He sat back in his seat, “What money are you referring to?”
“This is all in her report, but in a month’s time Diamond has sold thirty home sites and half of the town homes. As of last week there are twenty-two on the waiting list for condos in The Tower. You and Charles made her change the figures in her initial report. What you didn’t know was that she had already scaled them down before that meeting.” He stood and adjusted his suit blazer. “Give the girl a break Zack.”
Listening to his little brother defend his friend, Zack realized that X-man had grown into a formidable man. Maybe he was ready to handle the truth about his mother. But that can wait. At the moment he had to deal with this growing need to see Diamond. He exhaled and ran his hand down his face. “I don’t know if I can let up on her.”
“Why the hell not?” Xavier glared down at him.
Zack sighed as he sat back in his chair. He stared at his brother for a moment and then stated, “I want her. I want her in the worst way.”
Xavier nodded at his brother, “I know. But staying down her throat is not the way to get her.”
Zack stood and walked over to the window. “I don’t want to get her. I’ve had my share of heartache. The last thing I need is a woman like Diamond in my life.”
“Diamond is exactly what you need in your life. She is not like Celeste. You have to stop holding every woman responsible for what she did to you. Hell, I had a hand in your fate too, but you don’t dismiss me.”
Realizing he was making statements based on limited information, Zack simply replied, “You had no hand in my decision. You are my blood and nothing or no one will ever come before that.”
There was never any question in Xavier’s mind about his brother’s love for him. “I know that man. I realize your demons are your battle, I have my own. All I’m saying is give the girl a break and she might surprise you.”
JoEllen stepped inside the door, “Zack everyone is in the board room.”
“Thanks JoEllen, we’ll be right there.”
“Let’s go,” Zack said as he picked up his portfolio, “She really sold all the lots that fast?”
“Deposits, signed contracts, approved loans. The girl is making dough.”
The meeting took place and Diamond received a standing round of applause at her news. Being the very shy person that she was, she only took five bows and bravos. She announced everything was in place for the ribbon cutting ceremony and the after party at the Community Center a month from Saturday. The list of guests that had sent in RSVPs was quite impressive.
There was one point in the meeting when Xavier thought things were going to flare up between Zack and Diamond, but it was avoided by Diamond giving in. Apparently there was a site that had a hold put on it by Zack and when Diamond asked why, he sternly replied, “Because I said so.” Everyone was ready for her to challenge him on it, but she didn’t. She simply replied, “All right.” After a moment of silent shock from everyone at the table the meeting continued.
Once the meeting was over Diamond left the room. Reese stopped Zack to talk about the security on the lot and to advise him that Fire Chief Richard Hasting would be stopping by the site to see him. It was now May, the weather was breaking and that was usually the time a number of thefts and other incidents would increase on construction sites.
Zack stopped by Diamond’s office to congratulate her on her accomplishments, but she had left the building. He knew she was a dedicated worker and would not have gone home early, therefore there was only one other place she would be. It angered him that she was intentionally avoiding him, but he understood why. Her staying away from him was what he wanted; or was it?
“Oh hell!” Zack exclaimed as he pulled up next to the Fire Chief’s car. Richard Hasting was a decent man, Zack knew that. He also knew the man was only doing his job. But when that job questioned his integrity, Zack became defensive. Yes, Davenport Construction had been cleared of any wrong doing in the fire from the last project, but his integrity had been called into question publicly and that was something Zack would not tolerate. To Zack, a man’s word was his bond. If people lost faith in a man’s word, there wasn’t much left.
Zack parked the truck and walked inside the trailer. The sooner he could get this meeting over with the sooner he could find Diamond. Not seeing her had him on edge. He didn’t know why, but it did. Zack filled the doorway to find Richard sitting in the chair in front of his desk laughing and Reese at his desk at the other end of the trailer just as jovial. That eased his mind a little, maybe this wasn’t a professional visit.
“We all seem to be in a good mood this morning.” Zack spoke as he reached out and shook Richard’s hand. “Richard.”
The Chief stood, shaking Zack’s extended hand. “Zack. It’s good to see you.”
“I would say the same, however, that remains to be seen.”
“It’s a semi-professional visit.” Richard, who stood just an inch below Zack, replied as he released his hand.
Zack turned and walked over to his desk. “In that case, it’s semi-good to see you.” The two men laughed. “What brings you here?” He asked as he sat behind his desk glancing at messages.
“This is a site visit we will do at different phases of the project to ensure that all fire codes are being met.” Richard explained as he took a seat in front of Zack’s desk.
Zack looked up, “I don’t recall doing this at other sites.”
“You’re at a different level now Zack. You’re a developer, not just the head of a construction crew. There’s a whole set of different codes you have to adhere to and issues you have to deal with. Such as the headache of seeing me from time to time.”
“That’s all there is to it?” Zack raised an eyebrow with the question.
“Not all, but that’s the majority of it.” Zack didn’t respond, he just held Richard’s stare and waited. Richard exhaled. “Zack, come on man. You know I have to do these visits. The fire on your last project put a blemish on Davenport Construction. In fact, some believe the insurance money from the incident financed this project.”
“You know damn well that’s not the fact.”
“I know that Zack, but the question is out there. And you and I know if anyone else had been in the chief position, the conclusion of the last investigation could have gone very differently. Let’s be honest here, there was something questionable about that fire. As Chief, it is my job to make sure something of that nature doesn’t happen again.” Zack started to speak, but Richard held up his hand to stop him. “As your friend, I’m taking every precaution to ensure your name and reputation in this business stay intact. If my doing that pisses you off,” Richard sat back in the chair, stretched his legs out and smiled, “that’s just an extra.”
Zack shot a glare over to Reese when he heard him stifle a laugh as a cough. Turning his attention back to Richard, Zack sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “To this day, I wonder about that fire. I know my men, none of them are careless with the equipment. And the fact that it skipped houses is still baffling.”
Richard tilted his head, “That’s the very reason arson was considered. And the call.”
Zack sat forward. “What call?”
“A call came in stating you set the fire for the insurance money.”
“You never told me about a call.” Zack stated as Reese walked over and stood next to the desk.
“Who did the call come from?” Reese asked.
“It was anonymous,” Richard replied to Reese, then turned back to Zack. “You know I couldn’t share the facts about the investigation…”
“Was the call from a male or female?” Reese interrupted him.
Both men turned to Reese. “Why?” Zack asked.
“Answer the question,” Reese insisted.”
“I don’t recall,” Richard replied as he stared at Reese.
“What’s going on Reese?” Zack could see the worried look on Reese’s face.
Reese leaned against
the file cabinet and folded his arms as he looked at Zack. “While you were in LA, I received a call. The caller was a female. She said you destroyed property to get the insurance money on the last job.”
“And you are just telling me this!” Zack yelled.
“It’s my job to protect this site. I’m not going to tell you about every little thing that happens. I just handle it. To tell the truth, I didn’t think much of it at the time. This is the first I’ve heard details about the previous fire.”
“Did she say anything else?” Richard asked.
Shaking his head Reese replied, “No.” He walked purposely over to his desk. “But a few days later it rained. I did walk around the site like I always do.” He pulled open his center desk drawer and pulled out a plastic bag with a ring in it. “There were small foot prints around the structure on the lot,” he looked at the note written on the bag, “Lot number 102c. The size of the prints made me curious so I followed them. Inside the muddy tracks led to a corner of the house. This was lying on one of the studs. If the men had come in before me and put up the drywall, I would have never seen it.” He walked over and showed the bag to Zack. “I thought it might belong to one of the men that were working on the house. But when I questioned them, none of them had ever seen it before.”
Zack picked up the bag and couldn’t believe what was inside. He sat back confused. “How in the hell did that get inside one of the houses?”
“You recognize the ring?” Richard asked.
Zack looked up at him, then at Reese. “It’s my father’s mason ring. It was in my house, in the jewelry box in my bedroom.”
“You must have dropped it one day while walking through the structure.” Reese relaxed.
“It’s never been out of my house.” Zack flatly stated. “I was going to bury it with my father, but decided it was the one thing of his I wanted to keep to pass on to any children I might have.”
“If you didn’t bring it, how did it get here?” Richard asked, “and why?”
All three men were silent for a few minutes. Reese took the bag. “I’ll get a friend at the station to check it for finger prints.” Zack held the bag, reluctant to let it go. “I’ll make sure it’s returned,” Reese added sensing Zack’s reluctance.
“You think the foot prints belong to a woman?” Richard asked Reese as Zack watched the bag with concern.
“That was my first impression,” Reese replied as he put the bag in his jacket pocket.
“Do you have any women working on the site?”
“Just Diamond Lassiter,” Reese replied.
Richard relaxed, “Then the footprints could belong to her.”
“No,” Reese shook his head. “She wouldn’t dare venture down here. Our charming Zack here made sure of that.”
Richard looked from the smiling Reese to the frowning Zack. “Lassiter. Is that one of Samuel’s sisters?”
“Sure is.” Reese sneered. “And Zack here nearly chopped her head off her first day on the site and she hasn’t come down here since.”
“You’re exaggerating.” Zack frowned.
“Did you or did you not yell at the woman for looking good?”
“That wasn’t the reason and you damn well know it.” Zack declared. He turned to Richard to explain, “She was distracting my men from their work. Damn near got herself killed in the process.”
Seeing the teasing on Reese’s face, Richard followed his lead to get Zack’s mind away from the ring. “How was she distracting the men?” he asked grinning.
Zack looked from one man to the other. “Let it go.” He stated.
“That good?” Richard said as he stood. “I might have to meet this woman if she is that distracting.”
“No you don’t. You need to do whatever you came here to do and let me get back to work.”
Richard smiled, “I guess that’s my cue, I’ve worn out my welcome.”
“Come on man.” Reese walked towards the door. “I’ll walk the site with you and answer any questions you might have.”
“Sounds good.” He extended his hand, “Zack, as always it’s been interesting.”
Zack shook his hand. “Keep me posted on any findings.”
“I’ll do that.” Richard stated as he walked outside with Reese. The men walked a few feet in silence. “What are you thinking Reese?”
“I’m thinking I want whatever information you have on the previous investigation.”
“It’s closed so it’s open to the public.” He hesitated. “We’ve known Zack since high school. I don’t remember him having women problems. He was too busy with his little brother. Is there a woman out there that has an issue with Zack?”
Reese shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. The only woman Zack was seriously involved with was back in college and she left him.” He stopped. “I can’t imagine a woman stooping to arson.”
Richard grunted, “You would be surprised what a woman scorned would do. When I came out it was just to make sure Zack stayed on top of things. Now, I’m documenting as this project progresses to cover his ass.”
Every time Zack walked into the model he was amazed at how it was decorated exactly as he’d envisioned while he was building it. He didn’t know for sure, but he was guessing Diamond had a hand in the decorating as she had with the trailer. All the items from the trailer were now in the garage area of the model house, which had been converted into an office. She had a way of making things feel like home. Like the apple pie smell that was now permeating the house. It must be a new type of air freshener or something, he thought as he walked into the kitchen.
To his surprise, there was a steaming hot apple pie on the counter. He opened the door to the garage, and looked inside. No one was there. He closed the door and walked up the back staircase to the second level of the house - still no sign of Diamond. As he walked up the staircase to the third level, he stopped mid way and knew she was somewhere in the area. The fragrance that’d been enticing him in his dreams was in the air. It’d been weeks and suddenly he was desperate to see her face-to-face, one on one. Checking the game room, she wasn’t there. He looked in the theater room, still no sign of her. As he turned to go back down the stairs he stopped and remembered the sitting room on the far end of the theater room. Walking through, her special scent was guiding him to her and just as he turned the corner, there she was. Sitting in the window seat with her shoes off, her legs spread out and crossed at the ankles, with a box of frosted flakes cereal, reading a book. He had never seen anything so serene in his life. Apparently she did not hear him approaching because she was startled when he spoke. “Hello, Diamond.”
She looked up suddenly at the sound of his voice. No man on earth had the right to look so damn good in a suit less than an hour ago and even better in a pair of jeans now. Trying to hold down the jitters going off in the pit of her stomach was too much to ask. Diamond had been wondering what his reaction would be the next time he saw her alone. Well the time was here. Now what was it that Pearl told her to do? Oh yeah, be cool. Give him the time he needed to discover his own feelings for her. Swallowing the cereal that was in her mouth, she answered, “Hello, Zackary.”
They gazed at each other for a long moment taking in the essence of one another, before either could speak, both reliving the night a few weeks ago. Her mind, unsure and nervous about being in his presence again. His mind wondering why he was losing the battle to keep this woman from getting under his skin. “Why are you sitting up here?” He asked.
She slowly turned back to the window. “I love this view. Since that lot is not going to be sold, this house has a direct view of the river. Once they finish the Canal Walk project, you will be able to see the ships come in and out from here.”
She didn’t have to turn to know he was closer, she could feel his presence drawing nearer. “When we purchased this land, I chose that site for my home, for the very reasons you just stated. That’s why the lot is not for sale.”
Taking a breath of astonish
ment, she nodded slightly. “I can see why.” A second passed. “I’m sorry for questioning it. I didn’t know.”
He breathed in deeply, taking the calming essence of her into his system. “I didn’t tell anyone—not even X-Man.” He put a hand on the window seal above her head, then pointed out, “If you look down there to the right, but left of Canal Walk, that’s where another site is being built.”
“What site?”
“Another over priced community, that people like you and me could not afford to live in.”
She turned to look at him, but did not expect to be confronted by his massive chest, with his hands braced above her head. Her breath lodged in her throat as she slowly followed his chest up to find him looking down at her. Taking a swallow in an effort to remember what she was going to say, she held his gaze marveling in the wonder of his eyes. She closed her eyes as heat seemed to generate through her body, took a deep breath to shake the spell, then reopened her eyes, looking back out the window. “What are you talking about—you could live anywhere you choose. I, on the other hand, can only dream of living here and definitely not over there.”
“You make a six figure income, and stand to get a rather large commission for the homes you have sold. Great job, by the way.”
She smiled at the compliment. “Thanks.” She nodded, “Yeah you guys pay me well, but I have to pay my sister’s tuition and it seems to increase every year.”
“Why are you paying your sister’s tuition?”
“The older children who have graduated from college pay one of our younger siblings tuition to give our parents a break and kind of say thanks at the same time.”
“Really,” he said as he took a seat beside her. “That’s very thoughtful. Your family has always seemed close.”
“Oh we are.” She beamed as she moved her feet to make room for him. “A family that prays together stays together—That’s what my dad always says.”
Teach Me (The Gems & Gents Series) Page 9