Page 161 - EarthAngelsMatos

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
“I have a flight to catch.”
“Yes. I know. Tomorrow.” She blushed and turned
away “I don’t do red-eyes.” She said in a pretty fair
imitation of my English accent. She looked back at me.
“And I don’t forget things either.” There was
something curiously impressive about her willingness
to go for what she wanted.
“You’re really serious aren’t you, Julia.”
“I read your book from cover to cover last night.”
I looked down at the envelope. Must be full of
fifties folded over. She pushed it further towards me. I
picked it up. She didn’t flinch.
“Why are you doing this?”
She was suddenly grim-faced. “Two hundred and
sixteen days ago I watched my father die.” She was
more factual than emotional. “First it was a cough, then
a cold, then he couldn’t breathe. It was like a huge rock
had fallen on me. In the course of twenty-two days I
lost my father, the ranch I grew up on, and my dignity."
Julia continued, her voice steady. “But I found that in
the darkest moments, we have a choice: to let the rock
crush us or to use it as a stepping stone to rise above. I
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