told me not to worry, that you wouldn’t overreact. That first and foremost, you’d be worried about Jonah and that you’d be open to what I was telling you. Then she told me that I shouldn’t worry one little bit, even if you did have a gun with you.”
Miles looked horrified. “She didn’t.”
“She did, but you have to have been there when she said it.”
“I’m going to have to talk to her.”
“No, don’t—it was obvious that she likes you. She told me that, too.”
“Brenda likes everyone.”
At that moment, Miles heard Jonah yelling for Mark to chase him. Despite the heat, the two boys raced through the playground, whipping around some poles before spinning off in another direction.
“I can’t believe how much energy they have,” Sarah marveled. “They did the same thing at lunch today.”
“Believe me, I know. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way.”
“Oh, come on, you’re not that old. You’re what—forty, forty-five?”
Miles looked horrified again, and Sarah winked. “Just teasing,” she added.
Miles wiped his brow in mock relief, surprised to find himself enjoying the conversation. For some reason, it seemed almost as if she were flirting, and he liked that, more than he thought he should.
“Thanks—I think.”
“No problem,” she answered, trying and failing to hide the smirk on her face. “But now . . .” She paused. “Where were we again?”
“You were telling me that I haven’t aged well.”
“Before that...Oh yeah, we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going.”
“I didn’t say impossible. It’s just not going to be easy.”
“When are you off in the afternoons?”
“Usually on Wednesdays and Fridays.”
As Miles tried to work it out, Sarah seemed to come to a decision.
“Now, I don’t usually do this, but I’ll make a deal with you,” she said slowly. “If it’s okay with you, of course.”
Miles raised his eyebrows. “What kind of deal?”
“I’ll work with Jonah after school the other three days a week if you promise to do the same on the two days you’re off.”
He couldn’t hide the surprise in his expression. “You’d do that?”
“Not for every student, no. But as I said, Jonah’s sweet, and he’s had a rough time the last couple of years. I’d be glad to help.”
“Really?”
“Don’t look so surprised. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work. Besides, I’m usually here until four o’clock anyway, so it won’t be much trouble at all.”
When Miles didn’t answer right away, Sarah fell silent.
“I’m only going to offer this once, so take it or leave it,” she finally said.
Miles looked almost embarrassed. “Thank you,” he said seriously. “I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate this.”
“My pleasure. There’s one thing that I’m going to need, though, so I can do this right. Think of it as my fee.”
“What’s that?”
“A fan—and make it a good one.” She nodded toward the school. “It’s like an oven in there.”
“You got yourself a deal.”
Twenty minutes later, after she and Miles had said good-bye, Sarah was back in the classroom. As she was collecting her things, she found herself thinking about Jonah and how best to help him. It was a good thing that she’d made the offer, she told herself. It would keep her more attuned to his abilities in class, and she’d be able to better guide Miles when he was working with his son. True, it was a little extra work, but it was the best thing for Jonah, even if she hadn’t planned on it. And she hadn’t—not until she’d said the words.
She was still trying to figure out why she’d done that.
Despite herself, she was also thinking about Miles. He wasn’t what she’d expected, that’s for sure. When Brenda had told her that he was a sheriff, she’d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight, pants hanging too low, small mirrored sunglasses, a mouth full of chewing tobacco. She’d imagined him swaggering into her classroom, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his pants, and drawling, Now, just what did you want to talk to me about, little lady? But Miles was none of these things.
He was attractive, too. Not as Michael had been—dark and glamorous, everything always perfectly in place—but appealing in a natural, more rugged way. His face had a roughness to it, as if he’d spent many hours in the sun as a boy. But contrary to what she’d said, he didn’t look forty, and that had surprised her.