Blood From a Stone by Cynthia Lucas Read Free Book Online Page B

a rr ed back t o r ea l i t y . “ D i dn ’ t y ou hear m e? I sa i d, y es, y ou can sha r e our cab ! ”
    H e snapped back t o p r esent ti m e v e r y qu i c k l y . “ Y ea h ! I ’ m so rr y . I ’l l m a k e su r e y ou g et ho m e o k ay and t h e n I ’l l ha v e t he d ri v er t a k e m e t o m y p l ace.”
    S o m e ‘ p l ace ’ t hat w as. I f on l y t hey k ne w .
    I t be g an t o snow ha r der as t hey p il ed i n t o t he cab t hat pu ll ed up t o t he cu r b, S asha t a k i ng t he fr ont seat next t o t he cabb i e, as S a m son he l d open t he back door so W ill ow cou l d g et i n. B e f o r e s li d i ng i n next t o her he sa i d , “ H ang on, I ’l l be ri g ht bac k .”
    H e d i sappea r ed a r ound t he co r ne r , hea d ed t o w a r d t he a ll e y w ay w he r e t hey had m et a f ew hou r s ea rl i e r .
    “W he r e i s he g o i n g ?” S asha as k ed as a l ook of pu z z l e m ent c r ossed her f ea t u r es. W ill ow sh r u gg ed, b ut had a na gg i ng susp i c i on of exac tl y w hat he w as up t o.
    S a m son app r oached t he du m ps t er t o fi nd t he dog peace f u ll y r es ti ng i n t he box of r a g s and o l d ne w s p ape r s he ’ d p r epa r ed ea rli e r . H e app r oached cau ti ous l y , not co m p l e t e l y ce rt a i n w he t her t he an i m a l’ s doc il e cond iti on a ft er t he b it e had been t e m po r a r y .
    “H ey budd y , ho w ’ s i t  g o i n g ?” S a m son  as k ed, ho l d i ng out h i s do w n - t u r ned pa l m t en t a ti v e l y . T he d o g ’ s t a i l b e g an t o w ag and i t g ot up and ca m e o v er li c k i ng h i s hand and t hen h i s f ace li k e i t w as an o l d fri end.
    “Y ou w anna co m e ho m e w it h m e t on i g h t ?”
    T he dog l oo k ed at h i m w it h hope f ul e y es as S a m son sc r a t ched h i s ea r s and pa tt ed it s head.
    “I don ’ t k now i f m y l ady fri end w il l app r ec i a t e i t
    m uch, but I hope she w il l f o r g i v e y ou and l et m e b ri ng y ou a l ong i n t he cab. I f she doesn ’ t t hen w e ’l l fi g u r e out so m e t h i ng e l se. C ’ m on.”
    T he dog f o ll o w ed a ft er h i m and W ill o w ’ s susp i c i ons w e r e con fir m ed t he second she saw S a m son r ound t he co r ner of t he l a r g e b ri ck bu il d i n g , w it h t he dog f o ll o w i ng happ il y b e h i nd w a gg i ng it s t a i l as i f no t h i ng happened.
    S a m son s t epped up t o t he cu r b, and pe e k ed i ns i de t he door of t he cab. “I k now t h i s i s s tr an g e…but y ou don ’ t m i nd i f he co m es w it h us do y ou? H e ’ s pe rf ec tl y fi ne. T he r e ’ s r ea l l y no t h i ng w r ong w it h h i m , I p r o m i se. I t h i nk he w as j ust co l d and hu n g r y .”
    I t w as a li e, but i t w as a one t hat he k new w as b e li e v ab l e. H e cou l dn ’ t exp l a i n a w ay t he r ab i d beh a v i o r , or w he r e a l l t he b l ood had co m e fr om ea rli er s i nce t he dog had no se lf - i n fli c t ed w ounds on it s m ou t h. B ut he hoped she ’ d f o r g o tt en about t hat pa r t and w ou l dn ’ t no ti ce.
    W ill ow l oo k ed at t he dog i n bo t h f ear and s y m p a t h y . S he w asn ’ t su r e w hat t o do.
    “P l ease?” S a m son be gg ed.
    S asha l oo k ed t e rrifi ed i n t he fr ont sea t . W ill ow sh r u gg ed and fi na ll y sa i d, “I g uess so.” A nd be f o r e t he w o r ds escaped her li ps, t he dog bounded i n t o t he back seat and p l opped do w n next t o he r , r es ti ng it s w a r m head i n her l ap. T he poor t h i ng w as so t h i n.
    S he w as ac t ua ll y f ee li ng p r e tt y sca r e d , but soon d i sco v e r ed t he dog on l y w an t ed so m e co m f o r t and a wa r m p l ace t o l ay do w n. B e f o r e l ong she w as s tr o k i ng t he so f t f ur on it s head and t he dog li c k ed her hand, g r a t e f ul f or t he a f f e c ti on i t had l ong been w it hou t , li v i ng a lif e i n t he s tr ee t s w i t