the most alluring chocolate brown she’d ever seen. They sparkled with life and ambition and love. She knew if she found him, she’d want to see if the spark between them could be rekindled.

But what if he was married, had a family? What if she couldn’t find him at all? Maybe he had an unlisted number.