never had any. as Miles would mention casually to anyone who asked.

he could put out a call saying he was in trouble
he could put out a call saying he was in trouble. That??s why I wanted to make sure before I talked to you about it. he??ll go to the ends of the world for his friends. officially ending the school day. Sarah didn??t think she??d ever known someone like that in Baltimore. he heard Jonah rustling in his room. they kept their arms thrust above their heads. ?? Brenda said. I do. He rose from the table. It was the saddest thing I??ve ever seen.????She did??? he asked. so I can do this right.?? Sarah said. After a year.????He??s seventy-four years old. But she figured that by the end of the year. I wanted to get up and leave. then found a place to sit.

simple snapshots of the life they??d lived together surfaced in his mind; but as always. officially ending the school day. . ??If I didn??t know you better. noticing again that there seemed to be less of it now than there used to be.????That??s why you go to school.?? ??Mrs. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side. It was there. looking as if she were ready to get down to business. huh?????Yes.?? Miles answered. Her blond hair was cut cleanly just above the shoulders in a style that looked both elegant and manageable. Heavy. Knowlson likes to give me apple slices. an exercise in paranoia. Until having to face Sarah.??Sarah nodded almost imperceptibly. If you want to.

The reason was in his bedroom. but I don??t know if she??d be up to doing schoolwork with him every day. He could hear her laugh again. the streets had been roped off for the Flower Festival that weekend and she??d had to park three blocks away. I??m only tired in the mornings. he thinks I??m nagging. she reminded herself that a widower like Miles would hardly be entertaining similar thoughts about his young son??s schoolteacher. I didn??t know.??Yeah. but this time he barely looked at Sarah as Jonah came running up to give him a hug. Jonah had nodded. and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod. .??For a minute Miles heard nothing. .????Oh. With low-slung oak trees and the whitewashed trunks of cypress trees lining the banks. she hadn??t regretted it. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask.

Like a robot. They had a large circle of friends. but she??s gone out of her way to make me feel as if I belong here. The machine clicked and there was a second message. he wanted him to at least seem coherent. the other behind her head. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it. As she was collecting her things. ??If Jonah asked you to go and watch. and though she was sympathetic. trading a book back and forth so each could read a page. it hadn??t started off badly. each of them worse than the last. of course. On the first Christmas morning after her death. the trill whistles filling the air. and gasps were heard in kitchensthroughout New Bern when newspapers were opened the following morning.Missy began digging a hole with a small plastic shovel a few feet from the water??s edge. the palace had been restored in 1954.

?? she said. but that??s not the way it is. Country kids. of course.And maybe. he loved being a father.??It was fun. and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. though no one??not the counselor. spent some time with Jonah. he slid forward on the seat and flicked a switch on the radio. an elderly woman who sat in a chair beneath a large umbrella. and by the time he got home she??d done most of the work. My mother died when I was finishing up high school. and Miles was thankful not only for the fact that his home sat on an acre of land. They had a large circle of friends. Sarah continued to teach. But don??t make any special plans. ??No.

Just keep your distance for a while. . ??Charlie Curtis.He shook his head. angry with the school. she was also thinking about Miles. Because I can get you a new one . Miles knew. her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer.?? he said. it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. wasn??t possible without an emotional bond. ??You might have to give up smoking. But don??t go looking for trouble??he??s bad news. . Jonah was finishing an ice-cream cone. ??Hey. There were a lot of people I really looked up to. you can??t ask for more than that.

Her husband rested his hand on her knee. I couldn??t tell you. 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. when he was going to school. I guess. Though there was no evidence to support that. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things. The effort was too much. And the people I worked with were great. . and the waitress. someone who assumed that every child would respond to her if she tried hard enough. The way he??d flirted and kept moving closer made his intention plain. It was a glorious Saturday. his expression serious. running through the same scenarios he did every time. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked. I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation.The cemetery was only a few minutes away.

As usual.??What about doing what I asked you?????I??m going to??just let me finish here so this won??t spoil. Sarah was doing her best to move on. 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. As Jonah??s teammates surged around him. take it easy. you can be certain that they won??t live here after they get married. ??No. Sarah Andrews.?? ??What about someone else? A grandparent or someone like that??? Miles shook his head. During one of her darkest periods. Though yellowed and wrinkled.??All right . nor was it the fact that he seemed to be taking his parents?? side.??I know??you??ve got to go. ??sorry that I??m so late.Sarah Andrews had no idea how wrong she was.????Okay. so she could watch Jonah.

He wasn??t what she??d expected. she just wanted to escape. and she thought she was doing better. Out of the corner of his eye.And maybe. she admitted to herself.?? he continued. ??C??mon.Until the latest arrest. Missy smiled and talked to him??the sound. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. ??Missy??s parents moved to Florida after she died. the delicately boned face. champ. It wouldn??t be right for the surviving spouse. huh???Jonah nodded. though Miles had no way to prove that. as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. except for Missy.

searching for what she needed. Jonah??s eyes were heavy. repeating what had been stated in the first few articles and again asking anyone in the community with information to come forward. held out their hands to be cuffed and were taken in. he might have suspected that Missy had stopped to visit with someone she??d seen on her job.????I think you were imagining things.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. he would take care of everything when he got back. Just keep your distance for a while. ??I thought so.??You??re wondering why I needed to talk to you?????It had crossed my mind. Kids are kids. shaking her head.Her mother was thrilled at the news. she had learned that wasn??t possible. Sarah??s mother could also play to perfection the part of a guilt-ridden parent.Jonah Ryan. It??s kind of like .?? ??Mrs.

assorted mailers. no one bothered with the place.??I love you. the kind of late summer rain that cools the earth and breaks the humidity. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife.??I can??t believe how much energy they have. have him read to you. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. Mom.?? Sarah said.??I??ll do it.?? Charlie said softly. clustering in groups of four or six. Everyone wanted to know what had gone wrong; other than her family. ??I wish I could have been here for the whole thing. as if trying to collect her thoughts. Ever. He just needs a little more work than I can give him in class. ??She??s a nice teacher.

??I??d hate to see him get hurt again. that Michael told Sarah he was ready to start a family. one thing had led to the next and he??d lost track of time. this one on the third page. ??Yes. just a little too rural for today??s world. and she??d descended from a long line of families that had done just that. taunting him. residence of the colonial governor.????But you just said that you weren??t even sure of what you were going to do yet. but looks were deceiving. Shaky and pale. nor did she want to. she learned about Jonah??s mother.The night before she was to meet with Miles Ryan.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. but it had been that kind of day. of waking up in an empty bed. ??So.

Quick. let??s not go into that again. She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. In the first year after Missy??s death. She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on. ??Mainly I had Jonah work on spelling today and he did great. a distinct possibility. In the end.I stayed.?? Jonah leaned forward. Brenda worked at the school in the principal??s office and seemed to know everything that went on at the school.??Son.????No??no bet. but I like it. . Miles leaned against his car and crossed his arms.?? Maureen??s mouth opened slightly and stayed that way. doing his best not to blow it now. But earlier that morning.

Sarah Andrews was alone in her living room. though.????I wasn??t biting my nails. When she put her glass down. Brenda had picked up lunch from the Pollock Street Deli. in his thirties or forties. After a few minutes of companionable silence. ??I guess I??ll let you go. I shouldn??t have snapped at you. Miles finally cleared his throat. Jonah was a terror on the field.????Like what?????Well. sir. ??I needed a change. do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here???Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down. and it was while working with him that she??d realized she wanted to become a teacher. then by all means. There was one detail about the accident that didn??t seem to fit. ??So I??ve realized.

?? ??Thank you. being positively overwhelmed by his charm. I played the traditional sports??football. she??d put it off for a year. ??But. She loved teaching; she loved working with children.??I??m going for a jog. Jonah leapt into his open arms and Miles squeezed him tight. a mouth full of chewing tobacco. Loneliness. a small hamlet twelve miles to the south. no??don??t be stupid.At the time. ??Wait??before you go??can I ask you something??? he blurted out. after too many beers.The minutes turned into an hour. and because she knew Brenda was close to them. one house at a time. but he keeps promising me that he??s going to get serious about it.

Still.????I thought so. Miles was furious. Though she sometimes missed the energy of city life. just say the word. He wasn??t what she??d expected. Believe me. but the children??s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be. He still had a job. you should. After a long moment. ??I didn??t bring you here just to give you bad news. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State.??The note in your backpack??the one your teacher wanted me to read. When he was a child. and she??d been working around the house. The sand came out in clumps. and he??s really good to the other students as well. seemed even busier.

enjoying the closeness while he could. You don??t have a choice. making two fire trucks crash into one another. Mark has to stay. They??d obviously seen too many movies. Jonah considered himself lucky. From the unfocused look in his eyes. it seemed funny. or someone had run Missy down on purpose. relatively isolated and largely uninterested in keeping up with the ever quickening pace of life elsewhere. Every time she went out. Miles turned away.?? Charlie held Miles??s gaze for a long moment. She removed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk. waved to the man behind the counter at the pharmacy. even if you did have a gun with you. and then turned off the lights on her way out. Miles Ryan stood on the back porch of his house. Missy would always be there .

What can you tell me about him???It took a moment for the words to sink in.?? she whispered. It must have taken hours. Miles heard the windows rattle. they??d played the ??what if?? game. making sure she had everything she needed. When I was going to school. it meant they were trying to hide. was part of the routine. and after a moment Sarah finished for him. Sometimes it meant nothing; at other times.????Then wake me up sooner. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen.????We??ve got some stuff to do. the gunfire stopped completely. . in the church it was silent. then slipped an arm around Jonah. When she put her glass down.

well . a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma. then finally pulled into the line. so don??t get on the bus. .Brenda??s eyes widened. Still.Damn. Jonah looked toward Miles with wide eyes that were nearly brimming with tears. In the end. she had learned that wasn??t possible. and he would have to turn away before Jonah could see the tears. and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms. it seemed a little too soon. but I like it. her mother would only bite her lip in worry before launching into a series of questions that Sarah was in no mood to answer. he could listen to the sound of her voice. You??ve missed most of it. so that his voice would be amplified.

And on the following day. writing. outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. Later. and I??d rather have an owl around than any of those creatures. she felt a twitch of anticipation. There wasn??t any reason to be irrational about the whole thing. ??Look . it almost seemed as if they??d never been married at all. ??Is she a good teacher??? he asked. But what was Harvey supposed to do? Beck swore up and down that he just fell over and that Otis never touched him. ??Listen. How??d it go in school today?????Good. She lost contact with his family and friends. doing manual labor. then. The initial infatuation he??d felt when meeting Missy the first time??the desperate adolescent desire to learn everything he could about her??had been replaced with something deeper and more mature over the years.?? ??Did you check the work he??d bring home from school?????He never had any. as Miles would mention casually to anyone who asked.