I turned away and made my way to the back of the church.

and it began to bleed
and it began to bleed. especially in a small town. You??re what??forty. thickening the air. Originally named for the woman who once ran one of the most famous brothels in North Carolina. stepped out. Sarah regretted all of them later that night; Michael was apologetic. Jonah looked up with puffy eyes as soon as Miles came in to check on him. A little java and he??d feel ready enough to face the day??getting Jonah off to school. Most likely he checked the clock every few minutes after Missy was supposed to be home. whoever had been driving the car had covered Missy??s body with a blanket. but not quite old enough to understand that he would never see her again. With Missy. even before the echo from the last shot had died. . he was too embarrassed to ask for help. Miles looked at her curiously. It had decayed over the years and was completely abandoned.

Jonah was finishing an ice-cream cone. A few kids shouted greetings. You??ve got Jonah to think about now. Miles eyed them sternly.?? Miles repeated. he would have been better off. As a result. 1988. That??s if I could even make it. It??s just about to fall down and you could get hurt in there. ??So I??ve realized. causing some sand to fall away. Once Jonah was gone. and you??re not always there to watch out for him. ??This is the sheriff. ??Look . ??Oh.??Miles and Otis Timson had a long history between them.

??She ran her gaze over him appraisingly. however.????No problem.It was painful.??Harvey Wellman decided to drop the charges against Otis Timson.?? She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice.?? ??Don??t be. Sarah fell silent. With his mind occupied. but you??re gonna do this for a while.?? Maureen touched Sarah??s knee gently. A lifetime ago.??Sarah nodded.??Sarah smiled before going on. the birds began their morning songs. he was running out of time. standing in front of the students with a piece of chalk in her hand; other times he wondered how she spent her time after school. You can understand that.

. I??m not gonna shoot. he loved being a father. Miles Ryan had become a widower at the age of thirty. She??s great. he could put out a call saying he was in trouble. looking as if she were ready to get down to business. My schedule varies. another article appeared on the front page. it wasn??t half as bad as he??d thought it would be. he??s patient. right? Doesn??t that mean you??re getting married???Miles couldn??t help but smile. Though Baltimore had its own rich history.Missy added more sand here and there. tulips and azaleas bloomed each spring. trying another tack: ??I was just thinking that I??d like to at least have a chance to say hello. a teetering wood structure blanketed in kudzu on the outskirts of New Bern. Missy turned her attention to Miles.

??Somehow. he knew. especially when she??d met Michael. finally opening the file. no shivers pricked the hairs on the back of his neck. he shifted from one foot to the other. Brenda worked at the school in the principal??s office and seemed to know everything that went on at the school. As soon as he entered the building.??Jonah handed his father his backpack and scrambled off. trying and failing to hide the smirk on her face.??She nodded. the memory would lurk there under the surface. It was a glorious Saturday. and she thought she was doing better. there were only a few other people in view. Only I didn??t have to do it for only a couple of months. She was still trying to figure out why she??d done that. .

But at other times.He forced his hands into his pockets.??I know??you??ve got to go. But she figured that by the end of the year. while standing inside the Lincoln Memorial. Mom. He hadn??t been awake for more than a few minutes. A week later. On the first day of class. She told me that. all these kids look the same. Someone played softly on a guitar near the altar. Miles tucked Jonah??s shirt back in. ??I was a little early anyway.Again there was a period of silence.????But I??m the only one in my class who has to stay after school. He hadn??t been awake for more than a few minutes. converging from every direction.

? ? ???Are you sure you??re okay???With crowds pressing in around them. he realized. refusing to believe it. they weren??t as powerful as they had been earlier that day.?? Sarah said cutting her off. So you can learn. ??Why do I get the impression that you??re leading up to some bad news?????Am I that obvious?????Well . lowering her voice as if conversing with herself. but Jonah??s had stood out. you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up. She??d known all along that Michael would marry again; he??d told her as much. ??Michael??s getting married again.????Nothing more than that???When Sarah didn??t answer right away.?? ??What??s her name again?????Brenda. . ??The fan??? she repeated. the hot-water heater in her apartment had stopped working and she??d had to take a cold shower before heading off to school. I don??t think he was ready for the second grade.

Unlike the vestibule. it meant they were trying to hide.????Mark says he??s the best player out here.He sighed. Sarah? And tell me the truth. and in less than a few minutes the place would be surrounded by every law enforcement officer in the county. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask. Mom. if you know what I mean.????How do you like it???She looked over at him. next March??and his hair was streaked with gray.??Then I??ll be there for sure.?? she said apologetically. You know she??s always on the lookout for you. the one he??d made for himself in the months following her funeral. ??This is the sheriff. she??d learned almost right away. .

After deciding there was no easy way to say it.Again there was a period of silence. changing the subject. too. Macdonald Junior High School. you wouldn??t have been able to play soccer. but spending time with Miles Ryan recently had reminded her that the past couple of years had been lonely ones. especially in my yard. Sometimes. As she searched for them.????Join the club. as if the mourners were walking in the snow.?? He paused. covering his arms and fingers. Missy would have already known that Jonah was having trouble at school. almost as though he??d been punched in the stomach. After what he did to you. he did have cause.

. you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up.??He looked so small in his bed.??Miles smiled. and then turned off the lights on her way out. She wouldn??t have hated Michael nearly as much unless she??d loved him first. ??I can??t guarantee anything. where she??d been born and raised. . Destroyed by fire in 1798.??It was fun. The ball shot past him. There were people here in town who??d lost their spouse and never remarried.Why.??Kind of like a movie?????Kinda. They??d moved that way unconsciously; they??d simply walked until they could go no farther. She??d known all along that Michael would marry again; he??d told her as much. he caught himself staring at a young couple walking hand in hand as they moved down the sidewalk.

but even though he did his best to cast all the blame on his parents.But in this game. Sarah was still musing over this as she glanced around the room one last time. because his teachers hadn??t required it. you can be certain that they won??t live here after they get married. Instead. ??Hey.??It took only a moment for the words to register. 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. then. ??Wait??do you have any milk?????I can get some from the cafeteria. She??d felt pretty good first thing in the morning and even during breakfast.?? she went on after a pause. but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn their heads. but that??s not the way it is. raised her eyebrows.He began to justify his new reality by telling himself that he was a widower now. You should try it.

but Miles didn??t notice.Damn. It wouldn??t be right for the surviving spouse. that story had kept Miles from wanting to go anywhere near the place. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in. . even after that. Though yellowed and wrinkled. he wasn??t any better. You??ve got Jonah to think about now. urging him to get out of there before anyone saw him. no. ??Yes. chronicling everything they had learned??which in the end was essentially nothing more than what Miles knew the moment he??d pushed open the door and seen Charlie standing on the porch. hoping it would satisfy her mother. until all this blows over. he??d drawn a picture of himself fishing from a small boat.??Part of her knew their relationship had taken an irreversible turn that night.

too. but you??re gonna do this for a while.? ? ?A few minutes later. on the other hand. which didn??t make it any easier. ??Uh-huh. toward finally coming to terms with his loss. Miles doubted he even knew about them. hoping she didn??t realize what he??d been thinking earlier and at the same time hoping she did.????I??ll be fine. for whatever reason. Knowing what he??d been through. It was somewhere beyond that. ??I know things about people that would make your head spin around like you??re in dire need of an exorcism. They said terrible things in the heart of the moment.?? she said absently. Since she was new at the school. they seem strangely heavy.

She was undressing. ??I hope everything??s all right. the same one that Miles and Sarah had visited a month earlier. they??d begun to prod her to move down as well. once adolescence settled in. in broad daylight no less. I wouldn??t want to hear it. That??s why I wanted to make sure before I talked to you about it. thankful that the air was finally cooling. you??ll call me to let me know how it went. lying in bed.????I did?????Yeah. Except for projects he??d made. ??Thinking about ways to keep the citizens safe. even more so than Miles. the waitress dropped off two plates of barbecue with coleslaw and hush puppies on the side. you can??t ask for more than that. paying their respects from the nearest spot they could.

no matter how unlikely it seemed. Then.??Sarah smiled. But I had to get you in the right frame of mind so you don??t blow your stack. Since Missy had gone to the grocery store on Thursday evenings. But don??t make any special plans.??That wasn??t my point. Jonah??s out on the playground. If I ever see him again. There was. It would be better if you told him. however. and the ones her own age that she had met were already married. his mind began focusing on the possible punishments his father might inflict. Sarah??s mother could also play to perfection the part of a guilt-ridden parent. I suppose. ??If I didn??t know you better. but I can??t do it every day.

then nodded in the direction of the nearest homes. and Sarah laughed. thinking. but looks were deceiving. then became two. and three short reading tests that Jonah had failed as well. huh???Charlie Curtis. single men would start descending on her.Missy had taken care of everything. the last time with a fellow who came on a little too strongly. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. she admitted to herself. Jonah wouldn??t do that anymore. there was nothing Miles could do.?? ??Is he making friends?????I??m sure he is. would happen with Sarah. All in all. pulling up the covers.

Jonah??s out on the playground.??I have no idea.His last image was of Sarah standing out in the school yard. ??Do you think about her?????All the time. He was sure they??d rather run than have Miles bring them home to meet with their parents. spelling.It might have worked.?? She looked at him quizzically. shattering instantly. the only part that sometimes kept her awake at night. torn between wanting to stay and talk to her and wanting to escape the sudden wave of nervousness that seemed to come from nowhere.?? he murmured. ??And despite what you may have heard about me. except for the reason that the attraction had once again reminded him that he wanted to start over. and though her face was flushed from heat. Not family. there were hopes that the blanket would provide some clues to the identity of the driver. .

He has a long way to go. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. . . She needed a place where the memories wouldn??t be so painful. never had pimples as a teenager. I thought you might be out with someone. ??Wait??do you have any milk?????I can get some from the cafeteria. she??d never felt so insignificant in her entire life. trailing off. and though she was sympathetic. the rain began to fall harder. They were. Missy.??Well . After that. he??d probably never had to ask a woman out??his wife had been his high school sweetheart. I??ve known him a long time.

Miles rocked Jonah back and forth. He can still catch up. she hadn??t regretted it. . would happen with Sarah. In arithmetic. She was over him. he loved being a father. without facing any decision more major than whether or not to wear sandals as he walked on the beach with a nice woman at his side. Miss Andrews is really nice and all.?? they finally said.? ? ?Nor did Sarah. would you go wait by the car while I talk to Miss Andrews for a couple minutes?????Okay. . In the last few years.????Really?????Don??t look so surprised. Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help. those small faces that stared at her with wonder.

Ironically. I found it difficult to concentrate. For one thing. his mouth set in a straight line. When they were first married. He??s a wonderful boy??he??s always the first to volunteer if I ever need anything. He looked more confused than sad. ??It??ll be okay. but instead of writing a paragraph. . take it easy. He hadn??t reacted that strongly to a woman in what seemed like forever. I??m sure that I could find someone who saw what happened. Missy would have already known that Jonah was having trouble at school. The effort was too much. He would. Though yellowed and wrinkled. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church.