Free Blood From a Stone by Cynthia Lucas Page B

fri end ’ s p l ace w as de f i nit e l y a be tt er op ti on t han w a l k i ng back t o t he g r a v e y a r d i n t he b l i nd i ng sno w . H e s t a rt ed t o accept t he cabb i e ’ s p r o posa l , as k i ng i f h i s fri end w ou l d m i nd t he do g , but W ill ow i n t e rr up t ed t he m .
    “ S a m son, li s t en, I k now t h i s m i g ht co m e o f f w r on g , or m a y be t oo f o r w a r d? H ow do I say t h i s w it hout sound i ng li k e….he ll …I don ‘ t e v en k now w ha t ! ” S he l au g hed ne r v ou s l y . “ A n y w a y …. y ou can s t ay he r e w it h m e and S asha t on i g ht i f y ou ’ d li k e. Y ou can s l eep on m y couch. A nd y es, t he dog can s t ay t oo. We ce rt a i n l y can ’ t put h i m back out i n t he co l d.”
    H er hand s tr o k ed h i s so f t b r o w n i sh f ur t o ca l m t he ne r v ousness she w as su r e w as e v i dent i n her v o i ce. S asha ’ s b r o w s w ent up and her e y es w i dened but W ill ow j ust g a v e her t he, I know w hat I’ m do i ng so don ’ t argue! l oo k .
    S he f e l t sa f e w it h S a m son.  H e ’ d ri s k e d h i m se l f f or her and he t ook i n t h i s poor ho m e l ess dog on a co l d n i g ht e v en t hou g h i t had a tt ac k ed t he m . H e so m ehow k new t hat i t j ust needed so m e l o v e and a w a r m p l ace t o s l eep. T he r e m ust be so m e t h i ng decent i ns i de of h i m f or h i m t o ha v e done t ha t .
    Hmmm . W hat t o do? H e w ondered t o h i m se lf … t here w ou l d of course be no s l eep i ng f or h i m but t hat w as i rre l e vant r i ght  no w .  T he  m a i n  ques ti on  w as  shou l d  he   do   t he gen tl e m an l y t h i ng  and  i ns i st on  go i ng  w it h  t he  cabb i e  or shou l d he t ake her up on her o ff er?
    W ill ow spo k e up a g a i n t h i s ti m e w it h m o r e u r g enc y .
    “I i ns i s t . R ea ll y . I t’ s o k a y .” S he l o o k ed at t he cabb i e and w i n k ed as she added, “ A nd i f an y t h i ng happens t o us, y ou a r e a w it ness ! ” S he g r abbed S a m son ’ s hand and s t a r t ed t o pu l l h i m out of t he cab be f o r e he cou l d p r o t es t . H e l oo k ed at t he cabb i e and sh r u gg ed.
    T he cabb i e chuc k l ed g ood - na t u r ed l y and shook h i s head. “ L uc k y bas t a r d,” he w h i spe r ed under h i s b r ea t h as he bac k ed up out of t he d ri v e w ay and pu ll ed s l o w l y a w a y .
    S asha and t he i r new f u rr y cha r g e f o ll o w ed t hem t o t he door and a second l a t er t hey w e r e i ns i de t he w e l co m e w a r m t h of W ill o w ’ s house.
    W ill ow fli c k ed on t he li g h t s and t ook o f f her coa t , o ff e ri ng t o t a k e S a m son ’ s as he b r ushed b y . S asha l oo k ed at her and shook her head w hen she he l d out her o t her hand and sa i d, “ N o t han k s… I ’ m k eep i ng it ! I ‘ m fr ee z i n g .” S he s m il ed and headed t o w a r d t he k it chen. “ P l ease p l ay a r son is t and g et us a n i ce fir e g o i n g ?”
    W ill ow nodded.
    S a m son r e m o v ed h i s coat and handed i t t o her wai t ing hands as he l oo k ed a r ound t he co z y littl e house. I t w as not o v erl y l a r g e and w as n i ce l y deco r a t ed w it h an o v e r s t u ff ed couch and t w o cha i se cha ir s w it h o tt o m ans i n fr ont of a hu g e en te r t a i n m ent cen t er and l a r g e sc r een t v . T he fir ep l ace w as on one w a l l and t w o or t h r ee boo k she l v es fill ed w it h v a ri ous boo k s, k n i c k - k nac k s and o t her it e m s. T he r e w as a s m a l l d i n i ng a r ea w it h an oak t ab l e and cha ir s t hat w as ri g ht next t o a k it c h en t hat had an open w a l l w it h a coun t er and s t oo l s.
    W ill ow hung t he coa t s i n t he c l oset and headed ac ro ss t he li v i ng r oom t o t he fir ep l ace w he r e she g r abbed so m e k i n d li n g , a f ew ne w spape r s and coup l e of s m a l l