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leave so she could think.  Her mind was racing in a hundred different directions at once. 
    Why had he kissed her?  And more importantly, why had she liked it?  Who had seen her, and would they tell?  What would she do if she lost her job?  She wanted to bury her face in her hands and have a good cry, but she couldn't with him standing there staring at her. 
    He couldn't believe she was such a little snob, and he wasn't going to deal with her any longer.  His son was fine.  He was just a boy.  That woman was just going to have to learn how to deal with boys.  Where had they found her anyway?  Didn't they want women who knew how to work with children to teach?
    Once in the schoolyard, he grabbed Ernie's hand and started toward home.  Just as he left the schoolyard, he heard himself say, "When we get home, I'm going to take a belt to your bottom like I should have done years ago, boy.  You will not show that kind of disrespect to anyone, but most especially your teacher."
    He had no clue where the words had come from, but once they were out, he almost smiled.  Yes, Ernie needed to be taken in hand.  He'd never tell that little spitfire of a teacher he agreed with her, though.  No way.

Chapter Three
     
     
    Anna was nervous all through dinner, wondering what Mr. Hanson would say if he heard about her kissing Mr. Hoover.  She wanted to kick herself.  She still didn't know the man's first name, but she'd replayed that kiss in her mind a dozen times.  What was it about him that made her want to kiss him, when she'd thwarted the attentions of several other men in her life?
    When nothing happened before bed, she breathed a little more evenly, no longer as worried.
    The week went by terribly slowly for her as she watched over her shoulder for someone to come and fire her at any moment. She spent a lot of time trying to figure out whose pink skirt she'd seen Monday afternoon, but she had no idea.  Was it a small child who would tell her parents?  Was it an older girl who would come to her? She had no idea. What would she do if she couldn't hold down the job?  Mr. Hanson would have no problem kicking her out of his house into the street.
    She could always try to marry, but every time she met a man she was paralyzed with fear.  Well, every time she met one except Mr. Hoover.  What had come over her anyway?   She still couldn't figure out why she'd kissed the man as she had.
    Ernie was better behaved than he had been, seeming to think before he acted out in class, which thrilled Anna.  Maybe his father had realized how ridiculous he was being and decided to talk to him after all.
    She was feeling much better about her position by the time Saturday morning rolled around.  If no one had said anything yet, surely they wouldn't.  She was in her room grading papers when there was a loud knock on her door. 
    "Miss Simmons, you need to come into the parlor right now!"   Mr. Hanson's voice sounded even angrier than it usually did.
    Anna's eyes widened.  Was this it?  Had whoever had seen them finally told what they'd seen?  She jumped up from her chair at the vanity she was using as a desk and hurriedly fixed her hair, before walking into the parlor.  She forced herself to take deep breaths the whole way, worried that she would embarrass herself.
    When she arrived, she saw one of her students, Susie, who was only six standing in front of a man who was seated on the sofa.  He was a big bear of a man and Anna wanted to hide behind the piano. 
    Mr. Hanson captured her attention then, speaking in a softer, kinder voice than she'd ever heard from him.  "Susie, why don't you tell us all what you saw on Monday afternoon?"
    Anna's heart sank.  This was it.  She was about to be fired, and she had no idea what she would do when that happened. 
    Susie looked at Anna, her eyes filled with tears, and she told her story, her lisp more pronounced than usual.  "I thaw thum pretty flowerth on my way home from thchool,