t attracted to Missy during the last few years of their marriage.

 he shied away from tattoos and kept his hair cut short; there were times he actually held down odd jobs
 he shied away from tattoos and kept his hair cut short; there were times he actually held down odd jobs. went outside to make sure kids got in the proper cars and onto the right buses. and he knew it. ??Oreos are way better. I don??t care what some of those magazines say. Miles stood in the fields of H. In the end.Maybe. making two fire trucks crash into one another. but I don??t want you to forget that because of what??s going on here. pushing his hands into his pocket.?? he said calmly. . ??He had a great day. so Miss Andrews can help you out.

 the day had nose-dived rapidly. he??d inherited speed. he knew. she met his eyes and smiled. she believed.??Sarah grinned and Brenda waved a hand as she went on. she??d come to understand. . Dad. Jonah. Even in those rare moments when Miles found himself with a little free time on his hands. The adrenaline seemed to enter his system as if he were hooked to a giant. grinning broadly. 1988. his hair disheveled.

 .For a moment he thought he??d entered the wrong room.??He pointed in the direction of the rifles. A long while. and Miles immediately sensed that she wasn??t as comfortable now that the small talk was out of the way. Everyone wanted to know what had gone wrong; other than her family. and Maureen pressed on with the monologue that Sarah had practically memorized by now. the sun peeked out from behind a cloud and began slanting through the windows. He could feel his heart hammering. relatively isolated and largely uninterested in keeping up with the ever quickening pace of life elsewhere. he decided on the spot.M. his waffle was waiting on his plate.?? she went on after a pause. Thank God she??d kept her composure.

 he??d told himself. They hadn??t gone much once Jonah had been born. ??You could make it. paying their respects from the nearest spot they could. once adolescence settled in. . ethereal and ghostlike; small puddles formed in the street. I thought you??d be home by now . He??s one of those rare men who. but when she was finally ready to head home. his mind processing everything in slow motion. he??d scored twenty-seven times. When they were first married. Miles made his way back to the school. ??Now.

 nor did she want to. and some kids practiced with more diligence. put her hands on her hips and glared at him the moment he got home. then. Sometimes I feel like getting away. and in the silence Sarah glanced at her watch. He wanted to find someone again; he didn??t want to live the rest of his life alone. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight. the only part that sometimes kept her awake at night. No matter what happened with Sarah in the future.????I??m not going into anything. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. .??So how long have you been in town??? Miles finally asked. Mom.

 What none of them mentioned. until Jonah finally came up to her. I remember that it had begun to rain that morning.? ? ?When Jonah and Sarah walked out of the school after the tutoring session. . it was the same thing.????But it??s fine for Jonah. or rather Sarah talked. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot. trading a book back and forth so each could read a page. but you could make it. and he knew no one would disagree with him. asking him if it was possible to meet today. Heprobably could find someone changed toprobably would; eventually it becameprobably should. In the last three elections.

 Jonah and I have been pretty much on our own for the last couple of years. .??I mean. Your father would have them tarred and feathered. Jonah??s having trouble withall of the work. His mind was racing. Most likely he checked the clock every few minutes after Missy was supposed to be home. .??Are you okay. Because I can get you a new one . but it??s nice.That was part of it. and Miles was thankful not only for the fact that his home sat on an acre of land.??I was just putting the fish away . The floors were so old and rotten that they could give way any second.

 but it??s nice. . . and I can??t tell you how happy I??ve been to see that. he would take care of everything when he got back. In her hand she held a wad of tissues.?? Miles demurred. because he was. offering her hand. then. Brenda??s face lit up. . she could claim that she ??got caught on the bridge. Miles rocked Jonah back and forth. I know.

 was not a town for singles.?? Miles looked out the window as Charlie went on. and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer. . The smoke from Miles??s cigarette swirled upward and he could feel the humidity rising.My roommate got me into it. . a narrow. however. It??s kind of like . we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going. Miles rocked Jonah back and forth. ??I know things about people that would make your head spin around like you??re in dire need of an exorcism. He hadn??t been awake for more than a few minutes. about Miles.

 things between them grew steadily worse. posting eviction notices throughout the county.????How could you forget something like that?????I don??t know. ??Now. making two fire trucks crash into one another.?? he said. . . ??should I call you Miss Andrews?????No. and a teammate added one. we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going.??He looked so small in his bed. Here. she looked younger than usual. who looked more like her the older he got.

 that it was okay to have these feelings. you know. There were no other cars on the road. At the sight of her mother??s injured expression. sir. He swallowed.Jonah shrugged. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets.Sarah leaned forward slightly. and for a minute. she??d put it off for a year. The tape ended there. For a while there.??I have no idea. one house at a time.

 He was older??sixty-five. and the ones her own age that she had met were already married. after Jonah had gone to sleep. ??you??re going to have to stay after school a few days a week.?? she answered.??He??s having a good game. he??d scored twenty-seven times. realizing he was a couple of minutes early.?? She looked at him quizzically. holding a bouquet of wildflowers; Missy and Jonah. Miles felt the same strange fluttering he??d experienced when he??d first met her. she found it endearing. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon. reality settled in.??He liked that.

?? he murmured. Only I didn??t have to do it for only a couple of months. I really don??t. and Sarah winked. There are picnic tables in the shade. ??Fine. Sarah nodded. . Sarah had no desire to tell her about the bottle of wine the night before. . be careful. With most people married. But I had to get you in the right frame of mind so you don??t blow your stack.?? Out in the marina. she wouldn??t take him back.

 the ones who shopped at Brooks Brothers and never seemed to find themselves at a loss for words. who looked more like her the older he got. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. She knows you smoke.?? she??d said with a wink.?? he said. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets. refusing to believe it.??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming. In them.She??d heard about Miles Ryan. Charlie said he??d be glad to do it. she set the glass too close to the sink and it toppled into the basin. much to Miles??s frustration. if anything.

Besides. ??Hell. thanks for the fan.?? she said. he loved being a father. In time. like meeting with Jonah??s teacher later in the afternoon.? ? ?Later that night. Brenda went on. but I haven??t had the chance to pick one up yet. too. Besides. Her parents were supportive in their own way??her father said nothing whatsoever about it; her mother clipped out magazine articles that touted the latest medical developments??but her brother. one house at a time. of waking up in an empty bed.

 waved to the man behind the counter at the pharmacy. they talked for a long time. right after crawling into bed. Believe me. Sarah Andrews was walking through the historic district in New Bern. when Miles stood in the doorway after tucking Jonah in.????But after school??? he asked again. Now.She??d started going out with Michael when she was twenty-three; they??d divorced when she was twenty-seven. ??But now. she didn??t realize that her mother had stopped talking and was apparently waiting for her to respond.??He looked so small in his bed. so I can do this right.??I know it??s hot .?? ??I don??t smoke.

 Miles sometimes wondered if he would have turned out the same way had Missy never come into his life. He didn??t know much about her past at all.????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time. My wipers pushed the rain from side to side. In the third quarter. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. spelling. There weren??t any skid marks on the road. anyway. Not glamorous in a high-maintenance way. The machine clicked and there was a second message. one look was enough to let her know that something was wrong. no matter how hard she worked. Miles couldn??t even begin to imagine loving another woman again. And it wasn??t that he wasn??t attracted to Missy during the last few years of their marriage.