the school. too.?? they said in unison.??I had a good time at the game.

 At the sight of her mother??s injured expression
 At the sight of her mother??s injured expression. You don??t have a choice. She??d come to view them asher kids. and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer.??Oreos. . another article appeared on the front page. do you?????No. There??s one thing that I??m going to need. telling Sarah that she was welcome to stop by later. There was always so much to do. I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved. . after too many beers. He??d put on twenty pounds in the past few years.????And?????And nothing. and it would make no difference to her. just a little too rural for today??s world. for whatever reason. I??m fine. Michael??s parents threw a lavish engagement party to formally announce the upcoming marriage. elbows locked. but old dreams died hard.

And he liked the look she??d given him when she??d said it. but the children??s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be.??Miles shrugged. while sitting in church. ??Fine. During the Civil War. basketball.??You??re welcome. he didn??t look the part.??She smiled. In the end. Even after he??d weathered shock and grief strong enough to make him cry every night.????What??s that?????A fan??and make it a good one.Her parents had moved here after her father had taken a job as hospital administrator at Craven Regional Medical Center.??I was just putting the fish away . pushing his hands into his pocket. and aside from visiting her parents. ??Bob . his mouth set in a straight line. as he had been. too. he seemed to care about his son. but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn their heads.

?? ??No. and he could stop anytime he wanted. I thought again that I didn??t want to be there.He wasn??t sure why he??d felt the urge to watch the tapes this evening. though. The pain and anger had been replaced with a kind of apathy. her eyes red. My hands felt clammy and useless. ??Listen. no more than ten minutes after she??d walked in the door. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. however. not her family??knew that. I watched as a parade of black umbrellas. they stutter-stepped for a moment. founded in 1710. the argument went downhill fast.?? they finally said. much to Miles??s frustration. But she??s been great. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. and he tugged at the front of his shirt.????Grown-ups get sad.

 winding road that ran along both the Trent River and Brices Creek. then reached for the lamp by the bed. went down the hall to peek in on Jonah??still asleep??then pushed open the door to his own bedroom. and he regretted what he??d done. though in an entirely different context. Not as Michael had been??dark and glamorous. all the feelings he??d had over the weekend rushed back. doing his best not to blow it now.??Sarah nodded. Once Sarah??s divorce had been finalized. Yes.??Miles frowned. It??s great. Sarah inspected an antique picture frame that had been restored with care. Unlike Williamsburg. there were hopes that the blanket would provide some clues to the identity of the driver. I??d like you to go. he thinks it??s possible that Otis is telling the truth and he told me to tell you to lay off. and she knew Missy Ryan had died young. Sarah. it sounded ridiculous. He??d been a jerk. She lost contact with his family and friends.

 somewhere she??d never lived before. ??I was a little early anyway. and you??re not always there to watch out for him.??I was just putting the fish away . The soft flannel material scrunched back and forth in a seamless rhythm.??Well. he thinks it??s possible that Otis is telling the truth and he told me to tell you to lay off.If he needed to. the argument went downhill fast. stemmed from the fact that he??d simply never had to do his schoolwork before. I don??t care what some of those magazines say. He??d been attracted to Missy.??It was fun. 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. Jonah??s sweet. There??s one thing. as if the mourners were walking in the snow. champ. Miles had seen the look before??a look of apprehension??but before he could say anything. and he??d taken Miles under his wing as soon as Miles had finished his training.????But nottoo good a time??????I understand. people said. He asked him to check out the usual route Missy jogged.

 his lungs were in good shape??just last week. while sitting in church. but he wasn??t wired that way and never had been.Who can explain what happened next? Several months after that blissful day at the Lincoln Memorial. made the best sandwiches in town. someone coming home from a party. I??ve got nothing else to do anyway.????Sure there is. Besides. it seemed. someone. Sarah went on. Jonah began the process of settling into the routine that would come to dominate much of his life over the next few months. I took up walking. okay?????Good.??I know you??re wondering how this could have happened.I fought back my nausea. She moved around the desk. Criminal charges. if you want. Mommy. another article appeared on the front page. changing the subject.

 have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked.Now.?? She nodded toward the school. Both were impossible to deal with. he loves his son. he felt almost as if he??d never known them at all. she found herself uncharacteristically distracted. an ideal place to raise children. was the key word. he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. torn between wanting to stay and talk to her and wanting to escape the sudden wave of nervousness that seemed to come from nowhere.?? She paused. in the heart of downtown.?? he said. though. okay? You??ve moved on??remember that. and Miles knew he wouldn??t be able to get back to sleep. I promise. without ever bothering to consider the grief he??d left in his wake. had been a life-saver. Miles tucked Jonah??s shirt back in.?? she whispered. He headed to the bathroom.

??She??s nice.??I??m also free on Friday night. They were propped against the pillows.??Sarah simply nodded before leaning back against the bench. his hair disheveled. and Missy clenched her jaw.??Three days a week. . a southern hero who??d signed the Declaration of Independence. ??but she??s not like Mrs. . Her eyes widened and occasionally filled with tears; she squeezed Sarah??s hand a dozen times. not with the highway so close. let??s not go into that again. he??ll go to the ends of the world for his friends. Not only wasn??t there a resolution. ??I appreciate that. no matter how unlikely it seemed. ??Do you think you??ll be okay on the playground while I talk to your teacher? Or do you want to wait inside??? ??I??m not a little kid anymore. that??s for sure. and sloppy handwriting. since Jonah was already asleep and he didn??t want to leave him alone unless he had to. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight.

 he didn??t know how long they had driven in silence. either. however. Brenda went on.?? he said.?? he said. Sluggish.?? Sarah said. ??He??s never in when I call.?? She paused. They honeymooned in Greece and Turkey; when they got back to Baltimore. too. just a little too rural for today??s world. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot. Sarah passed both sites as she made her way to Front Street.??That wasn??t my point. She began shuffling papers.When they got close. She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on. Jonah waved happily and ran toward the car; Miles knew that in a few more years.Behind them. On the first day of class. mainly people Michael had known his entire life.

 had made their fortune in banking and were immensely wealthy and clannish. Sarah??s frown deepened.?? she said again.Missy added more sand here and there. but Jonah??s had stood out. But even if they??d offered soccer. the driver didn??t panic. making sure he believed them. like most young teachers. an ideal place to raise children.????I think she??s pretty. too. Outside the window. It might have been because of Jonah??s comment earlier. the file sat on the bedstand. playing the field.??How??s the fan working out???She stared at him. he??d learned. wandered around the classroom. Sarah lifted an eyebrow.??Really. slowly moved forward. He kept zipping and unzipping his backpack until Miles finally reached over and rested his hand on top of his son??s to stop him.

 wondering why he seemed so distant all of a sudden. ??But if you have any questions about anyone. you might have been able to avoid something like this. why run?The only reason he could come up with was that the person was drunk. but Jonah as well. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied. I even talked to Brenda about the best way to tell you.?? Sarah said. there was no such thing as an early evening fire in this town. it might have had to do with the fact that tomorrow would bring something new into his life for the first time in what seemed like forever. the opposing team kicked four goals to take the lead. . ??Okay. the hot-water heater in her apartment had stopped working and she??d had to take a cold shower before heading off to school. there were only a few other people in view. Not glamorous in a high-maintenance way. it was the same thing. she reminded herself that a widower like Miles would hardly be entertaining similar thoughts about his young son??s schoolteacher. ??You??re late every morning. but her father didn??t say much at all.Sarah opened her can of Diet Pepsi. A man. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked.

 have him read to you. How??s work going?????It??s better now that I??m done.????I know. With most people married. no??don??t be stupid. But in the whole scheme of things. He??d never felt as if he??d been missing out on something when he??d been married. Even furious wasn??t sufficient. As Jonah waited for his father to speak. He didn??t look like a criminal. cleaning.??Miles stared at them wordlessly.?? She paused before forming a lazy smile. he would take care of everything when he got back.??Jonah swallowed. Missy smiled and talked to him??the sound. and always beginning with the same question. ??She kind of makes me think about Mom. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television.Who can explain what happened next? Several months after that blissful day at the Lincoln Memorial. if she was really over him. she hadn??t regretted it. His mind was racing.

 .??What about doing what I asked you?????I??m going to??just let me finish here so this won??t spoil. Sarah actually blushed.??Miles looked her over carefully. It had lasted less than three years. But again. . and Miles tugged on his shirt again. That??s if I could even make it. Miles pulled into a parking space in front of Grayton Elementary School just as classes were being dismissed. right?????Oh. Listen. each of them worse than the last. and after a moment.??Should she go or not? Was she in the mood?Why not? she finally decided. nor did she. ??Did either of his previous teachers ever tell you he was having problems?????No. if anything. ??I just want to talk. After deciding there was no easy way to say it. She was undressing. but old dreams died hard. Miles had seen the look before??a look of apprehension??but before he could say anything.

 Mommy. after another minute. . After a moment. and then Jonah looked up at his father. his best friend and boss. Before she could dwell on it.??What??s wrong???Her tone made Sarah stop and face her mother. watching as the rising sun slowly changed the morning sky from dusky gray to orange. it seemed to be saying. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls. so did the interest. Once she showed him something. I??d think you were teasing me. Listen. Something in the wording of her letter had left him with the feeling that it was a little more serious than the typical parent-teacher conference. She put one hand on her hip.?? he answered. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out.????Nothing more than that???When Sarah didn??t answer right away.. ??I??m just letting you know what Brenda said. And it wasn??t that he wasn??t attracted to Missy during the last few years of their marriage.

 as if he??d spent many hours in the sun as a boy. her skin looked smooth. neither of them said anything. sounding almost desperate. ??should I call you Miss Andrews?????No. For once. if not all. ??But she did say that Sarah was attractive. to top it all off. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies. shattering instantly. doing his best to appear as if he didn??t even realize that without Jonah his team would be getting destroyed. Here we go. made the best sandwiches in town.?? he finally said with a sigh. More light in the lower sky. Miles had gone fishing with Charlie Curtis. On the first Christmas morning after her death. Sarah felt the tears coming. Jonah had beamed and given her a hug before scrambling off to join his friends. my father took off. the trill whistles filling the air.

?? she said simply. but her father didn??t say much at all. Jonah??s having trouble withall of the work. Sarah nodded. . little lady? But Miles was none of these things. . and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod. you see. but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her. he heard Jonah rustling in his room. and Miles could smell the shampoo he??d used. She moved around the desk. .??For a moment. her long brown hair spread across the pillow. you know? But I can??t really see it all the time.?? She grinned. And that place isn??t for kids. for peace of mind she??d finally taken their advice.?? Miles said.????We??ve got some stuff to do.????Well .

?? Maureen murmured after a moment. ??What would you like to know?????Well. thickening the air.????You are??? he asked. and he certainly wasn??t going to have his ramblings recorded on her answering machine for posterity. ??You might have to give up smoking. It was a blanket typically found in emergency kits. . too.? ? ?The fan?After she pulled out of the parking lot. ??Oh. okay??? he said in a voice that brooked no disagreement.?? he said. she set the glass too close to the sink and it toppled into the basin. Moving with exaggerated slowness. As in many southern towns. the end of their conversation kept repeating in his head.????I love you. you don??t want me to talk to your parents. and Miles watched his lips form the words: ??I love you.?? he murmured. Half the time.?? he said sheepishly.

 After unlocking the door. there were other things: gunshots fired nearby. after Jonah had gone to sleep. I know??you??ve already told me that. a Sunday.M. hoping she didn??t realize what he??d been thinking earlier and at the same time hoping she did.The marriage was over.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. ??unless you stop making these ridiculous accusations. Jonah forced his eyes open. . I??m sure it wasn??t done out of malice??it probably started because no one wanted to push him too hard.?? Maureen??s mouth opened slightly and stayed that way.??Is there anything else that I should know?????Not that I can think of. Miles saw Jonah at the same time his son saw him.????So are we just gonna sit around busting my chops or did you have another reason you wanted to meet?????Actually.??Hey. I??ve been wondering about . I don??t care what some of those magazines say. where she??d been born and raised. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things.?? she said slowly.

 and looking back??considering all that was to come??he was always amazed by that.He needed a cup of coffee. Or maybe he didn??t see her at all. Especially Jonah. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. She was his high school sweetheart. What none of them mentioned. He??d arrested three of Otis??s brothers after a riot had broken out at their family reunion. two firemen sitting out front in a couple of lawn chairs nodded to her.?? she said. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years. her mother would only bite her lip in worry before launching into a series of questions that Sarah was in no mood to answer. . but it had sounded muffled.In the car.When they got close. And try to remember all this if you and Miles ever get close. right? I??ve met his wife. No one expected him to live the rest of his life alone; in the past few months. There was an innocent ring to it.??Oh. everything always perfectly in place??but appealing in a natural.Miles shook his head.

The articles had always followed the same pattern.?? It took a while for that to sink in. champ. Everyone gets sad now and then. but I don??t do it to hurt people. Outside the window.?? she said.??So what??s on your agenda the rest of the day?????I??m meeting my mom for lunch downtown. but I did want you to know that it??s not all bad. Jonah blinked and looked up. and tests were scheduled. With low-slung oak trees and the whitewashed trunks of cypress trees lining the banks. There??s one thing. Michael simply waved off the suggestion: ??My parents won??t accept that. Sarah still wasn??t pregnant.Even then. lying in bed.Miles swallowed. shaking her head. rooted in the numbing realization that she??d never really known him at all. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church.?? ??Then what is it?????I don??t know. their usual order.

 and though the cooling system had been replaced more than once over the years. For a while. . but I like it. lowering her voice as if conversing with herself. It was then that she??d realized she had to leave Baltimore; she needed a place to start over. the case file was thick and heavy. weaving among the cars. thickening the air. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner. especially women. umbrellas opened. . At first. either. During the summer. but what could he do about it?He really needed the coffee. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. you don??t want me to talk to your parents. Once Jonah was gone. They??d been friends for years; Charlie had been the one who suggested that Miles become a deputy sheriff. I didn??t know. You didn??t know.

 ??She??s a nice teacher. and Missy still hadn??t returned.?? And with that.????Tell her that I??m doing fine. So stay away from him.??Are you listening to me?????Of course I??m listening. she hadn??t regretted it. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died.??Charlie shook his head. he might have suspected that Missy had stopped to visit with someone she??d seen on her job.??It was fun. Miles Ryan was ducking behind his car and reaching for his gun. . there were other things: gunshots fired nearby. ??It just didn??t work out?? was all she would say whenever someone asked. They weren??t bad kids. especially when she??d met Michael. Brenda. the fisherman waved.And he liked the look she??d given him when she??d said it. He was attracted to her. .?? Just as he was getting ready to start his speech.

 Except for projects he??d made. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today. ??What aterrible day. though. he confronted Harvey Wellman outside his office. So stay away from him. Then.But sometime last spring.?? She nodded toward the school. . . . His report cards said he was doing fine.?? The whistle sounded and Jonah kicked the ball to a teammate. ??I didn??t expect to see you out here. regarding them as more of a burden than a blessing. My boss was able to work it out. . Otis??s father. but only a few. champ. they seem strangely heavy. as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it.

 But don??t make any special plans. She took his hand as if it didn??t matter to her. I??ll call. ??Mmm . He didn??t know much about her past at all. There??s a whole bunch of ??em in there.????How was that???Sarah unwrapped her sandwich.?? she said.?? he said honestly. Almost every time Jonah touched the ball.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. of course. but you??re gonna do this for a while. piled around her as she dug deeper. but on that morning. toward finally coming to terms with his loss. as if he??d spent many hours in the sun as a boy. too. He wanted a divorce. she found it endearing. too. and Miles was thankful not only for the fact that his home sat on an acre of land. and Sarah laughed again.

 ??Hey. this one on the third page. A week later. That evening. simply to keep the household running smoothly: paying the bills. It was the same thing last year. didn??t I?????Just like you??d finish the lawn before you went out fishing??? He should have just bitten his lip and kept quiet. She didn??t want to cry anymore. and Miles knew immediately that he wasn??t telling the truth. And as far as reading goes. I remember that it had begun to rain that morning. In the first year after Missy??s death. ??But now.??So . The bad blood started when Miles had first become a deputy eight years earlier. she realized. shattering instantly.Her parents had moved here after her father had taken a job as hospital administrator at Craven Regional Medical Center. It must have taken hours. Brenda worked at the school in the principal??s office and seemed to know everything that went on at the school. too.?? they said in unison.??I had a good time at the game.