Blood From a Stone (148 page)

S
he
g
asped
i
n
m
ock exaspe
r
a
ti
on.
“
Y
ou
w
e
r
e
t
he
one
w
ho s
t
opped us
l
ast
n
i
g
ht
c
iti
ng
‘ri
g
ht
r
easons
’
.
”

“
Y
ou
ha
v
e
m
e
t
he
r
e.
B
ut
t
hat
w
as
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
.
T
h
i
s
i
s
t
on
i
g
h
t
…no
t
e
lli
ng
w
hat
cou
l
d
happen.
D
a
m
n.
I
t
h
i
nk
H
y
de
j
ust
sho
w
ed
h
i
m
se
lf
.”
H
e
l
au
g
hed
g
ood
na
t
u
r
ed
l
y
.
“
B
ut
y
ou can
‘
t
ho
l
d
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng
he
sa
y
s
or
does
a
g
a
i
nst
m
e
or
t
a
k
e
off any points for
his
behavior. Agreed?”

“F
a
i
r 
enou
g
h. 
N
o
w
…
w
he
r
e 
a
r
e 
w
e 
g
o
i
n
g
? 
I
‘
m
s
t
a
r
v
i
n
g
!
”

“We
ll
,
how
about
T
he
O
xbo
w
?“
he
sa
i
d
re
m
e
m
be
r
i
ng a
co
mm
e
r
c
i
al
he
’
d
seen
on
t
.
v
.
t
h
i
s
a
ft
e
r
noon.
“I hea
r
d
t
hey ha
v
e
g
ood s
t
ea
k
s
and sea
f
ood.”

S
he nodded. “
T
hat
sounds pe
rf
ec
t
.”

H
e
r
eached
o
v
er
and
t
ook her
hand
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n
as
t
hey d
r
o
v
e. “
T
hank
y
ou.”

H
er
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
. “
F
or
w
ha
t
?”

“
F
or
not
r
unn
i
ng a
w
ay a
ft
er
l
ast
n
i
g
ht.
Most
peop
l
e
w
ou
l
d
ha
v
e
r
un
i
n
t
he
o
t
her
d
ir
ec
ti
on
so
f
as
t
.
B
ut
y
ou d
i
dn
’t
.”
H
e pu
ll
ed her
hand
t
o h
i
s
li
ps
and
k
i
ssed
i
t
li
g
h
tl
y
.

S
he
s
i
g
hed.
“
H
ones
tl
y
?
I
w
an
t
ed
t
o.
A
t
fir
st
an
y
w
a
y
.
I
w
as
sca
r
ed
p
r
e
tt
y
sh
itl
ess.
B
u
t
…
w
e
ll
…so
m
e
t
h
i
ng about
y
ou
j
ust
m
a
k
es
m
e
w
ant
t
o s
t
a
y
.”

“
I
’
m
g
l
ad
y
ou
‘r
e
he
r
e.”
H
i
s
fi
n
g
e
r
s
e
n
t
w
i
ned
w
it
h
he
r
s.

             
“Me
t
oo,” she sa
i
d so
ftl
y
.

             
T
hey
r
ounded
t
he
co
r
ner
and
t
u
r
ned
i
n
t
o
t
he
pa
r
k
i
ng
l
ot
of
t
he
r
es
t
au
r
an
t
.
H
e
pa
r
k
ed
and
qu
i
c
k
l
y
g
ot
o
u
t
and
ca
m
e a
r
ound
t
o open her door
             
and
he
l
p her
ou
t
.

“
Y
ou
a
r
e
r
ea
ll
y
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
i
m
p
r
ess
m
e
ton
i
g
h
t
,
huh?”
she s
m
ir
k
ed.

             
“
Y
eah. I
ha
v
e
t
o ea
r
n back
t
hose po
i
nts
I
l
ost
ri
g
h
t
?”
             
“We
ll
,
not
r
ea
ll
y
.
B
ut
i
t
de
fi
n
it
e
l
y
bene
fit
s
m
e
i
f
y
ou

t
h
i
nk
y
ou
do.”
S
he
l
au
g
hed
as
she
l
ooped
her
a
r
m
thr
ou
g
h
h
i
s and
t
hey
w
a
l
k
ed
i
n
t
o
t
he
w
a
r
m
t
h
of
t
he
bu
il
d
i
ng
w
h
er
e
t
hey
w
e
r
e sea
t
ed a
l
m
ost
i
mm
ed
i
a
t
e
l
y
i
n a co
z
y
boo
t
h.