Blood From a Stone (249 page)

H
e
r
eached
i
n
h
i
s
poc
k
et
and pu
ll
ed o
u
t
a
s
m
a
l
l
v
e
l
v
et pouch and handed
i
t
t
o he
r
.

“Wha
t’
s
t
h
i
s?”

“
J
ust
open
it
,” he sa
i
d qu
i
e
tl
y
.

W
ill
ow
pu
ll
ed
t
he
s
tri
n
g
s
on
t
he
pouch
and
ti
pped
i
t as
she
r
eached
i
n
t
o
d
i
sco
v
er a
ri
n
g
.
I
t
w
as a pe
rf
ect hea
r
t shaped
b
l
ue
sapph
ir
e
tri
mm
ed
w
it
h
ti
ny d
i
a
m
onds,
set
i
n
so
l
i
d
g
o
l
d.

“
I
t
w
as
m
y
m
o
t
he
r’
s,”
he
sa
i
d
as
he
t
o
ok
t
he
ri
ng
fr
om her
hand
and
s
li
pped
i
t
on
her
l
e
f
t
hand
ri
ng
fi
n
g
er
.
H
e s
w
a
l
l
o
w
ed
ha
r
d.
“
S
he
g
a
v
e
i
t
t
o
m
e
i
n
t
he
hopes
t
hat
I
w
ou
l
d se
ttl
e
on one
of
t
he
nob
l
e
’
s
dau
g
h
t
e
r
s
t
he
y
’
d hoped
I
’
d
m
a
r
r
y
, but
t
hat
ne
v
er
happened.
I
w
asn
’
t
r
eady
and
I
w
asn
’
t
i
n
l
o
v
e.
I cou
l
dn
’
t
e
v
en
f
a
t
hom
w
hat
t
hat
w
o
r
d
r
ea
ll
y
m
eant
u
n
ti
l
no
w
.
I
w
ant
y
ou
t
o ha
v
e
it
.”

W
ill
ow
shook
her
head.
“
S
a
m
son,
t
h
i
s
is
p
ri
ce
l
ess.
I
can
’
t
accept
t
h
i
s.”

“W
ill
o
w
,
i
f
I
w
e
r
e
fr
ee….”
he
s
i
g
hed.
“
A
nd
i
f
I
had a
l
l
t
he
ti
m
e
i
n
t
he
w
o
rl
d
t
o
w
oo
y
ou and do
t
h
i
s
r
i
g
h
t
,
I
’
d ha
v
e as
k
ed
y
ou
t
o
m
a
rr
y
m
e.
E
n
j
o
y
ed
a
ti
m
e
of
be
i
ng e
n
g
a
g
ed…p
l
anned
a
beau
tif
ul
w
edd
i
ng
f
or
y
ou.
B
ut
I don
’
t ha
v
e
a
l
l
t
he
ti
m
e
i
n
t
he
w
o
rl
d.
A
nd
m
a
rri
a
g
e
i
s
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng I can
’
t
g
i
v
e
y
ou.
N
ot
l
e
g
a
ll
y an
y
w
a
y
,
because of
t
he
p
r
ob
l
e
m
s
i
t
w
ou
l
d cause
y
ou.”

H
er
e
y
es
be
g
an
t
o
w
e
l
l
w
it
h
t
ea
r
s
as
he
g
ot
do
w
n
on
one
k
nee.
“
A
nd
I
k
now
it’
s
t
oo
soon
f
or
a
p
r
oposa
l
,
but
I
….don
’
t
ha
v
e
m
uch
i
n
t
he
w
ay
of
op
ti
ons
w
hen
i
t
c
o
m
es
t
o
w
a
iti
ng
so
m
e
p
r
oper
a
m
ount
of
ti
m
e.
S
o,
w
e
ll
…
fr
om
t
h
i
s
m
o
m
ent
on,
i
f
y
ou
’l
l
accept
m
y
m
o
t
he
r‘
s
ri
n
g
,
t
hen
as
f
ar
as
I
’
m
conce
r
ned,
y
ou
a
r
e
m
y
w
if
e.
A
nd
y
ou a
l
w
a
y
s
w
il
l
be.
T
h
i
s cu
r
se
m
ay
t
a
k
e
m
e
fr
om
y
ou
i
n
a
coup
l
e
of
w
ee
k
s,
but
i
t
can
’
t
t
a
k
e a
w
ay
m
y
l
o
v
e
f
or
y
ou, or
m
y
p
r
o
m
i
ses.
P
l
ease…
w
ear
it
.”
H
e
t
ook
a
deep
b
r
ea
t
h.
“
A
nd
w
hen
and
if
t
he
day
co
m
es
w
hen
y
ou
fi
nd
so
m
eone
t
o
spend
y
our
lif
e
w
it
h
a
f
t
er
I
’
m
g
one,
t
a
k
e
i
t
o
f
f
y
our
ri
ng
fi
n
g
er
and
j
ust
w
e
a
r
i
t
on
t
he o
t
her
hand
and
r
e
m
e
m
ber
m
e
and
k
now
t
hat
I
s
til
l
l
o
v
e
y
ou and
I
‘
d be by
y
our
s
i
de
i
f
I
cou
l
d.”