Family for Keeps & Sadie's Hero

by Margaret Daley

  Andrew began firing a pretend machine gun.

  “The Guns of Navaronne,” Ted shouted.

  Andrew held up one finger.

  “Oh, sorry.”

  Next Andrew acted like he was fighting with a sword.

  “Duel.”

  “War and Peace. War of the Roses.”

  Andrew shook his head.

  “Battle.”

  Andrew nodded vigorously, pointing to Ted. Then Andrew indicated the fourth word. He puffed out his cheeks and held out his arms as though he weighed four hundred pounds.

  Mason leaped up. “Fat. Obese. Battle of the Bulge.”

  “Yes!” Andrew pumped his arm in the air.

  She should have been upset that the women lost, but Sadie couldn’t take her eyes off the huge grin on Andrew’s face or forget the fact that he was high-fiving all the men as they congratulated themselves for their victory.

  When the group settled down, Sadie found herself next to Andrew on the couch. Her side was pressed against his while four of them crammed themselves on the large sofa. Andrew shifted and placed his arm along the back cushion, which caused Sadie to be cradled in the crook of his arm. It felt right, she decided.

  “I thought you said you didn’t watch movies,” Sadie said, content within the shelter of his arm.

  Andrew smiled, a warm gleam in his eyes. “I don’t, but I do love a good puzzle. In fact, I’m quite good at solving puzzles.”

  “Well, I dare say the guys will be wanting you to come back the next time.”

  “But not you?” Mischief brightened his eyes.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “I could always restrain myself.”

  “You? Never. That’s not in your nature.”

  His gaze pinned her. “What is in my nature?”

  Suddenly Sadie felt as though they were the only two people in the room. Everything faded from her consciousness but Andrew and the intensity of his look. “You like to control the situation, be in charge. You thrive on challenges.” She tilted her head to the side. “You’re a loner, but I’m not sure that’s what you truly want to be.”

  One brow arched. “And how did you come to that conclusion?”

  She shrugged. “Woman’s intuition?”

  “When a woman doesn’t want to answer a question, she falls back on that.”

  “What does a man fall back on?”

  “Silence.”

  “You’re quite good at that.”

  “It has come in handy from time to time.”

  Sadie chuckled. “I bet.”

  “Care to share what’s so amusing?” Sally asked while sharing the easy chair with her husband.

  Sadie slanted a glance toward Andrew. “We were discussing the differences between a man and a woman.”

  “Hold everything. I want this evening to end on a friendly note. I’m afraid if we go down that path my wife’s radical views will start a war.” Mason squeezed his wife to him, affection in his expression.

  “We could always have Andrew act out the word war. He was getting quite good at the end.” Sally leaned forward and grabbed another brownie.

  For the next hour the discussion ranged from how different men and women were to the weather, which Sadie insisted was a safer topic of conversation. Slowly the evening wound down and her guests started to leave. When she closed her front door on Sally and Mason, she turned into the living room to find Andrew was the only one left. He transferred the few cookies on one tray to another, then stacked them to carry into the kitchen.

  “You don’t have to help clean up.”

  He glanced toward her. “I know. I want to.”

  Sadie tried to cover her surprised expression, but she realized she didn’t.

  “With both of us cleaning up, it won’t take long.” Andrew headed for the kitchen with the trays.

  Sadie remained in the middle of the living room, still trying to shake off the shock. Her father never helped her mother clean up a thing. Even Thanksgiving Day she and Andrew had returned to the house to discover her mother doing all the work with her father watching.

  When Sadie finally roused herself to follow Andrew into the kitchen, she found him searching under the sink for some dishwashing soap.

  “What are you gonna do with the leftovers?”

  “Give them to you?”

  His laughter saturated the air like a warm coat in the dead of winter. “I think you spend half your time trying to fatten me up. I’ll take a care package, but I’m only one man. There’s no way I can finish all this off.” He motioned toward the two trays still half filled with goodies.

  “Thankfully I have a class who loves sweets. I’ll take the rest to school and let them indulge on Monday.”

  “They must love you.”

  She blushed under his ardent perusal. “They do like it when I clean out my freezer.”

  “Come over here and dry.” Andrew dunked the first tray into the soapy water.

  “First, let me fix up your care package and put the rest into plastic bags.”

  They worked side by side in silence for a few minutes. Again the feeling of rightness descended over Sadie. When she picked up a towel to dry the large trays, she watched Andrew wipe down her counter and thought how much he looked at home in her kitchen. That realization brought her up short. She sucked in a deep breath and held it until her lungs burned.

  While she put away the trays, Andrew prowled the room, coming to a stop at her desk. He stared at the pad, then lifted it and studied it.

  “Is this scenery for a play?”

  She nodded, bending to push the last tray to the back of the lower cabinet. “I’m in charge of the Christmas play at church this year. I’m trying to come up with the scenery needed. As you can see, I’m not a good artist.”

  For a few seconds a faraway look came into his eyes. “I used to be in stagecraft when I was in high school. I enjoy—” He bit off the rest of his sentence.

  “You used to enjoy making scenery?” She straightened, facing Andrew.

  “Yes. I used to like working with my hands. Something about it—” he paused, creasing his brow “—was comforting.”

  “Well, then, do I have a deal for you. I don’t have anyone to build the scenery yet. I sure could use your help.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think—”

  She walked to him and pressed her fingers across his mouth. “Please. Wouldn’t it be nice to see if you still feel the same way?”

  He sighed, his breath fanning her fingers.

  She dropped her hand to her side and waited. Suddenly it was important that he became a part of the Christmas play.

  “Okay, if I can find the time.”

  “Good. The first rehearsal is tomorrow afternoon.

  You can come and get an idea of what we’re gonna do. Some of the high school youth group will be there. A few have volunteered to help with the pounding of nails. I just need a leader to direct them. And you have such good leadership qualities.”

  He laid his arms on her shoulders, trapping her in front of him. “And you have such good persuasive qualities. I think I’m doomed.”

  “We could always have real animals. That should be entertaining.” Andrew stretched his long legs out in front of him and relaxed in the chair in the recreational hall at the church.

  “Not to mention messy,” Sadie said with a glance at him. “No, I think your idea of making animals would be better. With a cast of thirty first, second and third graders, I think that’s about all I can handle in any one day.”

  “Okay, I can get some plywood and make animal cutouts, then have the high schoolers paint them. Didn’t you say Cal was a budding artist?”

  She nodded.

  “Think he could do a cow, sheep and donkey?” Andrew drew in his legs as a small child ran in front of him and leaped over them.

  “Jared, no running,” Sadie called to the first grader. “Yes, Cal can handle that.”

  “While he’s doing that, C
hris and I can build the manger.”

  “Then you’ll make the scenery?” Sadie sat next to Andrew.

  “Yes, and I’ll definitely have the easier of the two jobs.” Andrew surveyed the large room filled with the thirty children waiting for Sadie to direct them. “Where’s your help?”

  “Carol should be here soon.”

  “It will just be you and Carol?”

  “And now you,” she said with a grin as she pushed to her feet and started for the group of children.

  “I didn’t say anything about working with the kids,” Andrew called.

  Sadie kept walking as if she didn’t hear him when Andrew knew she’d heard every word he had uttered. He watched her gather the older children to her and begin giving instructions, her voice firm but caring.

  A natural teacher. She’d make a good mother to his—He put an immediate halt to that thought, shoving the longing to the back recesses of his mind. He had no business visualizing any kind of relationship with Sadie beyond friendship. When the New Year came, he would be drowning in work. Right now, before the holidays, he had a reprieve—a very brief one.

  For the next hour Andrew worked with the four high school students, who included Cal and Chris, making plans for the scenery. When Sadie announced play practice was over, the room erupted with children talking and laughing. They had been relatively quiet during the practice, which still amazed Andrew.

  “I’ll get the wood, paint and supplies. We can start putting everything together next Saturday afternoon at two.” Andrew closed his pad, where he had written down the materials he needed.

  “Mr. Knight, I’ll help you get them.”

  Andrew started to say he could take care of it himself, but one look at Chris’s eager expression and he replied, “Sure. I’ll pick you up at noon next Saturday.”

  “Great!” Chris leaped to his feet. “I’ll be a big help.”

  As he hurried toward his mother, who stood in the doorway into the recreational hall, Sadie approached. “The least I can do is help, too.”

  “Now you offer to help with the scenery.” Andrew looked skyward.

  “I’ve been told I have great timing.”

  Andrew threw back his head and laughed while thirty young children ran, walked and skipped out of the hall.

  “Besides, I have the money to purchase the materials.”

  “No, I’ll take care of it. Consider it my donation.” Andrew raked his hand through his hair and scanned the empty hall, silence prevailing for the moment.

  He took a deep breath and caught a whiff of Sadie’s perfume. He thought of Ruth’s rose garden, and memories of the time they’d spent in New Orleans inundated him. The warning signs had been there. He’d never taken another person to his old homestead. Sadie had a way of working her way into his life without him even knowing it until it was too—

  Whoa! He put a stop to that thought, too. He was in control. His emotions concerning Sadie were nothing more than friendship.

  “Up for a cup of coffee? I don’t want to go home yet.” Sadie threaded her arm through his.

  “Why?”

  “My dad is over at my house talking with Mom. I figure I’ll give them some space.”

  He covered her hand on his arm. “Are you avoiding your father?”

  Her fingers tightened. “Yes. I don’t want to complicate the situation. They’re working on their problems. My presence might make things more uncomfortable.”

  He would have given anything to have a family. He still missed his parents and sister after all these years. He usually didn’t allow himself to think about the past, but Sadie and her situation with her parents had forced the memories to surface.

  “Have you ever talked with your father about how you feel?”

  She halted her progress toward the door. “No, I wouldn’t know where to begin. And don’t tell me at the beginning. You saw how Thanksgiving dinner was.”

  “I didn’t say it would be easy, but ignoring your feelings or keeping them bottled up inside of you can’t be good.”

  “This from the man who has such a firm control over his own emotions.”

  “But I don’t have a father I need to come to terms with.”

  Her gaze locked with his for a few seconds before it slid away. “I’m afraid.”

  “What could be worse than what you are going through now?”

  “An out and out rejection.” She hung her head, her shoulders slumping.

  He lifted her chin and peered into her eyes. “That’s a risk I think you should take. You told me your relationship with him changed after your little brother died. I know losing a loved one can change a person inside. Perhaps your father is suffering more than anyone knows.”

  She heard the anguish in his words. She doubted he realized it. Through a blur of tears, she laid her hand over his heart, feeling the slow beat beneath her fingertips. “And you’ve got no one to talk to about what happened to you all those years ago.”

  “There’s nothing for me to talk about.”

  His heartbeat increased, negating his words. “Are you sure about that, Andrew? Maybe you should have a conversation with God. I think He’s the one you’re angry at.”

  He stepped back, his expression closed. “I’m not angry at anyone.”

  “You aren’t? Then why don’t you attend church? You used to. What happened?”

  “Life. Work.”

  “That’s a cop-out. If it’s important, you make room for it in your life.”

  “I’m here now.” He gestured wildly at the foyer leading into the sanctuary.

  “That’s not the same thing. When was the last time you spoke with the Lord?”

  He took a bracing breath, visibly fighting for the control that was so important to him. “It’s not going to work, Sadie. You’re good at changing the subject when you don’t want to discuss something.”

  “And you aren’t?”

  One corner of his mouth lifted. “Yes, we both are.”

  She grasped his hands in hers and held them up. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll speak with my father if you’ll come to church with me and speak with God.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “I’ll come to church with you, but I can’t guarantee anything beyond that.”

  “It’s a start.”

  “And how about your part of the bargain?”

  “I’ll talk to my father.”

  “When?”

  “Soon. That’s all I can promise.”

  “I can live with that.”

  “Now, how about that cup of coffee and maybe a slice of pie, too?”

  “If I hang around you too much longer, I’ll have to start watching my weight. I still have several goodies from last night.”

  “You’ll just have to start exercising more.” Sadie linked her arm through his and started for the door, a lightness to her step. She liked the idea of him hanging with her—probably too much, if she wanted to avoid heartache. The problem with that was her heart was already involved, and she didn’t think that was going to change any time soon.

  Chapter Ten

  “You can stop laughing now.” In the church’s recreational hall, Sadie took another step back from the cow she’d put the finishing touches on.

  Andrew pressed his lips together, but his eyes held merriment deep within them.

  “But, Miss Spencer, you got paint all over you,” Chris exclaimed, not able to contain his laughter.

  “Okay, so I got carried away. The cow is done. You and Cal are still painting the donkey.” Sadie pointed her brush at the plywood animal in question.

  “That’s because this is gonna be a work of art. Right, Chris?” Cal dipped his brush into the bucket.

  “Yeah, a work of art.”

  “And what is this?”

  Andrew burst out laughing. “I think if we turn it around we can paint the other side and no one will be the wiser. When are the children going to be here?”

  �
��In a few minutes. You aren’t trying to get rid of me, are you?”

  “Never.” The gleam of merriment in Andrew’s eyes brightened.

  Sadie narrowed her gaze and directed its full force on the exasperating man. “My cow isn’t that bad.”

  “I’ve never seen a brown and white one quite like that. The markings look like big polka dots.”

  “It’s a Holstein.”

  “They’re black and white, and their dots aren’t that round. Besides, I doubt a Holstein was in the manger the evening Christ was born.”

  “Well, that will be the last time I offer you a little help while I’m waiting for the children to arrive.”

  “Promise? I think I hear the children in the foyer. You’d better check.”

  Glancing toward the door, Sadie cocked her head to the side. “I don’t hear anyone.”

  When she looked at Andrew, he’d turned the plywood around to show the unfinished side, and all three of them had moved to stand in front as though that would block her view. She fisted her hands on her waist, screwed her mouth into a mock frown and tapped her foot against the tiled floor. “Do I have to remind you guys that I’m the director? Therefore I am in charge.”

  Andrew stalked toward her, his brush still in his hand. She eyed it, then looked into his face, set with determination. She took a big step backward and came up against a chair. When he stopped in front of her, shem licked her dry lips and thought about making a mad dash for the door.

  “If you stay, I can’t be accountable for my actions. I have this overwhelming need to paint a polka dot—” with lightning speed he lifted his hand and brushed black paint on her cheek “—here, to match your cow, of course.”

  “Oh, you didn’t!” She brought her hand up to her face and felt the wet paint.

  “He did, Miss Spencer,” Chris called, laughter in his voice. “Way to go, Mr. Knight.”

  “Chris, don’t forget who your teacher is.” Sadie started around Andrew, stumbled into him, grasping his hand with the brush before he realized it and snatching it away. As quickly as she secured the brush, she wiped it across his face from forehead to chin then scrambled away.

  Andrew spun. Chris and Cal’s laughter echoed through the recreational hall.