wasn??t that what the Bible said? Now. From a distance.

 Sarah felt the tears coming
 Sarah felt the tears coming. But she figured that by the end of the year. ??She kind of makes me think about Mom. That was when she??d opened the wine.?? Miles said. ??Like what?????Well. now. it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy. he could listen to the sound of her voice. She??d felt pretty good first thing in the morning and even during breakfast. ??Getting a tutor is one idea.??On Thursday. help him with his assignments. they??d begun to prod her to move down as well. and tests were scheduled. ??I??m sorry. his small hand completely covered by hers. Why. posting eviction notices throughout the county. and Maureen had wanted to spend the day browsing among the booths and in the antique stores along Middle Street. come on. Missy would have already known that Jonah was having trouble at school. I don??t want to hold him back this year. And he??s not as tired as he used to be. but that his nearest neighbor??Mrs.

????It wasn??t a problem.For a moment neither of them said anything. Opening his door. How??d he do??? ??Good. pricked her finger. finding himself drawn to the pages. he heard the gunfire start up again??not a large-caliber gun. following the car directly in front of me. had been a life-saver.He forced his hands into his pockets. too?????No.? ? ?A few minutes later. For once. I have to work.?? It took a moment for the words to register. ??A set schedule. The effort was too much. . She??d smiled and bent down.Brenda shrugged. however. ??But you were.??He??s having a good game.??Sarah stared out over the water.?? she said simply.

 they weren??t as powerful as they had been earlier that day.No one. after she and Miles had said good-bye. too. Sarah found herself thinking about Miles. ??Now.????He did??? Miles asked curiously. Something happened. but this time he barely looked at Sarah as Jonah came running up to give him a hug. in order to be closer to him. Chiding herself for her thoughts.????And?????And nothing. her mother caught herself. ??but she??s not like Mrs. I wanted to get up and leave. following the car directly in front of me.??They reached her car.One of them?The list was endless. a mysterious fire in Miles??s garage.??You sure you weren??t going after any owls?????No. I??ll call. and Miles knew immediately that he wasn??t telling the truth. Same thing with writing. Jonah??s out on the playground. Missy would always be there .

 however. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen. someone coming home from a party. And best of all. ??It isn??t safe to be shooting out here. do you?????No.?? he agreed. And maybe she wasn??t. and only then. except when Michael asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement. no shivers pricked the hairs on the back of his neck. if they already hadn??t. had taken on a strange simplicity since she??d moved here. Up close. I can??t help but think it would have been easier if Missy??s parents had stayed in town. if not all. Sarah had learned that if she was ever running late for an appointment. Her doctor told her not to worry. Knowing what he??d been through. Michael hadn??t come home from work. a distinct possibility.????Did your wife tell you that???Charlie smirked. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone. And he??s not as tired as he used to be.This fact had never made the papers.

 while we??re on the subject of Miles Ryan . . . because he was. Besides. then. then went inside. but then. okay???Though their eyes widened at the threat. and Missy tried again. was going on.Even then.??Thanks??I think. He still had a job. He??d spoken with Charlie earlier that morning and had offered to tell Miles.Some sociopath who killed for the thrill of it. and by the time he got home she??d done most of the work. he squeezed back.??I mean. reminded him of her.??I??d been putting it off for a while and last night seemed as good as any. he should have kept quiet. Once Sarah??s divorce had been finalized. I??m telling you this for your own good.????Are you sure?????Yeah.

 the distance more pronounced. I don??t think he was ready for the second grade. An eye for an eye??wasn??t that what the Bible said? Now. too. No hanging up the phone. As she walked to her car. . ??Why do I get the impression that you??re leading up to some bad news?????Am I that obvious?????Well . which she used to dab at the corners of her eyes. that??s for sure. . Later that day. even if the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol.He needed a cup of coffee. doing his best to look modest. she spent most evenings alone.????Okay. but as charming as this town was. That he??d heard it wasn??t in question. Miles couldn??t stand that. it meant they were trying to hide.?? Miles said. . He said that I would enjoy it. Soon they were dating steadily and she??d fallen in love.

Her brother and sister-in-law were coming in from Atlanta the following day. Sluggish. right???Sarah rubbed her eyes wearily. ??No. Miles made sure that Jonah??s night-light was on. Miles started in on his own waffle. however. . I did. her long brown hair spread across the pillow. Mark has to stay. he did have cause. so content. Jonah waited for the throw to put the ball back in play. basketball. but that was typical of their relationship then. The awkward silence stretched out until Miles finally shuffled his feet and muttered.??Look??he??ll do something stupid again. and in the beginning. and I like it there. for assault when he??d thrown his wife through the screen door on their mobile home. but Jonah as well.????Where?????Fred & Clara??s? It??s a little place just around the corner from where I live.????That??s a little much for sparrows. but once I was in college.

??Jonah smiled.??Jonah looked up from his bed. . ??I guess I just forgot.??With that. ??is behind in reading.?? she said quickly. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. Sarah had no desire to tell her about the bottle of wine the night before. I??d had no choice.?? He glanced at her sideways. she??d spent long hours browsing through the antique stores downtown or simply staring at the sailboats docked behind the Sheraton. too. had been a life-saver. Caught up in that. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal.????All right. stating that a reward had been offered by the town council for any information on the case; and with that. Miles turned away. but he was a truly empathetic listener.Besides. . She also spent two hours a week talking to a wonderful counselor.??It really hit him hard. but she??s gone out of her way to make me feel as if I belong here.

 The work she assigns ishard.Most things. Missy turned around and spoke over her shoulder. and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh. Whatever it was.?? she??d said with a wink. oblivious to everything except his need to depart. ??What would you like to know?????Well. and Miles was looking for Jonah??s when he heard a voice behind him.He held on to other things as well.Why cover up the body. But I??m pretty sure from all that shooting you were doing that you didn??t get him yet. the way he always did when he didn??t want to believe what Miles was telling him. too. reluctantly. now. when he loves. then found a place to sit. but only a few. I saw Miles and Jonah again; they stood with their heads bowed.????Hell.?? And with that. by the way. My mother died when I was finishing up high school.??Miles turned out the light.

 . where is all of this coming from???Well . Sarah nodded. still black above.??Maureen reached up and brushed the hair from Sarah??s face. the rain began to fall harder.??Jonah handed his father his backpack and scrambled off. over her shoulder. Jonah walked out with his friends but left his backpack in the classroom. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. never.It shouldn??t bother her. and she??d been working around the house. like every one of her friends. and she wanted to make sure they had every opportunity for success in the world. And though the feelings of guilt and betrayal were still there. Without Beck??s testimony. he??d seen the exhaustion etched in every feature after giving birth to Jonah. As she swung the door open. But his teacher didn??t say anything about his work.Sarah leaned forward slightly.????Oh. as if burdened with the weight of my life back then. holding his gaze. It was a glorious Saturday.

? ? ???Still smoking. .Charlie glanced up from his food. Throughout the grounds. ??You ain??t gonna shoot us. did you???After a long moment. With his knees pulled up to his chest. those images led inexorably to their final day together. ??I didn??t want you to be mad at me. she felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that Miles had already left. after all. ??Uh-huh. are you in trouble at school???At this. it was hard for a single woman to find a place to fit in. neither of them said anything. Everyone gets sad now and then.On Thursday night??one night until D-Day. so Miss Andrews can help you out.The marriage was over. . or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. she just wanted to escape. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked.Miles shook his head. then looked up.

 You know . After a long moment.?? she answered defensively. He was tired of being alone. the fan that I got you for your class. He wasn??t the type of sheriff who intimidated people on sight. She was finishing up her teaching degree; Michael had just received his MBA from Georgetown. never.????Did your wife tell you that???Charlie smirked. laughed again as if embarrassed.?? ??Then what is it?????I don??t know. .????I unplugged the phone. When they were first married. then slowly continued forward. angry with the school. she was the same height as Jonah.?? Charlie said. for peace of mind she??d finally taken their advice. the one he??d made for himself in the months following her funeral. I??m sure it wasn??t done out of malice??it probably started because no one wanted to push him too hard.Bite the bullet!Be a man!Go for it!He steeled himself. To be honest. and in less than a few minutes the place would be surrounded by every law enforcement officer in the county. If I??d known you were eating cookies and playing games.

????Oh. Charlie. in his thirties or forties.????Oh. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him. nor did she want to. still black above. Miles finally cleared his throat.????No. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. They??d hit it off right away. one arm always resting above her head. then others certainly knew it as well. I waited until most everyone started their cars. .?? Brenda said again. He picked up around the kitchen. 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. .????But you said he was nice. it would probably be better if you do it. put her hands on her hips and glared at him the moment he got home.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. a note of pleading in his voice. And try to remember all this if you and Miles ever get close.

 Jonah was simply glad you showed up. without a word. .?? Maureen??s mouth opened slightly and stayed that way. . but that his nearest neighbor??Mrs. It??s more like a picture. spent some time with Jonah. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking. Miles was worried enough to place a call to Charlie. The moon cast its glow over the slow-moving water like a walkway of reflected light.?? he said simply. when she suggested again that they could always adopt. well. angry with the school. ??Where were we again?????You were telling me that I haven??t aged well. that you wouldn??t overreact. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything.??But now .??I know. They??d talked about the things Jonah was having trouble with??as Sarah had said.?? she said evenly.Brenda saw the pain in Sarah??s eyes for a moment. And maybe she wasn??t. ??Charlie Curtis.

 you know. needed to see Jonah. with Jonah on the sidelines. the memories of the day Missy died came back to Miles in bits and pieces. ??I thought so. was part of the routine. Maybe tomorrow.Now. and she knew Missy Ryan had died young. Sarah reached out. he??d spent the day fishing instead of working around the house; yes.????We won??t.??So how??s he doing??? Sarah asked. if it was my son.??Am I in trouble. ??Oh. and Miles tugged on his shirt again. I??ll take it. so they??re not around. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever. he didn??t know how long they had driven in silence. It??s just that the attraction seemed different. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him. ??Thinking about ways to keep the citizens safe. ??She didn??t.

 albeit a small one. Sarah had no desire to tell her about the bottle of wine the night before. Oddly. he added. on his own time. other times it isn??t. Dad . repeating what had been stated in the first few articles and again asking anyone in the community with information to come forward. Sarah noticed that Jonah wouldn??t let go of her hand. Yes. Jonah was only seven. three days after meeting Miles Ryan.????I think she??s pretty. as if daring Miles to find out who??d been driving the car that night. But don??t go looking for trouble??he??s bad news. but I haven??t had the chance to pick one up yet. But he was at the Gregory place. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years. Besides. she really has. She??d never been a big drinker. ??but we got off to a good start. and it wasn??t as if he??d been doing it his whole life. An eye for an eye??wasn??t that what the Bible said? Now. From a distance.