Nicholas Sparks - A Bend in the Road

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I just told you why.”

Miles looked at Charlie closely. “But there’s something else, isn’t there.” Charlie held Miles’s gaze for a long moment. “Look… Otis says you got a little rough when you arrested him, and he filed a complaint-” Miles slammed his hand against the table, the noise reverberating throughout the restaurant. People at the next table jumped and turned to stare, but Miles didn’t notice.

“That’s crap-”

Charlie raised his hands to stop him. “Hell, I know that, and I told Harvey that, too, and Harvey isn’t gonna do anything with it. But you and him aren’t exactly best friends, and he knows what you’re like when you get worked up. Even though he’s not gonna press it, he thinks it’s possible that Otis is telling the truth and he told me to tell you to lay off.”

“So what am I supposed to do if I see Otis committing a crime? Look the other way?”

“Hell, no-don’t be stupid. I’d come down on you if you did that. Just keep your distance for a while, until all this blows over, unless there’s no other choice. I’m telling you this for your own good, okay?”

It took a moment before Miles finally sighed. “Fine,” he answered. Even as he spoke, however, he knew that he and Otis weren’t finished with one another yet.

Three hours after meeting with Charlie, Miles pulled into a parking space in front of Grayton Elementary School just as classes were being dismissed. Three school buses were idling and students began drifting toward them, clustering in groups of four or six. Miles saw Jonah at the same time his son saw him. Jonah waved happily and ran toward the car; Miles knew that in a few more years, once adolescence settled in, Jonah wouldn’t do that anymore. Jonah leapt into his open arms and Miles squeezed him tight, enjoying the closeness while he could. “Hey, champ, how was school?”

Jonah pulled back. “It was fine. How’s work going?”

“It’s better now that I’m done.”

“Did you arrest anyone today?”

Miles shook his head. “Not today. Maybe tomorrow. Listen, do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here?”

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: Shewas 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 the desk, looking as if she were ready to get down to business. She began shuffling papers, scanning through the piles, searching for what she needed. Outside, the sun peeked out from behind a cloud and began slanting through the windows, zeroing in on them. The temperature instantly seemed to rise, and Miles tugged on his shirt again. Sarah glanced up at him.

“I know it’s hot… I’ve been meaning to bring a fan in, but I haven’t had the chance to pick one up yet.”

“I’ll be fine.” Even as he said it, he could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down his chest and back.

“Well, I’ll give you a couple of options. You can pull up a chair and we can talk here and maybe we both pass out, or we can do this outside where it’s a little cooler. There are picnic tables in the shade.”

“Would that be okay?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. Besides, Jonah’s out on the playground, and that way I can keep an eye on him.”

She nodded. “Good. Just let me make sure I have everything…” A minute later they left the classroom, headed down the hall, and pushed open the door.

“So how long have you been in town?” Miles finally asked.