Diamonds and Dreams by Brenda Bone Page A

you?”
    “I’m
sure.”
    “Lindsay,
I think you need me tonight.”
    “No!”
    “Have
it your way then.”
    Hearing
the door slam abruptly, she stood alone in the middle of the ransacked room
while hot tears silently traced a moist path down her cheeks.   She hadn’t felt so depressed and
disillusioned with life since Constance’s death.   Desperately she wondered if she’d ever
achieve an inner peace that wouldn’t desert her the way her personal strength
fled from her now.

 
    CHAPTER
EIGHT

 
    When
Brant didn’t try to make plans to spend Independence Day with her, Lindsay felt
disappointed.   On impulse she invited a
few friends and several employees at WBKB to her house for a cook-out.   Desi politely
refused, saying he made earlier plans, and Brant told her directly that he
wasn’t in the mood for a party.   She
didn’t feel too festive herself, but decided to have the cook-out so her mind
would be forced to dwell on something other than the contest and the friction
that hovered between her and Brant.
    Tony D’Marco was the first guest to arrive.   “I came early in case you need me to help you
do anything.”
    “Thanks,
Tony, but everything’s ready.   And my
friend, Serita , will be along shortly to help with
the food.”
    Why
couldn’t Brant be so attentive?   In the
beginning he had been, but he now acted distant toward her since their
disagreement.   Or was he using that as an
excuse and perhaps it was the contest that really disturbed him?
    A
vivacious brunette, Serita , with bright blue eyes
reflecting a zest for life, volunteered to take charge of the grilling.   “You work hard at WBKB to entertain us,
Lindsay.   Now you enjoy your night off
and leave the work to me.”
    Tempting
smells of the tangy barbecue sauce poured over sizzling hamburgers, hot dogs,
and chicken floated on the balmy summer air.   A carefree atmosphere prevailed as old friends and new acquaintances
mingled together in cheerful camaraderie.
    When
it was nearly ten o’clock, the small group sat in wooden chairs on Lindsay’s
brick patio and directed their attention toward the heavens.   In the distance a colorful splash of
fireworks illuminated the sky as the rumbling reverberations shook the earth.   Lindsay hoped earlier that Desi would ask her and Brant to attend the Red, White and
Boom celebration, so if they were forced to work, at least they would have
spent the holiday together.
    “Lindsay!   Your phone is ringing,” someone shouted.
    Finally
locating where she misplaced her cell phone in the kitchen, Lindsay answered.   Hopefully it would be Brant calling to say he
changed his mind and would arrive soon.   “Hello?” she said anxiously.
    “Connie?”   The caller spoke in almost a whisper so she
couldn’t identify the voice as being male or female.
    Her
body froze; she was speechless.   Was this
someone’s idea of a sick joke?
    “Connie?   It’s you, isn’t it?” the voice came again.
    “You
have the wrong number.”   Startled, she
hung up.   Did the caller refer to her
sister or someone else?   Was it really a wrong number?
    Serita chose that moment to enter the
kitchen.   “Are you okay, Lindsay?   You look strange…pale.”
    “Speaking
of strange…”   She proceeded to tell Serita about the peculiar call.
    “It’s
probably a wrong number,” Serita surmised.   “Seeing Constance’s old classmates recently
shook you up, didn’t it?”
    “Yes.”
    “If
I were you, I wouldn’t worry.”
    “You’re
right.”
    “The
contest between you and Brant also has your nerves on edge, too, I’ll bet.”
    “True.   It took me a long time before I felt close to
Brant,” Lindsay recalled sadly.   “Now
because of this horrible contest and also a silly argument we had, I’m afraid I
may have lost him.”
    “Then
maybe you’ll feel better if you think about that old saying, ‘If you love
something, let it go free…’”
    “And
if it doesn’t come back, it