Crazy Love (Emerald Lake Billionaires 3) (14 page)

“Know what?”

“He likes you. I don’t know what’s happening between the two of you, but he seems like a really nice person.”

Holly took one last look at the loft, then turned toward the stairs. “We’re going to work together to find out what went wrong with the first questionnaire.”

Mia stayed where she was. “What are you talking about? Nothing was wrong with the questionnaire. Do you think he’s boring?”

“No.”

“Does he have any annoying habits that drive you insane?”

“I don’t know him well enough to have found any.”

Mia frowned. “Do you like him?”

Holly stared at her friend. She had been asking herself the same question for the last few days. “Yes.”

“At least you know that much. It hasn’t made any difference that you didn’t fill out the first questionnaire yourself. You like each other, you have a lot in common, and he’s rich. What more could you want?”

Holly laughed at the grin on Mia’s face. “It’s just as well you’re my best friend. If you weren’t, I’d be worried about your priorities.”

Hannah rushed up the stairs. She stopped in front of Holly and took a deep breath. “You’re not going to believe what we just saw.”

Holly glanced at Mia. Unless there was a skeleton hidden in one of Daniel’s closets, she couldn’t think of anything that would upset Hannah so much. “What did you see?”

“Your paintings. Two of your portraits are downstairs.”

Holly’s mouth dropped open. This was worse than a skeleton in anyone’s closet.

***

Holly followed Hannah and Mia downstairs. On their way through the living room she’d stopped in front of the two portraits on Daniel’s wall.

She’d been living in France when she’d painted the pictures of Adele and her granddaughters. She didn’t know what had happened to the portraits after they’d left the gallery that had sold them. A part of her had always hoped they’d gone to the same collector and would be hanging side-by-side as they were now.

Daniel’s gaze caught hers as she walked into the kitchen. “Who wants coffee?”

“That would be great,” Mia said.

“Holly?”

“I’ll have a glass of water, please.”

Daniel passed Mia a cup of coffee, then took a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Is everything okay with the loft?”

Holly nodded. “It’s a lovely space. It’s got everything we need.”

“There are cookies on the table if you’d like some.”

Daniel passed her a glass of water. She looked into his eyes and felt like a fraud. She had to tell him who’d painted the portraits on his wall, but she wasn’t sure where to begin.

Claire walked across to the windows. “What an amazing view of Emerald Lake. I bet you never get tired of it.”

“It’s one of the reasons I bought the property,” Daniel said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the lake and mountains look like in winter.”

“You could probably go ice-skating. Did you know that Hannah and I are helping one of your neighbors with their wedding?”

Daniel glanced at Holly before looking at Claire. “No, I didn’t.”

“It’s Sally and Todd’s wedding. They’re getting married soon. I just hope it doesn’t snow.”

Holly sat at the kitchen table and sipped her glass of water. She tried to focus on what Claire was saying, but her mind kept returning to the two portraits in Daniel’s living room. If she didn’t tell him who H. Jones really was, he might not trust her again.

Daniel’s gaze landed on her face.

Heat rushed to her cheeks. If they’d gone straight home after looking at the loft she wouldn’t have seen the portraits. She wouldn’t be worried about whether Daniel knew who H. Jones was or why he had bought two of her paintings.

“I’ve just remembered something we should have looked at.” Mia left her coffee cup on the kitchen counter and looked at Claire and Hannah. “I need your help.”

“What do you want to do?” Claire asked.

“We’ll talk about it upstairs,” Mia said quickly. She sent a pointed look at Hannah.

Claire went to say something, but her sister nudged her from behind.

“Come on. Mia needs our help.”

Claire frowned at Hannah, then looked at Daniel and Holly. “Oh, okay. Let’s go.” And with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, Holly’s three friends rushed out of the kitchen.

Daniel watched them leave. “Is there something you want to tell me, Holly?”

“I think you should sit down.”

Daniel walked across the room and sat opposite her. “Why do I feel as though you’re about to break up with me?”

Holly’s lips twitched. “We’re not dating so we can’t break up.”

“What’s going on?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m not the person you think I am.”

“I knew that about thirty seconds after I met you.”

“You did?”

“You were wearing jeans and a sweater. There wasn’t a headscarf or piece of plastic jewelry in sight. The woman who’d filled out the questionnaire definitely wasn’t sitting in front of me in the café.”

Holly’s heart sank. “I didn’t mean the person you thought you’d be meeting. I mean me, Holly Miller.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m an artist. I’ve exhibited in galleries around the world.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “I’m impressed.”

“I haven’t told you the name I paint under.”

He looked confused. “Why don’t you use your real name?”

“I wanted to use my mom’s maiden name. It was my way of putting a little bit of her into each painting.” She placed her hands in her lap and tried to settle her nerves. “We didn’t have much money when I was younger. Going to art school was incredibly expensive. She gave up a lot to make sure I was able to follow my dream of being a painter.”

“She sounds like a good mom.”

“She was the best.” Holly cleared her throat. “Before I moved back to Bozeman, mom, Mia, and my ex-boyfriend were the only people who knew the name I use when I’m painting.”

“And now?”

“Hannah, Claire, and Nick know, too.”

“Is this where you tell me you sign your paintings as Alyssa Monks?”

“You know who Alyssa is?”

“I saw one of her paintings at the Met Breuer.”

The gentleness in Daniel’s voice was almost too much for Holly. “My artist’s name is H. Jones.”

Daniel’s smile disappeared. He turned his head toward his living room and frowned. “The portraits in my home are yours?”

Holly nodded.

“But I bought them from a gallery in Paris.”

“I lived in France for nearly a year. I still sell work through the Modus Art Gallery, but not as much as I used to.”

“H. Jones is one of the most respected contemporary portrait artists in the world. And that’s you?”

Holly didn’t know what to say. “I’ve worked hard to build a good reputation.”

“Good?” Daniel looked as though he was about to hyperventilate. “Your paintings sell for thousands of dollars. Art collectors around the world are waiting for your next series.”

“I don’t know what else to say.”

Daniel took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me who you are?”

“I did. I’m Holly Miller. Just because I paint under a different name, it doesn’t mean I’m a different person.”

“But it does add a whole new layer to who you are.”

Holly sighed. “Registering for the dating app was a mistake. If it hadn’t been for my friends, I wouldn’t have met you. If we’d seen each other on the street, I would have been plain Holly Miller, artist and connoisseur of fine chocolate.”

Daniel’s gaze traveled over her face. “There’s nothing plain about you. Why the secrecy? You should be proud of what you’ve achieved.”

“I didn’t feel comfortable using my legal name.” Holly closed her mouth before she said too much.

“Why are you telling me your painting name, now? You could have pretended you didn’t know anything about the portraits.”

“It didn’t feel right.”

Daniel wrapped his hands around his coffee cup. “And you always do things that feel right?”

Holly shook her head. “I usually over analyze everything. I’m tired of balancing the good with the bad. It’s time I trusted my instincts again.”

“And what are your instincts telling you about us?”

“That we can be friends.”

When Daniel looked at her there was a gleam in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. “I’ve never had a famous friend before. Are your hands insured?”

“No, but it could be a good reason to stop doing the chores around my house.”

“You’ll definitely need a friend if you do that,” Daniel said seriously. “I like mowing lawns and washing dishes. It sounds as though you need someone like me in your life.”

He didn’t know how right he was. Just being around Daniel made her feel as though the dark clouds that followed her were disappearing. “I need to ask you not to tell anyone who I am.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

There was, but she wasn’t willing to share that part of her life with him. Not yet, anyway. “Just promise me you won’t say anything. It’s important.”

Daniel’s gaze held hers. “I won’t tell anyone. But if you need to talk, I’m a good listener.”

The kitchen door opened. Mia looked across at Holly and Daniel. “Is it okay to come in?”

Holly nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Although you might be slightly disturbed by the amount of furniture Claire and Hannah are insisting we need. They want to transform the loft into an artist’s residence and not a weekend workshop.”

Hannah followed Mia through the door. “We’re going to be here for two days. The space is awesome. It just needs a little creativity to make it super awesome.”

Claire helped herself to a cookie. “We can borrow tables and chairs from the retirement village. The community center is happy for us to use some of their beanbags and we still have the decorations from the art auction. By the time we’ve finished, you won’t recognize the space.”

Holly glanced at Daniel. He didn’t seem worried about the amount of furniture that would be coming out to his property.

He picked up his coffee cup. “It sounds as though you’re going to need a truck or two to bring everything out here.”

Hannah grinned. “Already sorted. Sally Gray has a horse float. I called her while we were upstairs. She said we can use it to transport most of the furniture. The fairy lights, fabric, and beanbags will fit in our vehicles. It’s going to look incredible.”

“Fairy lights?” Daniel looked at Claire and Mia.

Hannah threw her arms wide. “We want to create a magical space where our students’ imaginations can run wild.”

Daniel looked helplessly at Holly.

“Don’t worry,” she said quickly. “Hannah won’t blow your fuse box.”

“That’s something, I suppose. Are you sure your students will want to come out here?”

Mia pulled a notebook out of her bag. “We’ve already thought about that. We’re going to collect our students from outside Nick’s gallery each day. Coming out here will add to their experience.”

From what Holly could see, the experience of being on Daniel’s property would work for everyone, not just their students.

No one was going to forget their first weekend art workshop.

***

Four days later, Daniel sat on the sofa in his office, waiting for Blake to tell him what he already suspected.

Holly sat on the edge of another chair, staring at Blake. “It can’t be as bad as that,” she said slowly. “We’ve definitely got more in common than the first questionnaire.”

“Why do you think it’s bad news?” Blake asked.

“You’re not smiling. If Daniel and I were a match, you’d be happy. If we’re totally incompatible, you’ve got a problem.”

Blake sat back in his chair and stared at Holly. “Before I tell you the results, tell me what you think about Daniel.”

Holly’s gaze shot straight to Daniel.

He felt the force of her smile like a bolt of lightning. It hit him in the heart, left him dazed and wondering what to do next.

“He’s okay,” she said with a grin. “Do you know he likes anchovies?” A visible shudder ran through her body.

“I take it you don’t?”

“They’re salty, slimy, fish.”

Daniel laughed. “I ordered a pizza. Holly thought the olives were grapes and she didn’t see the anchovies.”

“Antonio told me they’re an acquired taste.”

“The owner of the pizza place was being kind.”

“You laughed so much he thought you were choking.”

Blake glanced at his laptop. “I don’t think you’re going to be impressed with the results.”

Holly’s smile disappeared. “They can’t be any worse than the first results. We’ve got a lot in common.”

“I don’t think hiking in the woods and eating ice cream in the middle of winter counts,” Daniel said. “The questions were based on specific personality markers.”