Blood From a Stone (109 page)

“Wa
i
t
a
m
i
nu
t
e.”
H
e
pu
ll
ed
h
i
s
a
r
m
fr
e
e
and
l
oo
k
ed back
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
he doo
rfr
a
m
e. “
D
i
d
y
ou
j
ust
see
t
ha
t
?”

S
he
shook her
head.
“
S
ee
w
ha
t
?”
S
he
pee
k
ed ou
t
s
i
de. “What
d
i
d
y
ou see?”

S
a
m
son
l
oo
k
ed a
r
ound but
t
he
i
m
a
g
e
d
i
sappea
r
ed
j
ust as
qu
i
c
k
l
y
as
i
t
had co
m
e
i
n
t
o
v
i
e
w
.

“W
as
i
t
an an
i
m
al
or
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
?”

“
N
o.
I
t
hou
g
ht
I
saw
so
m
eone.”
H
e sho
o
k
h
i
s
head. “
I
t
w
as
no
t
h
i
ng
I
g
uess.”
H
e
c
l
osed
t
he
door
and
a
ll
o
w
e
d
her
t
o
l
ead h
i
m
do
w
n
t
he en
tr
y
ha
l
l
i
n
t
o
t
he
li
v
i
ng
r
oo
m
.

S
he
r
eached up and
t
ouched h
i
s
f
ace a
g
a
i
n.

“
A
r
e
y
ou su
r
e
y
ou
’r
e o
k
a
y
?
Y
ou s
til
l
l
ook
a
littl
e pa
l
e.
”

H
e
s
m
il
ed.
“
Y
eah,
I
’
m
fi
ne.
E
spec
i
a
ll
y now
t
hat
I
’
m he
r
e
w
it
h
y
ou.”
H
e
r
eached
out
and
t
ouched
her
f
ace
and
l
eaned o
v
er
t
o
k
i
ss
her
so
ftl
y
.

“
H
e
y
!
N
ot
i
n
fr
ont
of
t
he
ch
il
d
r
en
!
”
S
asha
’
s
v
o
i
ce
j
o
lt
ed
t
hem
fr
om
t
he
r
e
v
e
ri
e
of
t
he
m
o
m
ent
as
she
s
at
on
t
he couch,
f
eet
p
r
opped
up
w
it
h
C
i
sco
happ
il
y pe
r
ched
a
t
her
f
ee
t
.
S
he
popped
a
p
i
ece
of
popco
r
n
i
n
t
o her
m
ou
t
h. “
S
o…how
w
as d
i
nne
r
?”

S
a
m
son
and
W
ill
ow
l
oo
k
ed
at
each
o
t
her
and s
m
il
ed and
bo
t
h
opened
t
he
i
r
m
ou
t
h
t
o
speak at
t
he
sa
m
e
t
i
m
e, each stating how great the food was while naming a different restaurant than the other
.
T
hey bo
t
h
s
t
opped ab
r
up
tl
y
and W
i
l
l
ow
b
l
ushed.

S
asha
nodded
. “
H
mmm
…
t
hat
g
ood huh?
G
u
e
ss
I
need
t
o
g
o
t
he
r
e
so
m
e
ti
m
e.”
S
he
t
h
r
ew  a
p
i
ece
of
po
p
co
r
n
at W
ill
ow
w
h
i
ch
C
i
sco
p
r
o
m
p
tl
y
j
u
m
ped
do
w
n
t
o
li
ck up
o
f
f
t
he
fl
oo
r
.

W
ill
ow
sh
r
u
gg
ed.
“
A
c
t
ua
ll
y
w
e
s
k
i
pped
d
i
nner
and ca
m
e
s
tr
a
i
g
ht
he
r
e.”
S
he
w
asn
’
t
about
t
o
t
e
l
l
S
asha
about
t
he cat
i
nc
i
dent
or
any
of
t
he
r
es
t
,
j
ust
y
e
t
.

S
asha
’
s
e
y
eb
r
o
w
s
w
ent
up and she
nodd
e
d and s
m
ir
k
ed.
“Uh-huh. That’s what I figured.
D
ec
i
ded
t
o
s
k
i
p
d
i
nner
and
g
o
s
trai
g
ht
f
or
t
he desse
r
t
huh?”
S
he
l
au
g
hed
out
l
oud.
“
U
m
.
I
’
m
g
o
i
ng
t
o
g
et
m
y s
t
u
f
f
t
o
g
e
t
her
and
j
ust
s
li
p
ri
g
ht
on
ou
tt
a he
r
e a
n
d head o
v
er
t
o
m
y
p
l
ace.
I
ha
v
e
y
ou
k
no
w
…
li
k
e
t
w
en
t
y
g
ues
t
s
on
t
he
w
a
y
.
B
i
g
pa
rt
y
.
L
o
t
s
of
s
t
u
f
f
t
o do.
Y
ou
k
i
ds
ha
v
e
f
un.”