Page 4 of Savage Peril

Sheldon smiled. “How about a late lunch? I’m sure you didn’t eat on the plane.”

Lori’s stomach growled, although she didn’t have much appetite. But it would be good to sit and talk for a while. “Sure, you pick. I’ll eat whatever sounds good to you.”

“How about Top of the Town?”

Lori linked her arm with Sheldon’s. “You don’t have to do that.” The restaurant was one of the most beautiful, perched atop a downtown bank tower with stunning views of the city.

“Nothing is too good for my niece,” Sheldon said. “And maybe you’ll find a dish that you’ll actually eat.”

Lori couldn’t deny that not much sounded appetizing. “Yes, maybe.”

The prospect of lunch with her uncle boosted Lori’s spirits. She could relax in his company and talk about things. He would be proud of her for saving a passenger’s life. That would be a story to tell. Besides, Lori wasn’t anxious to go home.

After her father died, Lori had moved out of her apartment and into his house—but it seemed so empty. Years ago, when her mother had passed away, the place had seemed too large for one person. But her father had memories there, and he refused to sell it.

The house was Lori’s now, and she couldn’t bear to part with it. Yet living there alone—without even a fiancé to warm her bed some nights—was depressing. She had no one but herself to blame for that. Maybe after lunch, she would ask Sheldon to drop her at the clinic.

There was an overwhelming list of tasks that Lori needed to tend to. She had put them off for long enough. Grief or not, she was in charge and needed to start acting like it. Work would be therapeutic. Treating patients and alleviating pain made her feel valuable and gave her purpose.

Sheldon ushered Lori into his BMW, then stowed her suitcase in the trunk. He got in and turned to her. “I want you to know that if you need anything, you must ask. I realize that you want to be strong, and I respect that. I’ve always admired your strength and professionalism. But I understand how difficult it was to lose Robert…your father. I miss him too. We have to stick together.”

“That is kind of you,” Lori said. “You are the only person I have that I can count on, so that means a lot.”

Sheldon squeezed her arm affectionately, then he headed for the restaurant. Lori leaned back and closed her eyes. For a moment, she allowed herself the luxury of imagining that her father was still alive, that he would greet her at the clinic and share the latest patient crisis.

Lori couldn’t hold on to the past; she had to move forward. When she opened her eyes, she would quit dreaming and face her responsibilities. But her father would always be in her heart; he would be with her in spirit if not in body. And she vowed to wrap up the details surrounding his death and put any nagging unanswered questions behind her.

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