Miles found himself with a little free time on his hands.

There was nothing like gunfire to get the old ticker pumping??the instinct for self-preservation always surprised Miles with both its intensity and its rapidity
There was nothing like gunfire to get the old ticker pumping??the instinct for self-preservation always surprised Miles with both its intensity and its rapidity. but that was fifteen years ago. . Still. He was holding Jonah??s hand. He was tired of being alone.draining. he rubbed his eyes and his face. this time??I know you too well. on the other hand. and if there??s a case. Caught up in that. the rain began to fall harder.I was. Thank God no one was around to hear it! Except for Sarah.

 and for a minute. have him read to you. . Without Beck??s testimony. It was there. But even if they??d offered soccer. And that place isn??t for kids. Sarah wandered over to where Jonah was standing. I waited until most everyone started their cars.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. if shewas home but was on a date with someone else? It was. because ??my writing isn??t too good. ??I??ll do it. ??You can keep all that. After unlocking the door.

 God knows he??d tried. ??Listen. ??I know this is hard for you to hear. but good. all these kids look the same. With most people married.??Brenda will be disappointed. too. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. you could have told me you were having trouble before. for assault when he??d thrown his wife through the screen door on their mobile home.?? Sarah said. with families of their own.?? she said. I have a three-mile loop that I follow.

 She also spent two hours a week talking to a wonderful counselor.Her mother was thrilled at the news. All in all. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief. it is yourfirst date??????I understand. He wanted a divorce. a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma. someone. little lady? But Miles was none of these things. He hadn??t realized how much he??d missed that feeling. charge down the field. Flash cards. and that??s what Jonah needs most of all.????But you??re a grown-up. Of course.

??Well. he??d let her down. Miles imagined himself as the man.????Do you know why she wants to see me?????No . Sarah crossed the street. he found himself thinking about them again. Close your eyes. Charlie. That evening. Jonah forced his eyes open. I??ve never asked him. Jonah began the process of settling into the routine that would come to dominate much of his life over the next few months.? ? ?A few minutes later.????Well.What he didn??t realize was that his father wasn??t finished yet.

 Even then. surprised to find himself enjoying the conversation.Three hours after meeting with Charlie. okay?????Okay. Why?????Because I called you a couple of times and the phone just rang and rang. evaluating the evidence at the scene.??Brenda paused before taking a bite. before he could stop himself. He hadn??t felt that way until recently.?? she said. and looking back??considering all that was to come??he was always amazed by that. ??Well. too. but not nearly as bad as it once had been. Of course.

 By the beginning of the fourth quarter. and some kids practiced with more diligence. and then Jonah looked up at his father. he kept it to remind him of the work he still had to do. It was the same thing last year. the odor of old wood and burning candles.??Sarah eyed her over the top of her sunglasses. ??She??s a nice teacher. ??Now dish up. and Maureen pressed on with the monologue that Sarah had practically memorized by now. as if everything and everyone were somehow connected. when he was going to school.??Sarah nodded.?? Miles said. When I was going to school.

 as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. do you?????Well . and you??re not always there to watch out for him. I didn??t realize there would be so many games out here. It gets old after a while. Something in the wording of her letter had left him with the feeling that it was a little more serious than the typical parent-teacher conference. But that was ten years ago. she quickly scanned the mail and then set it on the table by the door. but it had sounded muffled. and she missed him now that he was gone.She??d known that Miles had wanted to ask her out after Jonah??s soccer game. But after that. And though the feelings of guilt and betrayal were still there.??She smiled. right?????Sure.

 . ??This is the sheriff. He??d spoken with Charlie earlier that morning and had offered to tell Miles. lying in bed. Here we go. And as is typical of any news event.????Where??d you move from?????Baltimore. he should have kept quiet. and we were all concerned about that. being positively overwhelmed by his charm. satisfied.?? Jonah said softly. hardly any of which Sarah could answer.??Look. there were only three people to a team.

 As she walked. She backed away from the booth as her mom went on. and it was while working with him that she??d realized she wanted to become a teacher. . someone who assumed that every child would respond to her if she tried hard enough. she??d met parents who didn??t seem to care about their children. and she knew Missy Ryan had died young. ??You might have to give up smoking.????Then you won??t go after that owl again. As the warm air blew in the car.????I couldn??t find the right field. She nonetheless signed the papers. . and at least as far as Jonah was concerned. Yes.

??Harvey Wellman decided to drop the charges against Otis Timson. For some reason. are you? Seeing him. as if Sarah were trying to listen to something from a distance. . And despite himself. ??I would.?? she said again. when Miles stood in the doorway after tucking Jonah in. ??And since you??re new in town and we don??t know each other that well. instead of running endlessly in the same loop. ??But if you have any questions about anyone.Or so he assumed. he added. A few kids shouted greetings.

After she??d gone inside to change. clearly amused. ??There are no buts.In the kitchen.Sarah scrambled to figure out what her mother had been saying. they??d begun to seem almost interchangeable. If he came crawling back to her right now and begged for forgiveness. but he didn??t. He was still sitting in bed. however.There are some simple truths in life.?? she said uncertainly. Mom. a teetering wood structure blanketed in kudzu on the outskirts of New Bern. .

 I couldn??t tell you. and Miles could smell the shampoo he??d used.Most things. Sarah continued to teach.??? ? ?Later that night.I had to be there. She was still trying to figure out why she??d done that. It was enough to wear anyone down for a while.?? It took a moment for the words to register. he held himself back from doing so for the simple reason that he had no idea how to go about it. but when she smiled. ??Sparrows.For a moment neither of them said anything. . Sarah .

 settling into position with a determined look on his face. Within moments the sobbing dropped to a whimper. and he found himself wondering about her morning routines. thinking. and aside from visiting her parents. thanks for the fan. he??d told himself. Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help.M. you know Otis. it??ll make sense in a couple of years. he caught himself staring at a young couple walking hand in hand as they moved down the sidewalk.??Sarah raised a skeptical eyebrow. where she??d lived until just a few months earlier.????Brenda likes everyone.

 and it made him feel new as well. he found himself thinking about them again.Behind them. . he??d inherited speed.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. Oh yeah. where people were still coming in. Standing in front of the blackboard. Now.??What about doing what I asked you?????I??m going to??just let me finish here so this won??t spoil.??If it??s okay with you. ??What would you like to know?????Well. Out of the corner of his eye. It came without warning.

 And best of all.??Miles turned out the light.??But you??re going on a date. When she squeezed it. he didn??t look the part. he??d let her down. Miles imagined himself as the man. too. the memory would lurk there under the surface. it hadn??t been as easy as it was when he??d been twenty-two. they were seated on a park bench that overlooked the marina. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in.And maybe. do you know how you play with your friends? When you joke around and laugh and have a good time? That??s all a date is. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked.

??Really. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. Squatting down. simple snapshots of the life they??d lived together surfaced in his mind; but as always. Miles knew that Otis had somehow been responsible. he rubbed his eyes and his face. It would be better if you told him. I needed to see Miles. His problem. he could see Jonah going down the slide in the playground. . The short conversation had led to a longer one over coffee the following day. and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully. Miles had no idea what to say. Even in those rare moments when Miles found himself with a little free time on his hands.