Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down. “Fair enough. We’ll do that.” He bent lower and met his son’s eyes. “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, Dad. Besides, Mark has to stay, too. His mom’s at the doctor’s office.”
Miles looked up and saw Jonah’s best friend waiting impatiently near a basketball hoop. Miles tucked Jonah’s shirt back in.
“Well, you two stay together, okay? And don’t go wandering, either of you.”
“We won’t.”
“All right, then—but be careful.”
Jonah handed his father his backpack and scrambled off. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot, weaving among the cars. A few kids shouted greetings, as did some mothers who drove their kids home from school. Miles stopped and visited with some of them, waiting until the commotion outside finally began to die down. Once the buses were on their way and most of the cars were gone, the teachers headed back inside. Miles took one last glance in Jonah’s direction before following them into the school.
As soon as he entered the building, he was hit with a blast of hot air. The school was nearly forty years old, and though the cooling system had been replaced more than once over the years, it wasn’t up to the task during the first few weeks of school, when summer was still bearing down hard. Miles could feel himself begin to sweat almost immediately, and he tugged at the front of his shirt, fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway. Jonah’s classroom, he knew, was in the far corner. When he got there, the classroom was empty.
For a moment he thought he’d entered the wrong room, but the children’s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be. He checked his watch and, realizing he was a couple of minutes early, wandered around the classroom. He saw some work scribbled on the chalkboard, the desks arranged in orderly rows, a rectangular table cluttered with construction paper and Elmer’s Glue-All. Along the far wall were a few short compositions, and Miles was looking for Jonah’s when he heard a voice behind him.
“Sorry I’m late. I was dropping off a few things at the office.”
It was then that Miles saw Sarah Andrews for the first time.
In that instant, no shivers pricked the hairs on the back of his neck, no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all, and looking back—considering all that was to come—he was always amazed by that. He would, however, always remember his surprise at the fact that Charlie had been right: She was attractive. Not glamorous in a high-maintenance way, but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn their heads. Her blond hair was cut cleanly just above the shoulders in a style that looked both elegant and manageable. She wore a long skirt and a yellow blouse, and though her face was flushed from heat, her blue eyes seemed to radiate a freshness, as if she’d just spent the day relaxing at the beach.
“That’s okay,” he finally said. “I was a little early anyway.” He held out his hand. “I’m Miles Ryan.”
As he spoke, Sarah’s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. Miles had seen the look before—a look of apprehension—but before he could say anything, she met his eyes and smiled. She took his hand as if it didn’t matter to her. “I’m Sarah Andrews. I’m glad you could make it in today. I remembered after I sent the note home that I hadn’t offered you the chance to reschedule if today was inconvenient.”
“It wasn’t a problem. My boss was able to work it out.”
She nodded, holding his gaze. “Charlie Curtis, right? I’ve met his wife, Brenda. She’s been helping me get the hang of things around here.”
“Be careful—she’ll talk your ear off if you give her the chance.”
Sarah laughed. “So I’ve realized. But she’s been great, she really has. It’s always a little intimidating when you’re new, but she’s gone out of her way to make me feel as if I belong here.”
“She’s a sweet lady.”
For a moment, neither of them said anything as they stood close together, and Miles immediately sensed that she wasn’t as comfortable now that the small talk was out of the way. She moved around