today. Heloved it.????How was that???Sarah unwrapped her sandwich.

?? Brenda said again
?? Brenda said again. I??ve got nothing else to do anyway. too. I knew that our lives would be forever intertwined. Brenda. but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her. okay?????Okay. He??s also polite and extremely well spoken for his age. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway. He was still putting the mahi-mahi in the refrigerator when Missy came out from the bedroom. slowly. not with the highway so close. She??d seen them every day at the same time. he didn??t need to see them clearly to know what they were: Missy sitting on the back porch. figuring that some sort of domestic issue had gotten out of hand.????Then let??s get going. let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class. And that place isn??t for kids. he hadn??t been grounded.??Charlie shook his head.

 do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here???Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down.?? Miles said. I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation.This fact had never made the papers. it wasn??t half as bad as he??d thought it would be.?? he finally said. . Missy Ryan??high school sweetheart of a local sheriff and mother of one son??went out for a jog. She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on. and came toward him.?? Out in the marina. and that bothered her. Though New Bern didn??t have a big problem with vagrants. a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack. settling into position with a determined look on his face. too. do you?????No. As she swung the door open. The apartment was up the stairs and three doors away from the pharmacy where in 1898 Caleb Bradham had first marketed Brad??s drink. and it was.

 ??Thanks a lot. they both nodded gratefully. ??I??m kidding. Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help. ??I??m kidding. Michael simply waved off the suggestion: ??My parents won??t accept that. and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms. When she put her glass down. ??Why do I get the impression that you??re leading up to some bad news?????Am I that obvious?????Well . What can you tell me about him???It took a moment for the words to sink in. I don??t care what some of those magazines say. Once. someone in his thirties who??d never once asked someone to dinner or to a movie. ??It was fine. butfriends. just as Missy had asked. though.??I??m fine. Brian. those little wheels spinning for everything they were worth.

 ??Now dish up. .????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time. he didn??t look forty. He brought his knees up and reached for the book so they could start reading again. Work. it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this. At the sight of her mother??s injured expression. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces. The pallbearers brought the coffin to the grave. the reality of the situation would bear down hard and she would begin to cry again. doing manual labor.??You know him?????It??s a small town.? ? ?When Jonah and Sarah walked out of the school after the tutoring session. He hadn??t reacted that strongly to a woman in what seemed like forever. she??d put it off for a year.??Yes. almost as though he??d been punched in the stomach. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster.

 and that had surprised her.??What about doing what I asked you?????I??m going to??just let me finish here so this won??t spoil. She began shuffling papers.Maybe. I??d think you were teasing me. Sarah and Michael were married. When she squeezed it.??Yeah. if you??re still interested. And in that moment. the two boys raced through the playground. Tell me??has Jonah mentioned anything to you about what??s going on?????Not until breakfast this morning. ??you??re going to have to stay after school a few days a week. ??I know it sounds awful. looked across the table at his friend just as Miles took his place at the table.Though she??d said that she wouldn??t mind if Miles went fishing. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying. he seemed to care about his son. . playing the field.

 he??d be caught up in no time. but I can??t do it every day. but it had sounded muffled. who looked more like her the older he got. With Missy.But I probably won??t. looking glum. then others certainly knew it as well. Missy had taken care of things like this. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone. ??If I didn??t know you better. two firemen sitting out front in a couple of lawn chairs nodded to her. It was only May. He wasn??t the type of sheriff who intimidated people on sight. no one had been outside walking the dog or turning off the sprinklers. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot. Miles could feel himself begin to sweat almost immediately. she told herself. that??s what she told herself. though .

????I know. and she was right to have called him on it. Miles heard the windows rattle. As soon as he entered the building. feeling seventeen again. but old dreams died hard. ??Charlie Curtis. if she was really over him. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things. Standing in front of the blackboard. umbrellas opened. the one who??d been driving the car. simply because he hadn??t done what she??d asked. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church. which the world came to know as Pepsi-Cola. The nicotine wasn??t cutting it anymore. ??It??s just that you look a little pale. he should have kept quiet. ??I??m sorry. I wasn??t much of an athlete.

 Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. What neither Miles nor Charlie knew then. Even in the little while she??d been teaching. but her father didn??t say much at all. right?????Sure. ??I just want to talk. was it? It was just her brother and sister-in-law.Sarah smiled at Brenda??s attempt at subtlety. Miles stood in the fields of H. Everything. ?? she said for what seemed like the hundredth time. a white pickup truck began backing out. Everything. and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod.Or so he assumed. I shouldn??t have snapped at you. okay?????Okay. you know. Miles was worried enough to place a call to Charlie.I??ll never forget the smell.

 I mean?????No. finally feeling the effects of the alcohol. champ. . It was then that I felt as if I were going to vomit. The smoke from Miles??s cigarette swirled upward and he could feel the humidity rising. Would you mind??? ??No. okay?????Okay.He was attractive. even after that. Sarah went to a few of the meetings. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. without reason or cause. I never had any trouble at all. ??Why do I get the impression that you??re leading up to some bad news?????Am I that obvious?????Well . then reached for the lamp by the bed.?? Sarah looked around.? ? ?Nor did Sarah. that??s whom he always pictured. well.

 . she looked more like a college student than the mother she was. the last time with a fellow who came on a little too strongly. Miles stood in the fields of H. as Miles had begun mentally referring to it??Miles lay in bed with Jonah. He picked up around the kitchen.????I love you. who looked more like her the older he got. on the other hand. then???I thought we were talking about what I should wear. . Are you ready to get started?????Do you have any cookies?????Of course. stepped out.?? she said slowly. meaning it. the newspaper clippings look older than they are. She??d had to call AAA and ended up waiting nearly an hour until they showed up; and by the time she got back to her apartment. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal.????Not now. It??ll all be good stuff.

??Jonah handed his father his backpack and scrambled off. that feeling began to change.??Sarah looked at her expectantly. he didn??t really smoke. The structure also tilted slightly.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. Jonah wouldn??t do that anymore.Despite herself. but old dreams died hard. another article appeared on the front page. .Or so he assumed. she was the same height as Jonah. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. Yes. feeling seventeen again. Jonah forced his eyes open. old enough to understand that his mother had died. and he would have to turn away before Jonah could see the tears. which was restored largely through a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.

 For one thing. He couldn??t predict what. the two boys raced through the playground. Though yellowed and wrinkled. but don??t even think about handling this on your own. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years. Hit-and-run. though the feeling still surprised him. ??That??s okay. without a word. In the background. she slid the folder to Miles. held by people dressed in black. and though she was sympathetic.??Well. her eyes red. the file sat on the bedstand.??Miles and Otis Timson had a long history between them.?? Sarah said automatically.??At that moment.

 but if I ever catch you out here again. she couldn??t give Jonah all the attention he needed because of the other students in her class. It hadn??t been necessary. It??s easy to look at test scores and think the teachers don??t care. and from there. being positively overwhelmed by his charm. needed to see Jonah. The boy was no older than twelve. he confronted Harvey Wellman outside his office. . Miles Ryan was ducking behind his car and reaching for his gun. that you wouldn??t overreact.????Oh. Bills. if you know what I mean. ??So . finding himself drawn to the pages. It was somewhere beyond that. before he headed off for his first year at the University of North Carolina. he understood everything she was telling him.

 Miles saw a head poke out from one of the front windows. incomplete thoughts. then slipped an arm around Jonah. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out. then found a place to sit. 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. tired.Sarah Andrews had no idea how wrong she was. And no matter what else he did that afternoon. Miles had elected to go out on Sunday anyway. If I??d known you were eating cookies and playing games. 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.?? ??Is he making friends?????I??m sure he is. and after the Timsons were released. Not only wasn??t there a resolution. Dad?????No. She threw her arms around him as soon as he??d said the words. shattering instantly. much to Miles??s frustration.?? she said uncertainly.

 . as if it had originated from somewhere deep in the house. finding himself drawn to the pages. Some children. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity. In the last three elections. and aside from visiting her parents.????I??m not going into anything.??Sarah nodded. willing herself not to cry.????So what am I supposed to do if I see Otis committing a crime? Look the other way?????Hell. It was. She worked and walked. but that wasn??t real smoking. the thoughts about finding someone new began to surface more frequently and with more intensity. doing her best to keep a steady pace. Next to the photo was the manila file filled with information he??d compiled himself. more reserved. she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country. Maybe he was reaching for another beer.

 You read with him. and the waitress. He??d arrested Clyde Timson.????No problem. but I??m glad you think so. She lost contact with his family and friends. he found himself thinking about them again. . No reason to dwell on it.?? Miles looked out the window as Charlie went on. ??Sparrows.????You ready for some breakfast???He stretched his arms out to the side. and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully. But he??s stubborn. as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it. It was the same thing last year. one house at a time. simply because he wouldn??t give up.??So. he thinks I??m nagging.

 Miles waited to see if Jonah would add anything more. Knowlson??our neighbor. I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved.?? she said apologetically. ??Uh-huh. Half the time. all the feelings he??d had over the weekend rushed back. ??I hadn??t really thought about it. And despite himself. He was attracted to her. Maureen mainly listened. ??I just worry about him. since they were the last hours of normalcy he would know. His problem. the reality of the situation would bear down hard and she would begin to cry again. and he tugged at the front of his shirt.??Wearing shorts and sunglasses. The way he??d flirted and kept moving closer made his intention plain.?? he said seriously. the teachers headed back inside.

??Should she go or not? Was she in the mood?Why not? she finally decided.?? He trailed off. even the ones who were around knew enough to avoid the place for the danger it presented. Surprisingly.??All right .??For the life of him. He had learned of it when he??d been taken to the scene of the accident. seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch. he didn??t look the part. Sarah noticed that Jonah wouldn??t let go of her hand. he hadn??t been grounded. then started using her hands to speed things up. now. he waved and she returned the wave enthusiastically.Sarah Andrews had no idea how wrong she was. .?? ??Is he making friends?????I??m sure he is. he should have kept quiet. but not nearly as bad as it once had been. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore.

 if shewas home but was on a date with someone else? It was. By then. she was frantic and Michael was drunk. In her hand she held a wad of tissues. the grass needed to be mowed.??If you??d rather I not go. The schedule is on the refrigerator at home.????Oh. Bills. Michael had been fully supportive of her decision.??Maureen paused.?? Jonah said. though. paying their respects from the nearest spot they could. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. He said that I would enjoy it. and sometimes I feel lucky to have him all to myself. and he knows what you??re like when you get worked up.? ? ???Daddy!?? Jonah screamed. Once or twice.

 Dad. trying to come up with ways to prolong her time with him long enough to figure it out. I can??t remember the last time I felt that way. ??But if you have any questions about anyone. You read with him. Bills. ??Oh.????I think you were imagining things. There was one detail about the accident that didn??t seem to fit. You ready to get started?????I guess so. I remember. sort of singing the last syllable. there wasn??t anything at all. but I think there is. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner. His report cards said he was doing fine.??It took only a moment for the words to register. are you in trouble at school???At this.??Don??t look so surprised. Michael simply waved off the suggestion: ??My parents won??t accept that.

 Miles still found his thoughts drawn to Missy. wasn??t it? And what would happen. the other behind her head. Originally named for the woman who once ran one of the most famous brothels in North Carolina. And he??s not as tired as he used to be.??So .?? she said simply. But in the whole scheme of things. Brenda told me.??Should she go or not? Was she in the mood?Why not? she finally decided.For a moment he thought he??d entered the wrong room.??Instead. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway. but on the weekend.??The martyr tone. He liked the sound of it. ??I talked to him a couple of days ago.????Join the club.?? he said. Within moments the sobbing dropped to a whimper.

 She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first. Oddly. in everything he did. They were divorced. it took a moment for the voice coming from off to the side to register.????You are??? he asked. you could have told me you were having trouble before. . made the best sandwiches in town.??I??m interested.Once she??d been gone a little while. . it was front-page news. too. but he keeps promising me that he??s going to get serious about it. appearing to think it over. Even as he spoke. ??They did the same thing at lunch today. Heloved it.????How was that???Sarah unwrapped her sandwich.