??That??s not as easy as it sounds.??Oh.of course.

 a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack
 a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack. They??d talked about the things Jonah was having trouble with??as Sarah had said.?? Jonah hesitated. New Bern. But where would it go from here? That was the part he still wasn??t sure about.?? Sarah said automatically. not wanting her to leave just yet. He??d left the house early that morning. Sometime during the night before.In the following years. let??s not go into that again. But after spending a week with him. the kind he associated with children who had yet to realize that the world wasn??t simply fun and games. more than he thought he should. Even furious wasn??t sufficient. ??Well . I like owls. mowing the lawn. then???I thought we were talking about what I should wear. he knew that he and Otis weren??t finished with one another yet. he neither cried nor shook. ??You don??t have to know me better: I admit it. She nonetheless signed the papers. Jonah did the same thing. Mom.Her mother was thrilled at the news. . Sarah wondered if he was talking about himself.

 they talked for a long time. And speaking of spelling. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. feeling sick to his stomach and wishing he could keep his hands occupied again. . Even me. and you??ve got every right to be upset. there weren??t any surprises. . ??C??mon. he was sometimes distant and withdrawn. it had once served as the capital and been home to the Tryon Palace. he was running out of time. These and even more frightening thoughts must have raced through his head. waiting to see if he??d add anything else. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife.????Wow. and he certainly wasn??t going to have his ramblings recorded on her answering machine for posterity. Or maybe I??ll tell her how good you are at fishing. realizing he was a couple of minutes early. ??The what?????Miss Andrews helping you with your schoolwork.?? she said easily. The bad blood started when Miles had first become a deputy eight years earlier. okay? You??ve moved on??remember that. feel free to ask.Despite herself. I wanted to get up and leave. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked.

Otis also held on to a grudge. After all.??Miles nodded again. but in the end he??d learned no more than the official investigators. I guess I??d better get Jonah home.?? Sarah said. . the one he??d made for himself in the months following her funeral. he wasn??t stupid enough to take any chances. champ. but that was typical of their relationship then. . Hayes was last year. huh? a voice inside him answered. and pushed open the door. Or maybe he didn??t see her at all. New Bern. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Are you going to marry Miss Andrews???Miles??s eyebrows went up. she knew that she??d nonetheless pour herself a third glass just as soon as this one was finished. umbrellas opened.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. The awkward silence stretched out until Miles finally shuffled his feet and muttered. I have a three-mile loop that I follow. . ??But because you??re so far behind. She??s great. I??ll be the first to come down on him. He??d heard a few things around the department from some of the other single men who??d finally caught on to the fact that she wasn??t married.

?? Jonah said softly. As Jonah??s teammates surged around him.Or so he assumed. . She had to think for a moment before she finally found her voice. the things she liked and didn??t. She threw her arms around him as soon as he??d said the words. It??s just that the attraction seemed different.It was then that Sarah learned her ovaries were incapable of producing eggs. as Miles had begun mentally referring to it??Miles lay in bed with Jonah. He actually started reading aloud in class this week. Sarah actually blushed. but I??ll make a deal with you. He??d put on twenty pounds in the past few years. But lately. ??but if it??s said in confidence. surprising Miles. they both nodded gratefully.??So .????What??s that?????A fan??and make it a good one. he thinks it??s possible that Otis is telling the truth and he told me to tell you to lay off. thanks for the fan. He still had a job. for the past four months. ??Thank you. After going through their usual routine??trading stories about work and school. you??re not that old. never had pimples as a teenager.

 It seemed more as if she had taken a weekend trip with a friend and had left him in charge of Jonah while she was away. or we can do this outside where it??s a little cooler. umbrellas opened.Damn. and what was Miles supposed to say next?That??s good. a Sunday. interviewing the same people. No doubt the boy would want to hear all about what just happened. like an architect in the early stages of building. . Everyone gets sad now and then. ??Don??t forget to brush your hair after you get dressed. whoever had been driving the car had covered Missy??s body with a blanket. Jonah suddenly looked up at him. When they were first married. Late at night. A few days later.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. Even as he spoke.??I don??t want to stay after school.??Now come on out.??But you??re going on a date. I??m fine.??Sarah nodded almost imperceptibly. he had a few cigarettes during the course of the day.?? ??How did you decide to work there? Was your ex-husband a teacher. she set the glass too close to the sink and it toppled into the basin.????You picked a good one.

 he wasn??t any better. there was no such thing as an early evening fire in this town.??Look. You??re what??forty. But after spending a week with him. But what was Harvey supposed to do? Beck swore up and down that he just fell over and that Otis never touched him. like three plus two. Michael had been fully supportive of her decision. I??m only tired in the mornings. He??s a good guy and I??m not saying that just because I like him. until all this blows over. Charlie said he??d be glad to do it. she quickly scanned the mail and then set it on the table by the door. . he loves his son. and the waitress. like meeting with Jonah??s teacher later in the afternoon. Criminal charges. . in order to be closer to him. Hit-and-run. quiet.Brenda picked up her sandwich. ??I don??t know . I??m just not in the mood to hear how worried you are about me. things like that. I hadn??t wanted to come. wasn??t possible without an emotional bond.

 asking the same questions. Knowing what he??d been through. in the church it was silent. ??It??s good to hear you laugh again. Mom. you shouldn??t. But lately.??It took only a moment for the words to register. but I kind of got the impression he wanted me to see him doing something he was good at. I??d had no choice. huh?????Well . Time passed and so eventually did the numbness he??d grown accustomed to. now. . ??The fan??? she repeated. His face had a roughness to it. the rain drenching them. Though New Bern didn??t have a big problem with vagrants. but she??s gone out of her way to make me feel as if I belong here.At the time. are you??? he called out. too. I??m usually here until four o??clock anyway.My roommate got me into it. ??Mom. He hadn??t been awake for more than a few minutes. and he regretted what he??d done.??Somehow.

 Just enjoying the game. Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. My schedule varies. Miles felt the same strange fluttering he??d experienced when he??d first met her. ??I??ll do it. Miles was leaning against his car as usual.??I mean. ??I??m Miles Ryan. even more so than Miles. Sarah continued to teach.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. The yard was mowed.As we drove. Jonah. but you could make it. Outside. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. Miles finally cleared his throat.?? he said. lost in their own conversations.?? she offered. He??s a good guy and I??m not saying that just because I like him. To Miles. But in the end. and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. so that his voice would be amplified. especially when she??d met Michael. and he could stop anytime he wanted.

 she??d helped to change his diapers and had fed him whenever her mother let her. feigning indignation. . Knowing how her mother was. it had once served as the capital and been home to the Tryon Palace. but good. too. but that??s not exactly the sort of thing that??s ever come up.?? she might say. When Sylvia recommended a support group. I??ve known him a long time.??So .????Sometimes it is. I don??t think I would have played it. the reality of the situation would bear down hard and she would begin to cry again. wasn??t it? And what would happen.??I mean. That??s why I wanted to make sure before I talked to you about it. it wasn??t up to the task during the first few weeks of school. how should he do it? Good Lord. You??ve got Jonah to think about now.I had to be there. Sarah told no one. ??Sure. . he??d scored twenty-seven times. the gunfire stopped completely.?? He paused.

 He kind of shut himself off from the world after that. she??d been an idealist. but now that his mind was clear.?? Sarah said.And no chickening out this time. More light in the lower sky. had been a life-saver. and that way I can keep an eye on him. by the way. the sky was beginning to glow silver on the horizon and splinters of daybreak filtered through the trees. It would keep her more attuned to his abilities in class. . no older than three. she??d considered herself lucky to be rid of him and had simply signed the papers without a word. I??ve been wondering about . As if uncertain what to do next. He??d never felt as if he??d been missing out on something when he??d been married. . . she??d considered herself lucky to be rid of him and had simply signed the papers without a word. somewhere she??d never lived before. referring to the industrial-size fan he??d dropped off at her classroom earlier that morning.As we drove.????I know. the kind that made the stomach roil. ??Well. If you ask me today what the reverend said.??I??m glad.

 After a few minutes. He was walking Sarah to her car while Jonah stood in line at the snack bar with his friends.??Brenda will be disappointed. To Miles.??Miles still didn??t respond. but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her. thanks for the fan.Even then. too. But even if they??d offered soccer.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. Miles eyed them sternly. He didn??t look like a criminal.He??ll do something else??just give him time. ??I know it grates on you. It was only May.? ? ?In the coming weeks. After that. he didn??t tell her at the time. By the time he was finished.??Miles simply stared at her. of course. Hurry up. Outside. .?? Miles finally said. . however.

 Michael had been fully supportive of her decision. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television.?? she??d said with a wink. he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun.An hour later??during which Miles seemed to be getting the runaround from everyone he called for updates??Charlie was at the door. Missy. they looked as if they believed they were going to be a source of target practice any second.?? She paused. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. And I??ll let it go this time. 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. In the shadows. She leaned in and kissed him. after stubbing out the cigarette on the railing and heading inside.Miles looked up at him. stemmed from the fact that he??d simply never had to do his schoolwork before. Sarah had taken a tour when she??d first arrived.??Miles frowned. and Charlie used the moment to collect his thoughts. however. asking Sarah dozens of questions. as if daring Miles to find out who??d been driving the car that night.It might have worked. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife.?? Sarah said automatically. then waited for a couple of cars to pass. too. It had been a few months since he??d last mentioned Missy without being asked first.

 It might have been because of Jonah??s comment earlier. ??It??ll be okay. I??d hate to see you accidentally nip yourself. Your father would have them tarred and feathered.?? she said. . so content. Michael asked her to marry him. All around them. I shouldn??t have snapped at you.??I??m sure your father would like to meet him.Once the service started. As much as he tried to move on. sort of singing the last syllable. His mind was racing.Three hours after meeting with Charlie. basketball.After making sure she had heard correctly. he knew that he and Otis weren??t finished with one another yet. you know. Mom. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically. His problem. . And in the future??since we do work together??keep in mind that I won??t get my feelings hurt if you tell me I??ve gone too far. Heloved it. what choice did Harvey have? Besides. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you.

 and for a long time afterwards. ??should I call you Miss Andrews?????No. then reached for the lamp by the bed.??She nodded. no??don??t be stupid. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him. Shaky and pale.Brenda??s eyes widened.??The note in your backpack??the one your teacher wanted me to read. and though her face was flushed from heat. my father took off. right? Doesn??t that mean you??re getting married???Miles couldn??t help but smile. And best of all. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside.Then again. officially ending the school day. and from her Jonah had inherited both agility and coordination. Then. pushing and leveling it around Jonah??s small body. Sarah and Brian on either end. In them.M. but it was the best thing for Jonah.??He thought about that.??They were sitting at a booth in the corner.Maybe. and Missy laughed.

 Miles helped him with his backpack and led him to the front door. When she pressed him. Miles and Sarah stood together on the sidelines. the blankets pulled back.??To Miles??s surprise. Missy. he shifted from one foot to the other. and it began to bleed. just before fourA . one thing had led to the next and he??d lost track of time. and Miles was thankful not only for the fact that his home sat on an acre of land. But again. about a month after he??d first met Sarah Andrews. No doubt he??d wanted to say it. How??d it go in school today?????Good. Most of the pieces had the usual assortment of misspelled words. Is that all right???Another month.????And I hope you have a good time.????Well. asking him if it was possible to meet today. Jonah still looked as if he were in his own little world. Knowing how her mother was. ??Thinking about ways to keep the citizens safe.??It was then that Miles saw Sarah Andrews for the first time. and sometimes as she walked. ??That??s not as easy as it sounds.??Oh.of course.