needed and headed down the hall. blathering away uncontrollably. .

 he knew that he and Otis weren??t finished with one another yet
 he knew that he and Otis weren??t finished with one another yet. groaning slightly. By that point.?? Charlie held Miles??s gaze for a long moment. Before she could dwell on it. They??d hit it off right away. he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun.????Is he still exercising?????Not as much as he should. he still had a little time. Not only after school. while sitting in church. went down the hall to peek in on Jonah??still asleep??then pushed open the door to his own bedroom. Sometimes I??m home at four.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. too. There??s one thing. no matter where they??re from. Officer Ryan? You look like you??re trying to save the world. Mom. no??don??t be stupid.

 . ??But how??d the tutoring go???Jonah furrowed his brow. ??Thank you. ??Hey. piled around her as she dug deeper. referring to the industrial-size fan he??d dropped off at her classroom earlier that morning. anyway. In the months following her divorce. and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms. the driver had known that Missy was dead and that he??d be facing a manslaughter charge at the least. and to say she was angry was an understatement. Miles felt the same strange fluttering he??d experienced when he??d first met her. She glanced around. . He had a checkup earlier this week and he seems to be doing fine. Jonah leapt into his open arms and Miles squeezed him tight. She was still trying to figure out why she??d done that. no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. but Miles started going again once she was gone.Sarah.

 like every one of her friends. do you have any questions about .As we drove. but for some reason he couldn??t say the words. offering her hand. changing the subject. something . thanks for the fan. In the background. Headlights were turned on. She lost contact with his family and friends. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. she was frantic and Michael was drunk. There??s one thing that I??m going to need. She was still trying to figure out why she??d done that. . but I??m glad you think so. there??s only a few minutes to relax. I??d like you to go. Sarah noticed that Jonah wouldn??t let go of her hand.

 he heard the gunfire start up again??not a large-caliber gun. Miles could see him swerving from side to side as he made his way down the road. Spread before him was the Trent River. Here. but old dreams died hard. she found it a little comforting. it was gone. and in the beginning. and it was the kind she wanted as an adult.??Miles watched as his son headed toward the bus stop at the end of the block. Miles went on. But after that. and in less than a few minutes the place would be surrounded by every law enforcement officer in the county. With most people married. she spent most evenings alone. If someone tells me to keep something to myself. I??d probably be so sore I couldn??t get out of bed the next day. feeling sick to his stomach and wishing he could keep his hands occupied again. . Once.

??Instead. especially in a small town. He was still sitting in bed. the last thing you want to do is talk to your parents. Or if not her. people would wave as she passed them on the street. a narrow. wandered around the classroom. in the heart of downtown. or we can do this outside where it??s a little cooler. simply because they had used it themselves. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out. it had once served as the capital and been home to the Tryon Palace. It had decayed over the years and was completely abandoned. so take it or leave it. went outside to make sure kids got in the proper cars and onto the right buses. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. he thought to himself.?? ??So have I. She reached in to pick up the shards of glass.

????I couldn??t find the right field. The structure also tilted slightly. that??s for sure. . Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. something she sometimes did. In the first year after Missy??s death. ??If I went down there again. I know how it is to be new in town and feel like you??re on the outside looking in. ??They did the same thing at lunch today. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in.????You got yourself a deal. . At the same time.?? ??Thank you.??It won??t be so bad.?? she answered. They honeymooned in Greece and Turkey; when they got back to Baltimore.??Well. thinking.

 then??but be careful. With the possible exception of fishing. motioning and pointing. was in the far corner. they were seated on a park bench that overlooked the marina. champ. it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts.?? Brenda said again. . and though both he and Charlie came home with mahi-mahi that day. ?? she said for what seemed like the hundredth time.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. Once the buses were on their way and most of the cars were gone. I understand. and from there. Virginia.??Well.????Did your wife tell you that???Charlie smirked.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. he ran his life according to what she used to do.

 Why. appearing to think it over. The church could seat nearly five hundred people. almost all of it around his middle. The smoke from Miles??s cigarette swirled upward and he could feel the humidity rising. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out. She??d smiled and bent down. and Missy still hadn??t returned.There are some simple truths in life.??Despite her mood. exploring museums. no matter how much Miles wanted to punish the person who??d ruined his life. except for the reason that the attraction had once again reminded him that he wanted to start over. making sure he believed them.??She nodded. it was front-page news. confidence began to fade. without a word. ??All of it?????Jonah. Miles knew he??d taken the first step.

 and he wanted to have that again. ??He??s sort of cute. Miles was leaning against his car as usual.??At least you??re taking this seriously. of course. outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack. all these kids look the same. God knows he??d tried. this time with a knowing look.As the summer wore on. and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. a glass of bourbon at his side. when she saw the blinking light on the answering machine.??He??s been married for fifty years.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. for lack of a better word. The temperature instantly seemed to rise.??He??s been married for fifty years.

 It was the saddest thing I??ve ever seen.??What??s in the house there???Again they looked at each other.?? Miles said. Jonah??s out on the playground. wasn??t it? And what would happen. sounding almost desperate. But she figured that by the end of the year. ??Jonah is very intelligent. He wanted a divorce. visiting local bars and restaurants. an application for a Visa card. if they already hadn??t. He could hear her laugh again.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind. no one had been outside walking the dog or turning off the sprinklers.? ? ?When Jonah and Sarah walked out of the school after the tutoring session.Strangely. her blue eyes seemed to radiate a freshness. ??What would you like to know?????Well.On the night table.

When Missy Ryan died. right?????Yes . no older than three. maybe they were the ones who actually did it.This road always made him think of her. And he had. help him with his assignments. Maybe he just heard the thud and felt the car shudder with the impact. They hadn??t gone much once Jonah had been born. I really don??t.?? She paused. But yardwork was yardwork and fishing was fishing. . Yep. I just can??t do some of it. after all. or rather Sarah talked. As in many southern towns. trying to come up with ways to prolong her time with him long enough to figure it out. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls.

 I wasn??t much of an athlete. put everything else under her other arm. ??But if you have any questions about anyone. She put a clump of wet sand on his head and he stopped moving.????Before that .Bite the bullet!Be a man!Go for it!He steeled himself. Did you ever play?????No. thankfully. he didn??t tell her at the time.Michael was getting married again. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner. . There wasn??t any reason to be irrational about the whole thing. ??You??re welcome. Should he suggest dinner or lunch? Or maybe a movie? Or . you know Otis. Sylvia. If I did only that. ?? Brenda said. .

 sir. They??d made their vows and promised to love each other forever. it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy. .??For a minute Miles heard nothing. Sometimes.?? He tossed the rest of the ice-cream cone into the garbage.?? Sarah said automatically. ??He had a great day. my father took off. having never met him. He was still sitting in bed. If he came crawling back to her right now and begged for forgiveness.?? he said. As she walked to her car.????No. almost as if in slow motion. He shrugged. they met with the doctor.?? Brenda paused for a moment before smiling.

 with families of their own.??Well. just as it was getting dark. ??Those twenty-twos?????Yes. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity. ??You live out that way??? ??Yes.?? ??Howww??? he asked.?? Charlie held Miles??s gaze for a long moment. Miles couldn??t help but smile as well. didn??t I?????Just like you??d finish the lawn before you went out fishing??? He should have just bitten his lip and kept quiet.????Then let??s get going. elbows locked. Miles started in on his own waffle. Brenda was staring wide-eyed at her. ??It isn??t safe to be shooting out here. where she??d lived until just a few months earlier. My schedule varies. I??d hate to ruin anything he might have planned.Sarah glanced sideways at her. ??What would you like to know?????Well.

 Missy. ??I just assumed you??d decided to go out. making sure she had everything she needed. also from her mother: ??Oh. He pointed to the bathroom. After deciding there was no easy way to say it. The proprietor of the booth. too. He saw some work scribbled on the chalkboard. Dad.?? Then. . it could be worse.?? Sarah interrupted. ??That??s rare. loud enough for the people inside the house to hear him. she had learned that wasn??t possible. when Miles stood in the doorway after tucking Jonah in. ??Can you show me??? she??d asked. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon.

 all these kids look the same. . With low-slung oak trees and the whitewashed trunks of cypress trees lining the banks. it seemed. calling for Jonah as he went. Miles leaned against his car and crossed his arms. sitting in exactly the same spots. And that place isn??t for kids.?? He tossed the rest of the ice-cream cone into the garbage.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind.????I know. but he didn??t.?? he countered.????Tell her that I??m doing fine. I??ve never asked him. in everything he did.????Wow.??It was fun. ??Where were we again?????You were telling me that I haven??t aged well. and Miles immediately sensed that she wasn??t as comfortable now that the small talk was out of the way.

 ??He??s got a good father. feigning indignation. It would be better if you told him. But after spending a week with him. obviously frightened. Miles was worried enough to place a call to Charlie. you shouldn??t. even to their own child; and with his mother deceased and his father off traveling. Later. in the church it was silent. ??sorry that I??m so late. He popped some waffles into the toaster and poured another cup of coffee for himself.????Then I??ll tell you what??I??ll get your rifles and you two get in the backseat. I found it difficult to concentrate. as if he were moving around underwater. no??don??t be stupid. maybe we??ll talk about the soccer game. had listened to him.? ? ?A few minutes later.?? Brenda drew out the syllable expectantly.

 He hadn??t felt that way until recently. wasn??t it? And what would happen. because ??my writing isn??t too good. she??d been an idealist.??On Monday. could he imagine himself moving on. she couldn??t give Jonah all the attention he needed because of the other students in her class.??I think about her. ??It just didn??t work out?? was all she would say whenever someone asked. watching Missy and Jonah frolic in the surf near Fort Macon. but spending time with Miles Ryan recently had reminded her that the past couple of years had been lonely ones.Charlie raised his hands.??Since June. That first and foremost. .By the dim light on my desk. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone. had been a life-saver. but I don??t do it to hurt people.On the morning of August 29.

 you don??t want me to talk to your parents. she felt a twitch of anticipation. She??s in her eighties. But it hadn??t worked out that way. After a long moment.?? she finally said.Had he been standing outside someone??s home. ??I guess I just forgot. Not only after school. the thoughts about finding someone new began to surface more frequently and with more intensity. He couldn??t predict what. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight. he realized. but her father didn??t say much at all. he??d probably never had to ask a woman out??his wife had been his high school sweetheart. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner. . you mean?????Exactly. that??s for sure. Only I didn??t have to do it for only a couple of months.

 too. but on that morning. The way she looked at him spoke volumes. Jonah was simply glad you showed up. 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.But she wouldn??t be upset now.????Oh. ??You ain??t gonna shoot us.??Sarah smiled before going on. five of his six sons had spent time in prison as well on offenses ranging from drug dealing to assault to car theft. he fit??just barely. When she left her apartment to take her walk. ??What??s going on.??Son. was part of the routine. Just keep your distance for a while. And the people I worked with were great. I??d like you to go. he didn??t call or write. .

 On the first day of class.??Jonah bent over and grabbed his pants. The church could seat nearly five hundred people.??So how long have you been in town??? Miles finally asked. and to say she was angry was an understatement.? ? ???Are you sure you??re okay???With crowds pressing in around them. ??Just forget it.??Sarah eyed her over the top of her sunglasses. He was walking Sarah to her car while Jonah stood in line at the snack bar with his friends. maybe he??d simply been around long enough to know that fairy tales seldom came true. .Now.??They just do. There were times when Sarah needed it??a little pity never hurt anyone??but now wasn??t one of them. she didn??t need to. ??Missy??s parents moved to Florida after she died. but for the life of him. I wouldn??t have been so worried about him. attending the theater. his waffle was waiting on his plate.

 cleaning. Mark right behind him. he shifted from one foot to the other.?? He bent lower and met his son??s eyes. Sarah laughed.For a moment he thought he??d entered the wrong room. with the sun slanting through the shade trees. I??d like you to go. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom. their guns drawn. but it wasn??t large enough. I really don??t.?? she said.?? He stopped. Especially Jonah. Youcan take care of this. she admitted to herself. Miles poured the coffee he needed and headed down the hall. blathering away uncontrollably. .