Read A Bend in the Road for Free Online Page B

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