Chapter 12

twelve

BEN

After I left I town, I'd returned to the lake and spent three hours on one of my favorite trails. But it hadn't done anything to clear my head. If anything, I was even more worried about Daniel.

If I'd known Daniel was the chief executive of Wilson Enterprises, I wouldn't have accepted his booking. He must have known I didn't want to see him, but he'd still come to Sunrise Bay looking for B.J. Davis.

Now that I'd met him, I was curious about who he was and why on earth he'd wanted to meet me. According to what I'd learned from the Internet, Daniel was thirty-eight years old, single, and gay. Unsurprisingly, the college he'd gone to would have bankrupted my family in the first year.

The only hint of a scandal was when his fiancé had left him four years ago. There were a few photos of the estranged couple after news of his fiancé's affair broke but, other than that, Daniel's private life hadn't hit mainstream media.

Unlike its CEO, Wilson Enterprises had made the most of its position in the lives of the rich and famous. Entire articles were dedicated to the jewelry, the furniture, and the art their high-profile customers had purchased. Just thinking about what some of the products must have cost made my eyes water.

As I made my way back to my cottage, I looked at the mountains behind my property and smiled. Even if I had as much money as Daniel, I wouldn't change where I lived or what I did. But I would have changed what had brought me here.

Footsteps crunched on the gravel driveway behind me.

I turned and stared at Daniel. For someone who rarely made public appearances and valued his privacy, he didn't waste time when he wanted something. Even if I didn't understand why he was here, I had to give him credit for his perseverance.

He held a helium-filled balloon toward me. "I was hoping I'd see you."

My eyes widened. The colorful glitter inside the balloon sparkled in the afternoon sunshine.

"Happy Birthday. I hope you enjoyed your day in the mountains."

Despite my nerves, I smiled as I took the balloon. "Thanks. The scenery was amazing, but I had a lot on my mind."

Daniel nodded as if he understood what I meant. "I need to?—"

"I want—" I frowned. We'd both spoken at the same time. "You go first."

He pushed his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. At some stage, he'd changed out of his running shorts and T-shirt and replaced them with navy trousers and a white business shirt.

"I came to Sunrise Bay to find B.J. Davis."

My heart sped out of control, but I tried hard not to show any reaction to his words.

"While I was in town, I bumped into Jenny Cook. She told me you own Davis Jewelry."

I lifted my chin. "Davis was my mother's maiden name." I knew I wasn't making the conversation any easier, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. For three years, I'd been careful not to associate my professional name with my legal name. If Daniel had found me, then any of the reporters who'd ruthlessly covered my father's court case could do the same thing.

"Why have you been ignoring the emails from Wilson Enterprises?"

I lowered my backpack to the ground. "I didn't enter your jewelry award. My friend completed the application form without asking me. When your company contacted me, I thought it was a hoax. It wasn't until I mentioned something to Eric that he told me what he'd done. He thought he was doing something wonderful for my career, but it was the last thing I needed."

Daniel's eyes narrowed as if he was trying to find a lie hidden in what I'd said. "You could have told us you wanted to withdraw your entry."

"I did, but the person I spoke to said it was too late. I thought if I ignored your emails and phone calls, I wouldn't have to go to the award dinner or be part of any publicity."

"It doesn't work that way."

Daniel wasn't impressed, but I didn't care. If I had to choose between my dad and Wilson Enterprises, I'd choose my dad every time.

Daniel's brown eyes settled on my face. "Why won't you accept the award?"

I tightened my hold on the balloon. I didn't know him well enough to tell him everything. "I prefer to keep out of the spotlight. The person who wins the award won't have much privacy for a while."

"If you accept the award, it'll transform your life. Being associated with Wilson Enterprises' prestige store will open the door to opportunities you never thought were possible."

He didn't have to tell me what the award could do for my career. "I'm sorry, but I don't want all the attention. Can't you give the award to the person who came second?"

When Daniel didn't say anything, I picked up my backpack. "I won't change my mind. If you decide to go home, I'll refund the balance of the money you've paid for the cottage. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meal to prepare."

Daniel caught up to me and reached out, stopping me from leaving. "I saw your latest collection in your store window. It was extraordinary. Marketing your jewelry to my clients would change your life."

I shrugged off his hand. "I want people to enjoy wearing my jewelry regardless of how much money they have. For me, a big part of creating a collection is knowing my customers will enjoy each piece when they wear it."

Daniel didn't look as though he believed me.

"It's true. There's more to life than having millions of dollars in your bank account."

"Not in my experience."

The sadness in his eyes made my breath catch. What kind of life did Daniel have that reduced his happiness to how much he earned?

But he wasn't the only person who thought money was important. I used to think the same thing. It wasn't until my family lost everything that I realized just how superficial my life had been.

Having no money had built resilience, but it had also instilled a deep fear of not being able to look after myself. I never wanted to go back to where my family had been, to the dark hole of depression that had consumed my father.

No matter what I had to do, I'd never risk my dad being hurt again. He had a job he loved, a salary that enabled him to do whatever he wanted, and a past that still haunted him.

Gathering every scrap of courage inside me, I looked straight into Daniel's eyes. "I guess money means different things to each of us. Have a nice evening." As I walked toward my cottage, Daniel's gaze sent prickles of awareness down my spine.

He didn't know what to do with me, and I couldn't blame him. If I'd just offered someone the world and they'd turned me down, I'd be confused, too.