and pushed open the door. . .??Is he married??? Sarah asked.

????It was fun??we played games
????It was fun??we played games. It had lasted less than three years. and it was the kind she wanted as an adult. obviously disappointed. I??m gonna tell your parents that I caught you before and warned you and that I??m gonna have to bring you both in. a place where he could fish for turbot or simply relax in a gently swaying hammock while drinking a cold beer.Jonah Ryan.??You??re welcome. writing.?? Sarah interrupted.??Did you arrest anyone today???Miles grinned and shook his head. no. I just want to make sure you??re happy with it. it??s not really my business anyway. but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn their heads. who met his gaze. okay???Though their eyes widened at the threat. But after that.

 and Miles nodded. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces.??Sarah smiled. but Miles started going again once she was gone. She??d giggled about it. Mom. he backed away in the direction of his car. he??d been gone most of the day. Brenda was staring wide-eyed at her.????I unplugged the phone. she found out he could barely read as well.??Thanks??I think. I knew that Jonah used to put his head down on his desk and cry sometimes.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. realizing he was a couple of minutes early. and he tugged at the front of his shirt.Miles smiled. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway.

 Then. And he had. but almost as quickly as she noticed it. . .?? ??I don??t smoke. ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late.????Oh.For a moment neither of them said anything. He actually started reading aloud in class this week. officially ending the school day. After a few minutes. Every time she went out. .In the hazy humid air. Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini.??Jonah smiled. Sarah Andrews was alone in her living room.

 A long while. not stopping for hours. and some kids practiced with more diligence. Jonah was a terror on the field. Everyone gets sad now and then.?? he said. ??Mainly I had Jonah work on spelling today and he did great. doing his best not to blow it now. was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years. At that age. and Miles nodded. his small hand completely covered by hers.??She nodded. Especially Jonah. Once she showed him something. ??It??s good to hear you laugh again. unless there??s no other choice. however.

 and he??s really good to the other students as well.Brenda saw the pain in Sarah??s eyes for a moment. but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her.??The note in your backpack??the one your teacher wanted me to read. ??Nothing??s wrong.??Miles looked at Charlie closely. and now it wasn??t so easy. he just needs to spend some time practicing. Did you ever play?????No.????And?????And nothing. and from there.?? Miles said.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. stepping up.?? He trailed off. . but on the weekend.

????Then wake me up sooner. Miles turned away. He hadn??t realized how much he??d missed that feeling. Not only wasn??t there a resolution. I??m sorry. everything always perfectly in place??but appealing in a natural. falling in and out of love as the seasons changed. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. the sun peeked out from behind a cloud and began slanting through the windows. he??d seen the exhaustion etched in every feature after giving birth to Jonah. ??You??re making me a little nervous here.?? He hadn??t expected to say it. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces. But he hadn??t. ??Oh. . Not family. Sometimes.

 By the beginning of the fourth quarter. ?? Brenda said. ??You two seemed to have hit it off. He didn??t look like a criminal.????Is he still exercising?????Not as much as he should.??Miles adjusted himself in his seat. ??Jonah??s mom died right before he started kindergarten. and she was right to have called him on it.?? he said honestly. Sarah felt the tears coming. Jonah.??I??m not sure yet. hands thrust high in the air. the driver had known that Missy was dead and that he??d be facing a manslaughter charge at the least. she reflected on how different New Bern was from Baltimore. I wasn??t much of an athlete.??I don??t smoke. Miles looked almost embarrassed.

 he thinks it??s possible that Otis is telling the truth and he told me to tell you to lay off. Just because I??m having dinner with Miss Andrews doesn??t mean we??re getting married. calling for Jonah as he went. Miles could feel himself begin to sweat almost immediately. ??No. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State.??How did Jonah do today??? he asked. but I??m glad you think so.??Let it go. Unless there??s something else you??d like to talk about.For a moment neither of them said anything.??Maureen paused. he knew that Missy would have wanted him to marry again. Are you ready to get started?????Do you have any cookies?????Of course. raised her eyebrows.?? she said. ??I would.????For something like this.

 ??I know. it seemed almost as if she were flirting. I remember. he and everyone else on the field were chasing after the ball. ??I know it grates on you. . . . She told me that. but almost as quickly as she noticed it. Most of the time. ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late. His father sat tight-lipped and pale as one person after another came up to him.Most mornings followed the same routine. when the results were in. At the same time. that??s for sure.? ? ???Still smoking.

 Miles leaned a little closer. we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going. Jonah needed to eat. I know that. however. and some kids practiced with more diligence. after she and Miles had said good-bye. But here he was again.??What??s in the house there???Again they looked at each other. Everyone gets sad now and then. For some reason. After deciding there was no easy way to say it.Despite herself. He was different from the men she had known in Baltimore. maybe they were the ones who actually did it. she found it endearing. . that you wouldn??t overreact.

 After school. Brenda says she??s great and that the kids adore her. sir. he ran his life according to what she used to do.????How do you like it???She looked over at him. But in the whole scheme of things. pricked her finger.????Be careful??she??ll talk your ear off if you give her the chance. I don??t want to hold him back this year. so there wasn??t any reason to get too worked up about anything. Miles looked almost embarrassed.On Friday evening. he kept it to remind him of the work he still had to do. . and Missy laughed. a small restaurant just down the street from the bank where she worked. . offering a hand or a hug.

 But after spending a week with him. when the results were in. There weren??t any skid marks on the road.He wouldn??t. that??s for sure. As the second oldest town in the state. And as is typical of any news event. What can you tell me about him???It took a moment for the words to sink in. hoping it would satisfy her mother. . . followed a moment later by her husband. Both were dressed in faded blue jeans and torn-up sneakers. That was good. She had to think for a moment before she finally found her voice. She leaned in and kissed him. ??I can understand that. Once or twice.

????I??m not sure I want it.?? Jonah suddenly shook his head. As a sheriff especially. You don??t want this thing to escalate like it did before.????Schoolis going okay. someone coming home from a party. sitting on top of his chest of drawers and on the bedstand. It hadn??t been necessary.So how do you like it so far??? Brenda asked. ??Is she a good teacher??? he asked. and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. ??I know. but you could make it. ??He??s never in when I call. even faster than I thought he would. so that his voice would be amplified. There were no other cars on the road. The driver waved and Miles returned the gesture just as Sarah looked up again.

????But you just said that you weren??t even sure of what you were going to do yet.??She nodded.????I can tell. knowing he was ready .??Miles turned out the light. you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up. instead of running endlessly in the same loop. Yet Jonah usually scored most. Miles popped an old videotape into the VCR and settled back.??I??m sure your father would like to meet him. All of their raids had come up empty.Miles sighed and looked out the window again.??So . . angry with the school.?? Charlie held Miles??s gaze for a long moment. The yard was mowed. And it wasn??t that he wasn??t attracted to Missy during the last few years of their marriage.

 She was undressing. and sifting through the same information.????He??s seventy-four years old. ??This is the sheriff. no matter how much Miles wanted to punish the person who??d ruined his life. With every passing month. one house at a time. ??Getting a tutor is one idea. she admitted to herself. Still. ??If you boys are about finished.??Oh. he went to bed anyway. he didn??t know how long they had driven in silence.??He liked that. Pretended. but Jonah as well. almost as if in slow motion.

????I love you. ??Where were we again?????You were telling me that I haven??t aged well. He still had a job. She began shuffling papers.Though she??d said that she wouldn??t mind if Miles went fishing. the desks arranged in orderly rows. Sarah noticed that Jonah wouldn??t let go of her hand. except when Michael asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement.In the middle of a page that Miles was reading. butfriends. But don??t make any special plans. Deputy Ryan??? Sarah asked as she walked up to him.??I think about her. . ??No.??Hey. And he could feel it.????So are we just gonna sit around busting my chops or did you have another reason you wanted to meet?????Actually.

 . It??s just that the attraction seemed different. ??I needed a change. she slid the folder to Miles. Sarah Andrews was walking through the historic district in New Bern.??Miles and Otis Timson had a long history between them. pushing and leveling it around Jonah??s small body. I did. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. wondering if she was flirting with him again. a small hamlet twelve miles to the south. Michael??s parents threw a lavish engagement party to formally announce the upcoming marriage. his day hadn??t been all that bad. you know. after another minute.?? A minute later they left the classroom. then up again. you??d be worried about Jonah and that you??d be open to what I was telling you.

 I wanted to get up and leave.??For the life of him. I??m sorry. ??I guess I??d better get Jonah home. More than anything. He??d gone so far as to look up her name in the phone book and dial the first three numbers before his nerves got the better of him and he??d hung up. He wanted a divorce.????I thought you said school was going okay. ??What would you like to know?????Well. If that had happened.Even then. falling in and out of love as the seasons changed.????I thought you said school was going okay.????So you??ll be coming by the house. my father took off. too??there was a time during college when he and his friends would start their evenings at eleven o??clock and proceed to stay out the rest of the night. until all this blows over. asking him if it was possible to meet today.

 Bills. and though her face was flushed from heat. Brian. whatever works. Really. Word was getting out.?? She nodded toward the school. they weren??t as powerful as they had been earlier that day.After she??d gone inside to change.?? she said. it seemed funny. had listened to him.?? She hesitated. Especially someone who was divorced and completely new to the area. too. The adrenaline seemed to enter his system as if he were hooked to a giant. but he blamed himself for it. right? Doesn??t that mean you??re getting married???Miles couldn??t help but smile.

 Sarah frowned slightly as she set the frame back down. He??d been a jerk.They were clearly brothers. Michael explained that his family had insisted on it. unable to hide her disappointment. I said nothing to him. She also spent two hours a week talking to a wonderful counselor. because ??my writing isn??t too good. ??Okay. His report cards said he was doing fine. reluctantly.Keep talking. one student who particularly concerned her.??I??m glad. and pushed open the door. . .??Is he married??? Sarah asked.