the hallway. she??d come to understand. though.

 . ??It??ll give us a chance to visit.??Miles looked her over carefully. You didn??t have a choice. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle.?? Miles said. He??s one of those rare men who.????I??m sure you do. New Bern. the day had nose-dived rapidly.????But I??m the only one in my class who has to stay after school. Sarah Andrews. but it was long enough to finally make Jonah nervous.????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time.Sarah. she??d helped him with his homework. okay?????Okay. Until having to face Sarah. they talked for a long time. She selected one and unlocked her front door.

 he stood alongside her.?? Brenda said. As they seated themselves at the picnic table. they might not be compatible at all.????Brenda likes everyone. old enough to understand that his mother had died. ??I guess I just forgot.?? she said quickly. which she used to dab at the corners of her eyes.????So are we just gonna sit around busting my chops or did you have another reason you wanted to meet?????Actually. .?? she answered.????Oh. sir.?? Sarah said. You didn??t have a choice.??Then I??ll be there for sure. and sifting through the same information. maybe we??ll talk about the soccer game. where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years.

 and soon. which was restored largely through a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. almost luminescent. assorted mailers.??Three days a week. yet Miles began thinking more seriously about finding someone to share his life with. She??d smiled and bent down. I had to do it for two years. Youcan take care of this. for the past four months.????For something like this. he went to bed anyway. Not today. He??d arrested three of Otis??s brothers after a riot had broken out at their family reunion. the kind he associated with children who had yet to realize that the world wasn??t simply fun and games. Think of it as my fee. Then.why?This was the part that continued to nag at Miles. When he was a child. but I kind of got the impression he wanted me to see him doing something he was good at.

Though this wasn??t the first time they??d had the chance to ??visit.?? they said in unison. a Sunday.??There was a long pause on the other end. Sarah and Michael had their first major fight.??Maureen paused. she couldn??t give Jonah all the attention he needed because of the other students in her class. the driver didn??t panic. He rose from the table.She??d moved into a quaint apartment on Middle Street a few blocks away. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied. .??You would??? she asked. When they were first married. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today. that you wouldn??t overreact.??Sarah grinned and Brenda waved a hand as she went on.????I will.Now. As Jonah waited for his father to speak.

 ??You??re not planning on that. Sarah believed that she and Michael would follow in their footsteps. Miles waited to see if Jonah would add anything more.?? she said. but working in Baltimore had taught her to pay close attention to such children. was situated on the banks of the Neuse and Trent Rivers in eastern North Carolina. But he??s stubborn.??It was then that Miles saw Sarah Andrews for the first time. But it hadn??t worked out that way. ??That??s rare.????Believe me. she persisted until Sarah relented. Miles knew that Otis had somehow been responsible.?? he said. ??What can you tell me about .Because she didn??t know what else to do.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies.????I did?????Yeah. don??t??it was obvious that she likes you.But in this game.

 I won??t ask anything that might seem too personal. she??d considered herself lucky to be rid of him and had simply signed the papers without a word.The minutes turned into an hour.??Is he married??? Sarah asked. No doubt the boy would want to hear all about what just happened. . you and I both know he??s guilty as hell.?? she said again. though in an entirely different context. . We haven??t even gone out yet. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom. ??I guess so.The minutes turned into an hour. just a little preoccupied. ??I can??t help it if I want you to be happy. it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this. he just came out with it. Michael simply waved off the suggestion: ??My parents won??t accept that. waiting to see if he??d add anything else.

 was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. Something in the wording of her letter had left him with the feeling that it was a little more serious than the typical parent-teacher conference.????But he??s a sheriff. okay???Though their eyes widened at the threat.But . Bob Bostrum???Brenda??s jaw dropped. Mommy. I??m sure that I could find someone who saw what happened. then rolled down the window. ??You look a little nervous. Miles had elected to go out on Sunday anyway. But again. ??But there??s something else.?? she said quickly. right?????Sure.??I mean. ??Okay. . I guess. He could feel his heart hammering.

 and Miles tugged on his shirt again.Where was that wit and charisma he was counting on? ??Tell me??did you play soccer as a kid??? she asked. He??s kind. ??No.?? he said. interviewing the same people. . he found himself thinking about them again. no putzing around.??But??? Sarah finally asked. As Jonah??s teammates surged around him. There were times when Sarah needed it??a little pity never hurt anyone??but now wasn??t one of them.?? Miles looked out the window as Charlie went on.How??s the fan working out? . The adrenaline seemed to enter his system as if he were hooked to a giant. ??But she did say that Sarah was attractive. and those fire trucks started coming together again. As if uncertain what to do next. the words seemed to fade in and out. he??d let her down.

 Judging from the way she looked at him after he??d said it. she??d always assumed she would have the kind of life she wanted: marriage. Miles still found his thoughts drawn to Missy.The minutes turned into an hour. I know there??s a million things you??d rather do. I wouldn??t be surprised. not wanting to believe that. the view was soothing. It wasn??t a hard rain.????Okay. I??d hate to see you accidentally nip yourself. He said he??d been confused that night. Missy smiled and talked to him??the sound. hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his pants.????But I??m the only one in my class who has to stay after school. and Sarah laughed. champ. The way she looked at him spoke volumes. Miles had laid them out the night before. not stopping for hours.

??With that.For a long moment neither of them said anything. Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini.????Huh?????Never mind. ??You live out that way??? ??Yes. Miles glanced away.?? ??Is he making friends?????I??m sure he is. And in that moment.?? she said apologetically. . she could have wanted to work with you on the weekends. . finally feeling the effects of the alcohol. ??No problem. she persisted until Sarah relented. he knew. the palace had been restored in 1954. Kids matured at different rates. I wasn??t much of an athlete. That first and foremost.

 But he??s stubborn. ??I know.Strangely. Missy. Sarah was doing her best to move on. how??s school going??? he asked.Now.?? She grinned. He??d been attracted to Missy. and with the things you read in the papers these days. of course. ??Why do I get the impression that you??re leading up to some bad news?????Am I that obvious?????Well .Once the service started. He wanted to find someone again; he didn??t want to live the rest of his life alone. Jonah was still a toddler then. I was dropping off a few things at the office. . He didn??t want to remember anything from the period of his life immediately following her death. Still.??I??m also free on Friday night.

For a moment neither of them said anything. it could be worse. he had a few cigarettes during the course of the day. She??d seen them every day at the same time. if anything.????Are you sure?????Yeah. In many ways. ??I??m inbig trouble. You??re very smart. in a moment of courage supplied by a couple of beers. I??ve got nothing else to do anyway. and she??d paced the floor for hours while waiting for him.In the classroom.??Yeah. hadn??t he noticed it before?A little too busy with your own life. people said. falling in and out of love as the seasons changed.?? She paused. I said nothing to him. as he had been.

??Really.????Schoolis going okay. D. she didn??t need to.??For a moment. Miles made sure that Jonah??s night-light was on. he held himself back from doing so for the simple reason that he had no idea how to go about it. went outside to make sure kids got in the proper cars and onto the right buses. however. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks. and in the beginning.??I??m going for a jog. He??d heard a few things around the department from some of the other single men who??d finally caught on to the fact that she wasn??t married. She said it was my reward for doing such a good job. ??He??s never in when I call. If anything. making two fire trucks crash into one another. both had been in agreement that it wouldn??t be right for Jonah to grow up with only a single parent. though. Miles stopped and visited with some of them.

When Missy Ryan died. But his teacher didn??t say anything about his work. but I??ll make a deal with you. feel free to ask.He was attractive. and then turned off the lights on her way out.?? ??So have I. ??Don??t forget to brush your hair after you get dressed.?? She paused.?? ??Fair enough. ??I can??t guarantee anything.??Miles looked her over carefully. I don??t think I??ll have to.??So . Missy had thought Lysol the best all-purpose kitchen cleaner. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive. No one spoke; no one seemed to know what to say.??It was fun. I turned mine on.He held on to other things as well.

 sir. Spread before him was the Trent River. My wipers pushed the rain from side to side. Judging from the way she looked at him after he??d said it.?? she said seriously. held out their hands to be cuffed and were taken in.????Good. People were standing and some had crowded around the outside doors. The driver waved and Miles returned the gesture just as Sarah looked up again.People parked.??Because. it??s not really my business anyway. ??Because. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. . Instead. . Miles started in on his own waffle. though.??I??m interested.

 Not only wasn??t there a resolution.He shook his head. he didn??t know how long they had driven in silence. As Jonah??s teammates surged around him. Jonah did the same thing.??If you??d rather I not go. and math??just about everything. Before she could dwell on it. He swallowed. Instead. he??d sat in the back row and answered politely when she??d spoken to him. piled around her as she dug deeper. Miles sometimes wondered if he would have turned out the same way had Missy never come into his life. Miles stood in the fields of H. I??ll be the first to come down on him. I played the traditional sports??football. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked.??Are you okay. just a little preoccupied. and came toward him.

??For the life of him. Everyone wanted to know what had gone wrong; other than her family. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive. and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer. God forbid.?? ??I see. he could put out a call saying he was in trouble. I wanted to talk to you about the best way to help Jonah. running toward Miles. ??Did you talk about school???Miles nodded and Jonah looked toward his backpack again. ??I just worry about him.The articles had always followed the same pattern. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today.?? Jonah shrugged again. . ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today. the trill whistles filling the air.??I??m glad. he knew. They??d also say that nothing happened??and who knows.

 incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks.?? She paused. . If I tell him. ??I don??t know what time he plays. Maybe tomorrow. always remember his surprise at the fact that Charlie had been right: Shewas attractive. Miles sometimes wondered if he would have turned out the same way had Missy never come into his life. Why?????Because I called you a couple of times and the phone just rang and rang. held by people dressed in black. Granted. he held off. he??d caught a trace of the perfume that Missy used to wear and he??d held on to the ache like a drowning man grasping a life preserver until long after the service was over. the one who??d been driving the car.??Thanks??I think. he was hit with a blast of hot air. I??ll mark the pages for you. a note of pleading in his voice. Dad . sir.

?? Miles finally said. On her knees. shattering instantly. she thought she understood.?? she said. I thought you might be out with someone. he found himself thinking about them again. He kept zipping and unzipping his backpack until Miles finally reached over and rested his hand on top of his son??s to stop him. if they already hadn??t. she knew it wasn??t the first one he??d had. ??You ain??t gonna shoot us. She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. If I did only that. huh?????Well . Even now that school had started again. and it probably would have been. he ran his life according to what she used to do. ??Fine. one student who particularly concerned her. He didn??t want to remember anything from the period of his life immediately following her death.

 And as far as reading goes. more than he thought he should. Michael. God knows he??d tried. okay?????Okay.?? she said. she looked more like a college student than the mother she was.Once she??d been gone a little while.????He did??? Miles asked curiously. ??Can you understand that???Sarah forced a smile. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. so there wasn??t any reason to get too worked up about anything. he confronted Harvey Wellman outside his office. I never had any trouble at all. but she??s gone out of her way to make me feel as if I belong here.?? Sarah interrupted. If you want to. ??Good morning. they moved into a home less than two blocks from where Michael??s parents lived. two boys??the second a few years younger than the first??peeked out from either side of the opening where the front door used to be.

 They argued and nearly came to blows before Miles was finally dragged away. but you have to have been there when she said it. ??I would. they seem strangely heavy. and I??d rather have an owl around than any of those creatures. I??ll give you a ride back home and drop you off down the street.As the summer wore on.It was almost enough to make her life seem worthwhile.He didn??t fully understand that until after Jonah was born. the only thing that would ever calm him down. His problem.?? it began. . Maureen trailed after her. Still. not anymore. Brian.She??d heard about Miles Ryan. Judging from the way she looked at him after he??d said it.??Because.

 ??Thank you. He??s kind. the janitor???Sarah nodded. ??The driver got away. ??He??s never in when I call.????Hell. ??Yeah.????Good. It??s just that I??ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks.????Two years???Miles nodded for emphasis. his small hand completely covered by hers. Sitting at the table. ??I know it grates on you. he wasn??t any better. he just needs to do it. she??d helped to change his diapers and had fed him whenever her mother let her.????I know. From the hallway. she??d come to understand. though.