The Amber Stone Read Online Free PDF

out.”
    Bertha shook her head. “Remember you may be sorry for the mawga dog, but he can turn ‘round and bite you.”
    “He has the hands of a healer.”
    “And the body of a thug.”
    “Bertha,” Teresa warned in a hushed tone.
    “He can’t hear me. Have you noticed the size of him?”
    “He’s not dangerous.”
    “You don’t know that yet. You only had a sense, not the full story.” She narrowed her eyes. “And you’ve been up to something else, haven’t you?”
    Teresa sighed. “I confronted Helene about the supplements.”
    “And?”
    “It wasn’t a good meeting, but I sent three bottles to a friend who works at the university. I trust him and will wait to hear what he has to say.”
    “Then let it go. Power and money are dangerous opponents.”
     
    ***
     
    Bertha did not like to act feeble. She took pride in being fit and agile. She’d planned to walk the two miles back home, but knew that she would not catch the young man’s attention any other way than by showing a strain of weakness. She spotted him in the parking lot and hurried towards him, then debated how she would collapse without injuring herself or damaging her purchases. She decided it was best not to fall, but rather to stagger helplessly into him. In the past, she’d seen a number of young women try collapsing at his feet at the shop, but he had offered them a quick glance and walked away. She suspected that his heart may be more receptive to a tired woman several decades his senior.
    She was about to bump into him, when a tricky celestial elf decided to put a stone in her path, so when she fell, her cry was real, as was the impact of pain that followed.
    The man was immediately by her side. “Mother,” he said using a reverential term only pockets of their community used. “Are you all right?”
    Bertha was still stunned by the authenticity of her fall, perhaps someone above knew better than she. “Yes, I think so. Oh, my bags.” The contents had been scattered, mingling with the dirt and gravel.
    “Gather those for me,” he ordered a passing bystander. “Stay still for a moment, please.” The ‘please’ was added for appearance since his words held enough of a command. He expertly felt all her limbs and studied her eyes. “Okay. Come on.” He helped her to her feet then lifted her up and placed her on the back of his truck as if she were a child. “Thank you,” he said to the man who handed him Bertha’s bags. He glanced inside and frowned. “I’m afraid your purchases didn’t survive the fall.”
    “Oh, that’s all right—” she began, but the young man wasn’t listening. He pulled out a handkerchief. “Use this to wipe the side of your face. I’ll be right back,” he said, then left carrying her two bags of squashed groceries.
    He was gone before she could reply. Bertha wiped the side of her face, smiling to herself. Just what she had expected—he had a heart as soft as guava jelly so he kept it well guarded, except to seemingly feeble old women. She ran her hand over the rim of the truck. It was old but well-kept, that was a good sign. She stretched her back, wincing in pain. She had fallen harder than her old body was used to, and she would have to tend to her bruises once she got home. She slid down from the truck.
    “Just where do you think you’re going?” the man asked, returning with two brown bags.
    “I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
    “Nonsense.” He placed her bags in the truck. “Come on, Mother, I’ll take you home. The people in the shop know you well and told me where you live.”
    “Yes, they know me, but I don’t know you.”
    “True.” He turned back to the store.
    “Where are you going?” she asked him.
    “To tell them who to blame if you go missing.”
    Bertha laughed. “Never mind. You can take me home,” she said. She needed to know more about the man who’d caught Teresa’s interest. Teresa was her heart and Bertha still remembered their first meeting