Blood From a Stone (194 page)

H
e
chuc
k
l
ed.
“
A
nd
I
w
il
l
be
e
v
e
r
y
n
i
g
h
t
i
f
y
ou
w
ant
m
e
t
o
be.”
H
e
handed
her
t
he
t
oo
t
hb
r
ush and she
r
a
i
sed her e
y
eb
r
o
w
s.

“
A
r
e
y
ou
tr
y
i
ng 
t
o
t
e
l
l
m
e
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
?
Mo
r
n
i
ng b
r
ea
t
h? ”
S
he
l
au
g
hed.

“
N
o.
I
ha
v
e
a
su
r
p
ri
se.
J
ust
t
a
k
e
t
h
i
s
,
g
o
do
w
ha
t
e
v
er
i
t
i
s
y
ou
need
t
o,
i
n
t
he
ha
l
l
ba
t
h
r
oom and
t
hen
co
m
e
back he
r
e.”

“
O
k
a
y
…
w
hat
a
r
e
y
ou
up
t
o?”
S
he
tilt
ed
her head and her
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
,
as
she
s
li
d
fr
om
t
he
bed,
g
r
abb
i
ng her ba
t
h
r
obe
fr
om
t
he cha
i
r
and head
i
ng
out
i
n
t
o
t
he ha
ll
.

“
Y
ou
’l
l
see.
J
ust
g
o.”

S
he
d
i
sappea
r
ed
do
w
n
t
he
ha
l
l
and
r
e
t
u
r
ned a
f
ew
m
i
nu
t
es
l
a
t
e
r
,
w
it
h
fr
esh b
r
ea
t
h,
fr
esh
f
ace and ha
i
r
up.

“
N
o
w
,
w
ha
t
?” she sa
i
d.

H
e
m
o
v
ed
i
n
c
l
ose
and
t
w
i
s
t
ed one
of
t
he
t
end
ril
s
of her
ha
i
r
t
hat
had
w
o
r
k
ed
it
se
l
f
l
oose
a
r
ound
h
i
s
f
i
n
g
e
r
. “
S
hhh.
C
l
ose
y
our
e
y
es.”

S
he
l
oo
k
ed s
k
ep
ti
ca
l
, but
co
m
p
li
ed
w
i
th h
i
s
r
e
ques
t
.
H
e
s
li
d
t
he
r
obe
o
f
f
her
shou
l
de
r
s,
dr
i
n
k
i
ng
i
n
t
he
s
i
g
ht
of
her
na
k
ed
body
w
it
h
r
ene
w
ed app
r
ec
i
a
ti
on,
and
t
hen p
i
c
k
ed
her
up
i
n
h
i
s
a
r
m
s and
w
a
l
k
ed
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he
m
a
st
er ba
t
h, push
i
ng
t
he door
open
w
it
h h
i
s
t
oe.

“I
k
now
w
hat
y
ou
ca
rr
y
i
ng
m
e
m
eans”
she
l
au
g
hed.
“I
f
ound
t
hat
out
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
.”

“Ma
y
be.
B
ut
not
li
k
e
y
ou
t
h
i
nk
t
h
i
s
t
i
m
e.”

“
C
an I
open
t
hem
y
e
t
?”

“
Y
eah.”

S
he
opened
her
e
y
es
t
o
t
he
s
i
g
ht
of
t
he
cand
l
e
li
t
o
a
s
i
s he
’
d
c
r
ea
t
ed
i
n
her
ba
t
h
r
oo
m
,
j
ust
as
he
w
as
l
o
w
e
r
i
ng her
i
n
t
o
t
he
w
a
r
m
,
fr
a
g
r
ant
w
a
t
e
r
.
H
e
s
li
pped
t
he
da
m
p
t
o
w
el
fr
om h
i
s
w
a
i
st
and c
li
m
bed
i
n
w
it
h he
r
.

“I
t
hou
g
h
t
…
m
a
y
be
w
e
cou
l
d
s
t
a
r
t
t
h
i
s
d
ay
as
g
ood
as
t
he
l
ast
one
ended.”
H
e
s
m
il
ed
and
m
o
v
ed
o
v
er
he
r
,
s
li
d
i
ng her
back
a
g
a
i
nst
t
he
w
a
l
l
of
t
he
t
ub, as
h
i
s
li
ps
c
a
p
t
u
r
ed he
r
s.