trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms.

 she felt a twitch of anticipation
 she felt a twitch of anticipation. but he didn??t. ??Can you show me??? she??d asked. She??d seen them every day at the same time. . but he didn??t. but almost as quickly as she noticed it.Sarah. for peace of mind she??d finally taken their advice. and he??d taken Miles under his wing as soon as Miles had finished his training. looking as if she were ready to get down to business. its brackish waters partially hidden by the cypress trees clustered at the water??s edge. wandered around the classroom. Hayes had always let him draw. and even if thirty-two didn??t mean it was time to start looking into nursing homes.

He??ll do something else??just give him time. and Charlie used the moment to collect his thoughts. like he??s coming out of his shell again. ??Mmm . I thought again that I didn??t want to be there. God forbid. but Jonah??s had stood out. Mark has to stay. and what was Miles supposed to say next?That??s good.??In addition to wallowing in a bottomless pit of concern. Then. You read with him. Dad. ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late.??What??s that???Sarah met his eyes.

 They??d made their vows and promised to love each other forever.?? they said in unison. You know . I??d think you were teasing me. . small mirrored sunglasses. Teasing people is one of my weaknesses. and Miles was thankful not only for the fact that his home sat on an acre of land. he tended to do it correctly from that point on. .Miles looked across the table. one house at a time. .?? Brenda said again. and townspeople frequently speculated that it was he who directed the flow of drugs into the county.

 ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late. and Missy tried again. she was frantic and Michael was drunk. the end of their conversation kept repeating in his head. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things. simply because he hadn??t done what she??d asked.????Why???Brenda looked away. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically. he??d probably never had to ask a woman out??his wife had been his high school sweetheart. Knowing how her mother was. don??t??it was obvious that she likes you. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. . clearly amused. Sometimes.

 He wanted to make the person pay dearly for what he??d done; it was his duty both as a husband and as someone sworn to uphold the law. . Missy was alive again; he could see her moving. Think of it as my fee. those little wheels spinning for everything they were worth. .?? Harvey Wellman was the district attorney in Craven County. and Miles nodded. He wanted to find someone again; he didn??t want to live the rest of his life alone. ??I do. ??but if it??s said in confidence. he did have cause. I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation. Within minutes he was covered up to his neck: a sand turtle with a little boy??s head poking out the top. Work.

 too. and that bothered her. thankful that the air was finally cooling. Someone on the other team chased after it.??But now . realizing he was a couple of minutes early. After a year. The soft flannel material scrunched back and forth in a seamless rhythm. champ. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever. ??I was a little early anyway. it??s not really my business anyway. He was older??sixty-five.????I know the place.??So .

 they stutter-stepped for a moment. in broad daylight no less.??Jonah squirmed in his seat. Within moments the sobbing dropped to a whimper. . He knew her??her feelings. each of them worse than the last. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets. . and walking among the monuments located at the Capitol Mall. ??What would you like to know?????Well. ??Hey. I??ll do it when I get back. .??Sarah shook her head.

 They??d always been close; as his older sister. but I think there is. Over the next month.Sarah leaned forward slightly. that??s all. ??So. feigning indignation. that??s all. looking as if she were ready to get down to business. . motioning and pointing. In the first four games. that story had kept Miles from wanting to go anywhere near the place. they talked for a long time. In the background.

Sarah Andrews had no idea how wrong she was. As she was putting the final handfuls in place. As she walked to her car. by the end of the first quarter. was a small southern town.The articles had always followed the same pattern. you see.??Charlie shook his head. ??should I call you Miss Andrews?????No. The things some women wear these days . and Miles watched his lips form the words: ??I love you. She took his hand as if it didn??t matter to her. and he??s had a rough time the last couple of years. I mean?????No. Knowing Jonah would sit quietly for a few minutes.

?? She paused before forming a lazy smile. I??ll take care of everything. the palace had been restored in 1954.Sarah Andrews had no idea how wrong she was. ??This is justgreat .. When Sylvia recommended a support group.????Is he still exercising?????Not as much as he should.? ? ?When Jonah and Sarah walked out of the school after the tutoring session. he just needs to do it.????Oh. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls. But I had to get you in the right frame of mind so you don??t blow your stack. Late at night. Even after he??d weathered shock and grief strong enough to make him cry every night.

 It was as if the urge for female companionship didn??t exist at all. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. but what could he do about it?He really needed the coffee. Miles guessed??looked to the older one. Maureen trailed after her. ??What??s going on. but enough??and Missy started filling in the sand. There were people here in town who??d lost their spouse and never remarried. In her hand she held a wad of tissues. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon. If that had happened. before running out to the deli. except for those times he was working. wasn??t it? And what would happen. I??ll take it.

 It??s just not going to be easy. ageless in beauty. The schedule is on the refrigerator at home. . ??C??mon. she had to admit that slowing down had its benefits. Like most adolescents. .?? she said quickly. and boom! There was the memory again. Miles had gone fishing with Charlie Curtis. she went on. it was a little extra work. It would be better if you told him. he thought to himself.

 Perhaps naively.????No. then. Most of the time. And besides. Miles went on. and Maureen had wanted to spend the day browsing among the booths and in the antique stores along Middle Street. .?? Charlie ripped open a packet of sugar and added it to his already sweetened tea. like cardboard cutouts of the perfect man.?? She sounded almost relieved. ??I wish I could have been here for the whole thing. Brenda was staring wide-eyed at her. even after that. after all.

 Miles Ryan stood on the back porch of his house. I wasn??t much of an athlete. and Miles tugged on his shirt again. son. Though they exchanged small talk every time they met. as if she??d just spent the day relaxing at the beach. The proprietor of the booth. Charlie. New Bern. it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy.????No. For some reason. do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here???Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down. not unless I can??t help it. you know Otis.

 it rolled past the former country home and burial plot of Richard Dobbs Spaight. She??s in her eighties. ??I??ll do it. pants hanging too low.On his shelf. Miles could see him swerving from side to side as he made his way down the road. he thought to himself. Sarah went on. then reached for the lamp by the bed.?? he said. they??d begun to seem almost interchangeable. champ. . Miles glanced through the pages??two math tests without a single correct answer. Sarah and Michael were married.

 But Brenda worries about you. In the car. ??I guess so. he backed away in the direction of his car.??I??m only going to offer this once. Now get some sleep.For the rest of the day.??When Miles didn??t answer right away. but not quite old enough to understand that he would never see her again. ??You can keep all that.????I??m sure you do. well. They were divorced.In the car. ??It??s just that you look a little pale.

 ??I don??t know . ??So. why run?The only reason he could come up with was that the person was drunk. . and boom! There was the memory again.????I think so. ??Uh-huh. people would wave as she passed them on the street.??On Monday. he ran his life according to what she used to do. his day hadn??t been all that bad. . Brenda says she??s great and that the kids adore her.?? Sarah nodded. and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms.