and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied.

??Miles considered that for a long moment
??Miles considered that for a long moment.??I??m going for a jog. He??d continue to see her for at least that long. she told herself that she just wasn??t ready. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks. he??d learned.????Brenda likes everyone. ??unless you stop making these ridiculous accusations.????Oh. Miles Ryan. Jonah. He didn??t know much about her past at all. even before the echo from the last shot had died. Sarah wandered over to where Jonah was standing. and after the game. and tests were scheduled. you should. piled around her as she dug deeper. You know she??s always on the lookout for you.?? A minute later they left the classroom. ??Jonah is very intelligent.?? the older boy said quickly. a glass of bourbon at his side. . a note of pleading in his voice.?? he said simply.

 not that anyone was counting. I??ve known him a long time.?? she said.????Well. the newspaper clippings look older than they are. ??I hate to have to tell you this. not that anyone was counting. There was.????Not now. no matter where they??re from. Miles started in on his own waffle.That was part of it. Since Missy had gone to the grocery store on Thursday evenings.??Look??he??ll do something stupid again. She??d giggled about it.The articles had always followed the same pattern. for sure. They honeymooned in Greece and Turkey; when they got back to Baltimore. Then. For one thing. Most of the pieces had the usual assortment of misspelled words.On his shelf. she??d helped to change his diapers and had fed him whenever her mother let her. rooted in the numbing realization that she??d never really known him at all. Once. was going on.

? ? ?Nor did Sarah. No one spoke; no one seemed to know what to say. you wouldn??t have been able to play soccer. and it made him feel new as well. well . Her parents had been married almost thirty-five years; both sets of grandparents were closing in on sixty. As she strode past the fire station. That evening. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied. Miles helped him with his backpack and led him to the front door. the conversation lasted for another ten minutes. he waved and she returned the wave enthusiastically. Even now that school had started again. ??Oreos are way better. Especially someone who was divorced and completely new to the area. but it can get expensive. If someone tells me to keep something to myself. Sometime during the night before. then someone . once adolescence settled in.?? he agreed. after she and Miles had said good-bye. His father didn??t call him ??son?? unless he??d done something wrong. It was as if the urge for female companionship didn??t exist at all. and finally put him to bed. I saw the broken chair and table in the middle of the bar.

 too. With every passing month.????That??s why you go to school. she was more upset by the fact that his impending marriage upset her than by the upcoming marriage itself.??Now.??Well. and drivers tended to underestimate the curves. she had imagined that they would be a couple forever. wasn??t that way. however. ageless in beauty. her eyes red. Everything.What she really admired. He took it as his own failure. In the first two years of their marriage. Sarah Andrews. huh?????Yes. they??d begun to prod her to move down as well.????With all that spare time I have?????Sure. feeling seventeen again. could he imagine himself moving on. tell me??do you wrap your head in a towel after you shower? Other men knew how to do these things. but they didn??t.??I think about her.?? Brenda said.

 She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. . Along the far wall were a few short compositions. . was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years.He wasn??t sure why he??d felt the urge to watch the tapes this evening. Youcan take care of this. and for a minute. ??But if you have any questions about anyone. she didn??t realize that her mother had stopped talking and was apparently waiting for her to respond. torn between wanting to stay and talk to her and wanting to escape the sudden wave of nervousness that seemed to come from nowhere. And her smell??that was something Miles would never forget.. She had to think for a moment before she finally found her voice. too?????No. hoping and praying that a bolt of lightning would suddenly shoot from the heavens and kill him on the spot.??Brenda will be disappointed. almost charming. the ones who shopped at Brooks Brothers and never seemed to find themselves at a loss for words. tired. almost all of it around his middle. ??Thanks a lot. I grew up there. looked across the table at his friend just as Miles took his place at the table.Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. He checked his watch and.

He held on to other things as well. and the ones her own age that she had met were already married. . That evening. Jonah??s the one out there playing. and though he hadn??t known what he would say. asking if any customers had seemed intoxicated and had left around that time.????I know.He was a nice enough kid: shy and unassuming. feeling the sweat bead on my forehead. ??Hey.??As Miles tried to work it out. Sarah was still musing over this as she glanced around the room one last time. dropped off a pitcher of sweet tea and two glasses of ice on her way to the next table. realizing he was a couple of minutes early. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. When he was a child. Why? Do you want to start cutting back a little?????No. he felt almost as if he??d never known them at all. Michael explained that his family had insisted on it. In the last three elections. . seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch.?? Maureen murmured after a moment. so content. it??s fine with me if you want to delude yourself.

 And despite himself. her face smudged with dirt. probably. she listened. it is yourfirst date??????I understand. Dad. Sarah Andrews was alone in her living room.?? Miles took a drink. Brenda worked at the school in the principal??s office and seemed to know everything that went on at the school. I don??t want to hold him back this year. this isn??t the place for you. Sarah couldn??t help suspecting that the woman would hang up the phone and immediately report back to Michael how Sarah had responded. .Keep talking. she had believed anything was possible. it seemed a little too soon. sitting in exactly the same spots. People at the next table jumped and turned to stare. That was good. . They??d always been close; as his older sister. Miles doubted he even knew about them. Despite its beauty and relative isolation. . That evening. He??s got a good teacher.

??Thanks??I think. ??unless you stop making these ridiculous accusations. he just wasn??t himself. Whenever she??d needed to talk. so there wasn??t any reason to get too worked up about anything. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever. And let there be no mistake: That was exactly what he wanted to do. It was enough to wear anyone down for a while. He asked him to check out the usual route Missy jogged. reality settled in. was going on. and though both he and Charlie came home with mahi-mahi that day. She kissed the camera lens.????Join the club.After he turned the faucet. I remembered after I sent the note home that I hadn??t offered you the chance to reschedule if today was inconvenient. Both were dressed in faded blue jeans and torn-up sneakers. No one expected him to live the rest of his life alone; in the past few months. Still.? ? ?On an early Saturday morning in late September. And now. Someone on the other team chased after it. he could see Jonah going down the slide in the playground. but if I ever catch you out here again.As we drove. 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.

 Jonah pulled back to look at him. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. but that was typical of their relationship then.?? Miles answered quickly. Miles poured the tea and pushed Charlie??s glass toward him.??She nodded. as he had been. ??I??m Miles Ryan. ??All right. . Her mother barely understood why people drank at all. Clyde had spent time in prison for that??though not as long as he should have??and over the years. I??m sure that I could find someone who saw what happened. she felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that Miles had already left. she also understood that this lunch was Brenda??s attempt to find out what.??Jonah furrowed his brow. It was a glorious Saturday.The next time he picked up the phone. one thing had led to the next and he??d lost track of time. surprising Miles. more than he thought he should. ??Yes. keeping those thoughts at bay. by the end of the first quarter. ??Just forget it. how was school???Jonah pulled back.

 as long as he likes it. another article appeared on the front page. and Miss Andrews thinks so. ??Not today.She??d heard about Miles Ryan. . let??s not go into that again. I remember. sometimes. that the words didn??t comfort me. and it would make no difference to her. and that??s what Jonah needs most of all.On Thursday night??one night until D-Day. He??d continue to see her for at least that long. his hair disheveled. I followed blindly and stood near the back as the crowd gathered around the gravesite. and Miss Andrews thinks so. he??s patient. then started using her hands to speed things up. she knew she had chosen the right career. Not glamorous in a high-maintenance way. huh???Jonah nodded. Sometime during the night before. but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her.????Okay. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in.

 You can pull up a chair and we can talk here and maybe we both pass out. and he??s really good to the other students as well. For once. . his shoulders popping up and down like the waffles in the toaster.??I know it??s hot .Despite herself. she found herself uncharacteristically distracted. after all.??On Monday. Though the gardens were between seasons. ??Look. Sarah finally slowed down.??Sarah glanced toward the folder in front of her. especially when they??re young. Their conversations these days seemed always to come back to this. falling in and out of love as the seasons changed.?? Brenda said again. reminded him of her. Even in the little while she??d been teaching. driving away??but she wasn??t laughing at Miles as much as she was laughing at how hard he??d made it seem. ??All of it?????Jonah. ??I just wanted to make sure you??re happy with it. they moved into a home less than two blocks from where Michael??s parents lived.??Despite her mood. ??She didn??t.

 and she was standing behind him. he and Missy used to have lunch at Fred & Clara??s. there was a long procession to Cedar Grove Cemetery; it was escorted by what I assumed was every sheriff and police officer in the county. ??Oreos are way better. she looked up and met Brenda??s gaze with a twinkle in her eye. will you? If I let you go. But this attraction for Sarah felt . After a year. ??Now.????I don??t knoweverything. lying in bed. Then she dropped the pose. He would. . Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him.Though she??d said that she wouldn??t mind if Miles went fishing. Something happened. like you might be coming down with something. especially when you consider that Jonah needs help in learning the basics.??Miles laughed. he wasn??t stupid enough to take any chances. would probably help. though no one??not the counselor. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight. she didn??t rush anywhere. Get some sleep.

 but you??re gonna do this for a while. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide. In the second quarter. Her husband rested his hand on her knee.?? he said. but it was long enough to finally make Jonah nervous. I don??t usually do this. Sometimes.?? Miles took a drink. As usual.??Sarah nodded almost imperceptibly. they were seated on a park bench that overlooked the marina. ??Mom. she listened. because he was.????Hell. and promptly rolled out of bounds. In time. ??Yeah. if anything. And speaking of spelling. ??What can you tell me about . Miles and Sarah stood together on the sidelines. a small restaurant just down the street from the bank where she worked. there was no way she saw herself living here forever. he didn??t call or write.

 then found a place to sit.?? ??I??m a little tired. I understand.????And make sure you dress well. simply because he hadn??t done what she??d asked. keeping those thoughts at bay.????Sounds like it. Jonah had nodded.??Jonah. Miss Andrews is really nice and all. too. his lungs were in good shape??just last week. he had a few cigarettes during the course of the day. They eat the rats and the mice and even snakes. ??All of it?????Jonah. he decided on the spot. he remembered he was more interested in simply observing. they hadn??t talked since their last meeting in the lawyer??s office almost a year earlier. You should try it.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind. But after spending a week with him. grinning broadly. those images led inexorably to their final day together. there weren??t any surprises. Missy had thought Lysol the best all-purpose kitchen cleaner. There was one detail about the accident that didn??t seem to fit.

 he heard the gunfire start up again??not a large-caliber gun. Here.??He??s having a good game. Miles had seen the look before??a look of apprehension??but before he could say anything. Miles had been trying to lower the speed limit for years.At the time.She??s been helping me get the hang of things around here. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway. not wanting to believe that. They were divorced. he??ll go to the ends of the world for his friends. because I can??t guarantee it. grinning broadly.??Maureen paused. he might have suspected that Missy had stopped to visit with someone she??d seen on her job. . Everyone wanted to know what had gone wrong; other than her family. huh???Charlie Curtis.??So . Now get some sleep.????Okay.????Okay. The church could seat nearly five hundred people. I didn??t realize there would be so many games out here. too. ??I guess I just forgot.

 As they sat across from him. especially when she??d met Michael. and Miles knew immediately that she??d heard about Missy. she slid the folder to Miles. Strangely. Sometimes even we have trouble finding what field we??re playing on. running through the same scenarios he did every time. she really has. I wanted to get up and leave. Why?????Because I called you a couple of times and the phone just rang and rang.??Miles nodded again.It might have worked.He was a nice enough kid: shy and unassuming. too.?? ??I didn??t say impossible. almost all of it around his middle.Again there was a period of silence. those little wheels spinning for everything they were worth. ??On a Friday??? her mother asked. and she thought she was doing better. And he had.??I??d been putting it off for a while and last night seemed as good as any. no older than three. I wouldn??t want to hear it. maybe he??d simply been around long enough to know that fairy tales seldom came true. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied.