Free Fixer-Upper (Spinning Hills Romance 3) by Inés Saint

that you forget to step back and see that it’s actually taking place, okay?”
    “Okay.” Her smile was so pretty, he had to look away. “And I know you have your own things to attend to, but if you could take some time to help Amy record her class’s progress, too, that would be a huge help. The videos need to be edited and uploaded by Friday, voting will take place over the weekend, and by Monday we’ll know if we move on to the next round. But only if you have time. I don’t want you to neglect your duties for us!”
    “I’ll make time,” he said, biting back a smile. Her constant transitions between anxiety and optimism were inexplicably endearing. “But only if you tell Brian I said you need a really good hug,” he said as he walked away, in part to remind himself she was taken, and in part to irk her enough to take her mind off her worries. He quickened his pace.
    “He doesn’t need reminding!” she sputtered just as he rounded the door.

Chapter 5
    M arissa stayed in her classroom during lunch to finish the grant application she had started the day before. Spending the morning with Johnny and the kids had been fun. So much fun, in fact, that the past that had been standing between them only that morning had seemingly disappeared for a while. They hadn’t been Marissa and Johnny. They’d been Miss Medina and Mr. A. But now, thoughts of Johnny kept invading a corner of her brain that she couldn’t seem to control. It was as if the neurons in that dark corner knew she was exerting unusual amounts of energy in keeping them clueless, so they kept trying to get neighboring neurons to join them in their quest to figure out how Marissa felt about the fact that Johnny Amador was Prince Charming, and that she’d now be working with him.
    Focusing on something technical and absorbing would keep the pesky neurons occupied.
    She looked down at her calculations. If they made it to the finals, they’d need a little over ten thousand dollars to cover bus transportation for the kids, a rental truck to carry their props, and lodging and meals for thirty-two kids. They had no choice but to move forward as if they were going to make it to the finals. This was their first time participating, and they had no way of knowing how everything would turn out, but they were giving it their all.
    Hope swelled within her in a great tide, and she had to fight to push it down. Brian kept warning her about getting her hopes too high. He hated to see her crash hard on the ground—although Marissa felt she handled the crashes well. Still, staying neutral was best.
    Fund-raising would be another great learning experience for the kids, but the competition was only three weeks away, they’d probably have to stay after school many days, and she didn’t want to add to their load. It would be better to apply for grants and fill any gaps with small fund-raisers. If they did make it, but were denied the grant . . . well, they’d have to come up with a huge fund-raiser. It was something they had to start thinking about if they made it past the first round.
    Their best bet, by far, was a noncompetitive grant by the Marconi and McNeely Foundation, a nonprofit funded by the pharmaceutical company of the same name. They met once a month to award funds and would be meeting again next Wednesday, which meant she could submit it on Monday and still be in time for their next meeting if they made it past round one. Marissa had spoken to the foundation’s president, Don Stands, a few times, and he was very enthusiastic about their project.
    She read it through again carefully, even though she’d already done so a few times during the past week.
    Unrestricted funds . . . Foundation uses its discretion to determine where community need is greatest . . . Economically and/or culturally diverse schools . . . Programs that promote meaningful and engaged learning ... Leadership and collaboration in the following areas . . . Cultural awareness . . .
    They