A Thorn Among the Lilies Read Online Free PDF

sneaky in my old age. I just heard you walkin’ round and thought I’d come check on you, make certain you were all right.”
    â€œOh,” she said, almost in a sigh. “I’m okay. It’s just that psychic has me in a bit of a tizzy.”
    â€œI can imagine. The woman was pretty intense. I was almost left in a tizzy, and it wasn’t even me she was talkin’ to!”
    Leah pulled a pot from one of the cupboards and put it on the stove. She turned on the burner and poured in some milk. “Would you like some warm milk, too?” she asked Hank.
    â€œHmm. Actually, that sounds like it might just hit the spot. Thank you.”
    Leah poured more milk into the pot and returned the milk carton to the fridge. Then she came back and started stirring the milk with a spoon as it simmered on the burner. “So,” she asked, “seriously. Why are you up?”
    â€œOh, you know me,” he said. “I don’t sleep at the best of times. And your sofa is comfortable and all, but it ain’t no bed in no five-star hotel room.” He laughed.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Leah said. “I wish we had somewhere else to put you.”
    Hank raised his hand. “No, no, I’m not really complainin’, I’m just bein’ funny. I don’t mind the sofa at all. So, about that psychic lady—you gonna act on anythin’ she said?”
    â€œWell, that’s just it. Even if I wanted to do somethin’ based on what she told me, she didn’t actually say anythin’ I could possibly use to do anythin’.”
    â€œWell, she told you folk are in danger. She told you someone is blindin’ them and that he’s actin’ like some maniac tailor, which could mean lots of disgustin’ things when I think it over.”
    Leah set two mugs on the counter, took the pot of milk off the burner, and carefully tipped it to fill them with the now-warm milk. “Is that what you heard?” she asked Hank. “Because that’s not what I heard. I just heard a bunch of half-baked facts all rolled together.” She handed one of the mugs to Hank.
    â€œThank you,” he said. “That’s because you chose not to try and form the bits and pieces of information she gave you into somethin’ real. You’re too analytical. Sometimes you need to fill in the blanks yourself so that you can create—or at least finish—the story. Your story might not always be the right one—fact is, most of the time it probably isn’t—but it gives you a place to start. And as you go you can change your story as circumstances change and you gather more facts.”
    Leah took a sip of her warm milk. It felt good going down her throat. “Ethan would kill me if he knew I was even considerin’ doin’ this.”
    â€œYeah, well, Ethan owes you a lot. He knows that. Hell, half this town knows that. Take chances, Leah. It’s the only way in life to push yourself to your full potential, and if we don’t all reach our full potential, what’s the point in being here?” He took a sip of his milk. “This is really good milk, by the way.”
    â€œIt’s just milk warmed up in a pot, Hank.”
    â€œStill really good.”
    â€œThanks.”
    A silence followed while Leah thought about what the psychic had told her. “So, say I do try and follow this up, Hank. Where the hell do I start? The only thing she gave that’s even slightly possible to research is a partial on a road sign.”
    â€œThen that’s where you start. The road sign. Then at least you’ll know what town she’s talkin’ ’bout.”
    Every bone in Leah’s body was telling her not to do this, telling her that following the scattered advice given to her from a Main Street psychic was a dumb idea. And yet, she knew, deep down in the pit of her gut, that was exactly what she was going to do. So she may