working with Jonah, and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer.”
“Nothing more
than that?”
When Sarah
didn’t answer right away, Brenda went on, this time with a knowing look.
“All right . .
. about Miles. He lost his wife a couple of years back in a car accident.
Hit-and-run. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. He really loved her, and
for a long time afterwards, he just wasn’t himself. She was his high school
sweetheart.” Brenda paused and set her sandwich off to the side. “The driver
got away.”
Sarah nodded.
She’d heard bits and pieces of this already.
“It really hit
him hard. As a sheriff especially. He took it as his own failure. Not only wasn’t there a resolution, but he
blamed himself for it. He kind of shut himself off from the world after that.”
Brenda brought
her hands together when she saw Sarah’s expression. “I know it sounds awful, and it was. But lately, he’s been a lot
more like the person he used to be, like he’s coming out of his shell again,
and I can’t tell you how happy I’ve been to see that. He’s really a wonderful
man. He’s kind, he’s patient, he’ll go to the ends of the world for his
friends. And best of all, he loves his son.” She hesitated.
“But?” Sarah
finally asked.
Brenda
shrugged. “There are no buts, not with him. He’s a good guy and I’m not saying
that just because I like him. I’ve known him a long time. He’s one of those
rare men who, when he loves, he does it with all his heart.” Sarah nodded.
“That’s rare,” she said seriously.
“It’s true. And
try to remember all this if you and Miles ever get close.”
“Why?”
Brenda looked
away. “Because,” she said simply, “I’d hate to see him get hurt again.”
• • •
Later that day,
Sarah found herself thinking about Miles. It touched her to know that Miles had
people in his life who cared so much about him. Not family, butfriends.
She’d known that
Miles had wanted to ask her out after Jonah’s soccer game. The way he’d flirted
and kept moving closer made his intention plain. But in the end, he hadn’t asked.
At the time, it
seemed funny. She’d giggled about it, driving away—but she wasn’t laughing at
Miles as much as she was laughing at how hard he’d made it seem. He’d tried,
God knows he’d tried, but for some reason he couldn’t say the words. And now,
after talking to Brenda, she thought she understood. Miles hadn’t asked her out because he hadn’t knownhow. In his
entire adult life, he’d probably never had to ask a woman out—his wife had been
his high school sweetheart. Sarah didn’t think she’d ever known someone like
that in Baltimore, someone in his thirties who’d never once asked someone to dinner
or to a movie. Oddly, she found it
endearing.
And maybe, she
admitted to herself, she found it a little comforting, because she wasn’t all
that different.
She’d started
going out with Michael when she was twenty-three; they’d divorced when she was
twenty-seven. Since then she’d been out only a few times, the last time with a
fellow who came on a little too strongly. After that, she told herself that she
just wasn’t ready. And maybe she wasn’t, but spending time with Miles Ryan
recently had reminded her that the past couple of years had been lonely ones.
In the
classroom, it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. Standing in front of the
blackboard, she was able to focus completely on the students, those small faces
that stared at her with wonder. She’d come to view them asher kids, and she
wanted to make sure they had every opportunity for success in the world. Today, though, she found herself
uncharacteristically distracted, and when the final bell rang she lingered
outside, until Jonah finally came up to her. He reached for her hand.
“Are you okay,
Miss Andrews?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she
said absently.
“You don’t look
so good.”
She smiled. “Have
you
“Nothing more
than that?”
When Sarah
didn’t answer right away, Brenda went on, this time with a knowing look.
“All right . .
. about Miles. He lost his wife a couple of years back in a car accident.
Hit-and-run. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. He really loved her, and
for a long time afterwards, he just wasn’t himself. She was his high school
sweetheart.” Brenda paused and set her sandwich off to the side. “The driver
got away.”
Sarah nodded.
She’d heard bits and pieces of this already.
“It really hit
him hard. As a sheriff especially. He took it as his own failure. Not only wasn’t there a resolution, but he
blamed himself for it. He kind of shut himself off from the world after that.”
Brenda brought
her hands together when she saw Sarah’s expression. “I know it sounds awful, and it was. But lately, he’s been a lot
more like the person he used to be, like he’s coming out of his shell again,
and I can’t tell you how happy I’ve been to see that. He’s really a wonderful
man. He’s kind, he’s patient, he’ll go to the ends of the world for his
friends. And best of all, he loves his son.” She hesitated.
“But?” Sarah
finally asked.
Brenda
shrugged. “There are no buts, not with him. He’s a good guy and I’m not saying
that just because I like him. I’ve known him a long time. He’s one of those
rare men who, when he loves, he does it with all his heart.” Sarah nodded.
“That’s rare,” she said seriously.
“It’s true. And
try to remember all this if you and Miles ever get close.”
“Why?”
Brenda looked
away. “Because,” she said simply, “I’d hate to see him get hurt again.”
• • •
Later that day,
Sarah found herself thinking about Miles. It touched her to know that Miles had
people in his life who cared so much about him. Not family, butfriends.
She’d known that
Miles had wanted to ask her out after Jonah’s soccer game. The way he’d flirted
and kept moving closer made his intention plain. But in the end, he hadn’t asked.
At the time, it
seemed funny. She’d giggled about it, driving away—but she wasn’t laughing at
Miles as much as she was laughing at how hard he’d made it seem. He’d tried,
God knows he’d tried, but for some reason he couldn’t say the words. And now,
after talking to Brenda, she thought she understood. Miles hadn’t asked her out because he hadn’t knownhow. In his
entire adult life, he’d probably never had to ask a woman out—his wife had been
his high school sweetheart. Sarah didn’t think she’d ever known someone like
that in Baltimore, someone in his thirties who’d never once asked someone to dinner
or to a movie. Oddly, she found it
endearing.
And maybe, she
admitted to herself, she found it a little comforting, because she wasn’t all
that different.
She’d started
going out with Michael when she was twenty-three; they’d divorced when she was
twenty-seven. Since then she’d been out only a few times, the last time with a
fellow who came on a little too strongly. After that, she told herself that she
just wasn’t ready. And maybe she wasn’t, but spending time with Miles Ryan
recently had reminded her that the past couple of years had been lonely ones.
In the
classroom, it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. Standing in front of the
blackboard, she was able to focus completely on the students, those small faces
that stared at her with wonder. She’d come to view them asher kids, and she
wanted to make sure they had every opportunity for success in the world. Today, though, she found herself
uncharacteristically distracted, and when the final bell rang she lingered
outside, until Jonah finally came up to her. He reached for her hand.
“Are you okay,
Miss Andrews?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she
said absently.
“You don’t look
so good.”
She smiled. “Have
you
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