Free Everlasting Love by Valerie Hansen

figure out what makes you tick.”
    â€œI don’t tick. Neither does Camp Refuge. It hums like a well-oiled machine. At least it did until recently.”
    Megan wasn’t about to let him get away with a remark like that. She grinned. “Oh? Well, you know what happens to even the most expensive engine if you never change the oil. It grinds itself to death. And I think your oil needs changing, mister. You’re starting to grind something awful.”
    The resulting look on his face was so comical she had to giggle. Some of the boys began to chuckle, too. At her side, the spotted shepherd wagged his gray stub of a tail so vigorously hiswhole body shook, yet somehow held his place by her side as she’d instructed.
    She laid a steadying hand on the dog’s head. “Good boy, Wiggles. Stay.”
    The boys looked as eager to make the dog’s acquaintance as he was to make theirs. Megan smiled broadly. “Does everybody here like dogs?”
    Each child nodded in turn as she singled him out and waited for an answer. Satisfied, she said, “In that case, I’d like you to meet Mr. Wiggles. He loves everybody so you don’t need to worry about anything but his kisses. Ready?”
    Greeted by a unanimous chorus of “Yeah!” she released the dog with a hand signal and a joyful “Okay,” watching in delight as he bounded up to the group of children and was immediately surrounded. There was certainly no reluctance to reach out and embrace the four-legged ambassador of unconditional acceptance, was there?
    Megan was filled with delight and appreciation for the direction her life had taken. If, after her parents’ divorce, she’d chosen to go live with her strict father the way Roxy had, there was no telling what would have become of her or where she’d be now. Maybe she’d have rebelled, too.
    No, I wouldn’t have, Megan told herself with calm assurance. God had had a wonderful plan forher all along. Even as a teen she’d glimpsed inklings of it.
    She wouldn’t break the rules and try to proselytize the young people she’d be working with, but there was no way she could live her daily life without relying on faith. Her actions were her real sermon.
    And speaking of actions, it looked as if the boys were beginning to tire of dodging dog kisses and trying to pet Wiggles when he wouldn’t hold still.
    â€œOkay,” she said, moving past James to the children. “Let’s start with a simple rule. This is important. Listen up, guys. You, too, Wiggles.”
    She waited until all eyes were on her, including the dog’s. “I don’t want you coming up here and playing with the animals unless you’re invited. Not even if Mr. Wiggles looks lonely and treats you like his best buddy.”
    Zac’s sly grin gave her pause so she stared straight at him and added, “I don’t care how many excuses you can think up. I mean what I said. Got that?”
    â€œYeah, yeah,” the thin teen muttered.
    â€œGood. I wouldn’t want everybody to lose the privilege of having fun just because one of you broke the rules. Any questions so far?”
    â€œYeah,” Zac drawled. “How come your dog’s got one brown eye and one blue one? He looks real weird.”
    â€œHe’s an Australian shepherd,” Megan said. “Lots of them have unusual eye color. It’s just how they’re made. The same goes for his tail, in case you haven’t noticed.”
    â€œWhat tail?” Bobby Joe asked with a puzzled look. He leaned to peer at the dog’s rear end. So did Mark.
    Megan smiled. “Exactly. Most dogs do have tails. But Aussies are usually born without them. It doesn’t bother Wiggles a bit. We can still tell when he’s happy because he wags his invisible tail so hard his whole body…wiggles.”
    She waited for the snickering to die down, then said, “Okay, now that everybody