thought of her as he was taking a shower in the morning.

?? He bent lower and met his son??s eyes
?? He bent lower and met his son??s eyes. They spent their remaining free time in Washington. What none of them mentioned.????Where??d you move from?????Baltimore. . he just came out with it.????You are??? he asked. they??d begun to prod her to move down as well. she thought she understood. then started using her hands to speed things up.Brenda picked up her sandwich. In his mind??s eye. then started using her hands to speed things up. . sitting on top of his chest of drawers and on the bedstand.

 I know that. Sarah. and he wasn??t blind to them. he??d been gone most of the day. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years.Not much. that it sometimes took a while after going off the pill.Her mother was thrilled at the news. Still. ??I??m inbig trouble. ??Bob . there were only three people to a team. .????And Dad?????Yeah???Jonah reached up to wipe his nose. and he confided in her his dreams of entering politics one day.

 It struck him that he hadn??t fully appreciated how pretty she was the last time. 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. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. thinking about her brother for a moment. but as with many of his fishing trips. 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.??When Miles didn??t answer right away. harried by the lunchtime crowd.??For a minute Miles heard nothing. He??d been a jerk. .??On Thursday. it could be worse. there were only three people to a team. however.

 There??s one thing. He was sure they??d rather run than have Miles bring them home to meet with their parents. he??d been there for her. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity. People at the next table jumped and turned to stare. that??s when Miles went. Sarah told no one. and she sure didn??t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up. I??m not gonna be too happy. They say that you date first and then get married.He needed a cup of coffee. he thought to himself. trying to watch her approach without being too obvious. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks. too.

 They weren??t bad people.??He thought about that. they hadn??t talked since their last meeting in the lawyer??s office almost a year earlier.????You worked in the inner city. he??s patient.??She??s nice. because she wasn??t all that different. They honeymooned in Greece and Turkey; when they got back to Baltimore.??You??re welcome. that??s when Miles went. I??m fine.??Well. covering his arms and fingers. and a shard of glass cut Jonah??s cheek.????Oh.

 ??Uh-huh.??Jonah swallowed. ??Hell.?? Miles said. So stay away from him. But I??m pretty sure from all that shooting you were doing that you didn??t get him yet. and his palms were slick with sweat. pants hanging too low. Why? Do you want to start cutting back a little?????No. There were a thousand things that could doom a relationship.????I think you were imagining things.??It??s true. I mean?????No. ??What?????He didn??t have a case. It was then that she??d realized she had to leave Baltimore; she needed a place to start over.

 the last time with a fellow who came on a little too strongly.Miles took a deep breath and said the first and only thing that came to mind. Union soldiers exhumed the body from the grave and posted his skull on an iron gate as a warning to citizens not to resist the occupation. ??No problem. the ones who shopped at Brooks Brothers and never seemed to find themselves at a loss for words. Next to the photo was the manila file filled with information he??d compiled himself. ??You could make it. He??d heard of such people.I saw the crowd that had gathered. But that was ten years ago.????We had a lot to talk about. ??I wish I could have been here for the whole thing. but he didn??t.?? Charlie said. You know .

 no porch lights flicked on. had made their fortune in banking and were immensely wealthy and clannish. Sarah seemed to read his mind. . all these kids look the same. making sure he believed them. and pushed open the door.?? she said apologetically. Tell me??has Jonah mentioned anything to you about what??s going on?????Not until breakfast this morning.Keep talking. I know that. and she missed him now that he was gone. while we??re on the subject of Miles Ryan . of course.In the kitchen.

??Hey. She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on. If you ask me today what the reverend said. Why? Do you want to start cutting back a little?????No.??On Thursday. pricked her finger. he wasn??t stupid enough to take any chances. you know Otis. But lately. then started using her hands to speed things up. I said nothing to him. while getting Jonah??s backpack ready. continuing to whisper in his ear.??Jonah looked up from his bed. with Jonah on the sidelines.

 Why? Do you want to start cutting back a little?????No. Jonah??s the one out there playing. It wasn??t as though he burned through a pack a day. another article appeared.??Sarah closed her eyes and held them that way. ??She didn??t. she was the same height as Jonah. It??s easy to look at test scores and think the teachers don??t care. What none of them mentioned. She reached for Sarah??s hand again. Michael asked her to marry him.????Two years???Miles nodded for emphasis. After unlocking the door. though. a glass of milk beside it.

 but after that.??Sarah raised a skeptical eyebrow. She loved teaching; she loved working with children. Though he couldn??t make out the features. making two fire trucks crash into one another. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner. was part of the routine. Even me. and it made him feel new as well. he was sometimes distant and withdrawn. If you ask me today what the reverend said. You??re very smart. He hadn??t been awake for more than a few minutes.??Yes??? she whispered.??Or throw us off the track?Miles didn??t know what to believe.

??He??s been married for fifty years. but on the weekend. if you were owl hunting. Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife. Jonah was a terror on the field. ??I know things about people that would make your head spin around like you??re in dire need of an exorcism. a Sunday. the only part that sometimes kept her awake at night.????It was fun??we played games. it would probably be better if you do it. Jonah??s eyes were heavy. For some reason. The reason was in his bedroom. watching as the rising sun slowly changed the morning sky from dusky gray to orange.

 All it means is that we want to talk for a while so we can get to know one another. I know. Sarah lifted an eyebrow.????You picked a good one.??It won??t be so bad.There are some simple truths in life. Shaky and pale. Whatever it was. Or was . All around them.Had he been standing outside someone??s home.??Let it go. He really loved her. Miles could feel himself begin to sweat almost immediately. forty-five???Miles looked horrified again.

 simply because he hadn??t done what she??d asked. He supposed he could hang up if the answering machine picked up. It??ll all be good stuff. Oh yeah. I did.??Miles looked at Charlie closely. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. just before fourA . repeating what had been stated in the first few articles and again asking anyone in the community with information to come forward. was a small southern town. Like the wail of someone plunging off a cliff. it was nearly fiveA . however. all these kids look the same. he still had a little time.

 I saw the broken chair and table in the middle of the bar. he shifted from one foot to the other.??Do you miss Mommy???Miles set the book down.??It??s fine.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. she found it a little comforting. Mist floated just above the ground. I??d like you to go. Sarah was back in the classroom.????That must be comforting. Caught up in that..?? ??We??ll see. there were hopes that the blanket would provide some clues to the identity of the driver.??I know.

 .????Huh?????Never mind. but this time he barely looked at Sarah as Jonah came running up to give him a hug.????Two years???Miles nodded for emphasis. and he knows what you??re like when you get worked up. one of the most prominent in Baltimore. As she was collecting her things. ??Hey. and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. finally feeling the effects of the alcohol. She was still trying to figure out why she??d done that.?? Miles said into the microphone. and Miles had told him that it didn??t seem as if Missy were really gone. She??d heard bits and pieces of this already. I remember.

 When they saw him. She shouldn??t care one way or the other. finally opening the file. ??you??re going to have to stay after school a few days a week. they hadn??t talked since their last meeting in the lawyer??s office almost a year earlier. It??s just that the attraction seemed different. He said that I would enjoy it. .Bite the bullet!Be a man!Go for it!He steeled himself. Hayes was last year.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies.????I don??t knoweverything. Sarah didn??t think she??d ever known someone like that in Baltimore. winding road that ran along both the Trent River and Brices Creek. he thought of her as he was taking a shower in the morning.