Crazy Love (Emerald Lake Billionaires 3) (20 page)

“Except no one’s life was at stake.”

“Or millions of dollars’ worth of research equipment.”

“Why did you leave NASA and start your own business?”

Daniel looked down at his hands. “I enjoyed what I was doing, but I knew there were other things I had to do. I’d been working on an app that diagnosed different eye conditions. I partnered a high-profile eye clinic in Los Angeles with the Volunteer Doctors Abroad program. Within twelve months we’d diagnosed and treated more than six thousand people. Without the app, and the doctors who believed it could make a difference, a lot of those people would be blind.”

“That’s something to be proud of.” Holly thought about the dating app his friend had developed and the reason Daniel was working on it. “Have you had any luck with the Red Cross in the Sudan?”

The smile on Daniel’s face told her everything she needed to know. “The trial starts in six weeks’ time. Blake’s friend was able to connect me with someone who could see the benefits of what we wanted to achieve. They’ve agreed to use the app for four months. After the trial, we’ll present a report to the Red Cross comparing their traditional distribution process with the information we’ve gathered from the app. Hopefully, they’ll roll it out across more sites.”

“It sounds as though you’ve got a busy time ahead of you.”

“The best part of being successful is not having to do everything yourself. I can afford to pay good staff to help me.”

“What other apps has your team developed?”

“Have you heard of Art in a Pocket?”

“Really? But that’s used in lots of museums and galleries around the world. Your team developed that app?”

Daniel looked amused. “I like art and wanted other people to enjoy it.”

“I used Art in a Pocket when I visited the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington DC.”

“What did you think?”

“It was incredible. The app brings the story behind each artwork to life. I was so impressed that I told a friend how it works. He’s one of the exhibition managers at the Louvre. Within six months, they had thousands of people using it each day.”

“We also developed Wriggly Worm.”

She frowned. “I haven’t heard of that one.”

“If you were eight years old you would have. A worm slides along a three-dimensional platform. The goal is to eat as many worms as you can before you get eaten.” He rubbed his temple. “I really need to get rid of this headache.”

“When did you take your last painkillers?”

“Before I came up here. I’ll be fine in another few minutes.”

Someone knocked on Holly’s front door and she jumped off her stool. “I’ll be back in a minute. You’re welcome to look at my paintings. Just be careful of the ones beside the window.”

She opened the door to find Claire and Hannah on her doorstep. “Come in, it’s freezing outside. I thought you’d gone away for the day.”

Hannah and Claire walked into her living room. There was no sign of their happy personalities.

Hannah pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “Rachel called us. You met her yesterday at Sally and Todd’s wedding.”

“Has something happened to Sally and Todd?”

“No, they’re okay. Someone uploaded photos of Sally’s wedding onto the school’s Facebook page. You were in one of them. Rachel was sent a message by someone who’s looking for you.”

Holly frowned. “I don’t understand. Why would someone be looking for me?”

Claire handed her the phone. “Rachel didn’t know how to contact you, so she texted Hannah the message. It’s from your dad.”

Holly nearly dropped the cell phone. Her hand shook so much she had trouble reading the simple words. She took a deep breath and started again.

Her dad had seen her photo and wanted to contact her.

She hadn’t heard from him in more than twenty years. She didn’t know where he lived or what he’d been doing.

Talking to him was the last thing she wanted to do.

***

“Is everything all right?” Daniel asked from the bottom of the stairs.

Hannah shook her head. “Holly’s…what happened to your face?”

“I had a car accident and hit my head.” He glanced at Holly. “Are you okay?”

Claire rubbed Holly’s arm. “She’s a bit shocked by a message she received.”

“It’s okay. Daniel knows about my dad.” Holly had no idea what she was going to do. She looked at Daniel. “My dad saw a photo of me at Sally’s wedding. He wants to talk.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Daniel asked.

Holly shook her head. “I haven’t seen or spoken to him in more than twenty years. I don’t know if I can reopen that part of my life.”

Daniel took her hand and led her across to the sofa. “Sit here. I’ll make you a hot drink. What would you like?”

“A hot chocolate would be good.”

“I’ll get it,” Hannah said. “You stay with Holly and Claire.”

Daniel didn’t let go of Holly’s hand. The warmth from his fingers gave her something to focus on, something that had nothing to do with her father.

“You don’t have to make any decisions right now,” he said.

“I don’t know if anyone’s told him that mom died. Most of her family came from Pennsylvania.”

“Maybe that’s why he contacted you,” Claire said helpfully. “He might regret leaving you and your mom the way he did.”

Holly knew what Claire was trying to say. For a long time after he’d left, she’d hoped her father would come back. But as the months turned into years, she gave up believing he’d ever return.

“How long were your parents married?” Daniel asked.

“Eight years,” Holly said quietly. “Mom never said much about the time they were together. It was almost as though it hurt too much to talk about it.”

Daniel squeezed her fingers. “Maybe it did. Adults can say and do things that don’t make sense to a child. Did your mom say anything about your dad before she died?”

“She never talked about him. Her sister came and saw me after her funeral. She had a wedding photo of mom and dad that she thought I would like. That was the first time I’d seen a picture of dad in years. After he left, mom must have thrown away every photo she had of him.”

Hannah returned with a mug of chocolate. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Hannah took her cell phone out of her pocket and tapped the screen. “I’ll send you Rachel’s text so you have your dad’s contact details. You don’t have to talk to him.”

Holly took another sip of her drink. “I know. It’s just come as a shock. “

Claire looked at her sister. “We should go. Daniel will look after Holly.”

“I’m fine,” Holly said quickly. “I don’t need anyone looking after me.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

“We’ve both got issues,” Holly muttered as her friends put on their jackets.

Hannah hugged her. “We’ve got some planning to do for another event that’s not far away. If you need us, just call.”

“I will. Thank you for coming over.”

Claire followed her sister with another hug. “I’m sorry the news about your dad came as a shock. At least you can decide what you want to do, now.”

Holly nodded. But she didn’t know whether having a choice was a blessing or a curse.

***

That afternoon, Daniel grabbed the handle of the grocery cart and moved forward. Deciding what they would eat for dinner had been easy. Holly, it turned out, didn’t know how to cook. When he’d mentioned his favorite recipe of meatloaf, green beans, and mashed potatoes, her eyes had widened.

Her level of excitement would have been funny if he wasn’t the person showing her how to cook. The pressure of not burning anything was something he hadn’t considered.

“Are you sure you’re well enough to walk around the supermarket?” Holly asked.

“I’m fine.”

“I’ve got a grocery list. It won’t take long to buy everything. You could sit in my car and listen to some music.”

“I’m okay. We’re here now so we might as well keep going.” He dropped a packet of ground beef into their shopping cart. “What’s next on our list?”

“Breadcrumbs, crushed garlic, mixed herbs, and canned tomatoes.” Holly stood at the end of one of the aisles and pointed at a sign. “Breadcrumbs are that way,” she said, then moved quickly past the shelves.

Daniel caught up to her when she found the breadcrumbs. “If you don’t cook, what
do
you buy in the supermarket?”

“I’m a super-shopper when it comes to the frozen food aisle. If it’s in a box, I’ve tried it. The nutritional content is, in some cases, superior to home-cooked meals.”

Daniel made a scoffing noise. “You’ve been reading too much propaganda put out by the frozen food companies. Fresh is always best.”

“Not if it’s flash frozen. None of the food that passes my lips has been sitting on the back of a truck for two days.”

“But has it been sitting on a wharf for a few weeks before being shipped to America?”

This time Holly looked mildly amused. “I like food from around the world. My life wouldn’t be the same without Thai chicken curry, fried rice, beef cottage pie, and macaroni cheese.”

“You eat all of those as frozen meals?”

“They’re wonderful. Six minutes in the microwave and I’m done.”

She looked so proud of her culinary expertise that Daniel didn’t have the heart to say anything more.

Holly put two cans of tomatoes in their cart, then went back for another two. “If this tastes good, I might cook it again.”

“You’d better tell me when you want to test your kitchen skills. I’ll supervise.”

“We could make our last date a cooking date. I’ll choose a recipe and you can help me make it.”

Daniel wasn’t sure what he was letting himself in for, but it sounded fun, in a strange kind of way. “We’d better cook together before my sister arrives. If she finds out I’ve been giving you cooking lessons, she’ll fall over laughing.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t boil water when I left home. Mom tried teaching me to cook, but I’d sooner have my nose in the back of a computer than in front of a food processor. It’s amazing what desperation will do. In college I had to either learn to cook or starve to death.”

“You just didn’t find the right frozen meals. Take the Weight Watchers brand, for instance. Each meal is nutritionally balanced with the exact number of points specified on the outside of the box. If you want to be fancy you can add pumpkin, cabbage, or any vegetable. It adds extra nutrients, but no fat. Their meals are about as perfect as you could get.”

Daniel had a feeling that teaching Holly how to cook was going to be a challenge.

Holly added mixed herbs and crushed garlic to the cart.

“Are we finished yet?”

Her gaze sharpened. “Are you tired?”

If he told her he hadn’t had so much fun in months, she’d think he had a sad life. It was probably true, but his ego didn’t need an extra dent today. His truck had more than enough of those.

He spied a multi-pack of herbs and spices and added them to the cart. “If you’re going to turn into Martha Stewart we need to get a few basic ingredients into your kitchen. And no, I’m not tired, but I wouldn’t mind stopping for a coffee on the way out.”

Holly took that as all the reason she needed to bustle him across to the checkout. “We’d better leave before the frozen foods manager sees me. He’ll think I’ve abandoned him.”

Daniel could only imagine the fun she’d had discussing the frozen dinners with the staff.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked.

“I’m thinking about whether I want to buy a muffin with my coffee.”

Holly glanced at him before pulling the trolley alongside one of the checkout counters. “I’m an expert on the muffins here, too. If you’re in any doubt about which one to choose, just ask me.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“I don’t know,” Holly said as she stacked their groceries on the conveyor belt. “I guess you haven’t met anyone quite like me before.”

Daniel knew he hadn’t. For some reason, that thought wasn’t as comforting as it should have been.

CHAPTER NINE

Four days later, Holly was half-way through her first cooking lesson. After the delicious meatloaf Daniel had cooked, she was confident he could show her what to do in a kitchen. They’d already prepared the side dishes of vegetables. It was time to cook the fish.

He didn’t look as excited as she thought he would have been.

She raised her eyebrows. “Do you have performance issues?”

He choked on the coffee she’d given him.

She was too polite to thump him on the back so, instead, she smiled at him sweetly.

“Caribbean red snapper, fragrant rice, garlicky asparagus, and fried green tomatoes aren’t what you’d usually cook for your first meal.”