Diamonds and Dreams Read Online Free Page A

to pass by them, but slipped on the wet concrete and fell
against Brant.   A loud splash pierced
through the air as Brant lost his balance and tumbled over the edge at the
water’s deep end.   Immediately
large ripples formed on the shimmering surface.
    Panic swept
through Lindsay and in seconds she inhaled, plunging in after him.   Please,
let him be all right, she prayed silently as she swam in strong, even
strokes toward him.
    She reached
him quickly, and grasping his arm around her shoulder, managed to push his head
above the water only to see him sink below it once more as she suddenly lost
her grip on him.   Kicking with all her
strength, she forced his face above the surface again.   This time she felt relief when he sputtered
and coughed up water that he swallowed.   She tried dragging him to the side, but he struggled to break free.
    “Get away,
Lindsay!   What are you trying to do—drown
us both?” he shouted.
    “I was only
trying to help.”   She was soaking wet as
she stepped out of the pool.   “I didn’t
know if you could make it on your own.”
    “You
over-reacted and didn’t give me a chance to get out on my own.”
    Frustrated,
he climbed over the rim of the pool and tried to ignore the curious stares
directed his way.   Nagging doubts plagued
him.   Could he have saved himself?   He really didn’t know since Lindsay pushed
his head above the water before he had time to think rationally.   And did Mike MacDonald, who was nowhere in
sight now, shove him into the pool on purpose to try
and make a fool out of him?   Did he use
his cell phone to snap pictures?   Perhaps
he planned to release the awkward photos to the public to further humiliate
Brant.
    Lindsay’s
blood boiled over Brant pretending that she made a spectacle of herself with
the dramatic rescue scene.   “Honestly,
Brant, I thought you were in danger.   You
told me you couldn’t swim.”
    “And were
you so concerned about my safety that you dove into the pool to rescue me
before you even waited to see if I came out by myself?”   He reached for a towel and dried off.
    “Well—yes.”
    Scowling, he
wondered if her motive was sincere or a devious reaction on her part to
ingratiate herself.   “Is the real reason
you acted so quickly because you care about my well-being or because my awkward
moment gave you an opportunity to score a few points with our many listeners
here?”
    Resentment
flared within her.   “How can you doubt my
intentions when I may have just saved your life?”
    “Because I’m
sure our audience was impressed by your heroic deed,” he pointed out.   “Since you and I could easily compete in a
popularity contest soon, it’s always nice to have the advantage in such a
situation.”
    “That
thought never entered my mind when I saw you get shoved into the water.”   She began to raise her voice.   “I expected you to be glad I came to your
aid.”
    “I am.”   He looked away from her.   “It’s just that I…”
    “Your pride
won’t allow you to admit that there might be a real possibility that you
could’ve drowned?   That’s it, isn’t it?”
    “You’re
impossible,” he grumbled before walking away.
    How did she
know exactly what bothered him?   The fact
that this woman he met only recently possessed the ability to fathom his
innermost thoughts irritated Brant even more.   Gloomily he strutted toward the refreshment stand where he ordered a
cold drink.   Although the soft drink was
sweet, only a sour taste remained in his mouth after he swallowed, so he poured
the rest of the liquid onto the ground and tossed the plastic cup into the
trash can.
    Glancing at
Lindsay, who sat on a beach towel as she applied sun tanning lotion onto her
slender body, he frowned.   Is she my friend or enemy?   Only time would answer the question that
tormented him like a nagging mosquito.
    Lindsay wanted
to trust Brant, but couldn’t…not yet…not fully.   Would he resent her no