"'I'm poor, not stupid. I know that you can't cut off heat to disabled customers in the middle of winter, especially disabled customers with small children.'"
Chap. 3, p. 22

"'That baby's missin' some lovin' in her life. And I suspect she's got some hurtin' in her life that I'm gonna put a stop to.'"
Chap. 6, p. 43

"The only thing that kept him from bolting out of the hospital door and down the street into the darkness of forever was the warm little hand that held his, passing its fragile strength to him."
Chap. 7, p. 50

"Terrified, she could only weep silently as he touched her, rubbing his hand over her arms, her back, her legs. He had done this many times before, ever since she was a baby in Atlanta."
Chap. 8, p. 56

"He sighed as he thought of how much his life had changed in just one year...