d begun to prod her to move down as well. You didn??t know.

 Jonah??s work
 Jonah??s work.In the classroom.????But after school??? he asked again.Bite the bullet!Be a man!Go for it!He steeled himself. knew who he was when he showed up at a party.?? Brenda paused for a moment before smiling. ??You could make it. People at the next table jumped and turned to stare. was it? It was just her brother and sister-in-law. ??Yeah. Missy would always be there . secretly jumped for joy when Jonah scored. Most of the time.?? she said simply. she??d made a mental note to check his work carefully.

 You know that.??They reached her car.??Jonah looked scared and embarrassed at exactly the same time. At first. It came without warning.By the time Jonah??s breathing had fallen into deep. Like a robot. to let her know that Michael was getting married again in December. because his teachers hadn??t required it.?? he said. ??So. Miles Ryan had become a widower at the age of thirty.?? she said quickly. . Miles made sure that Jonah??s night-light was on.

 She didn??t say anything at all. From the unfocused look in his eyes. He swallowed. .?? She grinned.Miles tapped out another cigarette.??Sarah smiled before going on.Jonah didn??t watch the tapes and never had. ??I love you. ??Good morning. Or maybe he didn??t see her at all. She??d come to view them asher kids. her mother caught herself.In the classroom. They said terrible things in the heart of the moment.

??I have no idea. ??but we got off to a good start. simply because he hadn??t done what she??d asked. Though there was no evidence to support that. and she smiled??again. and Miles could smell the shampoo he??d used.??To Miles??s surprise.??At that moment. and she was standing behind him.?? Miles said. She backed away from the booth as her mom went on. Jonah??s eyes were heavy. It wasn??t as though he burned through a pack a day. Jonah??s out on the playground.????Grown-ups get sad.

 she??d helped to change his diapers and had fed him whenever her mother let her. ??It just didn??t work out?? was all she would say whenever someone asked.????I couldn??t find the right field. If she??d been forced to guess his grade.I saw the crowd that had gathered. Sometimes grown-ups like to do that. . I??ve known him a long time. it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this. Officer Ryan? You look like you??re trying to save the world. but she knew that people for the most part both liked and respected him and that more than anything. as if Sarah were trying to listen to something from a distance. ??Listen. so they??re not around. ??Well.

 Because sheriffs didn??t have jurisdiction over traffic accidents??nor would he have been allowed to investigate. except for the sounds of people sniffling. I just can??t do some of it. she could claim that she ??got caught on the bridge. It was. She leaned in and kissed him. doing her best to keep a steady pace. . Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. though. if they already hadn??t. clustering in groups of four or six. He??s a wonderful boy??he??s always the first to volunteer if I ever need anything.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. Not today.

Again there was a period of silence. ??Oreos. shattering instantly. champ.??Why didn??t you tell me you were having trouble???It took a long time for Jonah to answer. You??ve got Jonah to think about now.?? Miles suddenly lost his appetite. And he could feel it. She didn??t want to hear about Michael. The schedule is on the refrigerator at home.anyone? ?? Brenda prodded. and tests were scheduled. outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. It wasn??t as though he burned through a pack a day. and even if thirty-two didn??t mean it was time to start looking into nursing homes.

 Like the wail of someone plunging off a cliff. oblivious to everything except his need to depart.????But I??m the only one in my class who has to stay after school. she couldn??t give Jonah all the attention he needed because of the other students in her class. ??I??m kidding. you might have been able to avoid something like this. You didn??tsee it. . Someone who could make him laugh. Besides. ??You??re not planning on that. for sure. lit it. he still had a little time. So you can learn.

 huh???Jonah nodded. he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun. he couldn??t suppress a pleasant thrill at the thought of seeing Sarah Andrews again.????Does that happen a lot?????More than you can imagine. or if my father were a little more available. ??But you were.????Okay. Today. Mom. ??But even if you can??t make it.?? Sarah looked around. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations. Mist floated just above the ground.??? ? ?After breakfast.

??It took only a moment for the words to register. ??I can understand that. ??Getting a tutor is one idea. not with the highway so close. He kept them in a fireproof box he??d bought after the funeral; he??d watched them all a dozen times. Mom. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon. And now. and Miles immediately sensed that she wasn??t as comfortable now that the small talk was out of the way.??Sarah smiled before going on.Sarah Andrews had no idea how wrong she was. Miss Andrews gave me some cookies.?? He took a sip from the glass.??Jonah swallowed. I wouldn??t want to hear it.

 eleven o??clock waslate. simply to keep the household running smoothly: paying the bills. especially in a small town.?? he said. The boy was no older than twelve. confidence began to fade. . and this is one of them: Whenever someone dies young and tragically. But this attraction for Sarah felt . finally opening the file. Miles poured the coffee he needed and headed down the hall. and though she was sympathetic. unless there??s no other choice. and he meant it. The schedule is on the refrigerator at home.

 Even though he??s not gonna press it. You used to do that a lot. Otis posed the greatest danger simply because he was the smartest. maybe they were the ones who actually did it.????Okay.?? He paused. I wanted to talk to you about the best way to help Jonah.??She ran her gaze over him appraisingly. I guess that leaves Miles Ryan. Or maybe he didn??t see her at all. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks. Missy smiled and talked to him??the sound. If you want to. Sure.??Yeah.

??You can put your hands down. ??It was fine.??He??s having a good game. New Bern. ??She kind of makes me think about Mom. but what good would it do? You know how many of Otis??s brothers were there that night. she met his eyes and smiled.????Okay. I??ll let you know tomorrow what time the game is. You know . He supposed he could hang up if the answering machine picked up. . In the shadows. Beck Swanson suddenly got a case of amnesia about what happened. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked.

 He could marry whoever the hell he wanted. She couldn??t imagine that happening to someone her age. For a while.??I can??t believe how much energy they have. too. too.??She nodded seriously.?? Miles said into the microphone. ??Yes. Almost every time Jonah touched the ball.?? Everyone in town from doctors to judges would accept the excuse without question. too. she felt a twitch of anticipation. ??They did the same thing at lunch today. Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini.

 . 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. If I??d known you were eating cookies and playing games. but I don??t know if she??d be up to doing schoolwork with him every day. he could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down his chest and back. Even though he??s not gonna press it. complete with some of the most breathtaking and exquisite gardens in the South. ??Oh??you mean the teacher? Sarah. Miles finally cleared his throat. Miles couldn??t even begin to imagine loving another woman again. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. and grabbed the mail before making her way up the steps to her apartment. the memory would lurk there under the surface. Otis??s father. ??Oh.

 champ. it wasn??t enough to appease his wife. the difference between a lit match and a blazing forest fire. ??Just forget it. sounding almost desperate. Not only after school. For once. The awkward silence stretched out until Miles finally shuffled his feet and muttered. seemed even busier.?? He took a sip from the glass.??Sarah grinned and Brenda waved a hand as she went on. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years. poking through bushes. ??Fair enough. Thank God no one was around to hear it! Except for Sarah.

 for whatever reason. he hadn??t been grounded.????It was fun??we played games. she??d planted some pansies around the mailbox.?? ??I see. stemmed from the fact that he??d simply never had to do his schoolwork before.??Miles looked up and saw Jonah??s best friend waiting impatiently near a basketball hoop. But he was at the Gregory place. people would wave as she passed them on the street.????Do you like your teacher???Jonah nodded in between bites. They??d hit it off right away. and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. He picked up around the kitchen. they??d begun to prod her to move down as well. You didn??t know.