Blood From a Stone (25 page)

S
he
w
ri
n
k
l
ed
her
nose.
‘
I d
i
dn
’
t
i
n
v
it
e
y
ou
t
o
do
t
ha
t
,
y
ou
k
no
w
.”

S
a
m
son
l
oo
k
ed
do
w
n
at
t
he
g
l
ass
and
b
a
ck up
at
he
r
. “
D
on
’
t
w
o
rr
y
.
I
don
’
t
ha
v
e
any d
i
seases…except
m
a
y
b
e
m
en
t
a
l
.”

H
e
l
au
g
hed at the expression of alarm that crossed her features.
“
I
’
m
j
ust
k
i
dd
i
n
g
.
I don
’
t
ha
v
e
an
y
t
h
i
ng
m
en
t
al
or ph
y
s
i
ca
l
,” he
r
eassu
r
ed he
r
.

A
nd
t
hat
w
as
t
he
tr
u
t
h.
L
ittl
e
d
i
d
she
k
now
t
hat
h
i
s cu
r
se
p
r
e
v
en
t
ed
h
i
m
fr
om e
v
er
g
e
tti
ng
s
i
ck
or
d
y
i
ng
so
t
hat
he cou
l
d
su
ff
er
it
s
t
o
r
m
ent
f
or
an
e
t
e
r
n
it
y
….but
t
hen
a
g
a
i
n,
i
f
y
ou
cons
i
de
r
ed
t
he
cu
r
se
it
se
l
f
a
d
i
sease,
t
hen
by
G
od
he
had
t
he
m
o
t
her
of
a
l
l
i
n
fir
m
iti
es!

“
I
’
l
l
buy
y
ou
a
fr
esh
d
ri
nk
i
f
y
ou
w
a
n
t
.”
H
e
l
oo
k
ed apo
l
o
g
e
ti
c.
S
he
r
o
ll
ed
her
e
y
es
and
g
r
abbed
t
he
g
la
ss
back
fr
om
h
i
m
,
t
oss
i
ng
t
he
s
tr
aw
as
i
de
and
t
a
k
i
ng
a
s
i
p
fr
om
t
he
ri
m
i
ns
t
ead.

S
econds
l
a
t
er
t
he
d
r
u
m
s
be
g
an  a
s
l
ow
beat
as
t
he
li
g
h
t
show
d
i
mm
ed
do
w
n
and
t
he
m
us
i
c
f
aded
i
n
t
o
a
s
l
o
w
,
r
ock
ba
ll
ad.

S
a
m
son
had
a
l
w
a
y
s
been
g
ood
at
hea
ri
ng oppo
rt
un
i
t
y
k
noc
k
i
n
g
.

“Wou
l
d
y
ou
s
l
ow
dance
w
it
h
m
e?
Ma
y
be
i
t
can
be
a
 
‘t
hank
y
ou’
dance?
O
r
an
‘
I
’
m so
rr
y
I
t
ook
a
s
i
p
of
y
our
d
ri
nk
w
it
hout
pe
r
m
i
ss
i
on
dance?
’
”
he
as
k
ed.
H
i
s
e
y
es
tr
a
v
e
l
ed
up and
do
w
n
t
he
l
en
g
t
h
of
her
body
and
he
r
ea
l
i
z
ed
an
e
w
j
ust how
beau
tif
ul
she
r
ea
ll
y
w
as.

“
Y
es,
ac
t
ua
ll
y
I
’
d
li
k
e
t
o.
B
u
t
,
no
hands
on
t
he
ass

or
an
y
t
h
i
ng
li
k
e
t
ha
t
.
A
g
r
eed?
O
b
v
i
ous
l
y 
y
ou
d
i
d
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
r
ea
ll
y
n
i
ce ea
rli
e
r
….but
I
a
l
so don
’
t
k
now
y
ou.
”

             
“
F
a
i
r
enou
g
h”
he
sa
i
d,
l
au
g
h
i
n
g
,
and
be
l
y
i
ng
t
he
f
act

t
hat
he
w
as
so
r
t
of
hop
i
ng
t
hat
m
a
y
be
he
cou
l
d
g
et
a
w
ay
w
it
h a
littl
e
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
or
ano
t
he
r
.
N
ot
li
k
e
l
y
t
hou
g
h,
s
i
nce
she a
lr
eady
had h
i
s
nu
m
ber
on
t
hat
one.
T
hey
m
o
v
ed
on
t
o
t
he
dance
fl
oor
i
n
fr
ont
of
t
he
s
ta
g
e and he pu
ll
ed her
c
l
oser
t
o h
i
m
.