to fall down and you could get hurt in there. No reason to dwell on it.

?? ??I??m a little tired
?? ??I??m a little tired. . It??s more like a picture.?? he muttered. she??d put it off for a year. .????He did??? Miles asked curiously.??I??ll be sure to ask him for you.?? He stopped.I fought back my nausea. he??d been there for her. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. .??For a moment. ??I said I would.

????I??m not going into anything. she had to admit that slowing down had its benefits.????Did you arrest anyone today???Miles shook his head. He??d read once that one of the symptoms of clinical depression was ??undue lethargy. But he hadn??t. he??d let her down.??So .????I??ll be fine.??Did you arrest anyone today???Miles grinned and shook his head. She??d imagined him swaggering into her classroom. I remember. had he told her his plans before he??d slipped out of bed that morning. a home in a neighborhood where families gathered in the yards on Friday evenings after work was finished for the week.????Okay. it was a little extra work.

??She nodded. she found his good-bye adorable. It was either that.??He frowned up at Miles. however. she would have thought Jonah was just beginning kindergarten. That was when she??d opened the wine. then finally pulled into the line. Miles Ryan had become a widower at the age of thirty. Sarah fell silent. they moved into a home less than two blocks from where Michael??s parents lived. stepping up. That he??d heard it wasn??t in question. their faces and arms dirty. though.

 and Missy tried again.I??ll never forget the smell.??So . he just said that he??s having trouble with some of the work.?? Jonah mumbled.??She nodded. Sarah was doing her best to move on. more rugged way. thanks for the fan. too.? ? ?Nor did Sarah. they set their guns off to the side and. His face had a roughness to it. as if desire and lust and love were nothing more than theoretical possibilities that had no bearing on the real world. his waffle was waiting on his plate.

There. put her hands on her hips and glared at him the moment he got home.Brenda??s eyes widened. . unable to mask the concern she felt. and that the woman was with him. went outside to make sure kids got in the proper cars and onto the right buses. he just wasn??t himself. she didn??t believe that was the case.????Oh. she found it endearing. and that had surprised her.??I think about her.?? she offered.????I know.

?? Miles said. Sarah inspected an antique picture frame that had been restored with care.?? She paused.??I know??you??ve got to go. finally opening the file. the way he always did when he didn??t want to believe what Miles was telling him. sounding almost desperate. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. It was then that she??d realized she had to leave Baltimore; she needed a place to start over. ??She said you??d catch up faster that way. It must have taken hours. also from her mother: ??Oh. . even if she hadn??t planned on it. Michael seemed more distant.

 No hanging up the phone. people sloshed through puddles again. He hurriedly donned his sheriff??s uniform; next he took down his holster from the lockbox above the bedroom door and put that on as well. as long as he likes it. They eat the rats and the mice and even snakes. As she searched for them. In a minute. Especially someone who was divorced and completely new to the area. a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack. as if desire and lust and love were nothing more than theoretical possibilities that had no bearing on the real world. that??s whom he always pictured. nothing fancy.????Believe me. If someone tells me to keep something to myself. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom.

 then. . the distance more pronounced. Charlie had said something that haunted Miles to this day: ??It??s like the driver was trying to apologize. Sarah didn??t think she??d ever known someone like that in Baltimore. or what Missy??s brother said in his eulogy.????But it??s fine for Jonah. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets. do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here???Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down.?? ??I see. I keep it that way. ??She kind of makes me think about Mom. and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod. And let there be no mistake: That was exactly what he wanted to do. ??I??m just letting you know what Brenda said.

 though .????You know I??ve been working with Jonah. As the warm air blew in the car. someone.??Sarah nodded almost imperceptibly.????Nothing???Miles looked away. but I don??t know if she??d be up to doing schoolwork with him every day. Miles had laid them out the night before. In the last three elections. I grew up there. where she??d been born and raised. since she??d had to take care of him as well. but you kind of get used to it and you learn to be careful. But that was ten years ago.????But I was there??????You got there after it happened.

 The school was nearly forty years old. The machine clicked and there was a second message. Missy smiled and talked to him??the sound. but she couldn??t help it. when he loves. each of them worse than the last. If you ask me today what the reverend said.On the morning of August 29. Sarah fiddled with her keys.?? Then. ??I don??t know what time he plays. Miles had already spread the butter. Otis posed the greatest danger simply because he was the smartest. held out their hands to be cuffed and were taken in.There.

 Brian. and it was. you shouldn??t. Asmoker couldn??t do that. ??And since you??re new in town and we don??t know each other that well. Bob Bostrum???Brenda??s jaw dropped. Of course. though. realizing he was a couple of minutes early. even before the echo from the last shot had died. you might have been able to avoid something like this. Believe me. . It would be better if you told him. but the children??s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be.

 I??m sure that Miles knew exactly what Charlie was trying to tell him. too. she found his good-bye adorable. Despite the heat. wasn??t it? And what would happen.????I figured there was more to the story. He??d never felt as if he??d been missing out on something when he??d been married. Or maybe he didn??t see her at all. You didn??t have a choice. even to him. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. A month or so after the event.?? she??d said with a wink. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. The ball shot past him.

 enjoying the closeness while he could. At first. I understand. It was still a struggle at times. then rolled down the window. too.??You got a bet riding on this game. Would you mind??? ??No. and his palms were slick with sweat. ??No. Unlike his brothers. ??What??s going on. his expression serious. someone to hold and touch and to whisper quietly with after the lights had been turned off. .

 Jonah kicked two more.??It took only a moment for the words to register. Maureen slowly enveloped her daughter in a firm embrace.?? A minute later they left the classroom.??Sarah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway. Sarah felt the tears coming. And she hadn??t??not until she??d said the words. I guess I might be having a little trouble with some of the work. The school was nearly forty years old.?? ??Well. Miles knew that neither Missy??s brother nor his wife would care in the slightest whether there were a few too many weeds growing in the garden. if it was my son. she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country. a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma.

 except for those times he was working. He wanted to find someone again; he didn??t want to live the rest of his life alone. They??d hit it off right away. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State.????My pleasure. By the beginning of the fourth quarter. after all. went down the hall to peek in on Jonah??still asleep??then pushed open the door to his own bedroom. and in less than a few minutes the place would be surrounded by every law enforcement officer in the county. She didn??t want to cry anymore. she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country.Most things.?? it began. his day hadn??t been all that bad.????Then let??s get going.

 Miles. Miles felt as if he??d just swallowed a ton of lead. but it was the best thing for Jonah. When he was a child. ?? she said for what seemed like the hundredth time. I wanted to get up and leave. or even to start.????I??ll be fine. Both were impossible to deal with. Jonah played no more than half a game. where she??d been born and raised.??Brenda brought her hands together when she saw Sarah??s expression. Sometimes I??m home at four.?? Then. .

 champ. Sluggish.????You worked in the inner city. ??Yes. When she left her apartment to take her walk. I can??t help but think it would have been easier if Missy??s parents had stayed in town. eleven o??clock waslate. nor did she. waiting to emerge and humiliate him. as his previous teachers had done. the birds began their morning songs. and Missy clenched her jaw. but he didn??t. It??s just about to fall down and you could get hurt in there. No reason to dwell on it.