Family for Keeps & Sadie's Hero (23 page)

“Promise?”

His chuckle evolved into full laughter. “Yes.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the Ferris wheel.

Two hours later, full from eating two hot dogs and one cotton candy washed down with a large soda, Sadie stood next to Andrew staring at the huge roller coaster, known for its thrilling ride.

“This is the last ride. Ready?” Andrew asked, tossing the last of his drink into the trash.

Sadie positioned herself at the end of the line waiting to get on the ride, with Andrew right behind her. “I’m glad we saved the best one for last.”

“What I can’t figure out is how a woman who loves to go on any ride—some that look as though they defy the laws of nature—can’t stand to fly.”

“When you figure it out, please let me know. Fears are often irrational. I used to say it was because I have no control when I’m flying, but then I really don’t have any control on one of these rides, either.”

“Not an ounce.”

“So I guess that’s not the reason. What are you afraid of?” She shuffled forward when the teenage boy running the ride allowed the people in front of her to sit in the cars.

“Let’s go to the back.” Andrew steered her through the small crowd and claimed the last car.

After they were secured, the metal bar across their laps, Sadie said, “You haven’t answered my question.”

“Fire, and there’s nothing irrational about that fear.”

For a moment Sadie was hurled back to New Orleans. She stood in front of the charred remains of his home, and her heart ached for a little boy who watched his family perish. Saying she was sorry wasn’t adequate. She was glad when the roller coaster started, because there was nothing she could say to take away his pain, and she wished there was.

She covered his hand on the bar as the cars chugged upward for the first drop. He linked his fingers through hers, his gaze bound to hers as they reached the top. For a few seconds high above Tulsa with the lights glittering below them, Sadie felt suspended, stopped in time. Andrew leaned toward her and brushed his lips across hers, soft as the warm breeze.

Then the car plunged downward at an alarming speed. But all Sadie could think of was the light feel of his lips against hers. For a few seconds they had been connected on many levels. She wondered in that moment if he had captured her heart.

Thankfully—because she didn’t want her emotions to be tangled up with him—the wind rushing by her, the screams of excitement and fear and the sensation of leaving her stomach at the top of the roller coaster brought her back to reality. After that, she experienced the ride, relishing the breeze blowing through her hair, the sudden drops, the exhilarating speed. When the car came to a stop at the end, Sadie closed her eyes for a moment while her pulse quieted.

“I told you I’d tell you when my fourth wish came true. It did,” she said, not really thinking clearly, or she wouldn’t have admitted it.

“To ride a roller coaster?”

“No.” His gaze touched hers, and the feel of his lips feathering across hers replayed in her mind. “I wanted you to kiss me.”

For once it seemed Andrew was speechless, surprise dominating his expression.

Sadie quickly stood, her legs shaky. She grasped Andrew to steady herself. “I think my exhaustion is finally catching up with me. Friday night is usually my meltdown night.”

“Meltdown night?”

“I go home after school, get takeout from a restaurant and collapse after a long week of teaching. I must confess it’s the one night I vegetate in front of the TV. I’m not even sure what I watch half the time. I often wake up at two or three in the morning in my lounger in front of the TV with some awful show on that is only on in the middle of the night.”

“Interesting.”

“I guess you never do something like that.” Sadie walked next to him toward his car, aware of his penetrating regard on her face.

“Can’t say that I do. I don’t think I’ve watched television in months.”

“What do you usually do on Friday night? We’ve already established it isn’t going to an amusement park.”

“Work. I leave IFI about seven or eight, grab something at a fast food place and go home and work some more.”

“No dates?”

He stopped at his car and faced her. “Occasionally. I’m here right now, aren’t I? How about you? No dates on Friday night?”

“Occasionally. I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

“Yes, delightfully so.”

She inclined her head. “Thank you.”

“About that kiss—”

She covered his lips with her fingertips. “If I hadn’t agreed to tell you when my fourth wish happened, you’d never have known. But I’m a woman of my word. No more discussion.”
Please,
she silently added.

He looked at her long and hard for a breath-held moment, then opened her door before going around to his side and climbing into the car. “I had a fun evening.”

“So did I,” she said with relief, glad he was dropping the subject of their brief kiss and her wish. “I didn’t think about anything important.”

“I have to admit until just a moment ago I didn’t think of IFI once,” he said with a touch of amazement.

“Now you know it can be done.”

He slipped in another classical CD, this time the soothing sounds of Brahms. Sadie settled her head on the cushion. The motion of the car, the warm wrap of darkness, lured her to sleep.

An hour later Andrew shook her awake. “You’re home and you have a visitor.”

Sadie jerked up and saw her mother sitting on her porch swing and a suitcase next to the front door. “Oh, no. Something must be wrong.”

Sadie scrambled from the car before Andrew had a chance to come around and open the door for her. She hurried to the porch, aware that Andrew was behind her, matching her quick steps.

Stunned, Sadie came to a stop in front of her mother on the swing. “Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you here?”

“I’ve left your dad and I’m moving in with you.”

“What happened?” Her stomach knotted.

“He didn’t like the dinner I fixed him. He left to eat out and that’s when I left him.” Her mother fixed her gaze on Andrew. She rose and extended her hand. “I’m Abby Spencer.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Spencer. I’m Andrew Knight—a friend of Sadie’s.”

“Ah, you’re the young man she bet on at the auction.”

Sadie hadn’t thought it possible Andrew could blush, but he did. “Come in, Mom. We need to talk.”

“This is my cue to leave. Thanks for the fun evening, Sadie.”

“Don’t leave on my account. Come in, Mr. Knight, and I’ll fix us some coffee. I have a feeling it will be a long night.”

That was an understatement, Sadie thought, the knot in her stomach constricting even more.

“Some other time. I have work that I’ve neglected.”

“Thanks for everything. I’ll see you at four on Monday.” Sadie watched Andrew leave before unlocking her door and waving her mother into her house.

“He seems like a nice young man. Are you two dating?”

“No, Mom.”

“Then what were you doing?”

“We’re friends. That is all. His company is going to be a work site for one of my students.”

“Then it was business tonight?”

Sadie remembered the shared laughter, the brief kiss. “No, we went to the amusement park in Tulsa.”

“In my day, that was called a date.”

“Mom! Tell me what happened tonight.”

“I already did. Your father threw my beef stew out and left. For over thirty years I have cooked and cleaned for that man, and that’s how he treats me. He’s never done that.”

Sadie dug her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from saying what she wanted to. From where she’d stood as a daughter, her father had never treated her mother the way a husband who really loved his wife should. Granted, he might not have thrown her dinner out, but he’d done many things far worse—like ignore her mother, who worked hard to make his home comfortable.

Tears crowded her mother’s eyes. She sank onto the couch in the living room. “I know it didn’t taste great.” She swiped at a lone tear coursing down her cheek. “But I deserve better than that. I—” She hiccupped. “Sadie, I think he’s seeing another woman. I can put up with a lot of things, but not that.”

Sadie gathered her mother into her arms and held her, stroking her back. “Why do you think he’s seeing another woman?”

“Because he’s never home anymore. He was supposed to be at the university the other night working late and when I called no one answered his phone in his office. Where was he?” Her mother leaned back, tears flowing freely down her face. “I know I’ve put on some weight and I might not be as interested in history as he is, but—” Her words faded into silence.

“I think you need to talk to Dad about this. There may be a logical explanation for the other night.”

“It’s not just that. I came in on him yesterday on the phone. He was very secretive and hung up quickly. And just last week I received several calls and no one was on the phone. I’ve read Ann Landers. I know the signs. What should I do?”

Her mother was asking a woman who was afraid to have a committed relationship with a man, who was afraid she could never fulfill a man’s ideal, who would rather be alone than expose her flaws to another. “Why don’t you talk with Reverend Littleton? I know he counsels married couples all the time. I also think you need to talk with Dad about your suspicions.”

Her mother rubbed at the evidence of her tears. “I’m afraid, Sadie. I’m not brave like you.”

“You think I’m brave. Mom, I don’t know how to open myself up to a man.”

“Maybe Reverend Littleton can help you, too.” Her mother clasped her hand and patted it.

“Does Dad know where you are?” Sadie asked, instead of commenting on her mother’s suggestion. The minister at her church was a kind older man who was renowned for his counseling, but she couldn’t see herself opening up to anyone. It seemed so much safer to keep her face hidden.

“No. I didn’t even leave him a note.”

“Then at least call and leave a message on the answering machine. He’ll worry about where you are.”

Her mother harrumphed. “I doubt it.”

“Then, Mom, do it for me. You can stay as long as you need.”

“I’ll leave a message. But if he answers, I’m hanging up.”

When her mother rose to walk to the phone, Sadie noticed Abby’s hands were shaking. Her heart went out to her mother. Sadie had issues with her father, but she didn’t want to see her parents’ marriage of thirty-two years break up. Marriage was for a lifetime, and that was why she could never see herself married. She was too scared to trust her heart to someone for the rest of her life.

“I
t’s so good to see you, Sadie. Come on in.” Andrew held his office door open for her, a pleased look on his face.

As Sadie headed toward him, she wanted to do a victory dance in front of Mrs. Fox, who more than once had refused to let her talk to Andrew. Instead, and to her amazement, Sadie walked into the office at a dignified pace with a gracious expression upon her face.

“How’s your mother doing?” Andrew asked while gesturing for Sadie to be seated in a comfortable-looking chair in front of his desk.

“She’s staying with me for a while, but at least she and Dad are talking, not always in a calm voice, but talking.” Sadie sat, relieved to be off her feet after spending all day standing. It was a rare moment she could sit at her desk as Andrew did and work, not when she had so many students all working on something different. “And they’ve both finally agreed to see Reverend Littleton. I didn’t think Dad would, but last night he told Mom he would go with her tomorrow. Of course, he’s only committed to one session and he made sure she knew that.” When she saw Andrew’s grin, she added, “I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Giving you more information than you care to know.”

“Nervous?”

“Yes. I want this program to work.”

His gaze connected with hers. “So do I. I think it would be good for everyone involved.”

The warmth in his expression relaxed her. She leaned back in the chair and drew in a deep, fortifying breath.

“Mrs. Lawson is rarely late for anything. I’m sure she will be here any second.”

“Can you tell me a little about her—”

A firm knock sounded on his office door, then it swung open and a tiny woman, no more than five feet tall, with black hair pulled back in a tight bun, entered the room. She covered the distance to the other chair next to Sadie in precise, long strides.

“I’m sorry I’m late. There was a mix-up in the mail room that I had to straighten out before I could leave.” Mrs. Lawson sat with her back ramrod straight and her hands folded in her lap.

Sadie looked at the older woman and trembled. She half expected to see frost hanging off her eyelashes.
Lord, show me the way to make this work.

“Mrs. Lawson, this is Sadie Spencer, the teacher at Cimarron High School I told you about.”

Sadie started to offer her hand to the woman, but something in Mrs. Lawson’s demeanor stopped her. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lawson.” Somehow she got the impression no one called the woman by her first name, not even Andrew.

“I understand that you have a student with mental disabilities you would like to place here in the mail room.”

Sadie nodded, her throat dry.

“Can he read?”

“Yes, about third-grade level.”

“Can he alphabetize?”

“Yes. I’m been working with him, and he’s getting quite good.”

“Quite good isn’t good enough.”

The woman’s mouth was pinched into a frown, and Sadie felt all her time and energy had been wasted. How was Chris going to succeed with a boss like her? Again Sadie found herself turning to the Lord for guidance, silently sending a prayer for strength to deal with this new challenge.

She looked Mrs. Lawson directly in the eye and said, “Chris is very capable. He’ll make any employer a valuable employee with some on-the-job training.”

“When is Chris starting in the mail room?” Mrs. Lawson asked, turning her attention to Andrew as though what Sadie had said was unimportant.

“He’ll start next Monday. I’ll interview him, then send him to you by one o’clock.”

“I understand he’ll work half days from twelve to four.”

“Yes,” Andrew said to Mrs. Lawson.

The older woman glanced away for a few seconds, then returned her attention to Andrew. “And if I have a problem with him, what is the procedure I follow? Do I treat him like the other employees?”

“Yes, but inform me if there’s a problem.”

Sadie gripped the arms of her chair. Mrs. Lawson’s tone underlined the wariness the woman felt toward this arrangement. Chris would be a great ambassador for the work program, but Sadie wasn’t sure any student would please Mrs. Lawson.

The woman rose, her back stiff. “Then if that is all, I have a lot of work that needs to be done.” As she turned, her gaze fell on Sadie. “It was nice meeting you.”

Again her tone negated the meaning behind her words, and Sadie’s doubts grew. “Thank you for taking Chris.”

Mrs. Lawson nodded curtly and headed for the door. When it clicked shut, Sadie released her pent-up breath in a rush and relaxed her tight grip on the arms of the chair. She flexed her hand to ease her aching fingers.

“Andrew, I don’t know if the mail room will work.”

“It’s a good place for Chris to start. Let’s give it a chance.”

“Will you let me know if there’s a problem? I’ll be checking periodically, but Mrs. Lawson might not say anything to me until the problem is unsolvable. I’ve found that happens sometimes.”

“I’ll call you if she says anything to me.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk, his gaze intent on her face. “I want this to work.”

“Thank you for trying this program.” Sadie stood, clutching her purse in front of her. “I’ll have Chris here next Monday at twelve for the interview and to fill out the paperwork.” She turned to leave.

Andrew pushed to his feet. “Sadie?”

She stopped, peering at him.

He walked from behind his desk. “Mr. Wilson, the president of IFI, is having an informal reception at our Grand Lake lodge for the candidates for the presidency this Saturday night. Will you go with me?”

“You’re asking me out on a date?”

The corners of his mouth twitched up. “Yes, that’s what it sounds like to me. As I told you, I do occasionally go on dates.”

“How informal?”

“Casual attire. It’s a barbecue.”

“Yes, I’ll go.”

“I’ll pick you up at five.” He lounged against the desk, crossing his legs at the ankle. “I probably need to warn you that it will be a working evening. Mr. Wilson is hosting this reception for the board to meet the candidates.”

“Am I supposed to be surprised?”

“No, just wanted you to know what you were getting yourself into for the evening.”

“In other words, I might not see much of my date.”

“I’m the only one not married. It would seem odd if I was the only one who didn’t show up with a date for the evening.”

“This evening affair is sounding more appealing by the second.”

He grinned. “I figure with you I don’t have to pretend. You know exactly where my interests lie.”

Through a valiant effort, Sadie kept her disappointment from showing on her face. She didn’t want a relationship with Andrew, but for some reason being reminded he wasn’t interested in a relationship hurt more than she wanted to acknowledge. “Yes, I know. You’re after the presidency of IFI. Everything else in your life has been placed on hold.”

“Exactly.” Pushing himself away from the desk, he escorted her toward the door, his hand lightly touching the small of her back. “I’ll see you Saturday.”

He walked with her all the way to the elevator. Even through the sweater she wore, she felt the warmth of his fingers on her back. For a fleeting moment she wondered what it would be like to lean on this man for support. He was strong, independent, two qualities she admired in a person. And beneath his tough exterior there beat a soft heart, a quality that endeared him to her.

“Mom, he’s gonna be here any minute. Help! What does casual mean to you?” Sadie held up a pair of jeans and some black pants. “Do I wear this or this?” She thrust each selection out in front of Abby.

Her mother leaned against the doorjamb. “Honey, there are many degrees of casual. What did he say?”

“Informal. That’s all. Why didn’t I quiz him more about what he meant?” Sadie tossed the jeans onto the discarded clothes stacked haphazardly on her bed. “I probably should go with the black pants. You can dress black up or down. Now, what kind of top should I wear?” She turned to her closet and began rummaging through her clothes.

“I’ve never seen you this nervous. Is something going on with you and Andrew that I should know about?”

Sadie whirled. “No!”

Her mother quirked a brow.

“Honestly, Mom, we’re just friends. That’s all.”

“And you obsess on what to wear with your friends?”

“This reception is important to Andrew. I wouldn’t want to be the cause of any problems for him.”

“I see.” Her mother folded her arms across her chest, the smug expression on her face saying more than her words.

“What do you think?” Sadie held up a white silk blouse then a leopard print shirt. “Which one?”

“The white.”

“Yeah, the other makes too bold a statement. I need to play it low-key. This is Andrew’s show. I certainly don’t want to draw attention to myself.”

“You should never do that.”

Sadie paused in tossing the leopard print blouse on the growing pile of clothes and eyed her mother. “You’re enjoying this.”

“Yep. I rarely get to see you falling apart over something as minor as two friends going to a reception. Now if this had been a date, I could understand.”

Sadie put her hands on her hips, the leopard print blouse bunched up in her fist. “This is not a date.”

Her mother straightened from the doorjamb. “No, dear.”

Sadie started to protest some more when the doorbell sounded.

She gasped. “I’m gonna be late.”

“I’ll entertain Mr. Knight while you finish getting dressed.”

“Mom, don’t say—” Sadie didn’t complete her sentence because her mother had disappeared down the hall.

Sadie listened while her mother let Andrew into the house with a cheerful greeting. Sadie leaned her head into the hallway, conscious of the fact she wasn’t completely dressed, and tried to hear his reply. They had obviously walked into the living room, and the sound of their voices was too muffled for her to understand what was being said. That prompted Sadie to hurry and throw on her clothes.

No telling what her mother would say to Andrew. There were times she could have an impish streak. Sadie remembered once in high school her mother regaling her date about some of her antics while she was growing up. She had come into the room just in time to stop her mother from pulling out the albums and showing him pictures of her as a baby in less than appealing snapshots.

Ten minutes later Sadie appeared in the living room, ready to yank any albums out of her mother’s grasp. She hoped her French braid didn’t have too many hairs sticking out and that her lipstick was on straight. Glancing at her clothes, she was pleased to see that at least she looked all right even if inside she felt less than together.

Sadie rushed forward. “Sorry I’m late.”

Andrew lifted his head and snared her gaze with his assessing one. “The wait was worth it.”

She noted his tan slacks and black polo shirt and breathed a sigh of relief. His idea of casual was the same as hers. “Ready?”

Andrew rose, saying to her mother, “Thank you for the invitation to Thanksgiving dinner, but I’d hate to intrude on your family time.”

“Nonsense. It will be a small gathering this year so you’re more than welcome. I hate to hear of anyone spending Thanksgiving alone. It’s meant to be spent with family—and friends.” Her mother winked at Sadie.

She nearly choked.

“Don’t you think so, Sadie?”

Her mother looked at her with such innocence in her eyes that Sadie could only nod her agreement.

“You see. Even Sadie feels you shouldn’t spend Thanksgiving alone.”

“Then it’s a date. Thank you for inviting me.”

Behind Andrew her mother smirked. “Yes, it’s a date.”

Sadie stifled her moan, but she knew she would have to talk with her mother tomorrow about trying to match-make, because that was what she was doing. She was clearly going to have to define friendship for her mother.

“We’d better get going. I wouldn’t want you to be late for the reception.” Sadie grasped Andrew’s hand and practically hauled him toward the front door.

When they stepped outside, the autumn air caressed her cheeks, cooling the heat that suffused her. She was thankful beads of sweat hadn’t popped out on her forehead and run down her face to ruin what little makeup she had on.

“If you don’t want to come to Thanksgiving dinner, Andrew, you don’t have to.”

At the car he opened her door, his gaze trapping her. “Do you want me to?”

The intensity in his regard wiped any rational thought from her mind.

“I meant it when I said I didn’t want to intrude, Sadie.”

The vulnerability she occasionally glimpsed in him surfaced for a brief second. She covered his hand on the door and said, “You could never intrude. I would love to have you spend Thanksgiving with my mother and me.”

“Not your father?”

She tilted her head to the side and thought about that. “You know, Mom hasn’t said anything about that. He might be there. Their counseling session with Reverend Littleton wasn’t a rousing success, but at least they’re talking.”

“That’s good.”

Sadie climbed into his silver Lexus and watched as he rounded the front and slid into his seat. “My question to you is will you mind coming to dinner if my father is there? The atmosphere may not be very relaxed.” Sadie refrained from telling Andrew it rarely was when she was with her father. She had told Andrew more about her life than she usually said to anyone, which was a surprise in itself.

“Do you know what I was going to do Thanksgiving?”

“Work?”

“You got it. I was going to go into IFI and work on some reports. There are always reports that need doing.” He peered at her through a half shuttered gaze. “My dinner that evening would have consisted of a frozen TV dinner of turkey.”

“Not very appetizing.”

“No, but that’s my idea of Thanksgiving if I don’t go to Ruth and Darrell’s.”

“Why aren’t you this year?”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a self-mocking grin. “Not enough time.”

A dull ache pierced her heart. “Is it all worth it to you?”

“Sadie, I don’t know anything else but work, so I have to say yes.”