Desperately Seeking Dad by Marta Perry

Counselor. I don’t need advice on how to do my job.”
    â€œMaybe you do. You can’t accuse someone of something that hasn’t been done yet.”
    â€œLook, this isn’t the big city.” Anne would never understand what things were like in a small town. Or why.
    â€œBelieve me, I’m only too aware of that. You wouldn’t get away with this there—not without someone filing a complaint, anyway.”
    He counted to ten. It didn’t help. “A cop in a small town is different. People expect us to anticipate trouble, and most times we can. And they expect us to prevent it, not wait around until it happens.”
    He had a sudden mental image of himself explaining, talking too much in front of the kid, and knew it was because he wanted Anne to think well of him. And that was probably an impossible goal.
    â€œYou can’t—” she began.
    â€œYes, I can.”
    He turned to the still squirming boy. He had to concentrate on his job, not on what Anne thought of him.
    â€œI want to see you and your father at the station tomorrow, right after school.”
    â€œBut my dad might have to work. Or maybe—”
    â€œNo excuses, just be there. Because if you’re not, I’ll come after you. Got it?”
    Davey’s mouth set, and he nodded.
    Mitch released his grip. Davey didn’t bother trying to act macho. He just ran.
    Mitch watched him go, then turned back to Anne, knowing he’d see condemnation in her eyes.
    â€œI suppose you’re proud of yourself, bullying a boy like that.”
    â€œWhat do you know about ‘a boy like that’?” His anger flared again, startling him.
    â€œI know anyone would respond better to kindness than to threats.”
    â€œKindness!” She didn’t understand. She never would. “Let me tell you what it’s going to take for Davey Flagler to turn into a decent citizen instead of winding up in big trouble. He’s going to have to work harder, perform better, be smarter than anyone else, because he’s starting a lot of steps behind. And he won’t do that if people make excuses for him.”
    Anne looked at him for a long moment, blue eyesblazing in a white face. “Are you talking about Davey Flagler? Or are you talking about yourself?”
    She didn’t wait for an answer. She walked away quickly, head high, pushing the stroller toward Kate’s place and leaving Mitch fuming.
    Hours later Anne slowed as she approached the front porch of Mitch’s house. She stopped just beyond the pool of light from the street lamp. When she’d told Kate she needed to talk to Mitch, Kate had been only too eager to watch Emilie for her.
    The windows of his small house glowed with a warm yellow light. She shivered, huddling a little deeper into her jacket. The temperature had dropped like a stone the moment the sun went down, and the stars were crystalline in a black sky.
    She couldn’t stand out here in the dark and the cold. She might as well march right up to the door and get this over with.
    Her cheeks went hot in spite of the cold air. She couldn’t believe she’d spoken to Mitch the way she had. Even if she had been right, they didn’t have the kind of relationship that allowed her to say something so personal.
    Lord, I’m sorry. I let my temper get the better of me again. I acted as if I knew what was right for everyone.
    Confessing her mistake was one step in the right direction. Now she had to tell Mitch. She bit her lip. She had to tell him, because that was the right thingto do. It was also the only way to get things back on an even keel between them. That was all she wanted.
    She went quickly up the steps and rang the bell.
    Mitch opened the door, a dark bulk against the light behind him in the hallway. She couldn’t make out his expression, which might be just as well.
    â€œAnne. I’m surprised to see you.”
    He said the words in such a