Gone Black Read Online Free

havin’ a serious case of cold feet. You know, chickenin’ out and afraid to come home and hear those dreaded wedding bells.”
    â€œWell, I did start to flee the country but decided maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to wake up beside you every morning.”
    â€œYou already wake up beside me every morning. Except when you fly off to Italy for a week and leave me here to deal with all this wedding crap. Big weddings are a pain in the neck, let me tell you. I’m not gonna have any more big weddings, thank you very much.”
    â€œWell, I hope not.” Black smiled. Claire sounded good. Happy. Hell, he was happy, too. For once in their lives everything was going okay for both of them, in work and in their private lives. Best of all, she had not been seriously injured a single time since she had given up her homicide badge and gone private with her own detective agency. A few close calls, true, some bruises maybe, and one scissors stab wound, but no eighteen-day comas, no gunshot blasts, and no getting beaten to a pulp by homicidal maniacs. Thank God for tender mercies.
    â€œSo sweetheart, everything under control back there? Do I need to pick up anything on the way home?”
    â€œNope. At least I don’t think so. Laurie and Nancy have everything under control, and they are doing one helluva good job. I’ve had a bit of trouble controlling my jitters, but they tell me that’s gonna pass as soon as you get here. So don’t forget to show up.”
    Laurie Dale and Nancy Gill were both good friends of Claire’s, and both had worked in law enforcement with her. Black was distinctly glad they were around to keep her grounded. Weddings were not Claire’s forte, not by any stretch of the imagination, and that was putting it mildly. She had preferred a quick trip to Vegas or no wedding at all, but she was suffering through the traditional nuptials for him. “Tell me everything they’ve done. You like the way the yard looks?”
    â€œNo way am I telling you a single thing so quit asking. This is my wedding gift to you and the first and probably the last surprise you’ll ever get outta me. Because, as you know, I hate surprises worse than poison. So you’re just gonna have to wait and see how great everything looks.”
    â€œFine by me.” And it was. Black was pretty much agreeable to anything and everything at the moment. Just as long as Claire walked down that aisle. He wanted those “I do’s” over with once and for all and forever. He sure as hell had to wait long enough to hear her say them. “I’ll be back at the lake early tomorrow morning. I’ll get some sleep on the flight so I’ll be rested and ready. Is there enough seating for everybody on my side of the aisle?”
    â€œNow, wait a minute, Black, you don’t have any surprises up your sleeve, do you? Remember, this thing is small. Tiny, in fact. Very casual. Only our best friends. You can have your big fancy receptions later at your hotels and do them however you want. Okay? You do understand that? Not a cast of thousands at my place, no way.”
    â€œYou saw my guest list. Nice and short. Just make sure you’re there. That’s my biggest worry. That you’ll back out.”
    Claire gave a soft laugh. “Well, now, I’m the one who’s here, right? You’re the one who’s not. Most of the guests are here, too, and checked in to their suites at Cedar Bend. Still think we shoulda just gone to Las Vegas and got in and out of the Wedding Chapel in nothing flat, sans the hoopla and fireworks.”
    â€œYou make it sound like an execution, but not to worry, I’ll be there. Count on it.”
    â€œYou do remember what you’re supposed to do, right? You don’t show up at the cabin until I’m ready to walk down to the dock. Plan is John Booker’s gonna wait for you on the dock as your best man but the rest of the