Read The Root of All Evil (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 4) for Free Online

water and cleared his throat. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
    Edward drew in a deep breath. “Thanks, man. Let’s talk about the steak here. Is it any good?”
    Cooper shot her boyfriend a dirty look for interrupting but realized he couldn’t have known that she wanted all the details. She turned a smile on Edward. Sooner or later, she’d get the rest of the story. “The steak’s great,” she said. “So is the fish, if you like fish.”
    “I’ll take cow over fish any day.” Edward fell silent, and all three scoured the menu. After ordering thick steaks, medium-well, the guys slipped into work talk, while Cooper sat by, smiling idly and nodding as if she were paying attention.
    There was something different about Edward tonight. With his pressed clothes and his clean, slicked hair, he almost looked respectable . Almost. Then he shoved another whole potato skin into his mouth.
    “So Cooper,” Edward said, once he’d swallowed. “Take down any more drug dealers recently?”
    “I’m afraid life has been a little more sedate than that,” Cooper replied. “How about you? Working with the police?”
    Cooper could see him stiffen. Given his criminal history, Edward wasn’t a fan of the cops, even if he did assist them in one case. Before Cooper could change the subject, the waiter arrived with their food.
    Saved by the steak.
    The conversation lagged while they started their dinner. After some time, Nathan excused himself, heading to the restroom, and Cooper took the opportunity to talk to Edward again.
    “ He might not want to get into the whole relationship discussion with you, but I do,” she said. “You sounded so excited to come to dinner when we talked. I thought you were really looking forward to it, and frankly, I was looking forward to meeting . . . whatever her name was. What happened?”
    “Well, I was excited for dinner . . . But I was excited to see the two of you, not to eat with her. See, I don’t have a lot of what you’d call wholesome friends, so you guys are really good for me. I was looking forward to a nice, civilized night out. When it came to me and her, though, it just didn’t work.”
    “Before you said you didn’t have ‘problems in the traditional sense.’ What does that even mean?”
    “Why do you care?”
    “I’m female,” Cooper shot back. “And I’m your friend. Those two things mean I will always want to know what’s going on in your relationships. So tell me.”
    “Fine.” He swallowed a gulp of soda. “I didn’t see a future in it.” He paused before continuing. “Now, I know what you’re gonna say: we weren’t together long enough to be thinking about the future, and just because I lack imagination is no reason to break up, but . . .”
    “I wasn’t going to say that at all,” Cooper argued. “If you’d given me the chance, that is.”
    “Oh, really? What would you have said?”
    “I’d have said I support your decision.”
    Edward looked at her with a quizzical expression. “Really?”
    Cooper nodded. She found that, as the days and months wore on with Nathan, she cared more and more about that elusive thing called “the future.” She wanted one with Nathan, and she thought that he wanted one with her. But the closest she’d come to that commitment was the diamond earrings she wore. The hope she felt when Nathan gave her those earrings—and the crushing disappointment when she saw they were only earrings—made that future less elusive. She knew exactly what she wanted. Cooper wanted to marry Nathan Dexter.
    And he wasn’t doing anything about it.
    After a moment with her own thoughts, Cooper responded, “Yes, really. You were looking ahead. You want a real relationship, not just a one-night stand or short-term fun. It was good of you to be thinking about your future—and hers, by the way. Now you can both move on and find whoever’s right for you.”
    “Humph.” Edward stabbed a bite of his steak.