Family for Keeps & Sadie's Hero

by Margaret Daley

  Again Sadie’s reservations surfaced. This would work if the environment was conducive to Chris. She worried about the extra-tight rein Mrs. Lawson seemed to have on the people who worked for her. How would Chris fare when he was so openly friendly and social? Sadie threw a glance over her shoulder at the workers in the room going about their jobs. Her doubts multiplied.

  Inside Mrs. Lawson’s office Chris sat between Sadie and Andrew while the older woman perused his application. A tiny frown knitted her brow.

  Sadie’s chest tightened with each breath she dragged in. She flexed her hands, then gripped the arms of the chair and waited for the woman to say something.

  Mrs. Lawson looked at Chris. “You will have to clock in and out every day. I will show you where when we leave here. You will have a fifteen minute break at two. If you don’t understand something, ask for help. I will have you work with Bert until you learn the job. You’ll be delivering and picking up mail as well as sorting it. Do you understand your duties?”

  Chris nodded, a big grin on his face.

  Andrew rose. “If you don’t have any questions for Miss Spencer or me, we’ll be leaving then.”

  “Who’ll be picking him up?” Mrs. Lawson asked, standing, too.

  “I will, this first day, with his mother. After that his mother will. Today we’ll come up with a place for Chris to be when she comes.”

  “I suggest the lobby.”

  “Of course.” Sadie got the distinct feeling the woman didn’t want anyone disrupting her routine in the mail room.

  When Mrs. Lawson didn’t say anything else, Andrew opened the door and waited for Sadie to leave first. She hated walking away from Chris. Chewing on her bottom lip, she gave Chris one last glance before exiting.

  In the lobby Andrew faced her. “It will work out. Mrs. Lawson comes across as being stern and inflexible, but she does a good job running her department.”

  “But how happy are her employees?”

  “I don’t receive any complaints. She’ll make sure that Chris is trained properly in his job. Will you trust me on this one?”

  She nodded. “You know IFI better than I do. I guess I just feel like a mother hen.”

  “Chris did fine in the interview with me, and he’ll do fine with Mrs. Lawson.” He began walking her toward the doors that led outside. “What time do you want me to come on Thanksgiving?”

  “My father will be there. Mom asked him, and he agreed.”

  Andrew halted a few feet from the door. “Does that make a difference in me coming or not?”

  “No, I just wanted to warn you. My father can be difficult at times.”

  “And yet you’re upset about your mother walking out on your father.”

  “It seems my feelings concerning my father are all tangled up.”

  “I don’t have to come. I always have work to do here.”

  She grasped his arm. “I want you to come. I only wanted to warn you about what you might be getting yourself mixed up in. Come around twelve.”

  “You’re going to have turkey and all the trimmings?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll be there. It’s not that often I get a home-cooked meal.”

  Her mouth quirked up. “Then you’ll have something to be thankful for.”

  As she left the building, she sensed Andrew watching her, but she didn’t glance back. For the first time in a long while, she was looking forward to Thanksgiving Day. She tucked that knowledge away to examine later when she was alone and had time to reflect.

  Chapter Eight

  “How do I look?” Abby stood in the doorway of the kitchen and spun around. Her silk peach dress fell in soft waves about her knees.

  Sadie noted she was wearing high heels and hose. Since Sadie could remember, her father had insisted they all dress up for Thanksgiving, giving the day a formal touch. “Mom, you look fine. You always do.” She went back to sautéing the onions and celery for the dressing.

  “Here, let me do that while you get dressed.” Her mother took the wooden spoon from Sadie.

  “You don’t think I’m dressed?” she asked with a laugh, gesturing at the old pair of sweats she had on with evidence of the day’s cooking spattered on it.

  “While I think you’re cute dusted with flour and who knows what, I think if you want to impress that young man you might want to change.”

  Sadie frowned. “I’m not trying to impress Andrew.”

  “Then what was that scene a few weeks ago when you were trying to decide what to wear on your date?”

  “Mom,” Sadie said with a deep sigh, “I was trying to impress the people he works for. IFI can become a valuable workplace for my students.”

  “Of course, dear.” Abby focused her attention on the skillet.

  Sadie stared at her for a moment, then sighed again and left the kitchen, realizing she would never convince her mother Andrew was just a friend. For years her mother had tried to get her married, even fixing her up with blind dates. After the third disastrous one Sadie had put a stop to the blind dates.

  Nevertheless Sadie was determined to prove a point to her mother. She pulled out a pair of black jeans and a red turtleneck sweater. She wanted to set an informal and casual tone for the afternoon, and she would start with what she wore.

  As she brushed her long hair, deciding to leave it loose, she heard the doorbell ring. “I’ll get it.” She hurried to answer the door. Since her father wasn’t due for another hour, Andrew must be a few minutes early.

  When she swung it open, her smile faltered. Her father stood on her porch, dressed in a suit. “You’re early.” It was all she could think to say.

  “Yes, I am.” He moved past her into the house. “I see you aren’t ready yet.”

  Peering at her attire, she bit on the inside of her cheek, a coldness embedded deep inside her. “I decided to go casual this Thanksgiving.”

  “Does your mother know?”

  “Know what?” Abby came into the foyer, wiping her hands on her apron.

  Her father waved his arm toward Sadie.

  With a glance from Sadie to Robert, her mother straightened her shoulders and said, “Since this is her house, she sets the tone.”

  Shock flared in his eyes. “Very well.” He continued into the living room.

  The bell rang again. Sadie quickly answered the door, glad to have something to do. She forced herself to smile as she greeted Andrew. She was glad to see him, but she didn’t know if his coming to dinner was a good idea.

  His gaze skimmed the length of her. “You look beautiful.”

  She blushed under his intent look, any chill she felt gone. “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.” She took in his attire, black pants and turtleneck with a tan and black sweater.

  “Thank you, ma’am. Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, what’s for dinner?”

  “I’ll give you three guesses, and if you don’t get it on the first try, I’ll have to tell my mother to forget what I said about you.”

  Andrew stepped closer, the intensity in his gaze sharpening. “And what was that?”

  He was so near that Sadie felt surrounded by him. Tilting her chin up, she licked her lips and said, “That you were a very smart man.”

  His eyes glittered. “I’m curious.”

  “I thought I was the only one around here allowed to get curious.”

  “Nope.” He shook his head slowly. “Why were you and your mother talking about me?”

  “Now if I told you everything, that would be way too easy and dull.” She spun to go into the living room.

  Andrew captured her arm and halted her movement. He spoke into her ear, his breath feathering her neck. “There’s nothing wrong with easy and dull.”

  “Oh, yes, there is, Mr. Knight. As you well know, there’s nothing wrong with hard work if something is worth it.”

  “I’ll have to remember that when I’m working late at night. But frankly, Miss Spencer, I can’t believe I heard th
ose words from your lips.”

  “My motto is to expect the unexpected.”

  She heard her father’s raised voice coming from the living room and tensed, the imp inside her vanishing. Suddenly she was reminded of the day to come. There would be nothing easy or dull about this Thanksgiving.

  “Let me introduce you to my father, then I need to finish putting the dinner together.”

  “Can I help?”

  She flashed him a smile. “Chicken. Afraid to be alone with my parents?”

  “I was hoping to sample some of the food before it made it to the table.” He glanced away then at her, a sheepish look on his face. “I forgot to eat breakfast.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Where were you before coming here? This is a holiday, Andrew Knight.”

  He hung his head. “Guilty. I was at work. I just had one report to get out.”

  “Tsk tsk. You are a hopeless case, but I’ll take pity on you and let you help me in the kitchen. You’re familiar with what you do in a kitchen, aren’t you?”

  “I can microwave a dinner and open a can and heat it on the stove.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “Come on. Introduce me to your father before I have no ego left.”

  Sadie moved into the living room with Andrew at her side. Her parents were seated on the couch, arguing. Her mother saw Sadie and clamped her mouth shut. Her father twisted to stare at Sadie and Andrew, clearly not happy to be interrupted.

  “Dad, I want you to meet Andrew Knight. Andrew, this is my father, Robert Spencer.”

  The two men shook hands and retreated to their respective corners, sizing each other up. Sadie wanted to squirm but held herself straight, waiting for something to happen.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally, Mr. Spencer.”

  “I didn’t realize we were having a guest for dinner.”

  Sadie shot her mother a glare. “You were supposed to tell Dad.”

  “I forgot.” She shrugged. “Other things on my mind. Did I tell you all I have applied for a job at the university?”

  “A job! Doing what?” Robert asked, surprise and anger lacing his words.

  “I’m going to work in the library. I love books and I decided it was time for me to do something I love.”

  Sadie tugged on Andrew’s arm and pulled him toward the kitchen. As the door closed behind them, she could hear her father demand her mother quit.

  “I’m sorry. My mother doesn’t always have the best timing.”

  “I think your mother has perfect timing.”

  Sadie stared at Andrew for a moment. “I suppose you’re right. That’s a piece of news she probably didn’t want to tell him. At least with us here my father will temper his response.” She went to the stove and removed the skillet. After pouring the onions and celery into a large mixing bowl, she added the other ingredients for the dressing.

  “It does seem most unusual that Mom would get a job now after all these years of not working. I always thought she liked staying home and taking care of the family.”

  “Maybe she needed more.” Andrew scanned the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

  “Sit over there.”

  “And?”

  “And nothing. I don’t have time to teach a novice.”

  “I’m a quick learner.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll let you sample some of the food. I’ll even let you carve the turkey—that is, if you know how to.”

  Andrew puffed out his chest. “I know how to.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, how hard can it be? You take a big knife and cut the meat off.”

  “Have you ever done it?”

  “No, but I’m sure I can manage.”

  “On second thought, you sit there and keep me company. I’ll carve the turkey.”

  He placed his hand over his heart. “Oh, you’ve wounded my ego again.”

  Sadie opened the oven and checked on the turkey, its aroma filling the kitchen. After placing the casserole dish with the dressing inside, she closed the door and started for the refrigerator.

  “Will we get to sample any of that baking you like to do?”

  “I made some rolls and a pecan pie. Is that enough for you?” She rummaged in the refrigerator, looking for the ingredients for a salad.

  “It is for me. What about you and your parents?”

  Sadie popped her head up and slanted a look toward Andrew, who sat comfortably at her kitchen table with a wide grin on his face.

  He winked. “I do believe I’m getting the hang of this teasing.”

  “I’ll just have to invite you to one of my parties when I clean out my freezer.”

  “Promise?”

  Suddenly she realized what she had said, implying their personal relationship would go beyond today. She straightened, then dragged out spinach and lettuce. “Yes, the next one I have, which—” she swung the freezer door open to reveal a stuffed compartment “—won’t be long. I don’t know what I’m going to do about leftovers.”

  “I’ll try to eat more than my share. That ought to help you out.”

  “Mr. Knight, you are so obliging. Whatever did I do before I knew you?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m glad I could be of help.” He surged to his feet. “And speaking of help. I can wash lettuce and spinach. That doesn’t require a culinary degree.”

  Sadie handed the items to him, then went to the refrigerator to retrieve the rest of the salad ingredients. Seeing Andrew standing at her sink rinsing the lettuce gave her a moment of pause. He looked so right in her kitchen, as though he belonged. For a few seconds she fantasized what it would be like if they had a relationship that was more than friendship. Then she remembered the struggles her parents were going through. She remembered where Andrew had been before he had come to her house for dinner—work, which was where he spent most of his waking time. She shook the fantasy from her mind and set the rest of the salad fixings on the counter.

  Seated at the dining room table, Sadie took her parents’ hands and bowed her head. “Dear Heavenly Father, please bless this food and each person at this table. This is a time for thanksgiving, and we have much to be thankful for. Watch over the less fortunate and be with us in our time of need. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

  Lifting her head, she caught Andrew staring at her from across the table. She realized in that moment she was very glad he was spending Thanksgiving with her. The dread she usually experienced mellowed as his gaze took her in.

  “I would have carved the turkey, Sadie.” Robert Spencer cut into the silence while forking several pieces of the meat onto his plate.

  “That’s okay, Dad. I wanted to give Andrew a lesson on how to, and besides, this is my first time to cook Thanksgiving dinner for you all.” Sadie thought of the time she and Andrew had spent alone in the kitchen while she finished the meal preparation. His presence would make the next few hours bearable.

  “Yes, well, we should have been eating at home. That’s how we’ve always done it.”

  Her stomach constricted into a huge knot. Sadie gripped the serving spoon for the broccoli casserole, her chest expanding with a deep breath. “Maybe it’s time to start a new tradition.” After taking some of the vegetable, she passed it to her mother, not sure she would be able to eat it.

  “Perhaps when you marry might be a better time to start a new tradition.”

  Sadie was so close to blurting, “If your marriage is any indication of what it’s like, then I want nothing to do with marriage.” But she kept her mouth shut, her teeth digging into her lower lip while she took the platter of turkey from her father.

  “I understand from Sadie, sir, that you’re a history professor at the college. What area is your specialty?”

  “Nineteenth-century Europe.”

  “History was one of my favorite subjects in school,” Andrew said, taking a sip of iced tea.

  Surprised at that bit of information, Sadie said, “I would have thought some
thing like math would have been.”

  A smile slowly curved Andrew’s mouth. “No. To better understand today, you need to understand yesterday.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Her father tore off a piece of his roll and popped it into his mouth. “I wish more young people felt like you do.”

  Sadie refused to look at her father. She heard disappointment in his voice. He’d wanted her to go through the graduate program in history and follow in his footsteps, teaching at the college level. He never stopped letting her know she’d let him down.

  “Of course, I feel people must do what’s important for them,” Andrew continued, his silent support conveyed by the expression in his eyes, directed solely at her. “There are many things important in this world. Thankfully there are people like Sadie who love to teach our children. I couldn’t do it, but I know we need good teachers like her.”

  “Right you are, Andrew,” her mother said, patting Sadie’s hand. “Robert, did I tell you that Sadie was named teacher of the year at Cimarron High School? She’ll be competing with others from the elementary and middle schools for teacher of the year for the whole district. She just found out yesterday.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Andrew lifted his glass. “Here’s to the best.”

  “Yes, the best,” her mother said, raising her iced tea and clicking Sadie’s glass.

  Sadie turned her attention to her father, almost afraid to see the expression on his face.

  “When will you know?” he asked, cutting his turkey into bite size pieces.

  “After the new year there’ll be a dinner to introduce the individual schools’ teachers of the year, and then they’ll announce the district one at that time. That person will go on to the state competition.”

  “Let me know what happens.” Her father forked a piece of meat into his mouth.

  Okay, Sadie. What did you expect? A twenty-one-gun salute? “I will,” she murmured, her stomach so tight she didn’t think she could eat another bite. Even if she won the teacher of the year for the whole country, she doubted it would be enough for her father. That thought caused her spirits to plummet.