Blood From a Stone (267 page)
Read Blood From a Stone Online
Authors: Cynthia Lucas
“I hope
y
ou
li
k
e
it
,“
he
s
m
il
ed.
“
I
t’
s
g
ot
t
w
o
s
t
o
ri
es…
f
our
bed
r
oo
m
s,
t
h
r
ee
ba
t
h
r
oo
m
s
and
a
hu
g
e
y
a
r
d.
T
w
o
ac
r
es.
C
i
sco and
t
hose
k
i
ds
w
il
l
ha
v
e p
l
en
t
y
of
r
oom
t
o
r
un.”
“
I
f
y
ou
don
’
t
li
k
e
i
t
y
ou
can
se
l
l
it
.
K
eep
t
he
m
one
y
.
T
he
r
e
‘
s
ano
t
her
ha
l
f
a
m
illi
on
i
n
t
he
r
e…
j
ust
because.”
H
e
s
w
a
ll
o
w
ed
back
t
he
l
u
m
p
i
n
h
i
s
t
h
r
oat
as
he
t
ook her
hand
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n
and
b
r
ou
g
ht
her
fi
n
g
e
r
s
t
o
h
i
s
li
ps. “
J
ust p
r
o
m
i
se
m
e
t
hat
if
…or
w
hen
y
ou
fi
nd
a
g
uy
w
ho
’l
l
s
h
a
r
e
a
l
l
t
h
i
s
w
it
h
y
ou,
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
he
’
s
a
g
ood
m
an.
S
o
m
eone
w
ho
’l
l
l
o
v
e
y
ou
t
he
w
ay
I
w
ou
l
d ha
v
e…
t
he
w
ay
I
do.”
S
he
shook
her
head.
“
S
a
m
son,
I can
’
t
.
I can
’
t
l
o
v
e an
y
one
t
he
w
ay
I
l
o
v
e
y
ou.
A
nd
y
ou
can
’
t
j
ust
g
i
v
e
m
e
a
l
l
of
t
h
i
s
!
”
“
Y
es.
I can.
A
nd
y
es,
y
ou
w
ill
.”
H
i
s
t
ee
t
h
cha
tt
e
r
ed
l
oud
l
y
as
he be
g
an
t
o sh
i
v
er
v
i
o
l
en
tl
y
under
t
he h
e
a
v
y
b
l
a
n
k
e
t
.
S
he
s
li
d
o
v
er
next
t
o
h
i
m
w
r
app
i
ng her
body
ti
g
h
t
er a
r
ound h
i
m
and pu
lli
ng
t
w
o
m
o
r
e b
l
an
k
e
t
s
a
r
ound
t
h
e
m
.
“
L
i
s
t
en…I
ha
v
e
t
o
t
e
l
l
y
ou
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
.
I had
t
h
i
s d
r
ea
m
.
A
nd
t
he
r
e
w
as
a
littl
e
g
irl
…a
m
e
r
m
a
i
d.
A
nd
s
he
k
ept sa
y
i
n
g
,
‘
F
r
eedom
i
s
nau
g
ht
but
a
s
t
a
t
e
of
m
i
nd.’
W
h
at
do
y
ou
t
h
i
nk
t
hat
m
eans?”
H
i
s
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
her
and
he
c
l
osed h
i
s
e
y
es.
H
i
s
m
i
nd
w
as
s
t
a
rti
ng
t
o
s
l
ow
do
w
n
and
he
w
as
ha
v
i
ng
t
r
oub
l
e concen
tr
a
ti
n
g
.
“I
don
’
t
k
no
w
.
I
t’
s
t
oo
l
a
t
e
t
o
w
o
rr
y
about
i
t now
an
y
w
a
y
.
B
ut
I do
k
now
t
hat
I
w
il
l
l
o
v
e
y
ou
f
or
t
he
r
est
of
m
y ex
i
s
t
ence.
A
nd
y
ou
can
ne
v
er
k
now
w
hat
i
t
m
eans
t
o
m
e
t
hat
y
ou
’r
e he
r
e
w
it
h
m
e no
w
.“
“I
cou
l
d ne
v
er
l
et
y
ou
g
o
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
h
i
s a
l
one,“ she sa
i
d,
l
a
y
i
ng her
f
ace
do
w
n
a
g
a
i
nst
h
i
s
cool
ches
t
.
S
he
c
o
u
l
d
f
eel
h
i
s hea
r
t
bea
ti
ng
t
he
r
e…abno
r
m
a
ll
y
s
l
ow
and
f
a
i
n
t
.