The woman who’d greeted them in the reception area knocked on the closed door and stepped inside, leaving Lacey and Ty waiting in the hall for a moment before she stepped out again. “Mr. Dunne will see you now.”

“Thank you.” Lacey walked inside, Ty right behind her.

An older man with gray hair and a navy power suit rose to greet them. “Lillian, it’s a pleasure to meet you at last.” He came around the desk and clasped her hand. “I was so relieved to hear you’re alive after all this time. You must tell me where you’ve been all these years.”

Lacey forced a smile. “The past is the past. I’d rather look to the future,” she told the man. “Isn’t that why we’re meeting? So you can explain what my parents’ wishes were and how things will work from here?”

He nodded.

Lacey took that as her cue and seated herself in one of two large chairs across from his old wooden desk. Once again, Ty followed her lead and took a seat in the other chair. Lacey folded her hands in her lap and waited for the trustee to speak.

As if sensing her discomfort, Ty reached over and covered her hand with his stronger, warmer one, offering her his strength. She appreciated it more than he realized.

The older man cleared his throat. “I’d be happy to get started. However I’d prefer to discuss these matters in private,” he said, his gaze settling on Ty.

Dunne obviously wanted Ty to leave the room, but Lacey decided she was calling the shots. She was too nervous to remember anything said in this room today and another set of ears would help her recall it. Besides, Paul Dunne’s cold aura gave Lacey the creeps. And the last reason she wanted Ty here had everything to do with the strange things happening around her lately. She’d be with people she knew well and trusted or none at all.

“Ty stays,” Lacey insisted.

Dunne nodded. “As you wish.” He settled into his chair and pulled out a blue-backed set of papers. “These are your parents’ final wishes.”

He read through the basic terms of their will and she discovered that in addition to the huge sum of money in the trust, her mother and father’s house would also revert to her. Stunned, Lacey barely heard the rest.

Finally the older man finished. “Do you understand what I just read?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”

“The gist of it is you must claim the money in person on your twenty-seventh birthday or any time thereafter. Should you die prior to that date, the money is divided between your father’s brothers Robert and Marc.”

Lacey shook her head. “That can’t be right. Uncle Marc always said I would inherit at twenty-one.” In fact he’d counted on her signing the handling of her money over to him by then; the day she overheard that conversation was still vivid in her mind.

Beside her, Ty remained silent.

Paul Dunne steepled his fingers and met her gaze. “I can assure you these are your parents’ wishes. I can’t imagine why your uncle would have told you otherwise.”

“Probably because he was hoping he could have convinced her to trust him enough to sign her money over to him when she was younger,” Ty muttered in disgust.

Lacey nodded in agreement. Ty’s reasoning made perfect sense, but the trustee shook his head.

“Lillian, you must admit you were a difficult child. I’m certain if your uncle misled you it was only because he knew someone with your-how shall I say it-your lack of maturity needed him more than you understood.”

She pushed herself out of her seat. “You’re condoning his lie?” Not to mention validating what she’d already thought of Paul Dunne. He was a disinterested paper pusher who hadn’t given a damn about her as a child any more than he did now.

“Of course not. I’m just offering a possible explanation. Your uncle’s lies were uncalled for. Assuming things happened as you remembered them. Isn’t it possible that with the trauma of losing your parents, you were confused back then?”

Lacey stepped forward at the same time Ty rose and pulled her backwards until he had an arm wrapped around her waist. “I think speculating about the past is useless. What Lilly needs now is for you to explain to her what the next steps are for her to claim the money on her twenty-seventh birthday which is-”

“Next month,” she said, suddenly becoming more aware of the other parts of her parents’ will. “Why twenty-seven? Isn’t that an odd number?”

Paul straightened his papers. “It isn’t uncommon for parents and guardians to delay the distribution of money to their children until they’ve grown up. In this case, there are yearly allotments paid out of the interest on the money that came due each year. Those were designated for the care and upkeep of the house and land and were paid to your guardian, Marc Dumont. Your guardian also had the right to request money at the trustee’s discretion for your care.”

Lacey did her best not to snort at that last comment.

“But to answer your question, the reason you can’t claim the money until you turn twenty-seven is that your parents wanted you to have time to really live. They wanted you to go to college, or Europe, etc. while you were young. Once again, the interest would have paid for those things according to the trust agreement. They wanted you to learn about life before inheriting. Otherwise they feared you might go through the money unwisely.”

“Little did they know how things would turn out,” she said to Ty.

She ran her hands up and down her arms. Her parents had wanted her to have valuable life experiences and she’d had more than they could ever have imagined. Instead of college, she’d ended up in New York City barely surviving thanks to her uncle, her so-called guardian.

Ty pulled her close, his strong presence the only thing holding her up.

“Still, isn’t twenty-seven an odd number? Wouldn’t they have picked a number like twenty-five? Or thirty?” Ty asked.

“Your mother was a sentimental woman. She met your father at the age of twenty-seven. They married on April twenty-seventh.” He shrugged. “Your father lived to indulge her,” he explained.

“That makes an odd sort of sense,” Ty said.

Hearing about her parents caused a lump to fill her throat and Lacey could only nod in agreement.

“So on Lacey’s birthday, she can come here and sign the papers?” Ty asked, obviously understanding that she was unable to ask coherent questions herself.

“It’s a little more complicated than that, but essentially yes. She signs and the papers need to be filed with the bank. Then she’ll be able to access the money.” He cleared his throat. “Now if you two will excuse me, I have another appointment I must prepare for.”

Lacey was not ready to be dismissed. “Just how much money are we talking about, exactly?”

“Well there has been fluctuation of interest rates over the years.” Paul Dunne fidgeted with his tie. “But approximately two point five million dollars.”

And Lacey knew she only had to stay alive long enough to claim it.

They exited Dunne’s offices and Ty led her out onto the street. He knew she’d been shaken by all she’d heard, especially the fact that she’d inherited her parents’ home. He knew better than to bring up the subject now. She needed time to digest the information.

Ty stopped at a drugstore next door to the law firm and bought her a bottle of water before they settled into the car.

“You okay?” he asked, as he opened the bottle and handed it to her.

She nodded and drank some. “Surreal doesn’t begin to describe things, huh?”

“That’s one word for it.”

She gripped the bottle hard. “The terms of the trust are proof. Uncle Marc is out to make sure I don’t live to see my twenty-seventh birthday.”

He let out a groan, hating to agree with her. He had no choice. “I don’t see how it could be anyone else. But he’s not going to touch you.”

She grinned for the first time since walking into the office. “What would I do without you?” she asked, impulsively leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

He sure as hell didn’t want to find out, but they both knew she’d survive just fine. She’d already proven she could.

He turned his attention to starting the car. “I say we go back to my mother’s. You can hang out with Digger, rest a little this afternoon and come with me to Night Owl’s later on. I have to work the night shift and you need to get out among people.”

“Ooh, a night out. I can’t wait!” She perked up a little, her shoulders straightening at the thought. “Think I can help out, too? I’m so tired of not being busy.”

Another sign this little idyll between them was soon coming to an end, Ty thought. “I’m sure you can convince the guy in charge to let you do some work.”

Because that guy in charge tonight happened to be him, and he couldn’t deny her anything. Including a return to New York City and the real life she loved.

MARC HAD TAKEN the morning off from work to have his tuxedo fitted for his wedding, which was still scheduled for the first of next month. Of course, he still hadn’t told his soon-to-be wife that Lilly’s birthday a few days before that would effectively ensure he not only had no trust fund, he also had no place to live. Lilly would inherit the mansion as she rightly should, and he’d be out on the street. He couldn’t imagine her allowing him to stay on and he’d never ask for the privilege. He certainly hadn’t earned any rights at all.

He’d already been viewing luxury rentals closer to Albany. His salary allowed for an upscale standard of living, thank goodness. He just didn’t know if upscale would be enough for Francie, for whom nothing ever seemed to be enough. Marc didn’t know why he loved her but he did. Flaws and all. Perhaps losing her would be his punishment for past sins, he thought, not for the first time. He also loved her daughter Molly and felt certain he’d lose her, as well, just as soon as she accepted the ugly truth about his past with Lilly.

He pulled into the long driveway leading to the house and immediately realized he had company. The black Cadillac indicated an ominous visitor. One he’d been deliberately ignoring since receiving the message demanding an audience. Marc had nothing to say to Paul Dunne. As far as Marc was concerned, the man had dug his own grave by siphoning funds from Lilly’s estate over the years.

Marc pulled his car up beside Dunne’s and stepped out into the cool fall air.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” the other man said.

“That’s because we have nothing to discuss.”

The other man raised an eyebrow. “Apparently you aren’t living in reality but I plan to enlighten you, starting now.”

Marc slipped his keys into his pocket. “You know what? I don’t have time for this.” He turned and started for the house.

“Make time.” Paul stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Lillian cannot live to see her twenty-seventh birthday.”

Marc rotated slowly. “Are you insane? Embezzling money is bad enough. You’re looking to add murder to your list of accomplishments?”

Paul let out a laugh, his eyes filled with crazed determination. “Of course not. I intend to add it to yours.”

“Now I know you’ve lost your mind.” It took everything inside of Marc not to show his own panic at the man’s words. He needed to stay calm and outtalk him, but first he had to discover what Paul Dunne had in mind.

Marc paused, deliberately remaining silent, waiting for Dunne to explain.

“The girl can’t inherit. It’s as simple as that.”

“Why? Because as soon as she does, she’ll find out about the missing money and have you arrested and thrown in jail?” Nothing would make Marc happier.

“Because I’d much rather have you inherit the shrinking pot of gold. I have as much on you as you have on me. Which means I know you won’t report me to the authorities,” Paul said with too much satisfaction. He rubbed his hands together, not due to the cool weather, Marc knew, but because he was certain he had the upper hand.

Marc swallowed hard. He wanted all the facts on the table. No surprises. “What is it you think you know?”

Paul grinned, his expression pure evil. “I know you lied to Lillian about the age at which she’d inherit so that you could manipulate her into signing her money over to you, her kindly uncle. And when that didn’t work, I know your real personality came out and you abused the poor girl. And I know you basically sold her to Florence Benson.”

Marc leaned against the trunk of his car for support.

Paul glanced up at the clear blue as if in thought.

Marc doubted he needed the time to think. No doubt he was just prolonging the agony.

“Oh, did I mention that I’m well aware of how you manipulated and bribed people in the foster care system to have Daniel Hunter removed from the Benson home. Essentially I know everything about you.”