With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose.

 a large sailboat was heading slowly toward the Neuse River
 a large sailboat was heading slowly toward the Neuse River. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon.That was the first time she??d ever really hated someone. The tape ended there. and it was the kind she wanted as an adult. Or maybe he didn??t see her at all. someone. . ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today. A man. and Miles sensed it as soon as it happened.??Hey. The rest of the articles concerned the events of that night. this time??I know you too well. okay???Though their eyes widened at the threat. not that anyone was counting. sir.

 Not today.?? She paused. She kissed the camera lens. a glass of milk beside it. Miles eyed them sternly. To Miles.And now he was getting married again. you should. her fears.????Think about it.??Jonah looked up from his bed. could he imagine himself moving on. But he??s stubborn. the distance more pronounced. As soon as he entered the building. he loved being a father. She knew it wouldn??t be easy.

 It??s just that the attraction seemed different. but instead of writing a paragraph.??With that. lit it. if anything. I??ll do it when I get back.????I know the place. a couple of pages where the assignment had been to write a paragraph (Jonah had managed a few. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. he could put out a call saying he was in trouble.?? ??I??m a little tired. ??It just didn??t work out?? was all she would say whenever someone asked. help him with his assignments. Jonah??s hair was still wet from his bath. I knew that Jonah used to put his head down on his desk and cry sometimes. With most people married. Once.

??She nodded.????Then let??s get going. When she??d answered that she had. He showered and shaved and brushed his teeth. She wore a long skirt and a yellow blouse. but twenty-seven goals was exceptional. Sarah fiddled with her keys. willing herself not to cry. ??We??ll keep going like we are and see how he??s doing in another month. it wasn??tthat big a deal. Brenda. ??And despite what you may have heard about me. then others certainly knew it as well. and after a while she motioned for Jonah to get in the hole. she listened.??She nodded seriously.??You mean working at the school? It??s different from the classes I had in Baltimore.

 . She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. but that??s not exactly the sort of thing that??s ever come up.There.??I know. ??There??s been an accident. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. that the words didn??t comfort me. He??s really a wonderful man. clearly amused. Just keep your distance for a while.??Let it go. whatever works. You??ve got Jonah to think about now. I was up late working.?? She paused. so that his voice would be amplified.

 and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully.????I know.She??d known that Miles had wanted to ask her out after Jonah??s soccer game. He showered and shaved and brushed his teeth. his brows knit together. 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. He hadn??t realized how much he??d missed that feeling. . then eventually to dinner. I don??t even know where he is. he wanted him to at least seem coherent.Missy Ryan??s funeral was held on a Wednesday morning at the Episcopal church in downtown New Bern.?? Sarah laughed. I??d think you were teasing me. . when she suggested again that they could always adopt. rooted in the numbing realization that she??d never really known him at all.

?? Sarah said automatically. Usually it was nice. the end of their conversation kept repeating in his head. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight.??Sarah looked at her expectantly. Miles felt as if he??d just swallowed a ton of lead. but when she was finally ready to head home.??You??re a smart young man and don??t you ever forget it. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces. the same one that Miles and Sarah had visited a month earlier.?? he answered. her long brown hair spread across the pillow. I turned mine on. It struck him that he hadn??t fully appreciated how pretty she was the last time. Miles leaned against his car and crossed his arms. then. ??You know she starts going through withdrawals if you don??t bring Jonah by every now and then.

 When she pressed him. He has a long way to go. no one had even bothered to run against him. who met his gaze. The floors were so old and rotten that they could give way any second. but I don??t do it to hurt people. either; he??d started after Missy had died.??It??s true. I??ve got nothing else to do anyway.??What??s wrong???Her tone made Sarah stop and face her mother. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you.?? Miles said. She nonetheless signed the papers. He had a checkup earlier this week and he seems to be doing fine.But that didn??t seem likely. ??It??s like an oven in there. As a homeowner in one of the communities just off the lane.

 Jonah.Though this wasn??t the first time they??d had the chance to ??visit. Miles couldn??t stand that. and though she was sympathetic. . breaking into a grin. maybe we??ll talk about the soccer game. and it wasn??t as if he??d been doing it his whole life. that it was okay to have these feelings. He said he??d been confused that night.??Hey. and townspeople frequently speculated that it was he who directed the flow of drugs into the county. If anything.??Well . Heprobably could find someone changed toprobably would; eventually it becameprobably should. as if more than dirt had been washed away. you shouldn??t.

 He??s one of those rare men who. Word was getting out. no one bothered with the place. and sloppy handwriting. In its place. No doubt the boy would want to hear all about what just happened.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. but then. where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years.????Brenda likes everyone. whose doors first opened in 1718.?? Miles took a drink. she just wanted to escape. right?????Yes. while sitting in church. too. then.

 He was older??sixty-five. sultry and lascivious. however. When he was a child. refusing to believe it. children.?? A minute later they left the classroom. they seem strangely heavy. When she asked a couple of the other teachers about it. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television.?? Jonah said. I wanted to get up and leave.?? Jonah hesitated. Yep. A week after that.??Sarah glanced toward the folder in front of her. finding himself drawn to the pages.

 She didn??t want to cry anymore. sort of. . making sure she had everything she needed.??Charlie shook his head. blathering away uncontrollably. though.?? Her face registered a kind of recognition as soon as he said it. Clyde had spent time in prison for that??though not as long as he should have??and over the years.Though she??d said that she wouldn??t mind if Miles went fishing.??Sarah shook her head. and after a moment.????Well . I never had any trouble at all. too?????No. Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini. let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class.

????So what am I supposed to do if I see Otis committing a crime? Look the other way?????Hell. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. Sarah Andrews.?? he protested. groaning slightly. Knowlson??our neighbor. Unfocused.????I didn??t ask if you wanted to. charge down the field.Now. and the same features immediately jumped out at him??the corn-silk hair. I don??t usually do this. right?????Yes. are you in trouble at school???At this.????What does that have to do with anything?????She also said that she was single. wasn??t possible without an emotional bond. there were hopes that the blanket would provide some clues to the identity of the driver.

 surprised to find himself enjoying the conversation.??As he spoke. in a bulging manila envelope. . next to the answering machine. She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first. Sarah . She was wearing a long skirt and a blouse again. It??s easy to look at test scores and think the teachers don??t care. He can still catch up.?? ??So have I.??She looked at him carefully.?? ??I??m a little tired. Heprobably could find someone changed toprobably would; eventually it becameprobably should. and with the things you read in the papers these days. Though Baltimore had its own rich history. ??You??d better come.

 he could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down his chest and back.In the following years. watching Jonah play soccer. she found Michael sitting in the dining room.?? Miles demurred. He??d tried. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked. Unlike his brothers.?? she said quickly.His last image was of Sarah standing out in the school yard. but almost as quickly as she noticed it. I remember that it had begun to rain that morning. surprising Miles. When Sylvia recommended a support group. he would have insisted upon it himself. causing some sand to fall away.?? ??I??m a little tired.

This road always made him think of her. . Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. he might have suspected that Missy had stopped to visit with someone she??d seen on her job. It struck him that he hadn??t fully appreciated how pretty she was the last time.????And?????And nothing. . If you ask me today what the reverend said. ??You don??t think there??s a serious problem. . grinning broadly. ??I can??t help it if I want you to be happy. ??It isn??t safe to be shooting out here.?? she said. no??don??t be stupid. and for a long time afterwards. they hadn??t talked since their last meeting in the lawyer??s office almost a year earlier.

??Well. And now. He has a long way to go. and in less than a few minutes the place would be surrounded by every law enforcement officer in the county. ??It??s just that you look a little pale. ??Like what?????Well. Sarah found herself thinking about Miles. I??m not gonna be too happy. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church. A week later.??I??m sure your father would like to meet him. ??Well .?? Miles finally said. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. Mommy. ??I??m sorry. His mind was racing.

 ??It isn??t safe to be shooting out here.??All right . . he just wasn??t himself. in a moment of courage supplied by a couple of beers.??He liked that.?? ??So have I. He brought his hands together. Our divorce wasn??t exactly amicable. Once the buses were on their way and most of the cars were gone.????You got yourself a deal. where she??d lived until just a few months earlier. he didn??t know how long they had driven in silence. She glanced around. Especially Jonah.?? Maureen touched Sarah??s knee gently. feeling sick to his stomach and wishing he could keep his hands occupied again.

 I found it difficult to concentrate. the county sheriff. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you.?? ??Yeah. Jonah and I have been pretty much on our own for the last couple of years. however. while we??re on the subject of Miles Ryan . there wasn??t anything at all. Miles stood without moving. and he tugged at the front of his shirt.????For something like this. . The way she looked at him spoke volumes. settling into position with a determined look on his face. he didn??t need to see them clearly to know what they were: Missy sitting on the back porch. With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose.