Chapter 9

nine

BEN

After talking to Daniel I needed to speak to my friends. I should have known he had something to do with Wilson Enterprises. After ignoring their emails and phone calls, it was too much of a coincidence that someone from New York City had booked into my cottage at the last moment.

I gripped the steering wheel. Anyone with half a brain would've put two and two together and come up with four. But not me. I'd thought my guest was here for the same reason most people came to Colorado. To enjoy the peace and tranquility of the wide-open spaces and to de-stress after leaving their hectic lifestyles.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Daniel wasn't exactly here under false pretenses, but he wasn't being totally honest, either. He'd come to Sunrise Bay to find B.J. Davis. What he didn't know was that he'd already found him.

As I stopped my SUV behind the jewelry store, I looked at the two vehicles parked behind Candy Lane. Thank goodness Paul and Jonathon were both working. If anyone could give me some good advice, it was them.

With a trembling hand I knocked on the back door. The last thing I wanted was to enter the building from Main Street. If Daniel was in town he might see me, and any chance of staying out of his way would be gone.

"Happy Birthday!" Jonathon said as he opened the door. "I'm glad you came to see us. Paul and I were just talking about you."

Paul pulled me inside and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"He's here."

My friends looked at each other.

"Who's here?" Paul asked.

"Daniel Devlin. He's staying in my cottage and looking for B.J. Davis. What should I do?"

Jonathon wrapped his arm around my waist. "The first thing you're going to do is sit down."

"I'll make coffee," Paul said as he hurried across the room.

As soon as I sat behind the large, stainless steel counter, I dropped my head into my hands. "I've been making jewelry in Sunrise Bay for three years. Only a few people have asked why the name on my store is different from the one I use. As soon as Daniel discovers I work there, he'll see straight through what I've done."

Paul placed a cup of coffee in front of me. "Who's Daniel?"

I studied my friends' faces. They didn't know anything about Daniel's booking or why he was in Sunrise Bay. "He's a man who's staying in Acorn Cottage for two weeks. As soon as he told me he works for Wilson Enterprises I looked at their website. He's the chief executive."

Jonathon looked as stunned as I was. "Did you tell him you own the jewelry store?"

"No, but it won't take him long to figure it out. Especially if he goes into the general store." Jenny Cook, one of the owners of the general store, was a lovely woman who also happened to be the center of town gossip. If Daniel wanted a blow-by-blow description of everything I'd done since I arrived in Sunrise Bay, Jenny was the person to see.

Paul leaned against the counter. "Is Wilson Enterprises the company who wants to give you the jewelry award?"

I nodded. "I haven't opened any of their emails for weeks. After I spoke to Daniel this morning, I read their last message. They want me to go to the award ceremony."

Jonathon leaned forward. "So, Daniel knows about Davis Jewelry, but not that Ben Harper is B.J. Davis?"

"It won't take him long to discover I'm Tony Harper's son." I glanced at my friends, hoping they understood why I was so worried. "Dad's name was dragged through the mud by every major media outlet in America. Jewelers he respected shunned him and no one would sell his jewelry."

"But you aren't your dad," Paul insisted. "And besides, your father didn't steal anything."

"It doesn't matter. Even after the court case, no one wanted Dad to work with them. If it weren't for his friend in San Francisco, he never would have found another job. If anyone realizes Tony Harper's son has won the Wilson Award, they might boycott Dad's friend's store and mine. It could be a disaster."

"This might sound extreme," Jonathon said, "but why don't you tell Daniel who you are and why you're living in Sunrise Bay? At least that way he gets the facts and not some harebrained story someone else might tell him."

Paul nodded. "Jonathon's right. You've already told Wilson Enterprises you don't want the award. If there's even a hint of a scandal, Daniel's company won't want anything to do with you."

I took a deep breath. "You're right. All I have to do is tell him who I am. After that, Daniel will go back to New York City and I'll never hear from him again."

Paul studied my face. "Do you want me to be there when you talk to him?"

"I'll be okay. If I'd been with Dad when Daniel was at the trial, I would have recognized him. But Dad wanted me to stay away from everything that was happening."

"It'll be okay," Jonathon assured me. "Do you still want us to come to your house for dinner?"

"Of course, I do." I pushed aside my worries. I'd have enough time to think about Daniel while I was hiking. "The meat for the barbecue is marinating and I have enough ice cream to sink a battleship."

"In that case," Jonathon said with a grin. "We'll be there at six o'clock to celebrate your birthday."

Paul hugged me. "And don't worry. It will all work out the way it's supposed to."

I hoped so because, right now, I didn't know what would happen.