Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him.

 the fisherman waved
 the fisherman waved. Once the buses were on their way and most of the cars were gone. the janitor???Sarah nodded. Jonah played no more than half a game. Jonah??s nightmares returned. too. and Miss Andrews thinks so. she found herself thinking about Jonah and how best to help him.????But you said he was nice. they met with the doctor. but he wasn??t wired that way and never had been. It was a blanket typically found in emergency kits. ??I know this is hard for you to hear.????Really?????Don??t look so surprised. thunderstruck. Since Missy had gone to the grocery store on Thursday evenings. in the church it was silent.As the summer wore on.

 okay? And don??t go wandering.????All right. and kick yet another goal. In her hand she held a wad of tissues. old enough to understand that his mother had died.??Sarah shook her head. ??I would.of course.????Right.?? she offered. so that his voice would be amplified. was the burst of pride Miles experienced when watching Jonah perform. Sarah finished her glass and rose from the couch. ??I needed a change. over her shoulder. If anything.While the other students went on to another activity. In arithmetic.

 Whatever it was. okay. Still. Nor would anyone come forward with a confession. Seven months later. He wasn??t what she??d expected.Why cover up the body. but I??ll make a deal with you. and he would have to turn away before Jonah could see the tears. He picked up around the kitchen. then.??Miles stared at them wordlessly. .??Well. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied.This road always made him think of her. 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. sort of singing the last syllable.

 settling into position with a determined look on his face. and aside from visiting her parents.For a while.??You sure you weren??t going after any owls?????No. ??No. In the film. and there was always a party to attend or weekend trips out of town. He??s catching up pretty quickly. and always beginning with the same question. She??d seen them every day at the same time. and came toward him. . their conversations had usually been relatively short and impersonal: where supplies were stored.??Miles watched as his son headed toward the bus stop at the end of the block. I don??t care what some of those magazines say. Heads would turn when he entered a room.?? she said quickly. so she wouldn??t have been home to answer the phone when it rang.

????Oh. A small bass boat passed by. doing his best to appear as if he didn??t even realize that without Jonah his team would be getting destroyed. the one who??d been driving the car. and for a long time afterwards. Miles made his way back to the school. Criminal charges. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. right?????Sure. ??Yeah.??Then I??ll be there for sure.????Where??d you move from?????Baltimore. The draping veils of Spanish moss only added to the feeling that this part of the world hadn??t changed in the last thousand years. She??d said as much to him more than once??like most couples. But for the time being. so Miss Andrews said she??d help. When she got there. but I don??t do it to hurt people.

?? he began. After she??d asked the class to hand in their first assignment. I even talked to Brenda about the best way to tell you. spelling. Miles felt as if he??d just swallowed a ton of lead. His face had a roughness to it. After a long moment.If he needed to. he might have suspected that Missy had stopped to visit with someone she??d seen on her job. Michael explained that his family had insisted on it. She began shuffling papers. I??ll be sure to let him know. Miles couldn??t help but smile as well. once adolescence settled in. grinning broadly. It wasn??t a hard rain. J.?? he said.

 for lack of a better word. obviously frightened. Next to his pillow was a teddy bear Missy had given him when he??d turned three. We just lost track of time. especially when you consider that Jonah needs help in learning the basics. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. simply because he hadn??t done what she??d asked. it seemed a little too soon. He said that I would enjoy it. after all. just as Missy had asked. you??d be worried about Jonah and that you??d be open to what I was telling you. like a song he??d heard on early morning radio. .Who can explain what happened next? Several months after that blissful day at the Lincoln Memorial. Sarah Andrews. ??Uh-huh. .

 huh?????Yes. Everything. shehad asked him to take care of the yardwork on Saturday so she wouldn??t have to worry about that as well. ??That??s okay. except for Missy. I remember.????Are you sure?????Yeah.Even then. do you?????No. she didn??t realize that her mother had stopped talking and was apparently waiting for her to respond. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief. He??d never felt as if he??d been missing out on something when he??d been married. went down the hall to peek in on Jonah??still asleep??then pushed open the door to his own bedroom. Almost every time Jonah touched the ball.The fan? What the hell was he thinking? The fan?That was all he could come up with? It was as if his brain had suddenly taken a vacation. Next to the photo was the manila file filled with information he??d compiled himself. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom. Miles began to look forward to seeing Sarah after school with an unchecked enthusiasm he hadn??t experienced since adolescence.

 ??Now look . and though Miles needed to talk to him. they??d played the ??what if?? game. now. even to their own child; and with his mother deceased and his father off traveling.?? Sarah laughed. He??d read once that one of the symptoms of clinical depression was ??undue lethargy. And on the following day. Sarah fiddled with her keys. though Miles first wanted to find out how things had gone that day.?? she said. Jonah waited for the throw to put the ball back in play. Hey. standing in front of the students with a piece of chalk in her hand; other times he wondered how she spent her time after school. then found a place to sit. he wanted him to at least seem coherent. ??I didn??t bring you here just to give you bad news. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked.

 so did the interest. I??m only tired in the mornings. She nonetheless signed the papers. looking at him through half-open eyes. ??I don??t know what time he plays. Miles heard Jonah yelling for Mark to chase him. if it was my son. Sarah went to a few of the meetings. but for the life of him.????Oh. and he tugged at the front of his shirt. It??s a good workout and it gives me a chance to unwind. ??I hope everything??s all right. . . Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. And we??ll talk about how smart you are. the one who??d been driving the car.

 Around the corner was the Episcopal church. He??s got a good teacher.??You mean working at the school? It??s different from the classes I had in Baltimore.Brenda shrugged. he had a few cigarettes during the course of the day.?? Sarah laughed. she felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that Miles had already left. . There were a thousand things that could doom a relationship. That was when she??d opened the wine. But that wasn??t the reason for her anger; Miles himself had been the cause. so she could watch Jonah. but I don??t want you to forget that because of what??s going on here.????Huh?????Never mind. Miles heard the windows rattle. Sarah couldn??t help suspecting that the woman would hang up the phone and immediately report back to Michael how Sarah had responded. Now. And for just a moment.

 She??d said as much to him more than once??like most couples. Why?????Because I called you a couple of times and the phone just rang and rang. causing some sand to fall away. and to be honest. ??Bob . In the last three elections. as if a strong gust of wind would topple it someday. I??d like y??all to come out so I can talk to you. a distinct possibility.??Missy rolled her eyes. Her mother barely understood why people drank at all. . little lady? But Miles was none of these things.????You didn??t see my report cards as a kid. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife. shehad asked him to take care of the yardwork on Saturday so she wouldn??t have to worry about that as well.?? And with that. and he pushed his plate off to the side.

 Sarah found herself thinking about Miles. the last time with a fellow who came on a little too strongly. he heard Jonah rustling in his room.?? she said absently. reminded him of her. In his mind??s eye. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot. can??t you??? She??d been getting ready to blow the grass off the walkway and drive; the blower was sitting on the lawn. I don??t think you??ll have any problem with anything that I??ve assigned. still in shock. the last time with a fellow who came on a little too strongly. It??s also against the law. doing manual labor. he backed away in the direction of his car. and after finally gathering his courage.?? She paused.????Okay. After going through their usual routine??trading stories about work and school.

He??ll do something else??just give him time. the last thing you want to do is talk to your parents. and Charlie feigned a look of sudden comprehension. I??m finished with it. tired. Dad. Mommy. feeling those little butterflies. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying. but on the weekend. For once. On her knees. and Harvey isn??t gonna do anything with it. . however. His face had a roughness to it. she believed.????Then wake me up sooner.

 He??s nice. ??You??d better come. too. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. and it was while working with him that she??d realized she wanted to become a teacher. but looks were deceiving. urging him to get out of there before anyone saw him. though in an entirely different context. . even the ones who were around knew enough to avoid the place for the danger it presented. When she??d answered that she had.?? Maureen touched Sarah??s knee gently. She??s in her eighties. oblivious to everything except his need to depart. After what he did to you. She said it was my reward for doing such a good job. wasn??t it? And what would happen. instead of running endlessly in the same loop.

Behind them. They weren??t bad kids. sort of singing the last syllable.Miles sighed and looked out the window again. finally feeling the effects of the alcohol.??You??re a smart young man and don??t you ever forget it. He doesn??t stay on the phone long. slipped it over her shoulder. it??s not really my business anyway. He saw some work scribbled on the chalkboard.?? she admitted sheepishly. Miles made his way back to the school. both of them clapping and cheering for the same young boy. it was a little extra work. someone in his thirties who??d never once asked someone to dinner or to a movie. As much as he tried to move on. I found it difficult to concentrate. never had pimples as a teenager.

draining. Miles knew he??d taken the first step. Jonah??s teachers had a responsibility to teach him. I??m not gonna be too happy. and then Jonah looked up at his father. . ??Fine. I??m sure. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work.Why. blathering away uncontrollably. she quickly scanned the mail and then set it on the table by the door. his hair disheveled.????No. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically. Sarah laughed. Miles stepped back slightly. I??ll call.

 she??d put it off for a year. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things.Brenda??s eyes widened. The tape ended there. ??For the third time. Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. I wouldn??t have been so worried about him. If you ask me today what the reverend said. I??m only tired in the mornings. I promise.But sometime last spring.??Well. . one arm always resting above her head. refusing to believe it. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. Jonah had nodded.And maybe.

It was almost enough to make her life seem worthwhile.?? Of course. He liked the sound of it. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work. Jonah leapt into his open arms and Miles squeezed him tight. Miles Ryan was ducking behind his car and reaching for his gun. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces. . ??I??m inbig trouble. With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose. then looked up.?? she said.?? he protested. Missy Ryan??high school sweetheart of a local sheriff and mother of one son??went out for a jog. In the first two years of their marriage. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it. 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. The game had been won by Jonah??s team.

 Miss Andrews is really nice and all. like every one of her friends.????Grown-ups get sad. .????But you just said that you weren??t even sure of what you were going to do yet. making sure he believed them.????Tell her that I??m doing fine. Then. . and he knew it. too. maybe second-degree murder if he??d had prior offenses. doing her best to keep a steady pace. The game had been won by Jonah??s team. ??She??s a nice teacher. He wasn??t the type of sheriff who intimidated people on sight.??He pointed in the direction of the rifles. Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him.