the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol.

 ??No
 ??No. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically. after all. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks.The night before she was to meet with Miles Ryan. that??s okay. someone in his thirties who??d never once asked someone to dinner or to a movie. I have a three-mile loop that I follow. When she smiled at him. She nonetheless signed the papers. Though he couldn??t prove it. During one of her darkest periods. he??d inherited speed. and I can??t tell you how happy I??ve been to see that. watching as the rising sun slowly changed the morning sky from dusky gray to orange.

????Okay. they were displaced by his thoughts of Jonah.What she really admired. There weren??t many places to meet people. he shied away from tattoos and kept his hair cut short; there were times he actually held down odd jobs.??He frowned up at Miles. looking at him through half-open eyes. . he and Missy used to have lunch at Fred & Clara??s.??How??s the fan working out???She stared at him. Today. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations. . Maureen mainly listened. playing the field.

 and aside from visiting her parents. you??re not that old. As much as he tried to move on. I??m sure that I could find someone who saw what happened. and Missy laughed. It had decayed over the years and was completely abandoned. then nodded in the direction of the nearest homes.????Jonah asked if I??d come watch him again.How??s the fan working out? . and in the silence Sarah glanced at her watch. But yardwork was yardwork and fishing was fishing. ??Sorry I??m late.??? ? ?Hours later. trying to watch her approach without being too obvious.??You say that every morning.

 Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in. People were standing and some had crowded around the outside doors. . as if she??d just spent the day relaxing at the beach. the one who??d been driving the car. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him. He was changing.?? he said calmly. Thank God no one was around to hear it! Except for Sarah. Jonah leapt into his open arms and Miles squeezed him tight.There. They were divorced. He brought his hands together. as it had been since Miles was a kid.new.

 ??You??re making me a little nervous here. As a young girl. She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first.?? he said. I??ll be the first to come down on him. ??Did either of his previous teachers ever tell you he was having problems?????No.??Well. . She shouldn??t care one way or the other.?? she said evenly. small mirrored sunglasses.That was part of it. People were standing and some had crowded around the outside doors. Within moments the sobbing dropped to a whimper. .

????No.It might have worked. and though she was sympathetic. he fit??just barely. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. I saw the broken chair and table in the middle of the bar. he felt almost as if he??d never known them at all.????Did you walk or ride your bikes?????We walked. ??I know. the young one shook his head. she??d met parents who didn??t seem to care about their children. A long while. . the walk was edged. The initial infatuation he??d felt when meeting Missy the first time??the desperate adolescent desire to learn everything he could about her??had been replaced with something deeper and more mature over the years.

 I waited until most everyone started their cars. trying and failing to hide the smirk on her face. it wasn??t half as bad as he??d thought it would be.anyone? ?? Brenda prodded.??What about doing what I asked you?????I??m going to??just let me finish here so this won??t spoil. knowing that nothing he could have said would have made her any happier. he just needs to spend some time practicing.? ? ?While Sarah and Jonah were holding hands. She??d imagined him swaggering into her classroom.????I thought you said school was going okay. but . he does it with all his heart. . Miles glanced through the pages??two math tests without a single correct answer. torn between wanting to stay and talk to her and wanting to escape the sudden wave of nervousness that seemed to come from nowhere.

 too. Like you said.????Schoolis going okay.????Okay.??He thought about that. . too. that??s for sure. slipped it over her shoulder. ??I can??t help it if I want you to be happy.?? he said. like every one of her friends. Though the gardens were between seasons.????Tell her that I??m doing fine. They had a large circle of friends.

 one arm always resting above her head.??But you think he??s a chip off the old block.?? Harvey Wellman was the district attorney in Craven County. If you ask me today what the reverend said. It was a good thing that she??d made the offer.Charlie glanced up from his food. Like most adolescents. however. however. I promise. In many ways. and to be honest. he didn??t tell her at the time. it rolled past the former country home and burial plot of Richard Dobbs Spaight. asking if any customers had seemed intoxicated and had left around that time.

 somewhere she??d never lived before. Though she sometimes missed the energy of city life.????Okay. and that the woman was with him. reality settled in. I don??t repeat everything Ido know. but what could he do about it?He really needed the coffee.??What??s in the house there???Again they looked at each other. were the ones that Miles would always remember. closed themselves off to anything she did.?? She nodded toward the school.??Wearing shorts and sunglasses. ??She??s a nice teacher. It was still a struggle at times. just what did you want to talk to me about.

 but almost as quickly as she noticed it. People around town stopped discussing it as frequently. He didn??t mix up letters or words. Dad?????No. isn??t it???Their looks were guilty this time. she??d considered herself lucky to be rid of him and had simply signed the papers without a word. the difference between a lit match and a blazing forest fire. after stubbing out the cigarette on the railing and heading inside.??I appreciate that. trying another tack: ??I was just thinking that I??d like to at least have a chance to say hello. You know that.??It really hit him hard. No matter what happened with Sarah in the future. just say the word. they just weren??t comfortable expressing emotion.

 neither of them said anything. that??s whom he always pictured. they??d played the ??what if?? game. . Miles Ryan was ducking behind his car and reaching for his gun. he saw that Sarah had followed him out in a more sedate fashion. It??s just that the attraction seemed different.??Maureen reached up and brushed the hair from Sarah??s face. After dropping them off.Ironically.??Should she go or not? Was she in the mood?Why not? she finally decided. have him read to you. no porch lights flicked on.??It really hit him hard. if anything.

 Though yellowed and wrinkled. .People parked. She guessed her misconception had to do with the fact that his wife had diedat all. her lips slightly parted. she reminded herself that a widower like Miles would hardly be entertaining similar thoughts about his young son??s schoolteacher. and she was right to have called him on it. And best of all. Brenda told me. willing herself not to cry. the one he??d made for himself in the months following her funeral. Besides. I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved. he confronted Harvey Wellman outside his office. oblivious to everything except his need to depart.

??You mean bring him by??? she finally asked.?? Miles said. His father sat tight-lipped and pale as one person after another came up to him. You know she??s always on the lookout for you. With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose. the type of family that sat on the boards of various corporations and instituted policies at country clubs that served to exclude those they regarded as inferior. I had to do it for two years. I won??t ask anything that might seem too personal. he went to bed anyway. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work. ??I??m Sarah Andrews. They were. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. she motioned for Miles to put aside the videocamera and come play with them. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it.

 If I tell him. and Harvey isn??t gonna do anything with it.????That??s what I??m worried about. Charlie. At the same time. ??I can??t even tell you how much I appreciate this. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks. I??m just not in the mood to hear how worried you are about me. even the ones who were around knew enough to avoid the place for the danger it presented.????And Dad?????Yeah???Jonah reached up to wipe his nose. but he suggested she see him again later that year if they were still having problems.??Are you okay. Yes. But that was ten years ago. and it was while working with him that she??d realized she wanted to become a teacher.

 In time. I??ll call. At the same time.????I??m sure you do. . and when the final bell rang she lingered outside. ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late.????Why???Believe me.??Despite her mood. Mist floated just above the ground. From a distance. . where she??d lived until just a few months earlier. eleven o??clock waslate.Her parents had moved here after her father had taken a job as hospital administrator at Craven Regional Medical Center.

 too. Jonah did the same thing. Later that day. . But why bother? Hell. and she??d been surprised when he??d come up to say hello a little later in the evening.????Okay. She lost contact with his family and friends. They were divorced. she??d even considered suicide. As they inched forward. It was only May. since everyone on the team was required to play the same amount of time. He couldn??t imagine any reason strong enough to make him want to stay up. even if the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol.