Excerpt from Dennis Lehane Mystic River
Page 37


"Brendan Harris loved Katie Marcus like crazy, loved her like movie love, with and orchestra booming through his blood and flooding his ears. He loved her waking up, going to to bed, loved her all day and every second in between. Brendan Harris would love Katie Marcus fat and ugly. He'd love her with bad skin and no breasts and thick fuzz on her upper lip. He'd love her toothless. He'd love her bald."


"Katie. The thrill of her name sliding through his brain was enough to make Brendan feel like his limbs were filled with nitrous oxide, like he could walk on water and bench press and eighteen wheeler, toss it across the street when he was finished with it. "


"Brendan Harris loved everyone now because he loves Katie and Katie loved him. Brendan loved traffic and smog and the sound of jack hammers. He loved his worthless old man who hadn't seen him a single birthday or Christmas card since he'd walked out on Brendan and his mother when Brendan was six. He loved Monday morning, sitcoms could make a retard laugh, and standing at the RMV. He even loved his job, though he wouldn't be going in ever again. "