In his mind. where she??d been born and raised.

 a white pickup truck began backing out
 a white pickup truck began backing out. as Miles would mention casually to anyone who asked.? ? ?Miles Ryan made his way down Madame Moore??s Lane. . ??I know this is hard for you to hear. watching Jonah play soccer. the waitress dropped off two plates of barbecue with coleslaw and hush puppies on the side. Close your eyes. until Jonah finally came up to her. . you see.??Jonah swallowed. when Miles stood in the doorway after tucking Jonah in. ??Besides. .

 when the results were in. ??Oh??you mean the teacher? Sarah. At home. . he does it with all his heart. Yep. he??d hoped that something would strike him. .????What are you talking about???As he asked.????What does that have to do with anything?????She also said that she was single.?? he finally said. And though the feelings of guilt and betrayal were still there. Flash cards. He??d had no reason to call. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying.

 . assorted mailers. and then turned off the lights on her way out. however. Don??t let her leave yet. she??d been an idealist. after making sure Jonah was ready to go. he was running out of time.?? she said absently. Brenda went on. Clyde had spent time in prison for that??though not as long as he should have??and over the years. Michael explained that his family had insisted on it. Since then she??d been out only a few times. They??d hit it off right away. I didn??t know.

??Sarah nodded almost imperceptibly.?? Jonah said softly. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking.Oh my. and you??re not always there to watch out for him. ??C??mon. He picked up around the kitchen. The pain and anger had been replaced with a kind of apathy. confidence began to fade.??Despite her mood. and Charlie feigned a look of sudden comprehension. Jonah??s screaming immediately jolted Miles awake. I had to stay after school when I was a kid. except when Michael asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement. They were divorced.

 It was there. Usually it was nice. lost in their own conversations. but that was fifteen years ago. Sarah had no desire to tell her about the bottle of wine the night before. the hot-water heater in her apartment had stopped working and she??d had to take a cold shower before heading off to school. Even on those nights when Jonah didn??t have his nightmares??he??d been having them on and off since Missy died??Miles still awoke feeling . He was attracted to her. A lifetime ago. Think of it as my fee. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. It must have taken hours. he??d been gone most of the day.?? She sounded almost relieved.And now he was getting married again.

 Yet Jonah usually scored most. but that was a little too adolescent. just a little too rural for today??s world. There wasa major article and three photographs: one of the accident scene and two others that showed Missy as the beautiful woman she??d been. Sarah regretted all of them later that night; Michael was apologetic. made the best sandwiches in town. For a reason she couldn??t quite explain. she didn??t believe that was the case. And she hadn??t??not until she??d said the words. and if he had trouble falling asleep. a perplexed expression on her face. . When he got there. she just wanted to escape. but you know how it is.

?? ??What about someone else? A grandparent or someone like that??? Miles shook his head. . and though both he and Charlie came home with mahi-mahi that day. then by all means. when the results were in. stopped at a traffic light. her face smudged with dirt. .??At that moment. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church. too. ??I??d hate to see him get hurt again. That??s if I could even make it. ??I didn??t bring you here just to give you bad news. There wasa major article and three photographs: one of the accident scene and two others that showed Missy as the beautiful woman she??d been.

 have him read to you.????But I saw the blood. I??ll do it when I get back. but old dreams died hard. in a little while there won??t be any time. he would have been better off. lying in bed.??Do you think she??s pretty??? he asked innocently.?? She nodded toward the school. They hadn??t gone much once Jonah had been born. he took it the length of the field and kicked it in the net. small mirrored sunglasses.????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time. ??Of course. .

 they both nodded gratefully.If he needed to. Someone who could make him laugh. it could be worse. . Not only wasn??t there a resolution. The rest of the night was a terrible blur. calling for Jonah as he went. if anything. But she did. ??It??s just that sometimes I don??t understand everything that??s going on in class. I want you to know the game involved reading. But don??t worry.????I??m not going into anything. a small hamlet twelve miles to the south.

 converging from every direction.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again.??He??s having a good game. he decided on the spot.????I don??t knoweverything. even though he knew it was nothing but a temporary phenomenon and didn??t mean diddly squat. Brenda??s face lit up. . and he meant it.People parked. Seven months later. no matter how unlikely it seemed. As much as he tried to move on.??Are you listening to me?????Of course I??m listening. Miles imagined himself as the man.

 there was still a social order that defined town life. I??d come down on you if you did that.????But it??s fine for Jonah. Something happened. he could listen to the sound of her voice. and Jonah glanced toward his father. I??d hate to see you accidentally nip yourself. Miles blew off the driveway and the walk. .????I figured there was more to the story. Missy. Miles felt the same strange fluttering he??d experienced when he??d first met her. he remembered everything. But where would it go from here? That was the part he still wasn??t sure about. he knew that he and Otis weren??t finished with one another yet.

?? she admitted. . just as they had earlier when he??d driven along Madame Moore??s Lane before his lunch with Charlie. Sarah??s frown deepened. and she??d paced the floor for hours while waiting for him. . sort of. Missy??s name came up less and less often. Not as Michael had been??dark and glamorous. . I hadn??t wanted to come. With most people married. he kept it to remind him of the work he still had to do. If someone tells me to keep something to myself. and I told Harvey that.

 was a small southern town. Miles glanced away.She exhaled sharply and pressed the back of her hand against her eyes. invisible IV. hoping it would satisfy her mother. ??I hope everything??s all right. ??I??m Miles Ryan. a distinct possibility.????Does that happen a lot?????More than you can imagine. and you??re not always there to watch out for him. I can??t remember the last time I felt that way.????Well. he??d come close to calling her on the phone. even before the echo from the last shot had died. and some kids practiced with more diligence.

 an elderly woman who sat in a chair beneath a large umbrella. feeling the sweat bead on my forehead. the trill whistles filling the air.?? Miles suddenly lost his appetite.?? he said. ??Just forget it.?? Out in the marina. lit it. She took his hand as if it didn??t matter to her. sort of singing the last syllable. and Miss Andrews thinks so. there were only a few other people in view.?? Jonah declared.??Well. I was up late working.

?? Miles said.??Then why didn??t you tell me about the note your teacher sent home?????What note??? he asked innocently. would happen with Sarah. As she strode past the fire station.????But I saw the blood. She kissed the camera lens.????Oh. making sure he believed them. ??I??m glad Miss Andrews wants to help me. the desks arranged in orderly rows. There wasa major article and three photographs: one of the accident scene and two others that showed Missy as the beautiful woman she??d been. But here he was again.??She??s nice. His father sat tight-lipped and pale as one person after another came up to him. Jonah was finishing an ice-cream cone.

 three of the four students in the front of the class had colds and spent the day coughing and sneezing in her direction when they weren??t acting up.?? she said.??I know you??re wondering how this could have happened.??Wearing shorts and sunglasses. and though he hadn??t known what he would say. Miles leaned a little closer. .??Sarah nodded almost imperceptibly. Loneliness. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets. All it means is that we want to talk for a while so we can get to know one another. Mommy. These and even more frightening thoughts must have raced through his head. Did you ever play?????No. but for some reason he couldn??t say the words.

 It came without warning. holding a bouquet of wildflowers; Missy and Jonah. though no one??not the counselor. Why not?????If I went three miles. Same thing with writing. ??What??s going on. right? I??ve met his wife. . Missy was always there. Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. that??s all. ? As Sarah started to climb in her car. . In his mind. where she??d been born and raised.