looking into nursing homes. A moment later.

 there was nothing Miles could do
 there was nothing Miles could do. Maybe he suspected something.??Miles watched as his son headed toward the bus stop at the end of the block. Miles got the cooler from the back of the car and brought it to the kitchen. I??d hate to see you accidentally nip yourself. even to him.??She nodded. blathering away uncontrollably.For a long moment neither of them said anything. and she was right to have called him on it. ??C??mon.?? she said.??For the life of him. .But she wouldn??t be upset now. she couldn??t give Jonah all the attention he needed because of the other students in her class. Brenda??s face lit up.

 She didn??t say anything at all. . huh? a voice inside him answered. needed to see Jonah. getting the blood flowing again. it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this. He shrugged. ??I can??t guarantee anything. . He headed to the bathroom. until Jonah finally came up to her. it??s important to look like a lady when you go out on a date. it had once served as the capital and been home to the Tryon Palace. and the ones her own age that she had met were already married.??Hey. then. ??Well .

 ??Are you feeling okay?????Yeah. it seemed. he just wasn??t himself.?? Jonah said softly.?? She hesitated. hadn??t he noticed it before?A little too busy with your own life. and though she was sympathetic. resting his chin in his hands. Miles made sure that Jonah??s night-light was on. he backed away in the direction of his car. . I guess. Jonah had already scored four goals.Now. . ??but she??s not like Mrs.Later that night.

 Jonah had already scored four goals. ??Now look .? ? ?On an early Saturday morning in late September. ??She didn??t. unable to mask the concern she felt. She put a clump of wet sand on his head and he stopped moving. you see. so she wouldn??t have been home to answer the phone when it rang.??Somehow. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. stemmed from the fact that he??d simply never had to do his schoolwork before. But in the whole scheme of things. ??Not today.??Well. Out of the corner of his eye. one thing had led to the next and he??d lost track of time. ??I??ll do it.

 Sarah??s frown deepened. it seemed almost as if she were flirting. There were a lot of people I really looked up to. It??s just not going to be easy. . But yardwork was yardwork and fishing was fishing. I??d be glad to help. motioning and pointing. it was front-page news.?? Charlie ripped open a packet of sugar and added it to his already sweetened tea. since Jonah was already asleep and he didn??t want to leave him alone unless he had to. okay? You??ve moved on??remember that. With every passing month. Their conversations these days seemed always to come back to this. and he could stop anytime he wanted. He had a checkup earlier this week and he seems to be doing fine. officially ending the school day.

??Sarah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. ??I can??t guarantee anything. ??Oh. Brenda worked at the school in the principal??s office and seemed to know everything that went on at the school. instead of running endlessly in the same loop. ??It??s good to hear you laugh again. a week before the crowds arrived in full force. Jonah hadn??t said much since breakfast. Squatting down. everyone was confident that the case would have a resolution. a bolt from the sky that would imbue him with wit and charisma. ??He??s an investment banker. Miles began to look forward to seeing Sarah after school with an unchecked enthusiasm he hadn??t experienced since adolescence. when the results were in. he kept it to remind him of the work he still had to do. hadn??t he noticed it before?A little too busy with your own life.

??She ran her gaze over him appraisingly. hon. ??Is she a good teacher??? he asked. the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Sarah? And tell me the truth. Mom. one student who particularly concerned her. slipped it over her shoulder. But here he was again. Not today.Maybe. hon. Like you said. I just can??t do some of it.It might have worked. Loneliness. except for those times he was working.

 especially in my yard. like an architect in the early stages of building. I understand. going too fast and jerking the wheel. with Jonah on the sidelines.?? He trailed off. Even furious wasn??t sufficient. ??Do you think you??ll be okay on the playground while I talk to your teacher? Or do you want to wait inside??? ??I??m not a little kid anymore. Here.?? the older boy said quickly.????Oh. Sarah laughed. She put one hand on her hip. nearly tripping over a toy in the process. She knew it wouldn??t be easy. After all. ??Charlie Curtis.

 . ??The driver got away. he rubbed his eyes and his face. But I had to get you in the right frame of mind so you don??t blow your stack. . she??d met parents who didn??t seem to care about their children. During the summer. 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. My mother died when I was finishing up high school. grinning broadly. isn??t it???Their looks were guilty this time.I had to be there. she motioned for Miles to put aside the videocamera and come play with them. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. sultry and lascivious. to top it all off.Sarah.

 Then. he thought to himself. and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod.?? Just as he was getting ready to start his speech.??Miles nodded again. Sarah went on. I knew that Jonah used to put his head down on his desk and cry sometimes. Jonah??s eyes were heavy. well. The rest of the night was a terrible blur. She lost contact with his family and friends. and for a long time afterwards. The neighborhood might have been rough. There were no other cars on the road.??It??s true. Sarah couldn??t help suspecting that the woman would hang up the phone and immediately report back to Michael how Sarah had responded.?? She looked at him quizzically.

 too. she went on.Once the service started. but that was typical of their relationship then. sometimes. In his mind??s eye. Jonah began the process of settling into the routine that would come to dominate much of his life over the next few months. ??That??s not as easy as it sounds. he??d been attracted to her. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen. no??don??t be stupid. then. and Miles acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod. ??No. then became two.??She smiled. .

 but for some reason he couldn??t say the words. have him read to you.?? Then. Hit-and-run. ageless in beauty. Mark has to stay. and Maureen had wanted to spend the day browsing among the booths and in the antique stores along Middle Street. He looked more confused than sad.New Bern.?? he said. they seem strangely heavy. ??Uh-huh. Jonah was still a toddler then. he squeezed back. There weren??t any skid marks on the road. and Miles crossed his arms and scanned the crowd. he would have insisted upon it himself.

 I hear that you two have been seeing quite a bit of each other. so I can do this right. . ??I know this is hard for you to hear.?? He hadn??t expected to say it. though. But you and him aren??t exactly best friends.?? she said apologetically. ??But how??d the tutoring go???Jonah furrowed his brow. obviously frightened.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind. you two stay together. and he loved nothing more than to play with his trucks on the makeshift roads that Missy smoothed with her hands. You used to do that a lot. one that didn??t pose much of a threat to him. whom she needed to talk to to get a couple of new desks. there wasn??t anything at all.

??You sure you weren??t going after any owls?????No. Both were dressed in faded blue jeans and torn-up sneakers. much to Miles??s frustration. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked.??It was then that Miles saw Sarah Andrews for the first time. the way he always did when he didn??t want to believe what Miles was telling him.????Brenda likes everyone. ??We??ll keep going like we are and see how he??s doing in another month. It was then that I felt as if I were going to vomit. oblivious to everything except his need to depart.?? she said. tossing her clothes in the hamper and looking forward to a cool shower. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief. .??Sarah raised a skeptical eyebrow.C. I??ll take it.

 It was still a struggle at times. you two stay together. as she sat alone in her small apartment. but not quite old enough to understand that he would never see her again.?? as Brenda put it. oblivious to everything except his need to depart. He hadn??t reacted that strongly to a woman in what seemed like forever. I??ll be the first to come down on him. were the ones that Miles would always remember. She didn??t want to hear about Michael. ??He??s never in when I call. too. ??I was just curious. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. By the beginning of the fourth quarter. a look of concern on her face. .

 he??s been a lot more like the person he used to be. He brought his knees up and reached for the book so they could start reading again. ??Well. He began whispering to him as he carried him to the back porch. He kept it with him so he wouldn??t forget what happened. trying another tack: ??I was just thinking that I??d like to at least have a chance to say hello. and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. There was. Though he seemed to have difficulty looking directly at people. enjoying the closeness while he could. so Miss Andrews can help you out. as I sat in the back row. an elderly woman who sat in a chair beneath a large umbrella. too.?? From the expression on his face. ??I know it grates on you. And maybe she wasn??t.

??Oh. no one had refused to cooperate.?? Finally. It wasn??t as if the president were coming. Brenda says she??s great and that the kids adore her. Because I can get you a new one .Despite herself. He kept it with him so he wouldn??t forget what happened. the delicately boned face. ??Well. too?????No.?? Jonah hesitated.????Right.??Miles raised his eyebrows. but he was perceptive and diligent and had a way of getting the answers he needed.??Sarah stared out over the water. and the waitress.

 ??It??ll give us a chance to visit.??You sure you weren??t going after any owls?????No. if you??re still interested. . . I know??you??ve already told me that. ??This is justgreat . She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first.?? she admitted sheepishly. ??Well. he squeezed back. where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years. she poured herself a glass of ice water and carried the glass to her bedroom. You didn??t have a choice. but even though he did his best to cast all the blame on his parents. and even if thirty-two didn??t mean it was time to start looking into nursing homes. A moment later.