Free Tempted Again by Cathie Linz

is important. Before I introduce you to my group of kids, I want your assurance that you are not going to intimidate them.”
    He crossed his arms across his chest and just glared at her.
    “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. That look. Don’t use it on them.”
    “It’s very effective,” he growled.
    “That voice doesn’t work either.”
    “What are you talking about? It works damn fine.”
    “I want them to know we care what happens to them.”
    “I want more than that. I want
them
to care what happens to them.”
    “Well, of course I want that too,” she countered angrily. “But that’s not going to happen by scaring them.”
    “Sure it will.”
    “There are more effective ways to reach kids,” she said.
    “Yeah, right. With books?”
    “You have an attitude problem!”
    “So what are you going to do about it?” he drawled. “Have me journal my feelings? Hug a teddy bear?”
    “What a great idea.” She noticed a bear in the corner left over from a children’s program discussion they’d had earlier in the day. “Here you go.” She went over to grab it before handing it to him. “Hug it.”
    “Is that a dare?”
    “Absolutely. I dare you to hug that bear.”
    He took it from her, twisted its arm and tossed it back.
    “You call that a hug?” she scoffed.
    “I don’t do my best work with teddy bears.”
    “That’s obvious.”
    “You already know from our time together how I hug,” he said.
    “That topic of discussion is off limits.”
    “So is me hugging a teddy bear where anyone can see.”
    “What are you afraid of?” she said.
    “Not teddy bears, that’s for damn sure.”
    “I think you’ll learn a lot from observing the group’s interaction.”
    “I plan on doing more that just observing.”
    “Then we have a problem,” she said.
    “You’re just now noticing that?”
    No, she’d known she’d have a problem with him the second she identified him at the traffic stop. But she didn’t think she’d ever have to work this closely with him. Maybe she should have thought of that when she’d sent in that grant program request. Usually it took months and months or even a year or longer for something like that to get going. How was she supposed to guess that it would be approved so quickly or that it would come with strings tying her to Connor?
    No, she couldn’t have anticipated that. The question now was how was she going to work with him?
    “Have you read the grant program proposal that I wrote up?” she asked.
    “No.”
    “Then I suggest you do so. I read your previous year’sproposal. If you have a new one, I’d be more than happy to read it.”
    “Why bother? We both know that you won’t approve of it.”
    “I might surprise you.”
    “You already have,” he said.
    His look was no longer intimidating but it made her heart thump nervously. The kids weren’t the only ones at risk with this project. So was she. Big-time.
    *  *  *
     
    Marissa first met fifteen-year-old Jose Martinez her second day on the job. “So you’re the one who punked the parade,” he’d said. “You don’t look like a troublemaker.”
    She’d been able to tell by the way he’d said it and by the way he was dressed that he considered himself to be a troublemaker.
    “Nice T-shirt,” she’d said.
    He’d appeared surprised by her comment.
    “Are they characters from a graphic novel?” she’d asked.
    “Yeah. From
my
graphic novel.”
    “You did the artwork?”
    He’d nodded defiantly.
    “You’re good. We’re starting a teen group.” She had yet to come up with a catchy name for it. “Our first program is going to focus on graphic novels. You should come Wednesday after school.” She’d handed him a flyer she’d done up earlier that day.
    He’d reluctantly taken it before walking away.
    “You should stay away from that one,” an older man had come up beside her to say. “I’m Chester Flint, by theway. President of the library board. Since you’re