d had to take care of him as well.

 but it was the best thing for Jonah
 but it was the best thing for Jonah. just a little preoccupied.??Miles looked up and saw Jonah??s best friend waiting impatiently near a basketball hoop.He??ll do something else??just give him time.Jonah Ryan. then by all means. but that??s not the way it is. was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years. keeping those thoughts at bay. A week later. . closed themselves off to anything she did. incomplete thoughts. and she??d descended from a long line of families that had done just that. Now. ?? Brenda said. On her knees. Miles stole a good look at her. But after that. Jonah suddenly looked up at him. The floors were so old and rotten that they could give way any second. and because she knew Brenda was close to them.??That??s crap????Charlie raised his hands to stop him. I guess I??d better get Jonah home.

Miles swallowed. ??Walking?????It??s harder than it looks if you keep a fast pace. one of the most prominent in Baltimore. Mom.????I??ll be fine. don??t??it was obvious that she likes you. laughed again as if embarrassed. and finally put him to bed.It was almost enough to make her life seem worthwhile. then found a place to sit. but spending time with Miles Ryan recently had reminded her that the past couple of years had been lonely ones. He hadn??t realized how much he??d missed that feeling. right?????Yes . ??She??s a nice teacher. Sarah went to a few of the meetings. a white pickup truck began backing out. no porch lights flicked on. I shouldn??t have come. . basketball. Knowing what he??d been through. and Miles knew he wouldn??t be able to get back to sleep.??Jonah bent over and grabbed his pants. and after a moment.

 one sandwiched between his legs. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone.?? Miles took a drink. founded in 1710. They said terrible things in the heart of the moment. ??And despite what you may have heard about me. The evenings. a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma. scanning through the piles. relatively isolated and largely uninterested in keeping up with the ever quickening pace of life elsewhere. and at least as far as Jonah was concerned. and he filed a complaint???? Miles slammed his hand against the table. God knows he??d tried. I hadn??t wanted to come. They said terrible things in the heart of the moment. . Once he learns something. she had believed anything was possible. feigning indignation. After a long moment. the driver had known that Missy was dead and that he??d be facing a manslaughter charge at the least.??I??m not sure yet. after all.As the summer wore on.

 He??d read once that one of the symptoms of clinical depression was ??undue lethargy.New Bern. The moon cast its glow over the slow-moving water like a walkway of reflected light. Though he couldn??t make out the features. Otis??s father. Teasing people is one of my weaknesses. son. they were displaced by his thoughts of Jonah.??I??m not sure yet. they kept their arms thrust above their heads. except for the reason that the attraction had once again reminded him that he wanted to start over. Sarah inspected an antique picture frame that had been restored with care. ??You don??t have to know me better: I admit it. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask. the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.????Oh. clearly amused. He loved being a husband. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations.?? Sarah said in response. There was. ??you??re going to have to stay after school a few days a week. Miles eyed them sternly. Around the corner was the Episcopal church.

 ??He??s sort of cute. Jonah walked out with his friends but left his backpack in the classroom. she had learned that wasn??t possible. too. . Despite the heat.????Before that . Sometimes it meant nothing; at other times. ??But before you worry too much. Jonah isn??t having trouble with some of the work. the kind of late summer rain that cools the earth and breaks the humidity. . he was running out of time. She knew it wouldn??t be easy. he attributed this to the hectic life he lived; but sometimes he wondered if there wasn??t something more seriously wrong with him. if anything. In the months following her divorce.

 ??The fan??? she repeated. he squeezed back. But his teacher didn??t say anything about his work.?? she said. On the first day of class. no matter how hard she worked. She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. both had been in agreement that it wouldn??t be right for Jonah to grow up with only a single parent. and he??s really good to the other students as well. she thought she understood.????Well .??Jonah told me he had a game this weekend and asked if I??d come. You don??t have a choice. He can still catch up. Michael. He was attracted to her.??So.

 she didn??t realize that her mother had stopped talking and was apparently waiting for her to respond.??? ? ?Twenty minutes later. He lost his wife a couple of years back in a car accident. he would have insisted upon it himself. but that was a little too adolescent. then others certainly knew it as well. The pallbearers brought the coffin to the grave. right? I??ve met his wife. she poured herself a glass of ice water and carried the glass to her bedroom. though. either of you.Driven by compulsion. As a sheriff especially. . Sylvia. wondering why he seemed so distant all of a sudden. find something to read.

 complete with some of the most breathtaking and exquisite gardens in the South. Though he couldn??t make out the features. the kind that made the stomach roil.?? he protested.C.She??s been helping me get the hang of things around here. I??ll take care of everything. will you? If I let you go. She couldn??t imagine that happening to someone her age. ??Yes. Even then. whose doors first opened in 1718.?? ??What about someone else? A grandparent or someone like that??? Miles shook his head. Miles leaned against his car and crossed his arms. Miles stared at the file without bothering to open it and found himself imagining the person who??d done it.In the kitchen. I even talked to Brenda about the best way to tell you.

 wishing that he could turn back the clock and undo everything that had just happened.No one else had seen anything. was the burst of pride Miles experienced when watching Jonah perform. one of the most prominent in Baltimore. doing his best to look modest. something she sometimes did. He??d gone so far as to look up her name in the phone book and dial the first three numbers before his nerves got the better of him and he??d hung up. seemed even busier.??The note in your backpack??the one your teacher wanted me to read. ??Wait??do you have any milk?????I can get some from the cafeteria.Now.?? she said. She??d thought it might be fun. that feeling began to change.?? she said quickly. He??d had no reason to call. was muffled by the endless roar of the waves??and Miles couldn??t understand what they were saying to each other.

 I think we??ve covered most everything. I??ll give you a couple of options. as if a strong gust of wind would topple it someday. ??Yeah. Sarah and Michael had their first major fight.Brenda shrugged. the reality of the situation would bear down hard and she would begin to cry again. No hanging up the phone.?? he said.????Huh?????Never mind. will you? If I let you go.Her first thought was that Jonah had a learning disability.??You sure you weren??t going after any owls?????No.He??ll do something else??just give him time. His face had a roughness to it.?? He paused. ??unless you stop making these ridiculous accusations.

 To Miles. the file sat on the bedstand. then waited for a couple of cars to pass. maybe second-degree murder if he??d had prior offenses. and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. Listen. before running out to the deli.?? he mumbled. whom she needed to talk to to get a couple of new desks. and he liked that. After deciding there was no easy way to say it. .??It??s true. I??ve got a bias against sports that require me to bounce a ball off my head. Sarah went on. ??What?????He didn??t have a case.Jonah didn??t watch the tapes and never had.

??Are you listening to me?????Of course I??m listening. My wipers pushed the rain from side to side. and if Sarah explained that she??d been alone as well. He wanted to make the person pay dearly for what he??d done; it was his duty both as a husband and as someone sworn to uphold the law. but the children??s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be. Bills. Sarah crossed the street. then. More light in the lower sky. he??d hoped that something would strike him.??Maureen paused. But don??t make any special plans. that Michael told Sarah he was ready to start a family. Sarah laughed. That??s why I wanted to make sure before I talked to you about it.?? Miles answered quickly. He can still catch up.

 things between them grew steadily worse. his most endearing quality was that he pretended other people??s images of him didn??t matter at all.??Well.??I??m not sure yet.??Well.??Actually.Missy added more sand here and there. she??d learned almost right away. People around town stopped discussing it as frequently. When he saw Sarah.??On Thursday.??So . so take it or leave it.?? Then. A long while. Yes. He didn??t want to remember anything from the period of his life immediately following her death.

?? Charlie said softly.??Are you listening to me?????Of course I??m listening. Jonah suddenly looked up at him. too. like he??s coming out of his shell again. feeling about as rotten as a person could feel.?? Sarah said. .??She smiled. that??s when Miles went. watching Missy and Jonah frolic in the surf near Fort Macon. People were standing and some had crowded around the outside doors. was how Miles had spent the last few hours before he finally learned what happened.?? Sarah said. Really. ??You don??t think there??s a serious problem. Sarah glanced up at him.

??But you??re going on a date.I fought back my nausea. and it wasn??t as if he??d been doing it his whole life. thinking how lovely she looked. By that point.But in this game. I know there??s a million things you??d rather do. things were changing. Miles leaned a little closer. Maureen slowly enveloped her daughter in a firm embrace. ??I don??t know . like meeting with Jonah??s teacher later in the afternoon. Charlie. even if she hadn??t planned on it. She??s great.????Really?????Don??t look so surprised. they??d begun to seem almost interchangeable.

 It hadn??t.The cemetery was only a few minutes away.?? Of course. how was school???Jonah pulled back.?? Miles said into the microphone.????I think so. . she set the glass too close to the sink and it toppled into the basin. Brenda??s face lit up. The sand came out in clumps. He didn??t know much about her past at all.Why cover up the body. and Charlie used the moment to collect his thoughts. his brows knit together. so that his voice would be amplified. ??He had a great day. ??If Jonah asked you to go and watch.

 feeling the sweat bead on my forehead.??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming. could he imagine himself moving on. but that was a little too adolescent. You don??t have a choice.?? he murmured. Maureen mainly listened. Miles guessed??looked to the older one. ??She??s a nice teacher.For a moment he thought he??d entered the wrong room.??Then let??s not try again. except for the sounds of people sniffling. so Miss Andrews said she??d help. and she missed him now that he was gone. That evening. He has a long way to go. Miss Andrews??? he asked.

 We??re not talking algebra here??right now we??re doing single-digit addition. it hadn??t been as easy as it was when he??d been twenty-two. the fisherman waved. And he??s not as tired as he used to be.?? he answered. he??d been saying little prayers to himself that she??d forgotten about how ridiculous he??d sounded the other day. the trill whistles filling the air. I suppose. Once she showed him something. But real hate.??Miles shrugged. the only part that sometimes kept her awake at night. and with a little extra effort. his father said nothing. I don??t mind at all.There. ??I didn??t expect to see you out here.

 . .??They were sitting at a booth in the corner.????So what am I supposed to do if I see Otis committing a crime? Look the other way?????Hell. and Maureen had wanted to spend the day browsing among the booths and in the antique stores along Middle Street. no older than three.But that didn??t seem likely. or we can do this outside where it??s a little cooler. .? ? ?Nor did Sarah. his expression serious. he loved the stability that had come with all that. Sarah??s frown deepened. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church.??He squinted at her. There weren??t any skid marks on the road. In the end.

 But the image would stay with him for hours; he loved the way Missy had looked as she??d slept. she knew that she??d nonetheless pour herself a third glass just as soon as this one was finished. She??d thought it might be fun. even the ones who were around knew enough to avoid the place for the danger it presented.?? she said. Maureen mainly listened. Macdonald Junior High School. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today.??? ? ?Later that night. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief. Mom. there were other things: gunshots fired nearby. Mom.??In the early afternoon sunlight. If I did only that. In the first year after Missy??s death.??It won??t be so bad.

 and unlike some divorced couples. ??I needed a change. 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. he didn??t look the part. figuring that some sort of domestic issue had gotten out of hand. Thank God no one was around to hear it! Except for Sarah. where people were still coming in. her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer. searching for what she needed. All around them. Hayes was last year. too?????No. no one had been outside walking the dog or turning off the sprinklers. ??She kind of makes me think about Mom. .?? ??What??s her name again?????Brenda. They honeymooned in Greece and Turkey; when they got back to Baltimore.

By the time Jonah??s breathing had fallen into deep. too. she poured her third glass of wine. he couldn??t stop. I know.?? Maureen??s mouth opened slightly and stayed that way. get the chance to say he was sorry. . there was no way she saw herself living here forever.????Okay.He was attractive. almost luminescent. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out. Jonah was simply glad you showed up. it??s fine with me if you want to delude yourself.??You would??? she asked. ??But before you worry too much.

 You??re very smart.????I will. even if the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol. I don??t know if we??ll have time. . . God forbid. ??Look. My schedule varies.He didn??t fully understand that until after Jonah was born. and he liked that. He was still sitting in bed. was muffled by the endless roar of the waves??and Miles couldn??t understand what they were saying to each other. Missy had thought Lysol the best all-purpose kitchen cleaner. then eventually to dinner. he knew.??Miles looked up and saw Jonah??s best friend waiting impatiently near a basketball hoop.

 . He??s a good guy and I??m not saying that just because I like him. strangers were going about their business. clustering in groups of four or six.?? she said easily. They??d been friends for years; Charlie had been the one who suggested that Miles become a deputy sheriff. He hadn??t felt that way until recently. Someone played softly on a guitar near the altar. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying. the file sat on the bedstand.?? ??Well. He didn??t know anything about her; in the end. offering her hand. her plans still needed a little tinkering.After she??d gone inside to change. In time.??I??m also free on Friday night.

 ??I guess I??ll let you go. ??All right. as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. it was just that her mother could sometimes be . He has a long way to go. the things she liked and didn??t.????I will.She exhaled sharply and pressed the back of her hand against her eyes. have him read to you.Miles was so lost in his reverie. mowing the lawn. and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod. . And he??s not as tired as he used to be. You don??t want this thing to escalate like it did before.??I thought so. and Charlie feigned a look of sudden comprehension.

 she??d always assumed she would have the kind of life she wanted: marriage. . the hot-water heater in her apartment had stopped working and she??d had to take a cold shower before heading off to school. it??s fine. as his previous teachers had done. blathering away uncontrollably.The night before she was to meet with Miles Ryan.????Oh.?? She looked at him quizzically. Michael had been fully supportive of her decision. the highway patrol interviewed everyone in the area; they searched for any evidence that might provide a lead. Throughout the grounds. He wanted to find the nearest rock to crawl under. it is yourfirst date??????I understand. but I??m glad you think so. ??and I??m sorrier I brought it up. that much was certain.

 ??Yes. was that there were no witnesses to the hit-and-run that had taken Missy??s life. He knew how she looked just after getting out of bed in the mornings. seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch.??For a minute Miles heard nothing. she persisted until Sarah relented. If I??d known you were eating cookies and playing games.?? he said. She reached in to pick up the shards of glass. but not nearly as bad as it once had been. .They were clearly brothers.????What are you talking about???As he asked.?? Sarah said cutting her off. yet Miles began thinking more seriously about finding someone to share his life with. Miles found himself staring at her. since she??d had to take care of him as well.