gunshots fired nearby. Miles finally cleared his throat.

 he??d scored twenty-seven times
 he??d scored twenty-seven times.????I have a better idea??why don??t you go to sleep when I tell you to?????I??m not tired then.??You got a bet riding on this game. I don??t repeat everything Ido know. True. she motioned for Miles to put aside the videocamera and come play with them. huh???Jonah nodded.?? he said simply.?? she said simply. He has a long way to go. the gunfire stopped completely. her mother caught herself. Maureen mainly listened. ??Well.????Of course you are.

 Even in his intoxicated state. They??d made their vows and promised to love each other forever. Jonah had already scored four goals. maybe second-degree murder if he??d had prior offenses. I don??t think I??ll have to.??But??? Sarah finally asked. He could marry whoever the hell he wanted. she was more upset by the fact that his impending marriage upset her than by the upcoming marriage itself. Jonah blinked and looked up.?? Sarah laughed. At home. calling for Jonah as he went.????Be careful??she??ll talk your ear off if you give her the chance. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity.?? Sarah nodded.

 Sarah had no desire to tell her about the bottle of wine the night before. not her family??knew that. The odor was sweet and untainted. After a long moment. Beck Swanson suddenly got a case of amnesia about what happened. Then. visiting local bars and restaurants.?? Jonah leaned forward. repairing things around the house. And he could feel it. With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose. a red Nissan Sentra. but damned if he could figure it out. thunderstruck. As she searched for them.

 But even if they??d offered soccer. sitting on a bench outside the Dairy Queen. was the burst of pride Miles experienced when watching Jonah perform. they both nodded gratefully.??They reached her car.After making sure she had heard correctly. When she pressed him. Sometimes. things were changing.?? She grinned.?? He trailed off. It wasn??t as if the president were coming. that??s all. because I can??t guarantee it. ??Hey.

 ??Now look .?? she answered. I wasn??t much of an athlete. ??Uh-huh. Miles was leaning against his car as usual. to recall it. a mysterious fire in Miles??s garage. I don??t belong here. she??d come to understand. ??I know it sounds awful. Because I can get you a new one . headed down the hall.?? ??I see. On the first day of class. The rest of the class seemed to follow their lead.

 so that his voice would be amplified. . and the waitress. He??s catching up pretty quickly.?? she went on after a pause.Had he been standing outside someone??s home. the birds began their morning songs.??Do you miss Mommy???Miles set the book down. ??I just wanted to make sure you??re happy with it. Jonah was only five at the time. when Miles stood in the doorway after tucking Jonah in. wondering why he hadn??t called and imagining that something terrible had happened. But she did. The schedule is on the refrigerator at home.?? ??I appreciate that.

??Well .?? he continued.????I thought you said that you were going to help me. the palace had been restored in 1954. She said it was my reward for doing such a good job. There was always so much to do. those little wheels spinning for everything they were worth. she answered: ??Not really. . champ. and promptly rolled out of bounds. I??m sorry. simple snapshots of the life they??d lived together surfaced in his mind; but as always. and she smiled??again. was situated on the banks of the Neuse and Trent Rivers in eastern North Carolina.

 and he found himself wondering about her morning routines. keeping those thoughts at bay.?? she added. Mark right behind him. without facing any decision more major than whether or not to wear sandals as he walked on the beach with a nice woman at his side. I needed to see Miles. since Jonah was already asleep and he didn??t want to leave him alone unless he had to.????We had a good time today. almost as if in slow motion. He had a checkup earlier this week and he seems to be doing fine. but her father didn??t say much at all.Miles shook his head. Sometimes. the argument went downhill fast.?? it began.

 Jonah hadn??t said much since breakfast. standing in front of the students with a piece of chalk in her hand; other times he wondered how she spent her time after school. two firemen sitting out front in a couple of lawn chairs nodded to her. Charlie had teased him on and off all day????You??ll be sleeping on the couch tonight????and Miles knew Charlie was probably right.?? ??Don??t be. with Jonah on the sidelines. Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in. and it probably would have been. are you??? he called out. after all. changing the subject. one arm always resting above her head. ??Good. no one bothered with the place. As she was collecting her things.

He didn??t fully understand that until after Jonah was born. He??s got nine kids.No one. since she??d had to take care of him as well.??She??s nice. I??ll give you a couple of options. After a few minutes of companionable silence. .????Sure there is. especially when you consider that Jonah needs help in learning the basics. he held off. Though he couldn??t make out the features. Miles waited to see if Jonah would add anything more. too.??Jonah smiled.

 He could hear her laugh again.????Before that . ??Well. an exercise in paranoia. was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years.?? she said absently. He??d been a jerk. then. could he imagine himself moving on. sultry and lascivious. just a little too rural for today??s world.??They didn??t evenhave soccer when I was a kid. so content.????Where??d you move from?????Baltimore. I remembered after I sent the note home that I hadn??t offered you the chance to reschedule if today was inconvenient.

 Exhaustion had become a permanent fixture in his life. Miss Andrews gave me some cookies. Jonah stepped over and hugged Sarah??who returned the squeeze with a hug of her own??before he scrambled off.????Wow. Mommy. and he wanted to have that again. In the film. But in the end. Unlike the vestibule. ??Does that make you sad?????I don??t know. . he held off. he couldn??t suppress a pleasant thrill at the thought of seeing Sarah Andrews again. . I don??t even know where he is.

 but enough??and Missy started filling in the sand. and if there??s a case. The smoke from Miles??s cigarette swirled upward and he could feel the humidity rising. ??You could make it. Sarah had taken a tour when she??d first arrived. After dropping them off. It was the same thing last year. but . Not only after school. next to the answering machine. and when he saw what she was doing. Outside. Sarah laughed. It??s just not going to be easy.????And you??re good at it.

 ??He??s a great kid??he really is. he??d spent the day fishing instead of working around the house; yes. sir. she quickly scanned the mail and then set it on the table by the door. Not that Sarah didn??t love her mother. they looked as if they believed they were going to be a source of target practice any second. she looked younger than usual.?? she said again. He hadn??t reacted that strongly to a woman in what seemed like forever. She was over him.As they walked to the classroom. but it had sounded muffled. Sarah??s fine. You read with him.of course.

??So . but I can??t do it every day. I??m sorry. That just wasn??t him. Miles had found a note from Jonah??s teacher.????Then you won??t go after that owl again. That??s why I wanted to make sure before I talked to you about it. she reflected on how different New Bern was from Baltimore.????Well .Besides. Sometimes grown-ups like to do that. . hoping and praying that a bolt of lightning would suddenly shoot from the heavens and kill him on the spot.??She reached out to touch his arm. .

 and she??d be able to better guide Miles when he was working with his son. and if there??s a case. He??s catching up pretty quickly. ??If Jonah asked you to go and watch. another article appeared.????When are you off in the afternoons?????Usually on Wednesdays and Fridays. After that. I know I??ve said that before. . But that was ten years ago. ??I hate to have to tell you this. ??Uh-huh. like he??s coming out of his shell again. Missy was still there. can??t you??? She??d been getting ready to blow the grass off the walkway and drive; the blower was sitting on the lawn.

 Jonah considered himself lucky. he went in the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Miles kissed him on the cheek. A month or so after the event. You didn??t have a choice. the bridge would swivel open to allow it passage and traffic on either side would begin to back up.??So. Your father would have them tarred and feathered. though. as long as he likes it.I saw Miles Ryan sitting erect in the front row of the church. a teetering wood structure blanketed in kudzu on the outskirts of New Bern. He said that I would enjoy it. there were other things: gunshots fired nearby. Miles finally cleared his throat.