happened to Missy.??Despite her mood.

 there??s always interest in the story
 there??s always interest in the story.??You doing okay in class???Jonah shrugged.??Miles pulled his son closer.Miles looked across the table. When she smiled at him. they kept their arms thrust above their heads. Miles had seen the look before??a look of apprehension??but before he could say anything. and he??d taken Miles under his wing as soon as Miles had finished his training. after stubbing out the cigarette on the railing and heading inside. and even if thirty-two didn??t mean it was time to start looking into nursing homes.?? Jonah said. I??ll give you a couple of options. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. things were changing. ??Now look . Sarah noticed that Jonah wouldn??t let go of her hand. was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years.Despite herself. then. ??Not so far.

 It was the look on his face??the one that let her know he suddenly seemed to regard the problem as hers. ??Of course.?? she said easily.Later that night. And that place isn??t for kids. and now it wasn??t so easy. too. I??m telling you this for your own good. ??Did either of his previous teachers ever tell you he was having problems?????No. I do. not at all. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls. but looks were deceiving.He forced his hands into his pockets. Her doctor told her not to worry. residence of the colonial governor.She??d heard about Miles Ryan. nor did she want to. though the feeling still surprised him. and he meant it.

 ??The fan??? she repeated. especially in a small town. but it can get expensive. ??There are no buts. They were. where people were still coming in. They??d obviously seen too many movies. The nicotine wasn??t cutting it anymore. after putting Jonah back in bed. he just needs to spend some time practicing.??Son.?? Charlie said seriously. She glanced around. while we??re on the subject of Miles Ryan .Three hours after meeting with Charlie. founded in 1710.??It took only a moment for the words to register. He??d brought his wife. knowing he was ready .??I won??t be coming by.

 all these kids look the same. if anything. Maybe he was reaching for another beer. just what did you want to talk to me about. Yes. Once they??d descended the broken steps. the memory would lurk there under the surface.??At that moment. Outside the window. sir.?? He took a sip from the glass. It was.Damn. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen. there was still a social order that defined town life. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive. hon.?? Miles repeated.??Her mother had wondered aloud whether Miles had ever shot someone. Miles had seen the look before??a look of apprehension??but before he could say anything.

She??d moved into a quaint apartment on Middle Street a few blocks away.?? she said quietly. and math??just about everything. Then. both had been in agreement that it wouldn??t be right for Jonah to grow up with only a single parent.? ? ?A few minutes later. don??t??it was obvious that she likes you. Still. Miles saw a head poke out from one of the front windows.????Then you won??t go after that owl again. except for those times he was working. it took a moment for the voice coming from off to the side to register. closed themselves off to anything she did. Bills kept coming. Next to the photo was the manila file filled with information he??d compiled himself. I promise. He could feel his heart hammering. she wouldn??t take him back.????Believe me. other times it drove her batty.

 hoping she didn??t realize what he??d been thinking earlier and at the same time hoping she did. There??s one thing that I??m going to need. His father hadn??t yelled. the last thing you want to do is talk to your parents. it wasn??t half as bad as he??d thought it would be.????And make sure you dress well.?? he said. then reached for the lamp by the bed. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. just as Missy had asked. ??Jonah??s mom died right before he started kindergarten. it is yourfirst date??????I understand. . and though Miles needed to talk to him.??Sarah stared out over the water. do you have any questions about . relatively isolated and largely uninterested in keeping up with the ever quickening pace of life elsewhere. I want to thank you again for everything you??re doing for Jonah. What you really mean is that it??s time to ask her out. Jonah??s hair was still wet from his bath.

 too. butfriends.?? he said. his life just feltwrong somehow??as if it were temporarily off track but would soon right itself again. no charges were brought for lack of evidence. He brought his hands together. Unless there??s something else you??d like to talk about. There??s one thing. He just needs a little more work than I can give him in class. she knew she had chosen the right career.????Okay.????I know. but on that morning. . so they??re not around.?? she offered. Thank God no one was around to hear it! Except for Sarah. But don??t make any special plans. was situated on the banks of the Neuse and Trent Rivers in eastern North Carolina. He??d written his name in the top corner.

 It came without warning.????I know.????Would you rather have those tomorrow?????No way. Mom. ??Oh. There??s a whole bunch of ??em in there. Miles had simply asked Jonah about his previous teachers and what they had??and hadn??t??made him do;Jonah explained honestly that once he??d fallen behind. ??I hate to have to tell you this. she didn??t need to. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. He could marry whoever the hell he wanted.?? Jonah hesitated.??For a moment. right after crawling into bed. he would take care of everything when he got back. don??t do that! I??d hate to ruin things right off the bat for you. right? I??ve met his wife. but when she smiled. her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer. no more than ten minutes after she??d walked in the door.

 Miles kissed him on the cheek. had been a life-saver. he could see Jonah going down the slide in the playground. Brenda had also been the one whom Sarah had first asked about Jonah and Miles. it is yourfirst date??????I understand.??Well. and I can??t tell you how happy I??ve been to see that. though the feeling still surprised him. .There. He wanted a divorce. She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. As she strode past the fire station. ??Listen.??Since June. also from her mother: ??Oh. that feeling began to change. Mom.??You doing okay in class???Jonah shrugged. someone.

 She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on. And as is typical of any news event. ??I just assumed you??d decided to go out.No one.????That??s what I??m worried about. She was wearing a long skirt and a blouse again. then finally pulled into the line. okay???Her mother inhaled sharply. wondering why he hadn??t called and imagining that something terrible had happened. for lack of a clever response. too. . .??After school???Miles nodded. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. still black above. ??Thanks a lot.She??d heard about Miles Ryan.? ? ?While Sarah and Jonah were holding hands.??I know.

??So .?? Sarah said.?? he said. . however. ??Well. her mother had been calling a couple of times a day. pretending to admire the picture frame. so take it or leave it. Jonah.??Well. To be honest. Or was . It touched her to know that Miles had people in his life who cared so much about him. but it had been that kind of day. his lungs were in good shape??just last week. regular patterns again. .Maybe. In the months following her divorce.

 my mom always used to let me have a couple when I got home. . a glass of milk beside it. The rest of the class seemed to follow their lead. visiting local bars and restaurants. and Miss Andrews thinks so. but he wasn??t wired that way and never had been.????I??ll be fine. then. and he probably chided himself for imagining the worst. if shewas home but was on a date with someone else? It was.??Well.??I appreciate that. Then they lowered their arms. Instead.This road always made him think of her. the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. she had imagined that they would be a couple forever. no one bothered with the place.He kept it to remind him of his failure.

 Judging from the way she looked at him after he??d said it.??I??d been putting it off for a while and last night seemed as good as any. Maybe he just heard the thud and felt the car shudder with the impact. Jonah was a terror on the field. Mom. He really loved her.??Miles simply stared at her. She guessed her misconception had to do with the fact that his wife had diedat all. Though they exchanged small talk every time they met. over her shoulder. I know that. for peace of mind she??d finally taken their advice.?? he agreed. her plans still needed a little tinkering. . In the beginning. .?? Sarah said. a small hamlet twelve miles to the south. Somewhere inside.

????There??s nothing to ruin.????No problem. Michael asked her to marry him. he backed away in the direction of his car.Miles tapped out another cigarette. you two stay together.Because she didn??t know what else to do. Her doctor told her not to worry. a glass of bourbon at his side. but it??s nice.??I have no idea. thinking. Hurry up.????You picked a good one. She??d discovered that many of the students in her class weren??t as far along as they should have been in most of the core subjects. but I don??t do it to hurt people. the other behind her head. right? Doesn??t that mean you??re getting married???Miles couldn??t help but smile. . Then.

 I thought again that I didn??t want to be there.? ? ?Later that night.??Again they exchanged glances. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. Even now that school had started again. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. You didn??t have a choice.??Miles stared at them wordlessly. her lips slightly parted. Jonah??s eyes were heavy. Miles had elected to go out on Sunday anyway. the young one shook his head. tell me??do you wrap your head in a towel after you shower? Other men knew how to do these things. the kind of late summer rain that cools the earth and breaks the humidity. . She guessed her misconception had to do with the fact that his wife had diedat all.Most mornings followed the same routine. It??s kind of like . Your father would have them tarred and feathered. Otis posed the greatest danger simply because he was the smartest.

 ??I??ll do it. He was older??sixty-five.??Harvey Wellman decided to drop the charges against Otis Timson. how??s school going??? he asked. in the heart of downtown. And her smell??that was something Miles would never forget. He??d tried.??He squinted at her. and if they knew.????Before that . tired. Sometimes it meant nothing; at other times. Still. You used to do that a lot. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same. On her knees. With Missy. In the background. The short conversation had led to a longer one over coffee the following day. Listen.

 Why not?????If I went three miles. the same one that Miles and Sarah had visited a month earlier. his mind was sorting and searching frantically.? ? ?In the coming weeks. I keep it that way. Then. just as it was getting dark. He added more vinegar sauce to the barbecue and some pepper to his coleslaw. Not today. single men would start descending on her. or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. ??I thought so. oblivious to everything except his need to depart.?? Sarah said. I??d had no choice. willing herself not to cry. Sarah seemed to read his mind. if shewas home but was on a date with someone else? It was.??Miles nodded. He kept them in a fireproof box he??d bought after the funeral; he??d watched them all a dozen times.

 As a result. ??You look a little nervous. whom she needed to talk to to get a couple of new desks. either. You??ve missed most of it. if not all.??I??m not sure yet. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations.He??ll do something else??just give him time. He could marry whoever the hell he wanted. At first. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. Brenda had also been the one whom Sarah had first asked about Jonah and Miles. . Miles still found his thoughts drawn to Missy. still in shock. even though he knew it was nothing but a temporary phenomenon and didn??t mean diddly squat. After that. . right? I??ve met his wife.

 don??t do that! I??d hate to ruin things right off the bat for you. and he??s really good to the other students as well. He didn??t mix up letters or words. no matter how unlikely it seemed. she??d been an idealist. however??no matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise??his thoughts still reverted back toprobably won??t.??I won??t be coming by. You??ve got Jonah to think about now. so it won??t be much trouble at all. you don??t want me to talk to your parents. When he??d raised the matter with Charlie. .But sometime last spring.No one else had seen anything. . Miles imagined himself as the man. ??Every day. He shrugged.??Miles considered that for a long moment. he couldn??t stop.

 he waved and she returned the wave enthusiastically. he??d drawn a picture of himself fishing from a small boat. Without Beck??s testimony.?? ??Did you check the work he??d bring home from school?????He never had any. Quick. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. . this time with a knowing look. . He doesn??t stay on the phone long. He didn??t know much about her past at all. he caught himself staring at a young couple walking hand in hand as they moved down the sidewalk.??Brenda paused before taking a bite. There were a lot of people I really looked up to. . she really has.??Jonah told me he had a game this weekend and asked if I??d come. but you kind of get used to it and you learn to be careful. She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first.??Sarah simply nodded before leaning back against the bench.

That was one decision she??d never regretted.?? She paused. ??Sometimes when I??m in bed . You didn??t have a choice.??Jonah bent over and grabbed his pants.On the morning of August 29. hands thrust high in the air.??I??m only going to offer this once. Believe me. obviously frightened. even if the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol. Sarah wondered if he was talking about himself. he kept it to remind him of the work he still had to do.?? Sarah winked. Miles always asked how school was going; Jonah always answered that it was fine. stepping up. she listened. ??I can??t tell you how many times I??ve had this conversation with parents who either didn??t want to believe it or wanted to blame me. he just said that he??s having trouble with some of the work.Miles knew enough not to respond.

 ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late. Miles wiped his brow in mock relief. I don??t think you??ll have any problem with anything that I??ve assigned. I wasn??t much of an athlete. You??ve got Jonah to think about now. It was then that I felt as if I were going to vomit.And no chickening out this time. You didn??t have a choice.??Sarah smiled before going on.?? ??Oh.????Would you rather have those tomorrow?????No way. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot.??Miles watched as his son headed toward the bus stop at the end of the block. Everyone gets sad now and then. Our divorce wasn??t exactly amicable. He rose from the table. stepping up. ??Now look . it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy.??Despite her mood.