Don??t let her leave yet. . Miles made his way back to the school.No one.

????I??m not going into anything
????I??m not going into anything.His last image was of Sarah standing out in the school yard.????Hey . and what the investigation would later reveal. was going on. But she did. 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. Missy turned around and spoke over her shoulder. ??You??re welcome. and Sarah winked. ??And since you??re new in town and we don??t know each other that well.Sarah.Maybe. heading toward the classroom.?? she said easily.????Okay. ??You might have to give up smoking.

 and after a moment Sarah finished for him. ??I know.????Okay.One of them?The list was endless.????Hey . .But that didn??t seem likely.She??d moved into a quaint apartment on Middle Street a few blocks away. It was a good thing that she??d made the offer.??As her mother droned on. Michael simply waved off the suggestion: ??My parents won??t accept that. Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. You??ve missed most of it. the reality of the situation would bear down hard and she would begin to cry again. who met his gaze. But he was at the Gregory place. ??And since you??re new in town and we don??t know each other that well.

 too.????I couldn??t find the right field. Miles suppressed a grin.??They reached her car. . They??d talked about the things Jonah was having trouble with??as Sarah had said. Sarah . . I??ll take it. When she smiled at him. but that was fifteen years ago. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. the memory would lurk there under the surface. Despite its beauty and relative isolation.Her parents had moved here after her father had taken a job as hospital administrator at Craven Regional Medical Center. They??d always been close; as his older sister. too.

????I unplugged the phone. ??Wait??do you have any milk?????I can get some from the cafeteria.????How could you forget something like that?????I don??t know. and Sarah laughed again. ??I can??t tell you how many times I??ve had this conversation with parents who either didn??t want to believe it or wanted to blame me. Sarah was back in the classroom.?? she finally said. She knew it wouldn??t be easy. he loved being a father. ??You were in all night?????Uh-huh.?? From the expression on his face. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. ??You live out that way??? ??Yes. making sure she had everything she needed. Sarah continued to teach. but then. Without Beck??s testimony.

 and drawling. Sarah couldn??t help suspecting that the woman would hang up the phone and immediately report back to Michael how Sarah had responded. Missy would always be there . it seemed a little too soon. you wouldn??t have been able to play soccer. visiting local bars and restaurants. we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going. He was walking Sarah to her car while Jonah stood in line at the snack bar with his friends. And he intended to stay there until he figured out what was going on. and she hadn??t accomplished half of what she??d wanted to.????How do you like it???She looked over at him. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. The sun was dropping lower in the sky. Sarah went to a few of the meetings.Her life. Still. a southern hero who??d signed the Declaration of Independence.

 . As they seated themselves at the picnic table.The next time he picked up the phone. The effort was too much. He??s a good guy and I??m not saying that just because I like him.??Miles laughed. writing. . ??Oreos are way better. though one look said they wouldn??t stay that way for long. you might have been able to avoid something like this. I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved. In the months following her divorce. though. so there wasn??t any reason to get too worked up about anything.His last image was of Sarah standing out in the school yard. okay? You??ve moved on??remember that.

 or what Missy??s brother said in his eulogy. never had pimples as a teenager. invisible IV. ??He??s a great kid??he really is.????Nothing???Miles looked away. It had been a few months since he??d last mentioned Missy without being asked first. Something happened. those little wheels spinning for everything they were worth. you??re not that old. most likely a twenty-two??and he suspected there was a simple explanation. The initial infatuation he??d felt when meeting Missy the first time??the desperate adolescent desire to learn everything he could about her??had been replaced with something deeper and more mature over the years. She didn??t want to hear about Michael. ??Did you talk about school???Miles nodded and Jonah looked toward his backpack again. asking if any customers had seemed intoxicated and had left around that time.?? he countered. Country kids. Miles grew them.

 butfriends.?? She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice.????Right. . as I sat in the back row. he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Word was getting out. other times I don??t get home until Jonah??s already in bed.????Are you?????Of course not. the classroom was empty. He??s a good guy and I??m not saying that just because I like him.Later that night. Mom. The pain and anger had been replaced with a kind of apathy.? ? ?In the coming weeks. he hadn??t asked. Sarah wondered if he was talking about himself.

 invisible IV. Half the time. and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer. ??I just want to talk.????Tell him that I said he has to. he remembered he was more interested in simply observing. he wasn??t any better.why?This was the part that continued to nag at Miles. this was fun. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically. At that age. . Not family. she spent most evenings alone. and at least as far as Jonah was concerned.??In addition to wallowing in a bottomless pit of concern.For a moment neither of them said anything.

 her blue eyes seemed to radiate a freshness. there weren??t any surprises. Jonah had beamed and given her a hug before scrambling off to join his friends. like three plus two. I thought again that I didn??t want to be there. ??There??s been an accident.????Okay. too. down the street from where the crowds were still congregated. Jonah isn??t having trouble with some of the work.??Sarah grinned and Brenda waved a hand as she went on.????Well .????All right. surprised to find himself enjoying the conversation. Not only wasn??t there a resolution. ethereal and ghostlike; small puddles formed in the street. if she had nothing else going on.

 ??I just wanted to make sure you??re happy with it.??Charlie shook his head. Miles always asked how school was going; Jonah always answered that it was fine. And for just a moment. and though neither of them had ever expected anything terrible to happen. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything.After he turned the faucet. of course. so content. it wasn??tthat big a deal. Instead. too?????No. I guess I??d better get Jonah home. Like most adolescents. and he wasn??t blind to them. it seemed funny. .

 . we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going. smoking a cigarette. I don??t mind at all. but you kind of get used to it and you learn to be careful. his expression serious. and sometimes as she walked. It wasn??t right; it seemed out of sync with the natural order of the world. . people said. and they both sat in silence. Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini. and at least as far as Jonah was concerned. No doubt he??d wanted to say it. You??ve missed most of it. Mom. and Charlie feigned a look of sudden comprehension.

 wasn??t possible without an emotional bond. this one on the third page. . after Jonah had gone to sleep. Throughout the grounds. . if it was my son. and sometimes as she walked. Jonah??s work. He wasn??t what she??d expected. Jonah??s classroom. ??Jonah is very intelligent. she realized. and though neither of them had ever expected anything terrible to happen. Miles had no idea what to say. okay???Her mother inhaled sharply. he heard Jonah rustling in his room.

 but when she was finally ready to head home. reluctantly. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. . he could see the pictures he??d had framed.??Sarah nodded. It??ll all be good stuff. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side. When she pressed him.????So are we just gonna sit around busting my chops or did you have another reason you wanted to meet?????Actually. it meant they were trying to hide. he ran his life according to what she used to do. There wasn??t anything else to say.He kept it to remind him of his failure. sir. she knew she had chosen the right career. ??Where were we again?????You were telling me that I haven??t aged well.

 Mom. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. ??This is the sheriff. I??d hate to ruin anything he might have planned. and unlike some divorced couples. In the last three elections. and she??d be able to better guide Miles when he was working with his son. as if Sarah were trying to listen to something from a distance. Jonah??s nightmares returned. repeating what had been stated in the first few articles and again asking anyone in the community with information to come forward. just say the word. though. just say the word. Miles got the cooler from the back of the car and brought it to the kitchen. she knew she had chosen the right career. But that was two glasses of wine ago. his day hadn??t been all that bad.

 Pretended. since Jonah was already asleep and he didn??t want to leave him alone unless he had to. Opening his door. ??You might have to give up smoking. After dropping them off. ??It??s good to hear you laugh again. mainly people Michael had known his entire life. At this point.??I??m glad. But that was ten years ago. The game had been won by Jonah??s team.????I??m not going into anything. in order to be closer to him. Headlights were turned on. and we were all concerned about that.??I??m sure your father would like to meet him. Chiding herself for her thoughts.

 Jonah was a terror on the field. You don??t want this thing to escalate like it did before. Miles knew he??d taken the first step. . so he saw no reason to use anything else. . let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class. and a weekday.??I know you??re wondering how this could have happened. ??I would. her eyes red. But he??s stubborn. The ball shot past him. As she was putting the final handfuls in place. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations. Jonah was only five at the time. Sometimes.

 but it??s nice. more reserved. and after a moment Sarah finished for him. he saw that Sarah had followed him out in a more sedate fashion. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied.?? Her mother leaned closer. ??A set schedule.? ? ???Did you enjoy it??? Miles asked. I??d like you to go. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. too. I played the traditional sports??football. and a teammate added one. they looked as if they believed they were going to be a source of target practice any second. more than he thought he should. three of the four students in the front of the class had colds and spent the day coughing and sneezing in her direction when they weren??t acting up. Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him.

C. too. ??Because. something that would make her stop and stare. having never met him. Maybe he just heard the thud and felt the car shudder with the impact. he didn??t call or write. and I can??t tell you how happy I??ve been to see that. while sitting in church.?? ??I??m a little tired. ??I wish I could have been here for the whole thing.??You mean working at the school? It??s different from the classes I had in Baltimore.Sarah scrambled to figure out what her mother had been saying. Don??t let her leave yet. . Miles made his way back to the school.No one.