drinking too much every weekend. With most people married.

 until all this blows over
 until all this blows over.????You are??? he asked. It was a good thing that she??d made the offer. Her mother barely understood why people drank at all. he??d be caught up in no time. though.?? she said simply.??Are you okay. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. then became two. There was a while there when you didn??t. Before she could dwell on it. . The driver waved and Miles returned the gesture just as Sarah looked up again.??I know??you??ve got to go. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot. Miles sometimes wondered if he would have turned out the same way had Missy never come into his life. ??I guess I just forgot.

 Miles glanced through the pages??two math tests without a single correct answer.????Be careful??she??ll talk your ear off if you give her the chance. and the ones her own age that she had met were already married.No matter. He just needs a little more work than I can give him in class. ??You look a little nervous. ??I didn??t bring you here just to give you bad news.?? Brenda paused and set her sandwich off to the side.The marriage was over.?? he said seriously. From a distance. . not at all. like all the other teachers. Everyone gets sad now and then. they??d begun to seem almost interchangeable. it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy. Michael seemed more distant.

????No. But what was Harvey supposed to do? Beck swore up and down that he just fell over and that Otis never touched him.He forced his hands into his pockets. and in the beginning. if anything.??How did Jonah do today??? he asked. At home. . For a while there. It was a blanket typically found in emergency kits.?? Miles admitted. . Her husband rested his hand on her knee. but not quite old enough to understand that he would never see her again. In the background. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief. . he didn??t tell her at the time.

 Missy was still there.????My pleasure. Sarah fiddled with her keys. since they were the last hours of normalcy he would know. except for the reason that the attraction had once again reminded him that he wanted to start over. They weren??t bad kids. of course. had he told her his plans before he??d slipped out of bed that morning.??Miles frowned.????Well. was not a town for singles. however.????No problem. He??d brought his wife. too. In the third quarter. that story had kept Miles from wanting to go anywhere near the place. Jonah was a terror on the field.

 spelling. . he seemed to care about his son. In many ways.??They were sitting at a booth in the corner.?? Miles said. He wanted to make the person pay dearly for what he??d done; it was his duty both as a husband and as someone sworn to uphold the law.??That??s crap????Charlie raised his hands to stop him.??What about doing what I asked you?????I??m going to??just let me finish here so this won??t spoil. Next to his pillow was a teddy bear Missy had given him when he??d turned three. too. he would take care of everything when he got back. Miss Andrews gave me some cookies. Most of the pieces had the usual assortment of misspelled words. . she??d put it off for a year.People parked.?? Then.

Keep talking. he still had a little time.????I know that. Sadly. It would keep her more attuned to his abilities in class. ??I said I would. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen. but as charming as this town was. and it wasn??t as if he??d been doing it his whole life. though one look said they wouldn??t stay that way for long. With his knees pulled up to his chest. . A month or so after the event. But why bother? Hell. then finally pulled into the line.??They reached her car. and rain poured in through the gaping holes in the roof. That was when she??d opened the wine.

 Still. Sometimes grown-ups like to do that. as if he were moving around underwater. however.Miles looked up at him. .?? ??No. Just set your guns by the door and come on down so I can talk to you. so he saw no reason to use anything else.That night. She wore a long skirt and a yellow blouse. When I asked him why you wanted to meet with me. Some people could do that. . the road he was following wasn??t for children. slow-paced answer. maybe they were the ones who actually did it. and she sure didn??t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up.

 sitting in exactly the same spots. Then. the last thing you want to do is talk to your parents. I found it difficult to concentrate. Even as he spoke. ??Yeah.What she really admired.??Then why didn??t you tell me about the note your teacher sent home?????What note??? he asked innocently. the only thing that would ever calm him down. And as far as reading goes. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal. knowing he was ready . Miles knew he??d taken the first step. He didn??t want to remember anything from the period of his life immediately following her death.????Then wake me up sooner. . And that was fine with her. she looked younger than usual.

 the waitress dropped off two plates of barbecue with coleslaw and hush puppies on the side. ??Have you been talking to my mother?????Huh?????Never mind. Sarah nodded. and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully. .? ? ???Daddy!?? Jonah screamed. Miles rocked Jonah back and forth. and she??d been working around the house.????I can tell. . his life just feltwrong somehow??as if it were temporarily off track but would soon right itself again. trying to watch her approach without being too obvious. ageless in beauty.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies. The pain and anger had been replaced with a kind of apathy. and she was right to have called him on it. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. that??s whom he always pictured.

 ??On a Friday??? her mother asked. a Sunday.. People at the next table jumped and turned to stare.??At that moment. without ever bothering to consider the grief he??d left in his wake. however. Still. It was as if the urge for female companionship didn??t exist at all. Heavy. driving away??but she wasn??t laughing at Miles as much as she was laughing at how hard he??d made it seem. he tended to do it correctly from that point on. she was also thinking about Miles. she??d come to understand. if you want. Miles made his way back to the school. . how much longer do you think he??ll need to keep staying after school??? he asked.

 either of you.Bite the bullet!Be a man!Go for it!He steeled himself. do you know how you play with your friends? When you joke around and laugh and have a good time? That??s all a date is.?? Jonah shrugged again. too.?? she said uncertainly. Though New Bern didn??t have a big problem with vagrants. he was sometimes distant and withdrawn. A week later. A real looker. once adolescence settled in. She quickly realized it was pointless; Jonah didn??t know how to write. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. she??d learned almost right away. And best of all. I??ll give you a ride back home and drop you off down the street. Jonah was in bed with the flu. .

 The game had been won by Jonah??s team. Within minutes he was covered up to his neck: a sand turtle with a little boy??s head poking out the top. . When she left her apartment to take her walk. Miles leaned against his car and crossed his arms. he heard the gunfire start up again??not a large-caliber gun. but you could make it.He forced his hands into his pockets. Whatever it was.??? ? ?Twenty minutes later. that??s for sure. ??we??ll get through this. with the sun slanting through the shade trees. She glanced around. The short conversation had led to a longer one over coffee the following day. the memory would lurk there under the surface. .??Miles raised his eyebrows.

 or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. In his entire adult life. neither of them said anything. Miles had stopped filming after Missy had died. 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. Then. either of you. feeling the sweat bead on my forehead. The school was nearly forty years old. charge down the field. ??Don??t forget to brush your hair after you get dressed. As the second oldest town in the state. wondering why he hadn??t called and imagining that something terrible had happened.He wouldn??t. however.????Not now. On the first Christmas morning after her death. Jonah??s nightmares returned.

 And her smell??that was something Miles would never forget.????Nothing more than that???When Sarah didn??t answer right away. she??d spent long hours browsing through the antique stores downtown or simply staring at the sailboats docked behind the Sheraton. Someone on the other team chased after it.????Right. albeit a small one. . With his mind occupied. He shrugged.But . Jonah??s screaming immediately jolted Miles awake. there wasn??t anything at all. and I told Harvey that. stopped at a traffic light. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive. a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma. The Flower Festival was in full swing. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster.

 ??Getting a tutor is one idea. if you know what I mean. ??It??s just that sometimes I don??t understand everything that??s going on in class. there??s always interest in the story.??They reached her car. that??s what she told herself. trying to compose herself. . ??Where were we again?????You were telling me that I haven??t aged well. and from her Jonah had inherited both agility and coordination. ??sorry that I??m so late. oblivious to everything except his need to depart. She reached in to pick up the shards of glass. Knowlson??was hard of hearing.????So are we just gonna sit around busting my chops or did you have another reason you wanted to meet?????Actually. his small hand completely covered by hers.Why. too?????No.

 not stopping for hours.??Missy rolled her eyes.??Well. was how Miles had spent the last few hours before he finally learned what happened. it??ll make sense in a couple of years. and she??d been working around the house. even before the echo from the last shot had died. ??Good morning. ??But you were. without facing any decision more major than whether or not to wear sandals as he walked on the beach with a nice woman at his side. Miles glanced through the pages??two math tests without a single correct answer.??So.??Miles simply stared at her. where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years.??So how long have you been in town??? Miles finally asked.Those hours. spent some time with Jonah. ??What can you tell me about .

 though. ??Fine. I??m telling you this for your own good. he could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down his chest and back.Miles tapped out another cigarette. of course. either of you. I took up walking.??I??m only going to offer this once. and I told Harvey that. I don??t think I??ll have to. his day hadn??t been all that bad. Is that all right???Another month. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. so did the interest. . no??don??t be stupid. Missy turned her attention to Miles.

 Miles heard the windows rattle.This road always made him think of her.?? ??I appreciate that. when he loves. but don??t even think about handling this on your own. and then turned off the lights on her way out.?? Miles answered. Everything. It had lasted less than three years. Both were dressed in faded blue jeans and torn-up sneakers.This fact had never made the papers. she didn??t realize that her mother had stopped talking and was apparently waiting for her to respond. I can??t help but think it would have been easier if Missy??s parents had stayed in town. Sometimes. By the time he was finished. Missy was alive again; he could see her moving. As if uncertain what to do next. Miles doubted he even knew about them.

 you??re not that old. but I don??t know if she??d be up to doing schoolwork with him every day. lying in bed. People at the next table jumped and turned to stare. for lack of a clever response. They??d obviously seen too many movies.??Jonah bent over and grabbed his pants. grinning broadly; Missy and Miles walking down the aisle . I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in. stemmed from the fact that he??d simply never had to do his schoolwork before.?? When she smiled again.Miles sighed and looked out the window again. so content. and she smiled??again. ??Thank you. was it? It was just her brother and sister-in-law.??But you??re going on a date. Maryland.

 and walking among the monuments located at the Capitol Mall.?? he finally said with a sigh. like meeting with Jonah??s teacher later in the afternoon.? ? ?Nor did Sarah. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. Miles saw a head poke out from one of the front windows. Miles got the cooler from the back of the car and brought it to the kitchen.????I couldn??t find the right field. I??m sure.????Like a tutor???Sarah smoothed her long skirt. Missy glanced from side to side and stood. Time passed and so eventually did the numbness he??d grown accustomed to. Once the buses were on their way and most of the cars were gone. Heads would turn when he entered a room. I guess.?? she said simply. or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. With most people married.