Crazy Love (Emerald Lake Billionaires 3) (24 page)

“Who’s standing beside Daniel?” Mia whispered.

“It must be Elizabeth, his sister. Come and say hello.” Holly walked across the loft and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Holly, and this is my friend, Mia. Are you Elizabeth?”

Daniel’s sister nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Has Daniel told you what we’re doing?”

Elizabeth looked around the room. “Your students are preparing their work for art school applications. It’s generous of you to give up your time.”

Holly glanced at Daniel. She hoped he hadn’t told his sister who she really was.

Daniel must have known what she was thinking. He shook his head so subtly that no one except Holly would have noticed.

Mia smiled at Elizabeth. “We’ve all been in the same situation as our students. Do you like art?”

“I haven’t had any time to paint or draw, but I like to write poetry.”

Daniel turned to his sister. “You do?”

“It helps me clear my mind. You should try it sometime.”

“I’d sooner write an app,” Daniel muttered.

Elizabeth grinned at her brother, then turned to Holly and Mia. “I made chocolate chip cookies. If you need an afternoon break, there’s plenty to go around. Just give me a few minutes’ warning and I’ll make some hot drinks to go with them.”

Mia glanced at her watch. “What do you think about stopping for ten minutes, Holly? I know Hannah and Claire would appreciate a break.”

Holly looked around the room. Their students were at the stage when a short break wouldn’t interrupt what they were doing. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” She turned to Elizabeth. “Would you like us to come to the kitchen or can I help you bring the hot chocolate and cookies up to the loft?”

“Come to the kitchen,” Daniel said. “It will be a lot easier than hauling everything up here.”

Holly didn’t know what it was about Daniel, but every time she was in the same room as him a warm fuzzy feeling invaded her brain. His friend’s Crazy Love app had a lot to answer for, especially after she’d filled out the final feedback form. It had made her think about Daniel and how she felt about him. She was thankful she’d been on her own when she’d completed the questionnaire. If Daniel had been sitting beside her, the answers would have been a lot different.

Mia sent her a funny look. “We’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Why don’t you go downstairs, Holly? You could give Elizabeth and Daniel a hand to get everything ready. We’ll be okay up here.”

Holly looked at the supplies that needed to be put away for tomorrow.

“Don’t worry about that,” Mia insisted. “I can organize everything.”

Elizabeth turned toward the door. “It looks as though you’re coming with us. You’re not going to believe how many chocolate chip cookies I made.”

Daniel laughed. “I think she’s been secretly planning a chocolate chip cookie takeover. My waistline isn’t going to survive Elizabeth’s home baking.”

Holly grinned. “I’ll make sure you build a snowman with us tomorrow. The extra exercise will compensate for the cookies you’ll be eating.”

The gleam in Daniel’s eyes brought a rush of heat to her face. “Play nice, Mr. Sullivan. Elizabeth wouldn’t approve.”

Daniel held her hand as they walked downstairs. “You might be surprised,” he whispered.

***

Holly sat on a stool beside Elizabeth, watching the teenagers in Daniel’s kitchen. They’d devoured a plate of chocolate chip cookies and were refilling their mugs with hot chocolate. Each of their conversations involved what they were doing at the workshops and what they still had to do.

“They’re having fun,” Elizabeth said quietly.

Holly nodded. “I hope so. It’s a stressful time getting your portfolio together. Attending any art school is incredibly expensive. For most of the students, a scholarship is the only way they’re going to be able to enroll.”

“Do you run these workshops each year?”

Holly shook her head. “This is the first time anyone’s done anything like this. I moved here a few months ago and started volunteering at the local community center. I run an arts program. The students who are here were part of that program. Mia, Hannah, and Claire were just as excited as I was about helping them with the next stage of their art education.”

Elizabeth sipped her coffee. “It must be rewarding giving something back to the students. Teenagers are given such a hard time about what they don’t do. It’s great to see them being appreciated for what they can do.”

Holly reached for a cookie before the second plate disappeared. “That’s what I think, too. What do you do when you’re not in Bozeman?”

“I used to be a lawyer in Cedar Rapids. I resigned a few weeks ago. I’m staying with Daniel until I work out what I want to do next.”

A pair of big hands landed on Elizabeth’s shoulders.

She leaped a foot in the air and glared at Daniel. “What were you trying to do? I nearly had a heart attack.”

He grinned. “I hope you’re not telling Holly too many family secrets?”

“Only the ones that will get you into the most trouble,” Elizabeth said sternly. “Why are you still here? I thought you had to feed your animals.”

“You wouldn’t be trying to get rid of me, would you?”

Elizabeth’s frown turned into a smile. “I’m more worried about the alpacas.”

“If you enjoy looking after animals, you should ask Daniel to introduce you to Sally Randall,” Holly said. “She lives next door and helps at the local animal shelter. She’s on her honeymoon at the moment, but she’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”

Elizabeth looked at her brother. “Is that who gave you your animals?”

“Sally seems to think there’s room for a couple of donkeys and a horde of cats in my barn. If I’m not careful, my property will turn into a zoo.” He pulled another stool out and sat down. “Just don’t go anywhere near Sally if you buy a house. She’ll convince you that you need a dog and three cats to keep you company.”

Elizabeth looked amused. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Trust me,” Daniel said. “Don’t mention anything about having room for a pet or two. She’ll arrive the next day with a horse float and a couple of goats.”

“Now I know you’re exaggerating. No one finds new homes for goats.”

Daniel reached across Holly and took a cookie off the plate. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

A warmth spread through Holly. It had nothing to do with the central heating in Daniel’s house and everything to do with him.

“What about you, Holly? Do you have any pets?”

Elizabeth was waiting for her to say something intelligent. But all she could think about was the man sitting close beside her. “Not yet.”

“There you go,” she said to her brother. “Holly’s been living here for months and Sally hasn’t managed to rehome any shelter animals with her. Maybe she targeted you because you can’t say no to anyone.”

Daniel snorted. “The reason she targeted me was because I own a large property and I’m her neighbor. She almost tripped over her feet when she saw the size of my barn.”

Laughter danced in Elizabeth’s eyes. “That will serve you right for buying a big property.”

Daniel sighed. “I’m going to make sure my alpacas have enough food. I’ll see you later, Holly.”

He left the kitchen with another cookie and Holly’s heart wrapped around his little finger.

Mia stood in the middle of the room and clapped her hands. “Five minutes, everyone. Remember to put your cups in the dishwasher when you’ve finished.”

There were a few groans from the students, but Holly was pleased to see that they were all getting ready for their next session.

“What do you think of my brother?” Elizabeth asked.

Holly put her cup of hot chocolate on the counter before she spilled it. She didn’t know what to say.

“I’ve embarrassed you. I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said quickly. “Sometimes I’m too direct. If you don’t want to answer my question, that’s okay. I was just wondering, because Daniel seems to like you.”

“I like him, too. Did he tell you how we met?”

Elizabeth smiled. “It’s kind of romantic, in an IT, geeky sort of way. I’m glad he’s found a girlfriend as nice as you.”

“I’m not his girlfriend. We’re friends.”

Elizabeth looked confused. “I’m sorry. I thought you were…” She sighed. “Take it from me, life is too short to miss out on something that could be wonderful. If you want to meet for a coffee sometime after the workshop, let me know. I’d love to get to know you better.”

Holly gave Elizabeth a quick hug. “I’d like that. If you want to join us tomorrow, you’re more than welcome. I can’t guarantee what you’ll be helping us with, but we can always do with another pair of hands.”

“Thank you. I might take you up on your offer. Enjoy the afternoon.”

Holly rinsed her mug and put it in the dishwasher. She said a final goodbye to Daniel’s sister and headed toward the loft.

Elizabeth was so similar to Daniel it was hard for Holly to believe they’d only just met. She was comfortable to be around and knew her brother better than anyone else.

It was just as well she had a week of painting ahead of her. There wouldn’t be time to think about Daniel. And there most definitely wouldn’t be time to imagine anything wonderful happening between them.

At least, not this week, anyway.

***

Daniel leaned against the rail of his alpaca enclosure. Holly had stayed for dinner after the workshop. “Have you forgiven me for not cooking frozen pizza?” he asked.

“The steak and salad were lovely. Elizabeth enjoyed dinner, too. I might have been wrong about the frozen foods aisle.”

The mischievous look in Holly’s eyes made him smile. “I’m shocked. Have I converted you to a better way of living?”

“Not quite, but I’m getting there.” She rubbed the neck of one of the brown alpacas. “Do these beautiful animals have names?”

“The alpaca in front of you is called Sparkles. The other alpaca who’s looking decidedly grumpy, is Impulse. You’ve got to watch her for obvious reasons.”

“Did you name them yourself?”

“They came with their own names. Impulse has been more upset than normal. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

Holly moved toward Daniel, trying to see around Sparkles’ tall body. But Sparkles had other ideas. She followed Holly, batting her long lashes, no doubt hoping for more cuddles.

Holly giggled. “I think I’ve made a friend.”

“Two friends. Three if you count me.”

“Are you including Impulse in my friend total?”

“I’m including my sister.” Daniel scratched a spot above Sparkle’s nose. “You were having a great time with her.”

“She’s a nice person. She told me about her job and when she was diagnosed with cancer. Your sister is very brave.”

“She’s had a lot to deal with over the last couple of years.”

“Elizabeth made me think about my own life. What’s more important to you, Daniel—making money or making the world a better place?”

“Is that a trick question?”

“We only have one life. If we let each day slip through our fingers, pretty soon we’ve lost a year. And that year turns into another until a whole decade has passed. If we’re lucky, we grow older and everything gets a little harder. If we’re unlucky, we go through the Pearly Gates before we’re ready.”

Daniel held onto her hands and pulled her close. “What’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath and rested her head against his chest. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“When you go all philosophical on me, it usually means you’re having a hard time working through something.”

Holly stepped back and wiped her eyes. “You’re just not used to female company.”

“I lived with my sister and mom for eighteen years. That kind of experience gives you a good insight into how the female brain works. Now, what’s going on inside your head?”

“When I was talking to Elizabeth it made me think about my parents. They loved each other once, but it didn’t last.”

“That happens to a lot of people.”

“I know. What makes one relationship last and another fall apart?”

Daniel hesitated before answering. “I’m not the best person to ask. I hide my emotions under layers of muscle and brawn. I need to be warned ahead of time if we’re going to talk about the L word.”

“You’re the most emotional man I know. You change children’s lives by teaching them about technology and you invent all kinds of apps that make people’s lives better. I feel like my life is slipping through my fingers and I can’t do anything to stop it.”

He didn’t think there was any point telling her that everyone felt like that sometimes. “What would make you feel as though each day wasn’t slipping through your fingers?”

“I want to know I’m making a difference. The art workshop was great. The portfolios that our students worked on are amazing. I like volunteering at the community center and helping children express themselves through art.”

“What else do you enjoy doing?”

“Spending time with you,” Holly said, patting Sparkles’ head. “I like walking in the rain, eating chocolate, and redecorating.”