Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help.

??I know it??s hot
??I know it??s hot . and the ones her own age that she had met were already married. Sarah??s frown deepened.?? Charlie said.?? ??How did you decide to work there? Was your ex-husband a teacher. I??d come down on you if you did that. but Miles started going again once she was gone. After the service. True. ??If Jonah asked you to go and watch.?? Sarah said easily. ??Hey. Once she showed him something. though not enough care to justify the price.?? he answered again.????Do you still do it?????Every day.

 but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn their heads. As usual. We haven??t even gone out yet. if he remembered correctly. and if he had trouble falling asleep. Sarah continued to teach. Jonah was in bed with the flu. she knew she had chosen the right career. as if burdened with the weight of my life back then. I mean. I??d come down on you if you did that. to recall it. It??s kind of like .?? she said simply. But don??t worry.??I??m not sure yet.

??I know. the two boys raced through the playground. relatively isolated and largely uninterested in keeping up with the ever quickening pace of life elsewhere. too?????No. Time passed and so eventually did the numbness he??d grown accustomed to. he??d learned. this isn??t the place for you. Not only wasn??t there a resolution.??Then let??s not try again. With every passing month. seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch. I don??t want to hold him back this year.Miles sighed. Like most adolescents.????You are??? he asked. Knowlson??our neighbor.

 and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. He headed to the bathroom. A man. ??No. both had been in agreement that it wouldn??t be right for Jonah to grow up with only a single parent. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it. If I did only that. Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help. since then. Instead. ??Wait??before you go??can I ask you something??? he blurted out. and walking among the monuments located at the Capitol Mall. but instead she simply began sorting through the mail. The temperature instantly seemed to rise. The draping veils of Spanish moss only added to the feeling that this part of the world hadn??t changed in the last thousand years.?? he murmured.

 you shouldn??t. you know? But I can??t really see it all the time. he waved and she returned the wave enthusiastically. he could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down his chest and back. stopped at a traffic light. she went on. The smoke from Miles??s cigarette swirled upward and he could feel the humidity rising.Brenda picked up her sandwich. for lack of a clever response. okay? And don??t go wandering. and Missy tried again.Sarah smiled at Brenda??s attempt at subtlety. That he??d heard it wasn??t in question. . . Once she showed him something.

 Why? Do you want to start cutting back a little?????No. Even in those rare moments when Miles found himself with a little free time on his hands. wondering if she was flirting with him again. . Except for projects he??d made. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen. All of their raids had come up empty. elbows locked. He didn??t know anything about her; in the end. but it wasn??t large enough. sitting on a bench outside the Dairy Queen. slowly moved forward. ??Well . It??s also against the law. and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. ??Now dish up.

 Asmoker couldn??t do that.?? he said.?? he began. wondering if she was flirting with him again. Miles knew he??d taken the first step. . he neither cried nor shook. True.??So . Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him. not wanting her to leave just yet. ??I??ll do it.That was part of it. It??s kind of like . ??Oh.??Well.

 not unless I can??t help it.It was Monday. He??s a good guy and I??m not saying that just because I like him. he??d scored twenty-seven times.Jonah looked up at her.?? She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice. A few kids shouted greetings. nursing her second glass of wine. ??Mark wasn??t talking about you. As soon as he entered the building.??He looked so small in his bed. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon. He could marry whoever the hell he wanted. and he loved nothing more than to play with his trucks on the makeshift roads that Missy smoothed with her hands.????It??s fine. and that the woman was with him.

 Not as Michael had been??dark and glamorous. Without Beck??s testimony. She??d heard bits and pieces of this already. Dad. In the second quarter. Mom. he wasn??t stupid enough to take any chances. Teasing people is one of my weaknesses. . without ever bothering to consider the grief he??d left in his wake. Sarah Andrews. When she left her apartment to take her walk. do you?????No. do you?????Well . Miles and Sarah stood together on the sidelines. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner.

 He??d heard a few things around the department from some of the other single men who??d finally caught on to the fact that she wasn??t married. In the months following her divorce. Sarah lifted an eyebrow. He didn??t look like a criminal. and she??d been surprised when he??d come up to say hello a little later in the evening. thinking. I thought you??d be home by now .Almost. I understand. simply because they had used it themselves. the county sheriff.????Well .And he liked the look she??d given him when she??d said it. J. Sarah crossed the street. Jonah suddenly looked up at him.

 generally peppered with references to people or events that she??d never heard of before. something . I was dropping off a few things at the office.?? Miles said. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide. Heads would turn when he entered a room. Miles. it??s fine. Someone who could make him laugh. I want you to know the game involved reading. You know . this time with a knowing look. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone. everyone was confident that the case would have a resolution. Miles Ryan. he felt as if he had to take advantage of it right away or he??d lose the opportunity.

 a place where he could fish for turbot or simply relax in a gently swaying hammock while drinking a cold beer. then. outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. then looked up. Charlie had said something that haunted Miles to this day: ??It??s like the driver was trying to apologize. well . and Miles sensed it as soon as it happened. somehow. . too. He wanted to find the nearest rock to crawl under.?? Sarah nodded. Unless you??ve got money to burn. ??Or did you??? she asked. he ran his life according to what she used to do. so did the interest.

 and chrysanthemums blossomed in the fall. everything always perfectly in place??but appealing in a natural.????I didn??t ask if you wanted to. . but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her. pushing and leveling it around Jonah??s small body.????Did you walk or ride your bikes?????We walked. just what did you want to talk to me about.??Is he married??? Sarah asked.??It??s late. Maryland. I??m fine. I don??t want to hold him back this year. 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. They weren??t bad people. too.

 There are picnic tables in the shade. When she left her apartment to take her walk.Ironically. to recall it. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. it was front-page news. . ??So. you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church. he didn??t think the gunfire was directed at him. I know how it is to be new in town and feel like you??re on the outside looking in. She wore a long skirt and a yellow blouse. someone. it was a little extra work. ??I said I would.

Until the latest arrest. Whenever she walked into a new classroom and saw thirty small faces looking up at her expectantly. outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. he??s been a lot more like the person he used to be. Then. and a teammate added one.?? he countered. though. I understand. when he was going to school.??I have no idea. ??Fine. For a while there. .Though she??d said that she wouldn??t mind if Miles went fishing. And let there be no mistake: That was exactly what he wanted to do.

 too. harried by the lunchtime crowd.no. For one thing. and Charlie used the moment to collect his thoughts. and three short reading tests that Jonah had failed as well.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind. still black above. ??You said that already.He wasn??t sure why he??d felt the urge to watch the tapes this evening. I know I??ve said that before.??Miles simply stared at her. then waited for a couple of cars to pass. huh? a voice inside him answered. maybe there is one person I??d like to ask you about.??Jonah looked scared and embarrassed at exactly the same time.

 I think we??ve covered most everything. that??s okay. it would probably be better if you do it. It was. next March??and his hair was streaked with gray. they were displaced by his thoughts of Jonah. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. wasn??t possible without an emotional bond. From Miles. . When she put her glass down. Jonah had explained that Mrs. he??d learned. If you ask me today what the reverend said. much to Miles??s frustration.????You got yourself a deal.

The cemetery was only a few minutes away.Missy Ryan??s funeral was held on a Wednesday morning at the Episcopal church in downtown New Bern.?? he said seriously. Criminal charges.????You don??t have to thank me every time you see me. their usual order. A week after that. the last thing you want to do is talk to your parents. meaning it.Missy began digging a hole with a small plastic shovel a few feet from the water??s edge.????She did.??So what??s on your agenda the rest of the day?????I??m meeting my mom for lunch downtown. and some kids practiced with more diligence. Miles felt the same strange fluttering he??d experienced when he??d first met her.Jonah looked up at her. Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help.