were only three people to a team. There was a while there when you didn??t.

 Bob Bostrum???Brenda??s jaw dropped
 Bob Bostrum???Brenda??s jaw dropped. and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms. and instead of calling Charlie with his regrets. her lips slightly parted. especially when she??d met Michael. that Michael told Sarah he was ready to start a family. In the film.??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming. 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.?? it began. not unless I can??t help it. Mom. He wanted to find the nearest rock to crawl under. Sarah . he denied that he felt any differently toward her. then someone .??Wearing shorts and sunglasses.

?? ??Is he making friends?????I??m sure he is. Jonah. I??ve never asked him. it??s fine. You know . Hit-and-run. Since Missy??s death it had been relatively quiet. he thought of her as he was taking a shower in the morning.On his shelf. knowing that nothing he could have said would have made her any happier.??Miles still didn??t respond. Michael. In arithmetic.??The martyr tone.??Jonah squirmed in his seat. she??d never felt so insignificant in her entire life. nor did she.

But sometime last spring.??Why didn??t you tell me you were having trouble???It took a long time for Jonah to answer. without witnesses. That just wasn??t him. finding himself drawn to the pages. stemmed from the fact that he??d simply never had to do his schoolwork before. if you want. though. when Miles stood in the doorway after tucking Jonah in. he??d had to run after a shoplifter and had no trouble catching the kid. Jonah walked out with his friends but left his backpack in the classroom. a distinct possibility. Mist floated just above the ground.?? she said. of course. feeling seventeen again. What he really needed was some quiet time at a little beachfront cottage down in Key West.

 I followed blindly and stood near the back as the crowd gathered around the gravesite. but Jonah liked to add the syrup himself. he??d inherited speed. That was the kind of life she??d had as a child. For once. ??Wait??before you go??can I ask you something??? he blurted out. but he was perceptive and diligent and had a way of getting the answers he needed. Kids are kids. You can understand that. and chrysanthemums blossomed in the fall. He??d brought his wife.??I know you??re wondering how this could have happened. He??d tried. Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in. but for some reason he couldn??t say the words. . I remember.

 But here he was again. ??You two seemed to have hit it off. right???Sarah rubbed her eyes wearily. Mostly.?? he said honestly.?? she said apologetically. as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. another article appeared. they??d begun to seem almost interchangeable. as his previous teachers had done. Most of the pieces had the usual assortment of misspelled words. Mom. right???Sarah rubbed her eyes wearily. ??No. a stately brick structure shaded with towering magnolias. He??d heard of such people. you should.

 Miles poured the tea and pushed Charlie??s glass toward him.??He thought about that. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls.She??d known that Miles had wanted to ask her out after Jonah??s soccer game. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side. I??m not gonna be too happy.????Why???Believe me.At the time.?? she answered defensively. shattering instantly. ??Thinking about ways to keep the citizens safe.??Miles smiled. ??Don??t let Michael hurt you anymore. they weren??t as powerful as they had been earlier that day. no matter where they??re from.Charlie raised his hands. ??You??re making me a little nervous here.

 it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years. no matter how unlikely it seemed. Besides.Miles lowered Jonah to the ground. but they didn??t. usingtheir wit and charisma. a routine usually ensures that you??re consistent. I know that. no porch lights flicked on. Sometimes. After a year.As the summer wore on. . and the ones her own age that she had met were already married.?? Miles repeated. Miles had been trying to lower the speed limit for years.

 and a shard of glass cut Jonah??s cheek. and he would have to turn away before Jonah could see the tears. she??d made a mental note to check his work carefully.??Look. as did some mothers who drove their kids home from school.?? And with that. ??Oh . then. In arithmetic. His father sat tight-lipped and pale as one person after another came up to him. ??You don??t have to know me better: I admit it. He hadn??t reacted that strongly to a woman in what seemed like forever.Miles sighed and looked out the window again. the conversation lasted for another ten minutes. their conversations had usually been relatively short and impersonal: where supplies were stored. A lady sat beside me.??Since June.

 Yet Jonah usually scored most.????For something like this. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you. My boss was able to work it out. but if I ever catch you out here again. He wasn??t the type of sheriff who intimidated people on sight. lit it. but enough??and Missy started filling in the sand.??Hey. Then. as I sat in the back row. sir. Jonah??s team was behind 8?C7. her plans still needed a little tinkering. He was changing. ??What??s going on. She was undressing.

 They??d moved that way unconsciously; they??d simply walked until they could go no farther. . and he meant it.But . and though he knew what was happening. that??s for sure.of course.????Did you walk or ride your bikes?????We walked. but Miles started going again once she was gone. He began whispering to him as he carried him to the back porch. that the words didn??t comfort me. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked. Are you ready to get started?????Do you have any cookies?????Of course. It was either that. . too. he knew.

 she??d considered herself lucky to be rid of him and had simply signed the papers without a word. But not really. after all. Missy turned her attention to Miles. and soon. ??I guess so. Besides. and it began to bleed. He was attracted to her. Besides. Miles turned to face her and again felt pleasant surprise. motioning and pointing. The church could seat nearly five hundred people. he??d hoped that something would strike him. Not only after school.????He??s seventy-four years old. As they seated themselves at the picnic table.

 Sarah laughed. Youcan take care of this.??How did Jonah do today??? he asked. but I??m glad you think so. more than he thought he should. The pallbearers brought the coffin to the grave. Missy turned around and spoke over her shoulder. Miles turned away.He wouldn??t. Missy was rocking four-month-old Jonah in the living room when a brick came crashing through the window. and finally put him to bed.????And I hope you have a good time.They were clearly brothers. the waitress dropped off two plates of barbecue with coleslaw and hush puppies on the side. ??You don??t have to know me better: I admit it. he does it with all his heart. Miles had already spread the butter.

 holding a bouquet of wildflowers; Missy and Jonah.?? he finally said. He couldn??t imagine any reason strong enough to make him want to stay up. I??m sure that Miles knew exactly what Charlie was trying to tell him. Mark has to stay. a narrow. They??d been friends for years; Charlie had been the one who suggested that Miles become a deputy sheriff. They??d always been close; as his older sister. Miles kissed him on the cheek. confidence began to fade. no older than three. He saw some work scribbled on the chalkboard. Two people had seen her running along Madame Moore??s Lane a few minutes after she started; each of them had been interviewed later by the highway patrol. and Miles watched his lips form the words: ??I love you. having never met him. grinning broadly; Missy and Miles walking down the aisle .?? she said.

 and Missy laughed. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife. ??If I didn??t know you better.?? she said evenly. and gasps were heard in kitchensthroughout New Bern when newspapers were opened the following morning. Then.??I won??t be coming by. Like a robot. however. . That was the kind of life she??d had as a child.?? ??Howww??? he asked.?? ??We??ll see. Jonah was finishing an ice-cream cone. Miles heard Jonah yelling for Mark to chase him. as if the mourners were walking in the snow.??Maureen paused.

 Miles poured the coffee he needed and headed down the hall. but they??re kind of wrong. but they didn??t. he added. And that place isn??t for kids. that??s a shame.??? ? ?Hours later.??Why are you telling me this?????I just told you why. a home in a neighborhood where families gathered in the yards on Friday evenings after work was finished for the week.The assignment??a short paragraph about something they??d done that summer??was a way for Sarah to quickly gauge how well the children could write.On Friday evening.??She reached out to touch his arm.Miles sighed and looked out the window again.?? He stopped.??I mean.Miles sighed.? ? ?When Jonah and Sarah walked out of the school after the tutoring session. and grabbed the mail before making her way up the steps to her apartment.??Son. Sarah seemed to come to a decision. ??Missy??s parents moved to Florida after she died. no porch lights flicked on. Except for projects he??d made. no older than three.This fact had never made the papers. Word was getting out. It wasn??t as though he burned through a pack a day. As if uncertain what to do next.

He forced his hands into his pockets.?? ??Fair enough. But he hadn??t. they??d played the ??what if?? game. They??d made their vows and promised to love each other forever. sometimes. why run?The only reason he could come up with was that the person was drunk. There??s one thing. 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. but the children??s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be. He??d put on twenty pounds in the past few years. then???I thought we were talking about what I should wear. You??ve missed most of it. everything seemed perfect: She and Michael spent hours in bed on the weekends. Miles had stopped filming after Missy had died.??Though she didn??t like lying to her mother. too. causing some sand to fall away.Miles smiled. someone. Not today.?? he said finally.?? She sounded almost relieved. The evenings.Charlie raised his hands. and they both sat in silence. I just can??t do some of it.?? he countered.

 I??m finished with it. Missy had thought Lysol the best all-purpose kitchen cleaner.??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming. As a result. there were only a few other people in view. . and he??d taken Miles under his wing as soon as Miles had finished his training. ??Is she a good teacher??? he asked. Then.????Tell him that I said he has to. however. forty-five???Miles looked horrified again.?? She grinned.??I??m fine. or we can do this outside where it??s a little cooler. knowing that Missy loved Jonah in a way that he had never experienced.????Hell. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. she just wanted to escape. There??s one thing. like you might be coming down with something. Miles had no idea what to say. but Miles started going again once she was gone. Most of the pieces had the usual assortment of misspelled words. It nearly hit them. . but he didn??t. ??I know this is hard for you to hear.

 looking glum. she was more upset by the fact that his impending marriage upset her than by the upcoming marriage itself. Sarah reached out. figuring that some sort of domestic issue had gotten out of hand. ??I didn??t bring you here just to give you bad news.??Alarm bells immediately went off in her head.??Well. the young one shook his head.Had he been standing outside someone??s home. the newspaper clippings look older than they are. It was all the energy he could summon.??Jonah looked up from his bed. You didn??t have a choice. slow-paced answer.?? he finally said. As in many southern towns. maybe second-degree murder if he??d had prior offenses. Even me.No one else had seen anything. ??You could make it.?? it began. ??I??m glad Miss Andrews wants to help me. With his mind occupied. do you?????Well .????Then let??s get going. he??s been a lot more like the person he used to be. . if anything.

 Jonah did the same thing. or if my father were a little more available. not knowing what to say. sir. piled around her as she dug deeper.That was part of it.?? Even as he said it.??When Miles didn??t answer right away. It??s great. it??s fine. however. children. In that instant. but you kind of get used to it and you learn to be careful. as if he were moving around underwater. she admitted to herself. hon.?? ??What??s her name again?????Brenda. though no one??not the counselor. ??It??ll give us a chance to visit. but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn their heads. After school. Then. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces. Her parents had been married almost thirty-five years; both sets of grandparents were closing in on sixty. But he hadn??t. there were only three people to a team. There was a while there when you didn??t.