Read Online Black Diamond Death by Cheryl Bradshaw - Free Book Online

laughed.
    “I was making my getaway and that’s when this happened,” I said, and pointed at the bruises.
    Nick added some spices to the steaks and flipped them over.
    “You run into something?”
    “I fell, on solid ice,” I said.
    I raised both palms upward.
    “This is what I get for all my hard work and effort,” I said.
    “Ouch, you’re missing some skin on those hands. He see you?”
    “I managed to get out in time.”
    “And the envelope, I’m guessing you opened it.”
    I nodded.
    “There was a note inside,” I said.
    I told him what it said.
    “Weird just got weirder.”
    “I know,” I said.
    “What about the guy who left the note, did you get a look at him?”
    I shook my head.
    “After he left it he got the hell out of there.”
    Nick opened the fridge and cracked a can of beer open and took a swallow.
    “I managed to get his license plate,” I said.
    “Good. Give it to me and I’ll run it.”
    “I’m capable of doing that myself,” I said.
    “So am I. Don’t make me put a tracker on your car because you know I’ll do it.”
    And he would.
    “Will you at least consider being careful?” he said.
    “I’ll try,” I said. “Can we eat?”
    Nick had adorned the table with a pair of lit candles. Nothing too fancy, but for him the gesture spoke volumes. He walked over to the table sans the apron with two plates, one in each hand. He pressed two fingers together on his thumb and in his best French accent said, “And now for the piece de resistance.”
    I tried not to, but I cracked up anyway.
    My plate contained a steak, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables.
    “And the fourth and fifth course?”
    “We have some lovely rolls for zee lady and some red wine, lots of zee red wine.”
    I took a bite of my steak. It was delicious and cooked to perfection. Nick hovered over me like Lord Berkeley did when he wanted praise.
    “Excellent,” I said, “best bet I ever won.”
    One meal and two glasses of wine later I felt satisfied. I rested my head on the back of Nick’s sofa and indulged in the last of my wine. I couldn’t decide what I enjoyed more, the warmth of the fire or the peace that came in silence. Nick came over and sat next to me with a perplexed look on his face.
    “What’s on your mind,” I said.
    He shifted his body weight to the side and faced me.
    “You said we could talk about us that night at dinner and we didn’t.”
    “I know I did. It’s just that we were having such a great time. I hoped it could wait,” I said.
    “That’s what you always say when I try to talk to you.”
    “I know, but—”
    “Whatever you need to say, say it. Get it out. Putting it off until tomorrow or the next day or six months from now won’t make a difference.”
    Therein lay the problem. I cared too much about his feelings to just put the words out there so they could hang in the air like a bunch of tiny daggers. It didn’t matter what I said, I had the uncanny ability to always say the wrong thing, and in this instance, I didn’t want to have any regrets.
    I patted him on the thigh.
    “I should get going,” I said. “I’ve got a long day tomorrow. Let’s do this later, okay?”
    I started to get up and he grabbed my waist and pulled me back down.
    “You over think everything,” he said. “Don’t you know that?”
    “No I don’t.”
    “Like hell. I can tell when I look at you. Your face gives it away. How can we ever have a decent relationship if we can’t communicate with each other?”
    “We think so differently,” I said.
    He buried his head in his palms and stared at the carpet.
    “Does that mean we shouldn’t try?”
    My attempt to stall him only made it worse. No matter how many times I went over this moment in my head I still didn’t know what to say. I knew he was frustrated with me, and I was even more frustrated with myself for not being able to make a decision.
    “You know what you want, Nick. But I’m not sure I do,” I said.
    “What does that