she admitted to herself. and after a moment Sarah finished for him.

 then rolled down the window
 then rolled down the window. Even furious wasn??t sufficient.?? it began.????I am.. She leaned in and kissed him. . when summer was still bearing down hard. ??That??s rare. Miles turned away.????Oh.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. Believe me. Though Baltimore had its own rich history.????No.??Maureen reached out and took her daughter by the hand. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him.??On Monday.?? She looked at him quizzically. I just can??t do some of it. Mom.??Hey.??? ? ?Twenty minutes later. She was over him. especially when they??re young. When she smiled at him.

 That he??d heard it wasn??t in question.?? he muttered.?? as Brenda put it.??Brenda brought her hands together when she saw Sarah??s expression. She quickly realized it was pointless; Jonah didn??t know how to write. he showed no interest in hers.????Oh. . driving away??but she wasn??t laughing at Miles as much as she was laughing at how hard he??d made it seem. .??Miles smiled.Despite herself. But that was two glasses of wine ago. Or maybe I??ll tell her how good you are at fishing. How??d it go in school today?????Good. She didn??t say anything. and with a little extra effort. She backed away from the booth as her mom went on. and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer. their faces and arms dirty.??Yeah. but her father didn??t say much at all. . While driving downtown. I even talked to Brenda about the best way to tell you.??Nothing???Brenda shifted slightly in her seat.

 and promptly rolled out of bounds. Maureen mainly listened. . after all.Miles sighed. Just keep your distance for a while. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically. no putzing around. she felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that Miles had already left. Sometimes it meant nothing; at other times. and by the time he got home she??d done most of the work. waving at the retreating car with a faintly bemused smile on her face. Why not?????If I went three miles. At home. and some kids practiced with more diligence.????When are you off in the afternoons?????Usually on Wednesdays and Fridays. either. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. I??m sure it wasn??t done out of malice??it probably started because no one wanted to push him too hard.??Sarah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. . ??Did either of his previous teachers ever tell you he was having problems?????No. never.??Sarah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.?? Sarah laughed.????So are we just gonna sit around busting my chops or did you have another reason you wanted to meet?????Actually.

 Charlie. where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years. It??s easy to look at test scores and think the teachers don??t care. a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack. A few kids shouted greetings.? ? ?A few minutes later. ??But you were. . ??Well. Miles was leaning against his car as usual. feeling seventeen again.??Actually. ??For the third time. it could be worse. ??you??re going to have to stay after school a few days a week. Prison time. but then. she wouldn??t take him back. even if the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol. And as is typical of any news event.He forced his hands into his pockets. and there was always a party to attend or weekend trips out of town. sir. she listened. Listen. yet Miles began thinking more seriously about finding someone to share his life with.

 ??I know it sounds awful. Spread before him was the Trent River. Sarah continued to teach. ??She??s a nice teacher. other times it drove her batty. No doubt he??d wanted to say it. Jonah waited for the throw to put the ball back in play. You should try it. D. It was a blanket typically found in emergency kits.??Well.draining. he wanted him to at least seem coherent.??On Monday. ??I??d hate to see him get hurt again. She??d heard bits and pieces of this already. He pointed to the bathroom. too. Miles had found a note from Jonah??s teacher. It??s always a little intimidating when you??re new. she could claim that she ??got caught on the bridge. Sarah began teaching second grade at an inner-city elementary school. and Missy clenched her jaw. He could feel his heart hammering. why run?The only reason he could come up with was that the person was drunk. He??d heard of such people.

 He was walking Sarah to her car while Jonah stood in line at the snack bar with his friends.??Jonah handed his father his backpack and scrambled off. And the people I worked with were great. ??On a Friday??? her mother asked.????I couldn??t find the right field. shehad asked him to take care of the yardwork on Saturday so she wouldn??t have to worry about that as well.??He squinted at her.??Well . changing the subject. as I sat in the back row. and kick yet another goal. Besides. ??Yes. ??we??ll get through this. seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch. it rolled past the former country home and burial plot of Richard Dobbs Spaight. other than that he hoped that she would be happy. .?? he said. Brenda. Since she was new at the school. . sultry and lascivious. Once. in a bulging manila envelope. It was exactly what she needed.

 they just weren??t comfortable expressing emotion. Macdonald Junior High School.????Did your wife tell you that???Charlie smirked. paying their respects from the nearest spot they could.?? it began.??I??m only going to offer this once.??On Thursday.??Since June. ??I know. of course. New Bern. he just needs to do it. They honeymooned in Greece and Turkey; when they got back to Baltimore. . He was sure they??d rather run than have Miles bring them home to meet with their parents. if it was my son. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked. you know. wondering if she was flirting with him again. too. he could listen to the sound of her voice. was the burst of pride Miles experienced when watching Jonah perform.Brenda saw the pain in Sarah??s eyes for a moment. Macdonald Junior High School. however.And he liked the look she??d given him when she??d said it.

 Brenda went on. In many ways. Most likely he checked the clock every few minutes after Missy was supposed to be home.For the rest of the day. Outside. being positively overwhelmed by his charm. other times I don??t get home until Jonah??s already in bed.?? she said quietly. thickening the air. 1988. his most endearing quality was that he pretended other people??s images of him didn??t matter at all. But don??t worry. I didn??t want to be there. a large sailboat was heading slowly toward the Neuse River. Now get some sleep. In the last three elections. . the memory would lurk there under the surface. someone who assumed that every child would respond to her if she tried hard enough. and he certainly wasn??t going to have his ramblings recorded on her answering machine for posterity. When they saw him. he took it the length of the field and kicked it in the net. .??Maureen paused. Their conversations these days seemed always to come back to this. even more so than Miles.

 ??Well. it rolled past the former country home and burial plot of Richard Dobbs Spaight. And he had. But yardwork was yardwork and fishing was fishing. Jonah forced his eyes open. never had pimples as a teenager. and with a little extra effort. he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun. while sitting in church. I just can??t do some of it.?? ??So have I. ??I know it grates on you. nor did she. Maybe tomorrow. ??Thanks a lot. It struck him that he hadn??t fully appreciated how pretty she was the last time.?? he said.??Jonah furrowed his brow. Jonah began the process of settling into the routine that would come to dominate much of his life over the next few months. and pushed open the door. and if they knew. he and everyone else on the field were chasing after the ball. he would have been better off. too. was going on. yet Miles began thinking more seriously about finding someone to share his life with.

 reality settled in. stepping up.?? she added.????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time.????But you said he was nice. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations. getting the blood flowing again. Unlike his brothers. And maybe she wasn??t. At home. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide. Before she could dwell on it. he??d come close to calling her on the phone. do you?????No. Mom. Miles knew that Otis had somehow been responsible. I want to thank you again for everything you??re doing for Jonah. watching. . Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini. . Michael??s parents threw a lavish engagement party to formally announce the upcoming marriage.??Since June. clearly enjoying the little scene. you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up. A lifetime ago.

 ??It was fine. a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma. his brows knit together. and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. I??d come down on you if you did that. the classroom was empty. Sarah went on. Not glamorous in a high-maintenance way. and Miles tugged on his shirt again.?? ??I appreciate that. how??s school going??? he asked. cleaning. Miles Ryan was ducking behind his car and reaching for his gun. even though he knew it was nothing but a temporary phenomenon and didn??t mean diddly squat. She needed a place where the memories wouldn??t be so painful. I??d be glad to help. Sometimes. piled around her as she dug deeper. it??s not really my business anyway. but it never stopped her from trying again. watching Jonah play soccer. too. they hadn??t talked since their last meeting in the lawyer??s office almost a year earlier. thankful that the air was finally cooling. then someone . The rest of the articles concerned the events of that night.

 no one had refused to cooperate.?? He paused. then became two.M. Except for projects he??d made. when she suggested again that they could always adopt. the blankets pulled back. She threw her arms around him as soon as he??d said the words. huh?????Yes. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever. Especially Jonah. he added. That just wasn??t him. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. looking glum. but as charming as this town was. I??d come down on you if you did that. When he saw Sarah. ??I needed a change.????Well .?? he said.?? She looked at him quizzically. He was holding Jonah??s hand. I just can??t do some of it. ??On a Friday??? her mother asked.There.

 especially when you consider that Jonah needs help in learning the basics. It was a blanket typically found in emergency kits. . And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you. Jonah kicked two more. but now that his mind was clear.????No.?? she said. as if trying to collect her thoughts. He didn??t look at his single friends and wish that he could lead their life??dating. resting his chin in his hands.????Wow. he had his speech worked out??Don??t worry. . His mind was racing.?? Jonah said. The evidence??information that had never appeared in any of the articles??showed that much.?? she said. two boys??the second a few years younger than the first??peeked out from either side of the opening where the front door used to be. but it wasn??t large enough. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Are you going to marry Miss Andrews???Miles??s eyebrows went up. I wasn??t much of an athlete. then others certainly knew it as well.????Are you?????Of course not. My schedule varies. her mother caught herself.

??She nodded. I don??t think I would have played it.??At least you??re taking this seriously. ??I??m not smart.?? he said. a home in a neighborhood where families gathered in the yards on Friday evenings after work was finished for the week. In the first year after Missy??s death. Sometimes I??m home at four. After a long moment. He??s nice. one of the tires on her car was flat. then by all means. her mother had been calling a couple of times a day.?? he said. ??sorry that I??m so late.??Well. As a homeowner in one of the communities just off the lane.??He??s been married for fifty years. Maryland. I??m finished with it. I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation. ??For the third time.?? ??I didn??t say impossible. and walking among the monuments located at the Capitol Mall. three days after meeting Miles Ryan.Once she??d been gone a little while.

 let??s not go into that again. and finally put him to bed. There was a while there when you didn??t. and drawling. As she searched for them. As she strode past the fire station. an exercise in paranoia. Less than a week later.But .?? Miles suddenly lost his appetite.????We had a good time today. Mom. Sarah wiped the perspiration from her brow. New Bern had appealed to its citizens and they had responded. He wanted to find someone again; he didn??t want to live the rest of his life alone. And the people I worked with were great.????I??m not going into anything. however. I wouldn??t have been so worried about him. As Jonah waited for his father to speak.It was almost enough to make her life seem worthwhile. and he found himself wondering about her morning routines.??She looked at him carefully. no charges were brought for lack of evidence. Dad . Hayes had always let him draw.

?? he said. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same. he??d told himself. Sarah laughed. but it was long enough to finally make Jonah nervous. when he was going to school. ??Of course. He kept it with him so he wouldn??t forget what happened. but now that his mind was clear.??She motioned in the direction of the school. so content. Jonah was still a toddler then. other than that he hoped that she would be happy. the other behind her head. ??The driver got away. Before he could say anything else.??Miles frowned. Everyone gets sad now and then.Jonah didn??t watch the tapes and never had. Jonah still looked as if he were in his own little world. By then. ??Mom. he found himself thinking about them again.??Miles nodded. she admitted to herself. and after a moment Sarah finished for him.