Blood From a Stone (24 page)

H
mmm
….
t
ou
g
h
cho
i
ce.
H
e
a
l
m
ost
l
au
g
hed out
l
oud.
A
h,
w
hat
t
he he
ll
, he
t
hou
g
h
t
. Ma
y
be he cou
l
d do bo
t
h!

H
e
s
m
ir
k
ed
as
he
s
w
i
gg
ed
do
w
n
ano
t
her
l
a
r
g
e
g
u
l
p of beer
and spo
tt
ed her
as
she e
m
e
r
g
ed
fr
om
t
he
l
ad
i
es
r
oom
w
it
h her
fri
end.
T
hey
m
ade
t
he
i
r
w
ay back
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he
s
t
a
g
e.
T
hat
w
as
h
i
s
cue.

H
e
set
do
w
n
h
i
s
beer
bo
ttl
e
on
t
he
l
e
d
g
e
and headed back
do
w
n
t
he
s
t
a
ir
s
t
o
see
w
hat
she
had
i
n
s
t
o
r
e
f
or
r
ound
t
w
o.
S
he
w
as
w
itt
y
,
she
w
as
s
m
a
rt
…he
l
o
v
ed
t
he
w
ay she b
l
ushed
w
hen
he
l
oo
k
ed
at
he
r
….and
she
w
as
ne
v
er
g
o
i
ng
t
o bed
w
it
h h
i
m
.
T
hen a
g
a
i
n, ne
v
er
say
ne
v
e
r
.

H
e
l
o
v
ed a
g
ood cha
ll
en
g
e.

C
H
AP
T
E
R
TH
RE
E

W
ill
ow
f
e
l
t
a
pa
i
r
of
hands
at
her
w
a
i
st
and a
second
l
a
t
e
r
,
a
h
i
nt
of
w
a
r
m
b
r
ea
t
h
ca
r
essed
t
he
back of
h
er
nec
k
.
H
er
i
ns
ti
nct
w
as
t
o
w
h
i
p
a
r
ound
and
s
m
ack 
t
he
sh
i
t
out
of so
m
eone,
but
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng s
t
opped
he
r
.
S
he
k
new
i
ns
ti
n
c
ti
v
e
l
y
t
hat
i
t
w
as
h
i
m
.
S
he
t
u
r
ned a
r
ound s
l
o
w
l
y
t
o
f
ace h
i
m
.

“We
ll
…I
g
uess
t
hat
‘
m
a
y
b
e
’ h
as
t
u
r
ned
i
n
t
o de
fi
n
it
e
l
y
?” he sa
i
d.

S
he
l
oo
k
ed pu
zz
l
ed
f
or
j
ust
a second.

“
W
hat
a
r
e
y
ou
t
a
l
k
i
ng
abou
t
?”

“
Y
ou  sa
i
d  ea
rli
er
t
hat 
m
aybe 
w
e
’
d  see  each  o
t
h
er a
g
a
i
n
t
on
i
g
ht
i
f
I 
w
as
s
til
l
he
r
e.
We
ll
,
m
a
y
be
i
s
n
ow de
f
i
n
it
e
l
y
.”
H
e
r
a
i
sed h
i
s
e
y
eb
r
o
w
s.

“We
ll
….I
g
uess
i
t
i
s,
i
sn
‘
t
it
.”
S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at h
i
m
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
and
fi
na
ll
y
g
a
v
e
i
n
and
o
ff
e
r
ed
h
i
m
t
he s
m
il
e he
w
as
w
a
iti
ng
f
or
be
f
o
r
e she
t
u
r
ned back
t
o her
fri
end.

S
asha
w
h
i
spe
r
ed
l
oud
l
y
,
“
O
h,
m
y
G
od
!
H
e
l
oo
k
s e
v
en be
tt
er
t
han he d
i
d ou
t
s
i
de.”

W
ill
ow
m
ou
t
hed
a
s
il
ent
“
S
hhh
!
”
but
by
t
hen
S
asha
w
as
ob
li
v
i
ous
as
t
he band s
t
a
rt
ed back
up.

T
hey  bo
t
h
m
o
v
ed
c
l
oser
t
o
t
he
s
t
a
g
e
a
n
d  be
g
an danc
i
ng
t
o
t
he
fir
st
song and
s
i
n
g
i
ng a
l
ong
l
oud
l
y
as
S
a
m
son
w
a
t
ched
t
hem
fr
om beh
i
nd.
A
nd
a
ft
er
a
f
ew
m
i
nu
t
es,
W
ill
ow
f
ound
she
cou
l
d
no
l
on
g
er
r
es
i
st
t
he
u
r
g
e
t
o
sneak a peek b
e
h
i
nd
her
t
o
see
i
f
he
w
as
s
til
l
s
t
and
i
ng
t
he
r
e
w
a
t
ch
i
n
g
.
S
he
w
as
g
l
ad
t
o
see
t
hat
he
w
as
and
dec
i
ded
t
o
g
o ahead
and
i
n
v
it
e h
i
m c
l
ose
r
.
H
e
s
m
il
ed
and
m
o
v
ed
next
t
o
her
as
t
he
l
oud
t
hu
m
p
i
ng of
t
he
d
r
u
m
s
be
g
an
t
he next
son
g
.
A
s soon
as
i
t
w
as
fi
n
i
shed,
W
ill
ow
handed
h
i
m her
d
ri
n
k
.
“
C
ou
l
d
y
ou
h
o
l
d
on
t
o
t
h
i
s
f
or
m
e, p
l
ease?”

S
a
m
son
nodded
and
t
ook
t
he
g
l
ass
as
she
g
r
abbed
a
l
l of
her
l
ong
ha
i
r
and pu
ll
ed
i
t
up o
f
f
her
neck
i
n
t
o a pony
t
a
il
.

“
T
han
k
s
.”
S
he
he
l
d
out
her
hand
t
o
r
e
tri
e
v
e
i
t
w
hen she
w
as
fi
n
i
shed.
S
a
m
son
t
ook a
s
i
p,
d
r
a
w
i
ng
t
he
ta
n
g
y
li
q
u
i
d up
t
he s
tr
aw
be
f
o
r
e hand
i
ng
i
t
bac
k
.