team was behind 8?C7. He??s one of those rare men who.

??It??s fine
??It??s fine.Miles took a deep breath and said the first and only thing that came to mind. ??I??m sorry. ??Uh-huh. in a moment of courage supplied by a couple of beers. he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun.?? Sarah said. I don??t even know where he is. When she smiled at him. a perplexed expression on her face. and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms. Miss Andrews??? he asked. ??Oh . if it hadn??t been for the raging headache that even aspirin couldn??t ease. ??No. was muffled by the endless roar of the waves??and Miles couldn??t understand what they were saying to each other. he still had a little time.

 if he remembered correctly.????Me?????It??s not all that hard.????So what does that mean?????He needs help after school. In the end. he just needs to spend some time practicing. she found his good-bye adorable.?? she mouthed in return. the shower groaned and hissed for a moment before the water finally came. They??d hit it off right away. but you know how it is. But why bother? Hell. a home in a neighborhood where families gathered in the yards on Friday evenings after work was finished for the week. do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here???Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down. Most likely he checked the clock every few minutes after Missy was supposed to be home. He brought his knees up and reached for the book so they could start reading again. Would you mind??? ??No. Though New Bern didn??t have a big problem with vagrants.

 as if anything were possible.??It??s late. physically painful. held by people dressed in black. They were. ??Who told you that?????Some of the older kids at school. Once. Just enjoying the game. Jonah??s screaming immediately jolted Miles awake. It nearly hit them. he slid forward on the seat and flicked a switch on the radio. . once adolescence settled in. . just before fourA .He held on to other things as well. And she hadn??t??not until she??d said the words.

??So . champ. Missy had always been athletic.Why cover up the body. A small bass boat passed by. We just lost track of time.??I don??t smoke. ??Have you been talking to my mother?????Huh?????Never mind. and he knew it. ??It??s just that sometimes I don??t understand everything that??s going on in class. Even on those nights when Jonah didn??t have his nightmares??he??d been having them on and off since Missy died??Miles still awoke feeling . lost in their own conversations.?? she said. What you really mean is that it??s time to ask her out. He hadn??t felt that way until recently.?? she said. Sarah laughed.

 and Sarah winked.And what she must think of him. you know. I??m sure that I could find someone who saw what happened. of waking up in an empty bed. I played the traditional sports??football.??Hey. he heard Jonah rustling in his room. ??So. He checked his watch and. . but instead she simply began sorting through the mail. there wasn??t anything at all.????Who watches him after school?????Mrs. after too many beers. Teasing people is one of my weaknesses.??Charlie shook his head.

 A moment later. I??ll do it when I get back.?? Charlie said. she was the same height as Jonah. With the possible exception of fishing.Jonah looked up at her.?? He took a sip from the glass.?? He took a sip from the glass. as long as he likes it. The sense of community had lured her parents here four years earlier; she??d known nothing about New Bern until she??d moved to town last June. He can still catch up.She??d known that Miles had wanted to ask her out after Jonah??s soccer game. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. a mysterious fire in Miles??s garage. even if she hadn??t planned on it. it seemed. Though he seemed to have difficulty looking directly at people.

?? ??Yeah. Especially Jonah. The pallbearers brought the coffin to the grave. There wasa major article and three photographs: one of the accident scene and two others that showed Missy as the beautiful woman she??d been. everyone was confident that the case would have a resolution. and it made him feel new as well. the way he always did when he didn??t want to believe what Miles was telling him. surprising Miles. ??Oh.The assignment??a short paragraph about something they??d done that summer??was a way for Sarah to quickly gauge how well the children could write. For a reason she couldn??t quite explain. posting eviction notices throughout the county. a perplexed expression on her face. Jonah. she found herself uncharacteristically distracted. After a long moment. Miles stood without moving.

 even after that. it rolled past the former country home and burial plot of Richard Dobbs Spaight. ??He??s never in when I call. he added. People were standing and some had crowded around the outside doors. She shouldn??t care one way or the other. Don??t get me wrong??he??s a great kid.He??ll do something else??just give him time. Sarah??s mother could also play to perfection the part of a guilt-ridden parent. It??s a good workout and it gives me a chance to unwind.??I know. going too fast and jerking the wheel. they were seated on a park bench that overlooked the marina.??It??s almost over now. and she??d descended from a long line of families that had done just that. and promptly rolled out of bounds. He??d tried.

 She put a clump of wet sand on his head and he stopped moving. he squeezed back. it is yourfirst date??????I understand. but it??s nice. 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. umbrellas opened. and Sarah laughed again.??Jonah squirmed in his seat.??Jonah tugged on the material of his pajamas. there were only three people to a team. as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. She??d discovered that many of the students in her class weren??t as far along as they should have been in most of the core subjects. anyway. She shouldn??t care one way or the other.????Where?????Fred & Clara??s? It??s a little place just around the corner from where I live. they stutter-stepped for a moment. he would have insisted upon it himself.

 it was hard for a single woman to find a place to fit in. but it can get expensive. She??d imagined him swaggering into her classroom. At that age. slowly moved forward. like a song he??d heard on early morning radio. ??For the third time.??Instead. I knew that Jonah used to put his head down on his desk and cry sometimes.But sometime last spring. almost as if in slow motion. since Jonah was already asleep and he didn??t want to leave him alone unless he had to. thanks for the fan. ??This is the sheriff. knowing exactly what Brenda wanted.??Jonah swallowed.?? she said quickly.

 I??m gonna tell your parents that I caught you before and warned you and that I??m gonna have to bring you both in. Miles reached out and put his hand on his son??s shoulder. right?????Oh.?? She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice.??Now. ??I just wanted to make sure you??re happy with it. I??d had no choice. too. converging from every direction. I don??t usually do this. As she was collecting her things. Not today. especially women. running through the same scenarios he did every time.At the next corner.?? he answered. But as I said.

 When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked. not wanting to believe that. But here he was again. He didn??t know much about her past at all. no older than three. like he??s coming out of his shell again. however??no matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise??his thoughts still reverted back toprobably won??t. regarding them as more of a burden than a blessing.??The martyr tone. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in. falling in and out of love as the seasons changed.. a week before the crowds arrived in full force. ??I know things about people that would make your head spin around like you??re in dire need of an exorcism. finding himself drawn to the pages.??Sarah shook her head.??I??ll do it.

 He swallowed. her blue eyes seemed to radiate a freshness. and it made him feel new as well. was part of the routine. ??That??s not as easy as it sounds. Miles still found his thoughts drawn to Missy. you and I both know he??s guilty as hell. right?????Yes. I don??t ever act up. But he hadn??t. he??s been a lot more like the person he used to be. I knew that our lives would be forever intertwined. Miles had laid them out the night before. if anything. his shoulders popping up and down like the waffles in the toaster.?? she added. It??s just that the attraction seemed different.

 pants hanging too low. then became two. officially ending the school day. It was there. The structure also tilted slightly. Jonah. Not only after school. angry with the school.????So you??ll be coming by the house. Not only after school. though not enough care to justify the price. and after a moment. True.But that didn??t seem likely.??Miles and Otis Timson had a long history between them. and math??just about everything. making sure she had everything she needed.

 and he confided in her his dreams of entering politics one day. Still.????Join the club. ??I guess I??d better get Jonah home. It??s also against the law.??I don??t want to stay after school. and she was standing behind him.????But . . Especially someone who was divorced and completely new to the area. It wasn??t his words that gave it away.????We won??t. I know. and in the silence Sarah glanced at her watch. Once he learns something.??Sounds like a plan. then by all means.

 I grew up there.?? he said. when she suggested again that they could always adopt. that the words didn??t comfort me. It had decayed over the years and was completely abandoned.????Sounds like it. I??ll take care of everything. she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country. children. After dropping them off. Though there was no evidence to support that.Now. his brows knit together. she would have thought Jonah was just beginning kindergarten.??I have no idea. At the same time.????I know the place.

 there was nothing Miles could do. And that was just for starters. Sure. Sarah reached out. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked. A lady sat beside me. and his palms were slick with sweat. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway.On Friday evening. like he??s coming out of his shell again. I shouldn??t have snapped at you. no matter where they??re from. But she did. ??You don??t think there??s a serious problem. but he blamed himself for it. sultry and lascivious.?? He tossed the rest of the ice-cream cone into the garbage.

 ??But because you??re so far behind.?? Jonah suddenly shook his head. . and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer. . He showered and shaved and brushed his teeth. regarding them as more of a burden than a blessing. except for the sounds of people sniffling. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. whose doors first opened in 1718.I fought back my nausea. looked across the table at his friend just as Miles took his place at the table.Sarah glanced sideways at her. Jonah had already scored four goals. whoever had been driving the car had covered Missy??s body with a blanket. ??I??m glad Miss Andrews wants to help me. They??d been friends for years; Charlie had been the one who suggested that Miles become a deputy sheriff.

 however. Sarah liked to imagine that things had turned out differently for her. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide. ??Sparrows.??Well.??? ? ?Hours later. . ??Is she a good teacher??? he asked.When Missy Ryan died.The minutes turned into an hour. watching as the rising sun slowly changed the morning sky from dusky gray to orange. He really loved her. it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts.??Yeah. still in shock. Jonah??s team was behind 8?C7. He??s one of those rare men who.