Nicholas Sparks - A Bend in the Road

“So how’s he doing?” Sarah asked.

“He’s having a good game.”

“Mark says he’s the best player out here.”

“Well…,” Miles demurred, doing his best to look modest. Sarah laughed. “Mark wasn’t talking about you. Jonah’s the one out there playing.”

“I know that,” Miles said.

“But you think he’s a chip off the old block, huh?”

“Well…,” Miles repeated, for lack of a clever response. Sarah lifted an eyebrow, clearly amused.Where was that wit and charisma he was counting on? “Tell me-did you play soccer as a kid?” she asked.

“They didn’t evenhave soccer when I was a kid. I played the traditional sports-football, basketball, baseball. But even if they’d offered soccer, I don’t think I would have played it. I’ve got a bias against sports that require me to bounce a ball off my head.”

“But it’s fine for Jonah, right?”

“Sure, as long as he likes it. Did you ever play?”

“No. I wasn’t much of an athlete, but once I was in college, I took up walking.

My roommate got me into it.”

He squinted at her. “Walking?”

“It’s harder than it looks if you keep a fast pace.”

“Do you still do it?”

“Every day. I have a three-mile loop that I follow. It’s a good workout and it gives me a chance to unwind. You should try it.”

“With all that spare time I have?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“If I went three miles, I’d probably be so sore I couldn’t get out of bed the next day. That’s if I could even make it.”

She ran her gaze over him appraisingly. “You could make it,” she said. “You might have to give up smoking, but you could make it.” “I don’t smoke,” he protested.

“I know. Brenda told me.” She grinned, and after a moment, Miles couldn’t help but smile as well. Before he could say anything else, however, a loud roar went up and both of them turned to see Jonah break away from the pack, charge down the field, and kick yet another goal, this one to tie the score. As Jonah’s teammates surged around him, Miles and Sarah stood together on the sidelines, both of them clapping and cheering for the same young boy.

“Did you enjoy it?” Miles asked. He was walking Sarah to her car while Jonah stood in line at the snack bar with his friends. The game had been won by Jonah’s team, and after the game, Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she’d seen his goal. When she’d answered that she had, Jonah had beamed and given her a hug before scrambling off to join his friends. Miles, surprisingly, had been all but ignored, though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah-and vice versa-left him feeling strangely satisfied.

“It was fun,” she admitted. “I wish I could have been here for the whole thing, though.”

In the early afternoon sunlight, her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer.

“It’s fine. Jonah was simply glad you showed up.” He glanced at her sideways.

“So what’s on your agenda the rest of the day?”

“I’m meeting my mom for lunch downtown.”

“Where?”

“Fred amp; Clara’s? It’s a little place just around the corner from where I live.”

“I know the place. It’s great.”

They reached her car, a red Nissan Sentra, and Sarah started rummaging through her handbag for her keys. As she searched for them, Miles found himself staring at her. With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose, she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country. Add to that the faded jeans shorts and long legs, and she sure didn’t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up.

Behind them, a white pickup truck began backing out. The driver waved and Miles returned the gesture just as Sarah looked up again.

“You know him?”

“It’s a small town. It seems like I know everyone.”

“That must be comforting.”

“Sometimes it is, other times it isn’t. If you’ve got secrets, this isn’t the place for you, that’s for sure.”

For a moment, Sarah wondered if he was talking about himself. Before she could dwell on it, Miles went on.

“Hey, I want to thank you again for everything you’re doing for Jonah.”

“You don’t have to thank me every time you see me.”

“I know. It’s just that I’ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks.” “So have I. He’s catching up pretty quickly, even faster than I thought he would. He actually started reading aloud in class this week.” “I’m not surprised. He’s got a good teacher.”

To Miles’s surprise, Sarah actually blushed. “He’s got a good father, too.”

He liked that.

And he liked the look she’d given him when she’d said it. As if uncertain what to do next, Sarah fiddled with her keys. She selected one and unlocked her front door. As she swung the door open, Miles stepped back slightly.

“So, how much longer do you think he’ll need to keep staying after school?” he asked.

Keep talking. Don’t let her leave yet.

“I’m not sure yet. A while, for sure. Why? Do you want to start cutting back a little?”

“No,” he continued. “I was just curious.”

She nodded, waiting to see if he’d add anything else, but he didn’t. “Okay,” she finally said. “We’ll keep going like we are and see how he’s doing in another month. Is that all right?”

Another month. He’d continue to see her for at least that long. Good.

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed.

For a long moment neither of them said anything, and in the silence Sarah glanced at her watch. “Listen, I’m running a little late,” she said apologetically, and Miles nodded.

“I know-you’ve got to go,” he said, not wanting her to leave just yet. He wanted to keep talking. He wanted to learn everything he could about her. What you really mean is that it’s time to ask her out.

And no chickening out this time. No hanging up the phone, no putzing around.

Bite the bullet!

Be a man!

Go for it!

He steeled himself, knowing he was ready… but… but… how should he do it? Good Lord, it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this. Should he suggest dinner or lunch? Or maybe a movie? Or…? As Sarah started to climb in her car, his mind was sorting and searching frantically, trying to come up with ways to prolong her time with him long enough to figure it out. “Wait-before you go-can I ask you something?” he blurted out. “Sure.” She looked at him quizzically.

Miles put his hands in his pockets, feeling those little butterflies, feeling seventeen again. He swallowed.

“So…,” he began. His mind was racing, those little wheels spinning for everything they were worth.

“Yes?”

Sarah knew instinctively what was coming.

Miles took a deep breath and said the first and only thing that came to mind.

“How’s the fan working out?”

She stared at him, a perplexed expression on her face. “The fan?” she repeated. Miles felt as if he’d just swallowed a ton of lead.The fan? What the hell was he thinking? The fan?That was all he could come up with? It was as if his brain had suddenly taken a vacation, but for the life of him, he couldn’t stop…

“Yeah. You know… the fan that I got you for your class.”

“It’s fine,” she said uncertainly.

“Because I can get you a new one if you don’t like it.”

She reached out to touch his arm, a look of concern on her face. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said seriously. “I just wanted to make sure you’re happy with it.”

“You picked a good one, okay?”

“Good,” he said, hoping and praying that a bolt of lightning would suddenly shoot from the heavens and kill him on the spot.