Blood From a Stone (51 page)

H
e
s
t
opped
her
be
f
o
r
e
she
headed
do
w
n
t
he
ha
l
l
w
ay
t
o
g
et
b
l
an
k
e
t
s
fr
om
t
he
li
nen c
l
ose
t
.

“W
ill
o
w
,
l
ook
I
j
ust
w
ant
t
o
say
t
hank
y
ou
f
or
l
e
tti
ng
m
e
s
t
a
y
.
I
k
now
t
h
i
s
i
s
a
w
e
ir
d
c
ir
cu
m
s
t
ance,
and
I
k
now
y
ou a
r
e
p
r
obab
l
y
a
littl
e
w
o
rri
ed
ha
v
i
ng a
s
tr
an
g
er
i
n
y
our
house, but
I
can
assu
r
e
y
ou,
I
am
co
m
p
l
e
t
e
l
y sa
f
e.
A
nd
of
cou
r
se
t
he
r
e
’
s
t
he
do
g
.
Y
ou
’
v
e
been
t
oo
g
ene
r
ous
and
I do
n‘
t
k
now
w
hat
t
o say
except
t
hank
y
ou.”

S
he s
m
il
ed at
t
he s
i
nce
rit
y
of
h
i
s
w
o
r
ds.

“
A
nd…
I
’
d
a
l
so
li
k
e
t
o
add
t
hat
I
hope
y
ou
don
’
t
ha
v
e a
bo
y
fri
end
or
fi
ance
w
ho
m
i
g
ht
be
w
a
iti
ng
a
r
ound
t
o
k
i
ck
m
y ass.”
H
e
l
au
g
hed
li
g
h
tl
y
,
but
a
l
so
had
t
o
w
onder
h
o
w
so
m
eone as
p
r
e
tt
y
,
con
fi
dent
and
see
m
i
n
g
l
y se
lf
-
su
ffi
c
i
ent
as
she
w
as cou
l
d
not
ha
v
e a bo
y
fri
end or
at
l
east
p
l
en
t
y
of
p
r
ospec
t
s.

“I
t’
s
r
ea
ll
y
o
k
a
y
.
I
t’
s
t
he
l
east
I
can
do…and
no.
I

don
‘
t
ha
v
e an
y
one. I’m single…no worries.”

S
he
w
ent
t
o
t
he
c
l
oset
and
r
e
t
u
r
ned
w
it
h
t
h
r
ee
w
a
r
m b
l
an
k
e
t
s
i
n
hand.
S
he
handed
h
i
m one
and
sa
i
d,
“Wh
i
ch
cha
i
r do
y
ou
w
an
t
?
I
t
h
i
nk
t
he
one
on
t
hat
s
i
de
i
s
m
o
r
e
c
o
m
f
o
rt
ab
l
e so
y
ou
t
a
k
e
it
.”

H
e
p
r
o
t
es
t
ed
but
she
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
li
s
t
en as
she
da
rt
ed qu
i
c
k
l
y
past
h
i
m and
l
eapt
i
n
t
o
t
he
o
v
e
r
s
i
z
ed
cha
is
e
cha
i
r
on her
ri
g
h
t
,
b
l
an
k
et
i
n
hand,
g
r
abb
i
ng
t
he
r
e
m
o
t
e
and
fli
p
p
i
ng
t
he channel
t
o an o
l
d s
it
-
co
m
.

“
I
f
y
ou
need
an
y
t
h
i
ng
y
ou
k
now
w
he
r
e
t
he
k
it
chen
i
s and
t
he
ba
t
h
r
oom
i
s
ri
g
ht
do
w
n
t
he
ha
l
l
at
t
he
end.
L
i
g
ht
s
w
it
ch
i
s
on
t
he
ri
g
ht
w
hen
y
ou
w
a
l
k
i
n
t
he
doo
r
.
I ac
t
ua
ll
y
t
h
i
nk I
ha
v
e an ex
tr
a unopened
t
oo
t
hb
r
ush
i
n
t
he cab
i
net
u
n
der
t
he s
i
nk
t
oo.”

T
he
dog
bounded
i
n
t
o
t
he
o
v
e
r
s
i
z
ed
cha
i
r
w
it
h
her and
nes
tl
ed
h
i
m
se
l
f
w
a
r
m
l
y  at
her
f
eet
on
t
he
o
tt
o
m
an. M
i
nu
t
es
l
a
t
e
r
,
w
r
apped
i
n
t
he
w
a
r
m
t
h of
her
b
l
an
k
e
t
, bo
t
h she and
t
he
tir
ed an
i
m
al
w
e
r
e
f
ast
as
l
eep.