Operation: Tempt Me (2 page)

Now he
confused her. “Then I’m not sure I understand what you need me to do.”

“Get this
library the recognition it needs with the Veterans Affairs Department. We have
to show the town’s support for our soldiers and not just by hanging yellow
ribbons and singing patriotic songs. A member of our staff must lead by example
and it cannot be me as the director. It has to be a librarian who can prove
this foundation supports our troops in other ways than what I just mentioned.
That’s the requirements for the grant. And you happen to be our only
librarian.”

How this man
ever became Director of Library Services was beyond her. He didn’t make a lick
of sense and she’d already wasted twenty minutes in here when she wanted to get
back to her cataloging project. Computerizing the library’s antiquated files
had taken her six months already. With autumn approaching and the busy holiday
season around the corner, Cambrie wanted to complete the improvements and add
it to her list of accomplishments before she started planning the holiday
events the library hosted.

Cambrie
leaned forward in her chair. “Well, sir, I can certainly lead by example. Is
there a website where I can review their information?” She absolutely couldn’t
lose her job. Not when Aunt Annabelle depended on her.

The cranky
old man pushed a paper toward her and wiggled it until she took it. “That’s
their online information. You have until 5pm tomorrow, Miss Brasher, to share
with me your plan to win the grant, or I’m afraid I will need to post your
position and hire someone who can do the job.”

Her mouth
dropped open. “You’re planning to fire me?”

“Don’t be
dramatic. I need to do what’s in the best interest of this library. I won’t
fire you if you can do the job.”

She counted
mentally to ten. “But I have done my job and done it very well. I’ve collected
all back revenues of books not returned, began the Teen Readers Group, and I’m
almost done cataloging the books online.”

“Wonderful
accomplishments, Miss Brasher, but none that will keep Highland Library’s doors
open. This hundred thousand dollar grant is our only hope. I wouldn’t place our
chances in your hands if I thought you weren’t capable.” He raised his palm
when she went to speak. “Now, I know you have been an exemplary employee so
that’s why I’m not firing you now. And I know you are the sole caregiver to
your sweet aunt, one of the last true Southern Belles if I may add. That’s why
you have today and tomorrow to come up with a plan. Now you can continue to sit
here and debate this matter or get cracking on the project. Huh, Miss Brasher?”

His menacing
stare made her want to poke his eyes out. “I won’t be fired. I’ll get this
done, Mr. Hackler,” Cambrie said, standing and waltzing to the door. She
resisted slamming it on her way out. The old geezer would just add to his list
of why she should be terminated.

Back at the
front desk, she smiled at the volunteer. “Mrs. Ginnity, thank you for watching
the desk for me. I hope it wasn’t too busy.”

The elderly
woman, dressed in an impeccable pink business suit, stood straight and spoke
with a clear voice. “Not at all, Miss Brasher. I did tidy up the mess you left
behind though.”

Cambrie’s
heart sank. She what? Twisting her head to view the entire desk, all her
carefully divided piles had been placed into one. “Um, Mrs. Ginnity, I was
working with those piles. Reorganizing our filing system.”

“You mean,
that was the project for that computer thing?”

Did the woman
purposely sabotage her work? After all, she had been very vocal in her opposition
to computers. Cambrie wanted to scream. “Yes, for the new computer cataloging
which, even though some people may not like computers, the current generation
lives for technology. I’ve worked very hard to make the improvements. Please
check with me next time before you move my work around.”

The other
woman squared her shoulders, her chin angling up in that aristocratic way she
had inherited. “I assure you, I am very sorry for trying to make the desk look
presentable for the customers. Just remember this library has run well for over
seventy-five years without the aid of computers and such. I only volunteer here
because, as you know, my kinfolk have sat on the Board of Directors for
generations. I have an interest in seeing that Highland Library is properly
operated.”

Of course she
did. Just like she thought she had a right to meddle in Cambrie’s work, or the
way she dressed, or who she associated with. “I do appreciate all that you and
your family have done, and continue to do, for the library. Mrs. Ginnity, I
don’t mean to be rude, but I’m afraid I have to get right to work on an urgent
project for Mr. Hackler.”

“Oh,” Mrs.
Ginnity said, perking up. “Anything I may assist with? You know I have been
part of many projects concerning this place, and I do have a lot of time on my
hands now that my dear Charles, God rest his soul, has left me alone.”

Oh, no.
Cambrie just didn’t have time for one of her crying jags. Wrapping an arm
around the petite woman’s shoulders, Cambrie walked her from behind the front
desk toward the backroom that served as an office for the volunteers.
“Actually, there is something that you can do for me if it wouldn’t be too much
of an imposition.”

She pulled
from Cambrie’s grasp and faced her with eyes filled with curiosity. “Just spit
it out, child.”

Cambrie wrung
her hands and plastered her sweetest smile on her face. “Well, I had planned to
visit Aunt Annabelle this evening, but I’m afraid this project won’t allow me
to do so. I had wanted to bake a batch of blueberry muffins with cream cheese
frosting and bring them to her and sit with her a bit to give her some
company.”

Mrs. Ginnity
jumped into Cambrie’s words. “Say no more. It’d be my pleasure to visit dear
Annabelle. Why I should be ashamed of myself,” she stated, walked into the back
room and returned in seconds holding her purse. She put on a pair of dainty
white gloves as she spoke. “I haven’t been to see my dear friend in weeks. I’ll
bake her my special muffins and spend the evening with her. Why we’ll have so
much to catch up on. I bet she has yet to hear about Mrs. Lolly’s dog, Chipper,
attacking the poor woman’s ankles the other day.”

Cambrie
wasted no time. If she didn’t move along Mrs. Ginnity then she’d end up hearing
about a story that would put her to sleep. “Oh, Aunt Annabelle will so enjoy
seeing you. I can’t thank you enough for your graciousness, Mrs. Ginnity. I’ll
let you get going now. Please give Auntie a hug for me and tell her I’ll make
it up to her.”

Mrs. Ginnity
patted her arm. “You take such good care of her, Cambrie. You’re young. You
should be raising a family of your own instead of being burdened with the care
of an elderly loved one.”

The familiar
tears tickled Cambrie’s eyes. “I owe my aunt my life. It’s no trouble for me at
all.”

“Yes, well,
the Good Lord remembers our sacrifices and when He deems fit He rewards us.
Good night, my dear. And I am terribly sorry about your papers.” Mrs. Ginnity
disappeared down the stairs.

Cambrie
sighed and stomped back to the front desk. An hour until closing time. Today
had been a slow day. Maybe there’d be few customers for the remainder of the
day and she could at least have the time to research the Veterans Affairs
Department’s requirements. This just warned of an impossible feat.

But since
when did a Brasher go down without a fight? After all, she was born and bred
Southerner and there wasn’t a losing cause a Southerner wouldn’t fight for if
they thought they should. It just so happened that Cambrie needed to fight for
her job or risk losing everything that she had barely held onto this past year.

An hour
later, Cambrie locked the library doors behind Mr. Hackler as he left for the
evening. After reviewing the requirements to qualify for the veteran’s grant,
Cambrie had three pages of notes but no solid ideas on how she could lead by
example in honoring a member of the military. In desperation, she had emailed
the person in charge of the program asking for specific ideas on how she could
prove her military support.

Her inbox
showed a new message. Opening it, Cambrie read the email.

Thank you,
Miss Brasher, for your interest in the Military-Friendly Library Grant Program.
I will get right to the point as you stated you needed the info immediately.
Adopt a soldier, Miss Brasher. It’s as simple as that. Then we will ask that
person how well you supported them over the next few months. This will involve
how much you kept in contact with them (should be no less than once a week).

We understand
that the economy is tough right now, but care packages from home boost our
soldiers’ morale more than anything else. Helps them know they are on our
minds. While we don’t expect one person to shoulder this expense, you can prove
your worthiness for the grant by organizing efforts to solicit donations of
items from your customers, friends, and family.

This grant
has been established by the Veterans Affairs Department to highlight the need
to have individual participation in the U.S. military’s missions. Not everyone
can serve in the military, Miss Brasher, but everyone can support those who do.
That’s what we aim to emphasize to the American people.

You all can
make a difference in the lives of our military personnel deployed around the
world. They sacrifice their time and sometimes their lives to bring us all the
freedom we enjoy every day without a question or a fear it could be taken away.

Now I implore
you, Miss Brasher, to adopt a soldier and support him or her in the best way
you can. How do you find this soldier? Well, I’m afraid that’s up to you as
part of the program’s initiative. But it must not be a family member or someone
you already know. We expect that you’d already be supporting such members.

With this
program our goal is to make sure every military member has someone they know is
thinking of them. So ask family and friends who they know in the military and
adopt that person.

Then keep a
detailed log of communications sent to him or her and of other efforts, such as
soliciting donations from customers. I will contact you soon for a detailed
report and will follow-up with your adopted soldier for his or her input.

Remember,
this is about them. Yes, the grant money is certainly important to libraries,
but we need to keep focused on the project’s theme. Boosting our military’s
morale is a job for all Americans. Helping a
special library, one that
goes above and beyond all others to do so, with financial support will benefit
all our citizens as books are immensely important to the military-aside from
letters from home they are what military members read to pass the time before
returning to loved ones.

I thank you
for your time and appreciate your interest in the Veterans Affairs Department’s
Military-Friendly Library Grant Program. I look forward to your report.

Sincerely,
General Sherwald

Cambrie sat
back in her chair with tears in her eyes. Wasn’t that the most touching email
she had ever read? Wow. When she had set out on this quest, she only had
visions of saving her job. Now she could actually make an impact on someone’s
life halfway across the world.

With a new
enthusiasm for the project, Cambrie kicked off her shoes, wiggled her sore,
cramped toes and sat down to make a list of what to do next. She didn’t know
anyone in the military.

Correction.
Her good friend from college, Emma Shields now Emma Coleman, did. Emma had
recently married a Navy SEAL, Finn Coleman, who retired to live with his new
wife on her farm in Vermont. Cambrie would just have to look up Emma and beg
for her assistance. Finn should be able to refer her to a military member who
could help her win the grant. If there was one thing Cambrie could do well, it
was write. Holding a masters degree in English would help her win this money
and maybe make a new friend with her adopted soldier.

Cambrie began
a new email.

Hi Emma, How
are you? Hope married life is treating you well. Aunt Annabelle is still doing
well in the nursing home. I wish I could write more, but I’m pressed for time
and need a HUGE favor please.

Will you ask
Finn if he could refer a soldier to me to “adopt.” Yes, that’s right. My boss
will fire me by tomorrow night if I can’t prove that I can win a grant that
will financially benefit the library. The requirement to participate in the
grant is adopting a soldier and writing him or her once a week, sending care
packages, etc. I really need
someone. I don’t know anyone
except Finn that has served in the military. If you would please get back to me
ASAP, girlfriend. I’d owe you big time.

Lots of hugz,
Cam

Cambrie
logged off the Internet. She needed to head home, change into comfortable
jeans, and snuggle on her couch to brainstorm more ideas. She could solicit the
Southern Ladies League for donations. She’d make giant posters listing
donations needed and hang them in the library. She’d have the Teen Readers
Group write letters to her adopted soldier, too.