Crazy Love (Emerald Lake Billionaires 3) (16 page)

They walked back to the elevator and Mia pushed the button for level one. “What are you going to do about Daniel?”

“I told him I’d go on three more dates as long as I choose where we go.”

“And this is because of the final questionnaire?”

“Sort of.” As soon as they were out of the elevator, Holly found another sign that pointed to The Bistro. She walked down the corridor, wondering how someone who’d lived in cities with millions of people could get lost in a hospital.

Mia opened the glass doors of the upmarket cafeteria.

The Bistro was a fun mix of practical furniture and whimsical design. Bright red light shades hovered over wooden tables. A toy train ran along a track that had been placed halfway up the wall. It disappeared behind a waterfall, reappearing in front of a Wild West scene that had been painted on a wall. The cafeteria was somewhere for people to go when they needed to get away from what was happening in another part of the hospital.

Holly looked in the glass cabinets beside the front counter. “The apple pie looks yummy.”

“It comes with ice cream,” Mia said. “Apple pie, ice cream, and coffee sound like a good combination to me. Where are you taking Daniel for your next date?”

The line in front of Holly slowly moved forward. “I don’t know, but I want it to be different from anything he’s done before.”

“How different?”

“Different enough that he’ll step out of his comfort zone. I want to take him somewhere that doesn’t have anything to do with his business, computers, or online dating.”

“What about whitewater rafting? Hannah had a great time last year on the Gallatin River. Or you could head into Yellowstone. There are some great hikes he’d probably enjoy.”

Holly gave the man behind the counter their order. “I haven’t been whitewater rafting in years.”

“I’ll text Hannah and see what company she went with.”

Holly paid the bill then looked around the cafeteria for a table.

“We can sit by the window,” Mia said.

Holly didn’t move. “Daniel’s here.”

“Where?” Mia followed the direction of Holly’s gaze. “Why would he be in the hospital?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Holly maneuvered around the tables and chairs, carefully balancing the plates on her tray.

Daniel glanced at her and she frowned. She’d never seen him look so worried. “What’s wrong?”

“My friend Sam arrived in Bozeman this afternoon. He had a heart attack while we were having lunch.” He stood up and took the tray out of her hands. “Hi, Mia.”

“Hi. You look terrible.”

“It’s been a difficult afternoon.”

Holly pulled a chair out and sat down. “How is he?”

“He’s okay. They’re doing more tests to see if there has been any permanent damage to his heart.”

“I’ll get you another drink,” Mia said. “What would you like?”

Daniel shook his head. “I’m fine. If I have any more coffee I won’t sleep tonight.”

He looked so worried that Holly doubted he’d get much sleep, anyway. She took the plates off her tray and handed Mia her pie. “Have you had dinner?” she asked Daniel.

“Not yet. I’m not hungry.”

She slid her plate across the table and handed him her fork. “Eat this. I know it’s not the healthiest option here, but it might make you feel better.”

Daniel shook his head. “Thanks, but I can’t eat it.”

“Are you sure?”

He pushed the pie back to Holly. “I’m sure.”

Holly had never met Sam, but Daniel had told her about the man who’d helped him start his business. He sounded like a good person. “When did Sam arrive in town?”

“About fifteen minutes after you left my office. He was on his way back to New York and stopped in to say hello. Blake and I took him to Antonio’s for lunch. When Sam started having pains in his chest and stomach we didn’t think anything was wrong. He thought he had indigestion, but Antonio insisted we call an ambulance. If it hadn’t been for his quick thinking, Sam might not have made it. He had another heart attack in the ambulance.”

“Does he have any family who need to be contacted?” Mia asked.

“I’ve called a friend of his in New York. Sam never married and he doesn’t have any children.” Daniel looked at their pie. “You should eat your dessert. It will get cold.”

Holly unfolded a napkin. “When will Sam’s tests be finished?”

“I don’t know. The nurse told me to wait here. She’s going to call me when Sam is back in his room.”

“We’ve just seen Tommy and his mom.”

“How is he?”

“Better than your friend,” Mia said. “The auction meant they could have his corrective surgery done when there was a cancellation, instead of in two months’ time.”

“I’m glad it worked out.”

Mia looked at Daniel. “We don’t know who bought the painting of Tommy and his grandmother.”

“They must want to remain anonymous.”

“That’s what Nick told us. I think he knows who the buyer is.”

Daniel took his cell phone out of his pocket and put it on the table. “I’m sure Nick will be discreet.”

He glanced at Holly.

The worry in his eyes melted her heart. She knew how it felt to have someone you loved so sick. For a long time after her mom’s death she couldn’t visit anyone in the hospital. It brought back too many memories, too many reminders that she’d lost the person she loved most in the world.

She pushed the sad feelings away. Daniel needed her support. If she kept thinking about her mom she’d start crying and that was the last thing he needed. “Will Sam stay overnight in the hospital?”

“He’s in the Intensive Care Unit at the moment. He might be in the hospital for another week.”

Holly sipped her coffee. There had to be something she could do to make Daniel’s life easier. “Do you want me to buy him some pajamas and toiletries? Walmart is still open.”

Daniel shook his head. “Sam’s suitcase is in my office. He’ll have everything in there that he needs. I’ll go and get it and bring it back to the hospital. Hopefully by then we’ll know what’s happening.”

Holly put her cup down. “I could get Sam’s suitcase. All I’ll need are your office keys and any alarm codes you use.”

Daniel looked as though he wasn’t going to accept her offer.

“If you stay here, you’ll be closer to Sam.”

“You’d better listen to Holly,” Mia said. “She can be just as stubborn as you are when she needs to be.”

He took a key ring out of his pocket and handed it to Holly. “The door will be locked and the office has an alarm. When you get into the building there’s a keypad on your right-hand side.” He found a pen inside one of his pockets and took a napkin off the table. “This code will turn the alarm off. When you’re ready to go home, put the same code into the keypad and lock the door after you.”

Holly took his keys and leaned across the table. “I won’t be long.” She kissed Daniel’s cheek and looked at Mia. “Do you want to come with me?”

Mia shook her head. “I’ve got more painting to do. Your friend at the Gagosian Gallery has set us a tight time frame.” She picked up her plate and cup. “I hope everything works out with your friend, Daniel.”

“So do I,” Daniel said softly. “I’ll go back and sit with Sam. ICU is on the second floor.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Holly left The Bistro with Mia. Even though she’d never met Sam, she was worried about him. And she was worried about Daniel.

“He’ll be okay,” Mia said as they walked out of the hospital.

“I’m just glad Bozeman has a great hospital. I don’t know what Sam would have done if he’d had to go to another city for medical treatment.”

Mia placed her hand on Holly’s arm. “I didn’t mean Sam, I meant Daniel. I’m glad you’re here for him.”

“I wish I could do more.”

They walked through the large glass doors of the hospital. After the warmth inside the building, the cold night air made Holly catch her breath. “I’ll give you a call in the morning and let you know how Sam and Daniel are.”

Mia hugged Holly tight. “Get that suitcase and take care of your man. He needs someone with him.”

“He’s not my man.”

“We’ll see.”

Holly sighed. There was no point disagreeing with Mia. “Drive carefully.” She waved goodbye and hurried toward her car. It would take at least twenty minutes to get Sam’s case. She knew, better than most, that anything could happen in that time.

As she opened her car door, she glanced at the sky. She didn’t know Sam, but she did know Daniel. With his friend in the hospital, she had a feeling he’d appreciate any help they could get. So she closed her eyes, said a silent prayer, and hoped that everything would be okay.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Daniel sat quietly beside Sam, listening to the beep of his heart monitor. His nurse was filling in his chart. What happened over the next few hours would be critical to his recovery.

The only positive news was that he didn’t need an operation tonight. Tomorrow there would be more tests, more decisions to be made.

Sam’s blood pressure was too high, he was overweight, and his cholesterol level was off the charts. It was a lethal combination that could have killed him.

In all the years he’d known Sam, he’d never seen him so sick. His friend was beyond tired, too exhausted to move, too worried to plan for anything past the next few minutes.

The curtain around Sam’s bed moved and Holly stood on the edge of the cubicle. She pulled her red knit cap off her head and looked at Sam’s nurse. “I know I’m not supposed to be here, but the other nurse said it was okay to bring Sam’s suitcase to him.”

The nurse nodded. “As long as you’re only here for a few minutes.”

Daniel stood and moved around the bed.

“Have you heard from the doctors?” Holly asked.

Sam opened his eyes. “There’s no need to whisper. I’m awake. You must be Holly.”

“Has Daniel told you about me?”

One side of Sam’s mouth lifted into a smile. “He keeps me entertained with stories about life in Montana. It makes me wish I was twenty years younger.”

Holly looked at Daniel.

He knew exactly what she was thinking. “What Sam means is that I’ve told him about Blake’s dating app. You were part of the story.”

“Oh.”

“Not that you were an entertaining part of the story, just that you were in it.” Daniel didn’t know whether he’d made Sam’s explanation better or worse. He closed his mouth before he said something really stupid – like
I’m glad you’re here.

Holly lifted Sam’s case onto an empty chair. “This was the only suitcase I could find. If you need anything else, I can go shopping tomorrow.”

Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Daniel touched her arm. “Can I talk to you outside for a minute?”

Holly nodded and said goodbye to Sam.

As soon as they were away from the Intensive Care Unit she stopped and took a deep breath. “Sam doesn’t look very well.”

“He’s got a long way to go, but at least he’s in the hospital. They’re going to do more tests tomorrow.”

“Will you stay here or go home?”

“I’d sooner be here. It’s too far to drive from Emerald Lake if something happens.”

“You could stay with me. I’ve got a spare bedroom.”

Daniel looked into her clear blue eyes and wanted to pull her close. “I can’t do that, but thanks for the offer. I’ve slept on the sofa in my office before, but even that’s too far away.”

Holly opened the backpack she’d slung over her shoulder. “I stopped at the gas station on the way here. I wasn’t sure if they had vending machines in ICU, so I bought you some snacks.”

Daniel took the bag and looked inside.

“There are bottles of water, crackers and cheese, and some trail mix. I bought a few chocolate bars in case you need something sweet.”

“You didn’t have to do that for me.”

“Yes, I did. If I don’t look after you, we might not get to our last date. And if we don’t do that, we’ll have to guess the answers to Blake’s questionnaire. I’m not making the same mistake twice.”

Daniel wanted to say something funny, but he couldn’t find the words. He pulled the zip closed on the backpack, then placed it at his feet—anything to keep from looking at Holly.

She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

He wiped his eyes and shook his head. “It hasn’t been a good day.”

Holly pulled him into a tight embrace.

He rested his chin on the top of her head and let the heat of her body warm his soul.

“Sam’s in the best possible place,” Holly whispered against his chest. “The doctors and nurses will look after him.”

Daniel gently squeezed Holly’s shoulders before moving away. “I never thought anything would happen to him.”

Holly opened the backpack and passed him a box of tissues. “Has he been sick before?”