Blood From a Stone (197 page)

H
e
w
i
n
k
ed
r
a
k
i
sh
l
y
as
he
r
eached
up
a
n
d
t
uc
k
ed
a
l
ock of
her
ha
i
r
back beh
i
nd
her
ea
r
,
and
k
i
ssed
h
e
r
li
ps
so
ftl
y
,
t
hen pu
ll
ed her
i
n
t
o h
i
s
l
ap.

S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
en
t
.
“We
’
v
e
on
l
y
k
no
w
n each o
t
her
f
or
w
ha
t? Days.
H
ow
c
a
n
i
t
be
l
o
v
e
t
hat
y
ou
f
ee
l
?”
A
l
ook of
m
il
d a
l
a
r
m
c
r
ossed
h
er
f
ea
t
u
r
es. “I
don
’
t
e
v
en
k
now
y
our
l
ast
na
m
e
f
or
G
od
’
s
sa
k
e
!
”

“
T
r
ust
m
e.
I
k
now
w
hat
l
o
v
e
i
sn
’t
…
I
’
v
e
done
t
hat
a
f
ew
ti
m
es.
T
h
i
s
i
s
d
iff
e
r
en
t
.
A
nd…
it’
s
B
e
ll
m
a
i
ne.”

H
e
t
ook a
s
i
p
of
h
i
s
co
ff
ee. “
A
r
e
y
ou
g
o
i
ng
t
o
l
ook
m
e
i
n
t
he
e
y
e
and
tr
y
t
o
t
e
l
l
m
e
y
ou
don
’
t
f
eel
t
he
s
a
m
e
w
a
y
?
B
e
cause
i
f
y
ou do
y
ou
‘r
e a
li
a
r
.”

“We
ll
. 
S
a
m
son 
B
e
ll
m
a
i
ne, 
y
ou
’
v
e
a
lr
ea
d
y
r
ead
m
y
t
hou
g
h
t
s…or
r
a
t
he
r
,
f
e
l
t
m
y
sou
l
. Wha
t
e
v
er
i
t
i
s
t
hat
y
ou do.”

“
Y
ou
f
e
l
t
i
t
t
oo…or
ha
v
e
y
ou
f
o
r
g
o
tt
en?
A
lt
hou
g
h I
g
uess
i
t
w
asn
‘
t
s
tr
ong
enou
g
h
f
or
y
ou
t
o
ha
v
e
p
i
c
k
e
d
up
m
y
l
ast
na
m
e,” he sa
i
d
r
a
i
s
i
ng
h
i
s b
r
o
w
.

S
he
sh
r
u
gg
ed.
“
Y
eah…
I
g
uess,
but
it’
s
not
t
he
sa
m
e.
I
t on
l
y
happened
one
ti
m
e
f
or
a
f
ew
seconds.
Y
ou
say
t
hat
y
ou do
t
h
i
s, or
f
eel
t
h
i
s
a
l
l
t
he
ti
m
e.”

“We
ll
,
it’
s
not
a
l
l
t
he
ti
m
e.
J
us
t
,
f
rom
w
hat
I can
t
e
ll
, a
ft
er
I
’
v
e
hea
l
ed
so
m
eone.”
H
e
i
nha
l
ed deep
l
y
, not
r
ea
ll
y
f
ee
li
ng
li
k
e
b
r
oach
i
ng
t
hat
sub
j
ec
t
,
k
no
w
i
ng
i
t
w
o
ul
d
i
n
deed be
i
n
t
he
spo
tli
g
ht
i
n
a
f
ew
hou
r
s
w
hen
she
w
ent
t
o
w
o
r
k
and
f
ound out
about
t
he
littl
e bo
y
.

“We
ha
v
e
t
o
fi
g
u
r
e
out
w
hat
t
o
do
about
t
h
i
s
t
h
i
ng
w
it
h
y
our
b
l
ood.”

“I
k
no
w
,”
he
sa
i
d
qu
i
e
tl
y
.
“
B
ut
i
t
can
w
a
it
.
We
can
t
a
k
e our
ti
m
e and
fi
g
u
r
e
i
t
ou
t
, can
’
t
w
e?”

“
Y
eah. I
g
uess
t
he
r
e
’
s
no
r
ush.”

H
e
sh
ift
ed  h
i
s
body
benea
t
h  her
and
sl
i
d
a
p
ill
ow beh
i
nd h
i
s
head. “What
ti
m
e a
r
e
y
ou
g
o
i
ng
t
o
w
o
r
k
t
o
da
y
?”