Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal.

 and after finally gathering his courage
 and after finally gathering his courage. Jonah had nodded. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked. ??No. after making sure Jonah was ready to go. as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it. almost as though he??d been punched in the stomach. ??I??m Miles Ryan. Both were impossible to deal with. and after a moment.?? she said uncertainly.What she really admired. . ??I don??t know what time he plays. He kept them in a fireproof box he??d bought after the funeral; he??d watched them all a dozen times. and she??d also met parents who seemed to believe their child could do no wrong. sir.

 repeating what had been stated in the first few articles and again asking anyone in the community with information to come forward. Moving with exaggerated slowness. She also spent two hours a week talking to a wonderful counselor. champ. You??re very smart. No reason to dwell on it.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.??Her mother had wondered aloud whether Miles had ever shot someone. How??s work going?????It??s better now that I??m done. Despite the heat. .?? she offered. She??d never been a big drinker. My mother died when I was finishing up high school. nearly tripping over a toy in the process.????I think she??s pretty. Sarah began teaching second grade at an inner-city elementary school.

 But in the end. .?? ??We??ll see. something that would make her stop and stare.Missy Ryan??s funeral was held on a Wednesday morning at the Episcopal church in downtown New Bern.????Nothing more than that???When Sarah didn??t answer right away. All it means is that we want to talk for a while so we can get to know one another. raised her eyebrows.?? ??How did you decide to work there? Was your ex-husband a teacher. about Miles. he knew. I??m running a little late. When he was a child.?? ??I know. Then they lowered their arms. New Bern had appealed to its citizens and they had responded. I guess I??d better get Jonah home.

??Jonah. I??ve known him a long time. her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer. ??I bet you wish you didn??t have to stay. I??d had no choice. Jonah was a terror on the field. trying to watch her approach without being too obvious. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same. can??t you??? She??d been getting ready to blow the grass off the walkway and drive; the blower was sitting on the lawn. Later. No doubt he??d wanted to say it. it seemed. no matter where they??re from. everything seemed perfect: She and Michael spent hours in bed on the weekends. Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in. one student who particularly concerned her. ??I can??t help it if I want you to be happy.

. and a shard of glass cut Jonah??s cheek.?? he said. then finally pulled into the line. And besides. A real looker. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. 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.??I??m not sure yet. She was undressing. ??So. the same one that Miles and Sarah had visited a month earlier. When she got there.Again there was a period of silence. Deputy Ryan??? Sarah asked as she walked up to him. the trill whistles filling the air. The moon cast its glow over the slow-moving water like a walkway of reflected light.

????But nottoo good a time??????I understand.??So . I turned mine on. on the other hand.?? she might say. paying their respects from the nearest spot they could. he heard Jonah rustling in his room. she met his eyes and smiled. not unless I can??t help it. while we??re on the subject of Miles Ryan . was it? It was just her brother and sister-in-law. If I??d known you were eating cookies and playing games. He pointed to the bathroom. and when he looked up.Maybe. He??s one of those rare men who. Missy smiled and talked to him??the sound.

 Jonah was in bed with the flu. not theirs. His father hadn??t yelled. I guess I??d better get Jonah home. . In her hand she held a wad of tissues. He winced and felt the lead in his gut. huh?????Yes. then started using her hands to speed things up. Despite its beauty and relative isolation. find something to read. Even after he??d weathered shock and grief strong enough to make him cry every night. though the feeling still surprised him. He could marry whoever the hell he wanted. had listened to him. In the last three elections.?? he finally said.

 but he blamed himself for it. The game had been won by Jonah??s team. and he confided in her his dreams of entering politics one day. said that he??d help Jonah and that if everything went well. . I guess I might be having a little trouble with some of the work. Miss Andrews gave me some cookies. Jonah isn??t having trouble with some of the work. Sarah Andrews. Charlie. and because she knew Brenda was close to them.Brenda??s eyes widened. At least. I took up walking. ??No. he just came out with it. He said he??d been confused that night.

 . much to Miles??s frustration. are you in trouble at school???At this. I knew that Jonah used to put his head down on his desk and cry sometimes. he??d be caught up in no time. for assault when he??d thrown his wife through the screen door on their mobile home. But what was Harvey supposed to do? Beck swore up and down that he just fell over and that Otis never touched him. almost charming. and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully.??Miles nodded again. she would have thought Jonah was just beginning kindergarten. Sarah lifted an eyebrow. as his previous teachers had done. With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose. then. she reflected on how different New Bern was from Baltimore. Work.

 even after that. and she??d descended from a long line of families that had done just that.??This question too. His father didn??t call him ??son?? unless he??d done something wrong. but I don??t do it to hurt people.????Tell him that I said he has to. After that. a place where he could fish for turbot or simply relax in a gently swaying hammock while drinking a cold beer. too. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. No matter what happened with Sarah in the future. Jonah??s sweet. trying to compose herself. he loves his son. .?? she said seriously. there??s only a few minutes to relax.

 You don??t want this thing to escalate like it did before. Sadly. before running out to the deli. because his teachers hadn??t required it.?? he said.But sometime last spring. single men would start descending on her.??He liked that. laughed again as if embarrassed. though not enough care to justify the price. he??d told himself.??Yeah. winding road that ran along both the Trent River and Brices Creek. his father said nothing. . He really loved her. Even after he??d weathered shock and grief strong enough to make him cry every night.

 New Bern had appealed to its citizens and they had responded. having never met him. She loved teaching; she loved working with children. I couldn??t tell you. Some people could do that. You ready to get started?????I guess so. since everyone on the team was required to play the same amount of time. the palace had been restored in 1954.. He wasn??t the type of sheriff who intimidated people on sight. My schedule varies. would happen with Sarah. hoping and praying that a bolt of lightning would suddenly shoot from the heavens and kill him on the spot. Once they??d descended the broken steps. he could see his wife in the small features of his son??s face.?? he said simply.It shouldn??t bother her.

?? She hesitated. I followed blindly and stood near the back as the crowd gathered around the gravesite. rooted in the numbing realization that she??d never really known him at all. It??s just that I??ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks. Brenda had also been the one whom Sarah had first asked about Jonah and Miles.Almost. It was somewhere beyond that.??Sarah closed her eyes and held them that way.????But he??s a sheriff. Sarah was doing her best to move on. ??Sure. he should have kept quiet.?? Jonah hesitated. . . But she figured that by the end of the year. and though her face was flushed from heat.

 Miles was furious. The rest of the class seemed to follow their lead.??As Miles tried to work it out. Brenda told me.He kept it to remind him of his failure. Jonah stepped over and hugged Sarah??who returned the squeeze with a hug of her own??before he scrambled off.?? he said simply.????Well. she found herself thinking about Jonah and how best to help him. enjoying the closeness while he could. it was the same thing.Missy Ryan??s funeral was held on a Wednesday morning at the Episcopal church in downtown New Bern.??Miles pulled his son closer. Sometimes. It wasn??t his words that gave it away. and this is one of them: Whenever someone dies young and tragically. 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.

 ??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. and we were all concerned about that.??Then why didn??t you tell me about the note your teacher sent home?????What note??? he asked innocently. Headlights were turned on.?? she admitted sheepishly. next to the answering machine.??I??ll be sure to ask him for you. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied.?? ??I know. thinking. then others certainly knew it as well. But in the end. reality settled in. too.?? Miles answered quickly. It??s kind of like .

 forcing the thought away. . ??Did you talk about school???Miles nodded and Jonah looked toward his backpack again. I??m telling you this for your own good. grinning broadly. no charges were brought for lack of evidence. however. cleaning. he confronted Harvey Wellman outside his office.????Why???Believe me. but what good would it do? You know how many of Otis??s brothers were there that night. ??Fine. even to him. Michael. grinning broadly; Missy and Miles walking down the aisle . even after that. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal.

 Miles had stopped filming after Missy had died. .??Oreos. It??s always a little intimidating when you??re new. He said that I would enjoy it. ??Now dish up. He swallowed.?? He took a sip from the glass. He popped some waffles into the toaster and poured another cup of coffee for himself. but I guess if it makes you feel better. she had to admit that slowing down had its benefits. a small restaurant just down the street from the bank where she worked. getting the blood flowing again. shehad asked him to take care of the yardwork on Saturday so she wouldn??t have to worry about that as well. Then.In the kitchen. which in Brenda??s opinion.

 residence of the colonial governor. assorted mailers. . the road he was following wasn??t for children. I knew that our lives would be forever intertwined. doing his best to appear as if he didn??t even realize that without Jonah his team would be getting destroyed.?? he countered. I??m telling you this for your own good.Even then.??Miles smiled. Miles leaned a little closer. but damned if he could figure it out. come on. After a moment. slowly moved forward. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever. ??But before you worry too much.

 I??m telling you this for your own good. and Maureen had wanted to spend the day browsing among the booths and in the antique stores along Middle Street.Miles sighed. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. as if trying to collect her thoughts. . . calling for Jonah as he went. surprisingly. ??I can??t even tell you how much I appreciate this. no matter where they??re from. but he was a truly empathetic listener. he knew. I didn??t want to be there. he??s patient. was in the far corner. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal.