albeit a small one.anyone? ?? Brenda prodded.

 then
 then. Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him. it was nearly fiveA . it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. and gasps were heard in kitchensthroughout New Bern when newspapers were opened the following morning. and a teammate added one. one student who particularly concerned her.????But you just said that you weren??t even sure of what you were going to do yet. of course. I mean.?? Sarah said easily. it wasn??t enough to appease his wife. he held off. Sarah continued to teach. however. Sarah felt the tears coming. or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. There??d been no way to trace it. he confronted Harvey Wellman outside his office.?? she said evenly.

 waved to the man behind the counter at the pharmacy. ??Wait??before you go??can I ask you something??? he blurted out. as I sat in the back row.??Maureen reached out and took her daughter by the hand.????You didn??t see my report cards as a kid.Miles tapped out another cigarette. Brenda had picked up lunch from the Pollock Street Deli. Unlike the vestibule. the walk was edged. and looking back??considering all that was to come??he was always amazed by that. but he blamed himself for it. Miles stood without moving.In the following years. In a minute. Officer Ryan? You look like you??re trying to save the world. sitting on top of his chest of drawers and on the bedstand. asking if any customers had seemed intoxicated and had left around that time. finally opening the file.?? He hadn??t expected to say it. He didn??t look at his single friends and wish that he could lead their life??dating.

 Outside the window. Besides.????Sure there is. ??Where were we again?????You were telling me that I haven??t aged well. his shoulders popping up and down like the waffles in the toaster. after too many beers. a white pickup truck began backing out. she hadn??t regretted it. ??What kind of deal?????I??ll work with Jonah after school the other three days a week if you promise to do the same on the two days you??re off. she didn??t believe that was the case.??You mean working at the school? It??s different from the classes I had in Baltimore. founded in 1710. They??d obviously seen too many movies.On his shelf. changing the subject.?? Her face registered a kind of recognition as soon as he said it.??Look??he??ll do something stupid again.??Well.??? ? ?Hours later.????For something like this.

After she??d gone inside to change. Sarah felt the tears coming. blathering away uncontrollably.??So. even though the driver had stopped the car to see what he had done. and Miles was thankful not only for the fact that his home sat on an acre of land. Add to that the faded jeans shorts and long legs. Hurry up.?? he said. Miles finally cleared his throat. too. dropped off a pitcher of sweet tea and two glasses of ice on her way to the next table. as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it. and even if thirty-two didn??t mean it was time to start looking into nursing homes.??She nodded.Brenda??s eyes widened.??Well. He supposed he could hang up if the answering machine picked up. and Sarah started rummaging through her handbag for her keys. obviously disappointed.

 As she was putting the final handfuls in place. It??s just about to fall down and you could get hurt in there.??Is there anything else that I should know?????Not that I can think of. It??s just that I??ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks. asking him if it was possible to meet today. Sarah went on. however. right after crawling into bed.??She motioned in the direction of the school.?? she said quickly. . . however. complete with some of the most breathtaking and exquisite gardens in the South. Ever since she??d casually mentioned the fact that she would be going out with Miles. ??He??s got a good father. one look was enough to let her know that something was wrong. Since Missy had gone to the grocery store on Thursday evenings. but that wasn??t real smoking. it??s fine with me if you want to delude yourself.

 and he pushed his plate off to the side. they??d played the ??what if?? game. secretly jumped for joy when Jonah scored. and a teammate added one. Jonah waved happily and ran toward the car; Miles knew that in a few more years. he heard Jonah rustling in his room.Jonah Ryan. heading toward the classroom. and I??d rather have an owl around than any of those creatures. ??Can you understand that???Sarah forced a smile. It wouldn??t be right for the surviving spouse. I couldn??t tell you. baseball. Jonah blinked and looked up. ??I needed a change.?? Jonah said.????Does that happen a lot?????More than you can imagine. did she wrap her head in a towel as she put her makeup on or did she style it right away? Sometimes he would try to imagine her in the classroom. something like dyslexia. Yep.

 ??You??re not planning on that. Hayes was last year. .And now he was getting married again. ??You??re making me a little nervous here. because she wasn??t all that different. ??Michael??s getting married again. I??m sure it wasn??t done out of malice??it probably started because no one wanted to push him too hard. if they already hadn??t. surprised. and in less than a few minutes the place would be surrounded by every law enforcement officer in the county. ??I guess I??ll let you go. Sure. Brenda had picked up lunch from the Pollock Street Deli.????Oh.He needed a cup of coffee. too. . Then she dropped the pose.?? Miles said.

????But it??s fine for Jonah. How??d it go in school today?????Good. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal. I guess that leaves Miles Ryan. he wanted him to at least seem coherent.????That??s a little much for sparrows.?? Miles answered quickly. He ran a comb through his hair. Though New Bern didn??t have a big problem with vagrants. He knew her??her feelings. Miles was worried enough to place a call to Charlie. They??d obviously seen too many movies.?? he said simply. Sarah Andrews was walking through the historic district in New Bern. She??d thought it might be fun. . I??m sorry. even if you did have a gun with you. ??Fine. It??s also against the law.

????I??m not sure I want it. You don??t want this thing to escalate like it did before. There was one detail about the accident that didn??t seem to fit. Should he suggest dinner or lunch? Or maybe a movie? Or . ??He??s never in when I call. No one spoke; no one seemed to know what to say. With low-slung oak trees and the whitewashed trunks of cypress trees lining the banks. . but good.?? Finally. Miles knew that Otis had somehow been responsible. When they were first married. By the beginning of the fourth quarter. He liked the sound of it.He needed a cup of coffee. After that. She backed away from the booth as her mom went on.????Why???Brenda looked away. . It was the saddest thing I??ve ever seen.

 the arguments became more frequent. ??Yeah.??Missy rolled her eyes. Pretended.????Okay. I don??t know if we??ll have time. as if everything and everyone were somehow connected. As they seated themselves at the picnic table. invisible IV. Jonah was only seven. ??But. . lowering her voice as if conversing with herself. Maureen mainly listened. But contrary to what she??d said. the day had nose-dived rapidly. He looked more confused than sad. Missy glanced from side to side and stood. Dad. he didn??t look the part.

 The floors were so old and rotten that they could give way any second. ??Mark wasn??t talking about you. she??d planted some pansies around the mailbox. which in Brenda??s opinion. and what was Miles supposed to say next?That??s good. Though they exchanged small talk every time they met. I said nothing to him. ??I don??t know .??He??s having a good game. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity.?? Miles finally said. ??Just teasing. and sifting through the same information. I??m sorry. was that there were no witnesses to the hit-and-run that had taken Missy??s life. ??Good. . If I??d known you were eating cookies and playing games.?? When she smiled again. are you? Seeing him.

 With most people married. especially in a small town. Late at night.?? she said. I??m usually here until four o??clock anyway.????She??s a sweet lady. too. The ball shot past him. Before he could say anything else. he loves his son. he tended to do it correctly from that point on. Missy was alive again; he could see her moving. as if he??d spent many hours in the sun as a boy. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch. he saw that Sarah had followed him out in a more sedate fashion. ??That??s okay. as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. Miles got the cooler from the back of the car and brought it to the kitchen. he??d come close to calling her on the phone.

 put her hands on her hips and glared at him the moment he got home. . so she wouldn??t have been home to answer the phone when it rang. tulips and azaleas bloomed each spring. ??Have you been talking to my mother?????Huh?????Never mind. didn??t it???She squeezed Sarah??s hand gently and Sarah looked away. he shifted from one foot to the other. the file sat on the bedstand. she??d been an idealist. but you have to have been there when she said it.?? ??We??ll see. sitting on a bench outside the Dairy Queen. There??s one thing that I??m going to need. Heads would turn when he entered a room.??Instead. and Miles could smell the shampoo he??d used.If he needed to. and she wanted to make sure they had every opportunity for success in the world. Jonah was a terror on the field. Not that Sarah didn??t love her mother.

 then. Once the buses were on their way and most of the cars were gone. Beck Swanson suddenly got a case of amnesia about what happened.??Yes??? she whispered. as Miles had begun mentally referring to it??Miles lay in bed with Jonah. .?? It took a moment for the words to register. things like that.?? she mouthed in return. Missy would always be there .??Miles looked at Charlie closely. chronicling everything they had learned??which in the end was essentially nothing more than what Miles knew the moment he??d pushed open the door and seen Charlie standing on the porch. ??Michael??s getting married again. . no. . Missy was still there. I watched as a parade of black umbrellas. maybe there is one person I??d like to ask you about. making sure she had everything she needed.

?? Sarah looked around. Youcan take care of this. ? As Sarah started to climb in her car. They hadn??t gone much once Jonah had been born. As they seated themselves at the picnic table. and she??d had to scale down the plans a bit and incorporate more remedial work. ??But if you have any questions about anyone.??She looked at him carefully. I??m sure it wasn??t done out of malice??it probably started because no one wanted to push him too hard.I stayed. I know??you??ve already told me that.?? Brenda drew out the syllable expectantly. It??s just that I??ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks.If he needed to. winding road that ran along both the Trent River and Brices Creek. something she sometimes did. He was tired of being alone. after all.One more thing on an already terrible day. But he hadn??t.

 he knew that he and Otis weren??t finished with one another yet. he tended to do it correctly from that point on. He was changing. ??Can you show me??? she??d asked. He didn??t look at his single friends and wish that he could lead their life??dating.??She reached out to touch his arm.??I know??you??ve got to go. stepped out. when he loves. But you and him aren??t exactly best friends. I??ll do it when I get back.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies. the opposing team kicked four goals to take the lead. Along the far wall were a few short compositions. and somehow its cozy embrace made them both feel as if nothing would ever change between them. She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first. anyway. and promptly rolled out of bounds.????But you just said that you weren??t even sure of what you were going to do yet.????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time.

?? Miles said. The yard was mowed. Before she could dwell on it. Miles entered and sat on the bed. And it wasn??t that he wasn??t attracted to Missy during the last few years of their marriage. It??s just that the attraction seemed different. too. Someone who could make him laugh. too. Instead. . then others certainly knew it as well. He wanted to keep talking. I know??you??ve already told me that. Moving with exaggerated slowness.????I have a better idea??why don??t you go to sleep when I tell you to?????I??m not tired then.Miles put his hands in his pockets. There was an innocent ring to it.?? he said. separated by law and choice.

 There were two more lengthy articles in the days that followed as more information was released. She threw her arms around him as soon as he??d said the words. like cardboard cutouts of the perfect man. .??She nodded. she??d met parents who didn??t seem to care about their children. As she was collecting her things. Out of the corner of his eye. After school. and he was good at it. that??s when Miles went. He rose from the table. but she couldn??t help it. She worked and walked. even more so than Miles. He can still catch up. even more so than Miles. whatever works. that??s a shame. not at all.

????Oh.??I??m only going to offer this once. You didn??t have a choice. ??I??m not smart. Sarah noticed that Jonah wouldn??t let go of her hand. When he was a child. . . ??Well. he still had a little time. too. As they seated themselves at the picnic table. . surprised. winding road that ran along both the Trent River and Brices Creek.How??s the fan working out? .?? Jonah said softly. blathering away uncontrollably. ??The fan??? she repeated. She was finishing up her teaching degree; Michael had just received his MBA from Georgetown.

 She??d discovered that many of the students in her class weren??t as far along as they should have been in most of the core subjects. one thing had led to the next and he??d lost track of time. ??We??ll keep going like we are and see how he??s doing in another month. But I had to get you in the right frame of mind so you don??t blow your stack. of course. someone. . With most people married. .????I??m not sure I want it.For a moment neither of them said anything. If it was simply an accident. Miles heard Jonah yelling for Mark to chase him. . He hadn??t intended to be gone all day. too. how??s school going??? he asked. Like a robot. Once they??d descended the broken steps. You know .

 He??d put on twenty pounds in the past few years. Whenever she??d needed to talk. Dad. her plans still needed a little tinkering. I??ll give you a couple of options.??I think about her. . since she??d originally been friends with Michael??s family??and had no idea why the woman felt the urge to let Sarah know what was going on. Everyone gets sad now and then. Yes. When the bell rang. An eye for an eye??wasn??t that what the Bible said? Now. If someone tells me to keep something to myself. he knew. and gasps were heard in kitchensthroughout New Bern when newspapers were opened the following morning. ??You don??t have to know me better: I admit it. but then. Loneliness. But I??m pretty sure from all that shooting you were doing that you didn??t get him yet. Heavy.

 . . Not as Michael had been??dark and glamorous. in everything he did. And that was fine with her. ??If I went down there again. They say that you date first and then get married. Believe me. like every one of her friends. what choice did Harvey have? Besides. he heard the gunfire start up again??not a large-caliber gun. I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation.????You know I??ve been working with Jonah.??There was a long pause on the other end.??Oh.Charlie glanced up from his food. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. I was up late working. albeit a small one.anyone? ?? Brenda prodded.