Since Avery was her boss, Sabrina couldn’t very well tell him to leave her alone or go away—especially now, when he specifically wanted to talk work.

  The problem stemmed from worrying whether Darci would read more into their time together than what was actually true. Sabrina had seen other women mysteriously lose their jobs for less.

  “Ahem.” The sound of Avery softly clearing his throat reminded Sabrina that he was awaiting a response. “If you need some extra time, why don’t you meet me there in ten minutes or so?”

  Sabrina shook her head and stood up from the desk. “No, that’s okay. I’ll come now.”

  Avery looked pleased. “Good. We’ve got a lot to work out if we’re going to get this off the ground for the New Year.”

  Chapter Two

  Avery cleared his throat and made eye contact with each person in the conference room, signaling the beginning of the meeting.

  “I apologize for keeping you here this late, but it’s been two weeks since we decided to put this line of programming together for the next year. My goal for tonight is to get a progress report and determine what our next steps will be.”

  Darci yawned. “I know this is an important meeting, but is it possible that I can leave early? Can’t someone take notes and fill me in tomorrow morning? I desperately need to get some rest.”

  Avery suppressed a sigh. True, Darci was one of the hardest-working women he’d ever met. In fact, The Daily Dose was his idea, but Darci had been the one who pushed him to bring the concept to life.

  In the early days, when he wanted to give up, Darci had been his biggest encourager. He might be the producer of a successful TV show, but Avery knew that a good deal of the credit belonged to Darci—even though she continually seemed to rub him the wrong way in recent months.

  Avery looked around the room. Maris, Sabrina, and Vincent Byrne, the show’s director, all wore exhausted expressions. The truth was, the day had been busy for everyone. As good a friend as Darci was, Avery didn’t want to let her leave just yet. It wouldn’t be fair to the others. Sabrina had already pointed out that this was the third week in a row she’d had to miss Bible study because of work.

  He frowned slightly. At least Sabrina had attempted to go. He hadn’t attended anything but Sunday morning service for at least five years. Work always found a way to worm into his free time. But Sabrina was busy, too. Maybe he should ask how she made time for extra church functions.

  Darci’s loud sigh cut into his thoughts and grated on his nerves. She had managed to skip the past two meetings, and Avery knew the rest of the production staff felt that Darci had dropped the ball on this resolution idea.

  He could count on one hand the number of days she had worked overtime with everyone else on the project. Even then, she had done little more than criticize the progress they had made, and when she finally left, everyone was relieved.

  In a way, the predicament might be funny. Whether she was there or not, morale was slipping.

  I’m going to have to talk to her about her attitude at work, he noted. I can’t afford to have good people quit or grow unproductive because she has forgotten the concept of teamwork.

  Hoping to ease the tension in the room, Avery tried to cajole Darci into sticking around for a while longer.

  “I ordered takeout and it should be here in ten minutes or so. Why don’t you at least stay long enough to have dinner?”

  Darci sighed, but when he didn’t acquiesce, she gave a hesitant smile. “Well, I hope you got sesame chicken.”

  Avery grinned, and exhaled in relief.

  “Actually, I ordered stir-fried vegetables for you, Darce. I thought you weren’t eating meat this week.”

  Darci sank back into her chair, clearly irritated. “Chicken is not meat, Avery. Not really. And what if it is? Don’t I have the right to change my mind?”

  Avery laughed and sat down at the table. “Let’s get started. Darci, have you checked out the list of experts Sabrina and Maris contacted to coach the viewers in keeping their resolutions?”

  “Yes. I have a few more people I’d like to add, but we won’t need to schedule them until later in the year, maybe October or November.”

  “Why don’t you give me those names in the morning so I can touch base with them and find out how their schedules are shaping up?” Maris asked.

  “I will. Just remind me,” said Darci. “And I have another idea. I think it would be good for the viewers to not just listen to expert after expert giving them tips on how to live up to their goals.”

  Avery noticed that Sabrina and Maris exchanged glances. He felt as wary as they looked. Darci had plenty of great ideas but, in recent months, lacked the enthusiasm to follow up on them. He had taken up the slack on a fair amount of her work, and so had the others. Soon he would have to confront her about it. He didn’t look forward to that conversation one bit.

  Darci must have picked up on the lack of enthusiasm. “Okay,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “At least let me get my idea out before you all fall asleep from boredom.”

  “We’re listening,” Avery said, gesturing for her to continue.

  “I want to compile a panel of local people from different backgrounds to share their resolutions with the viewers. They can attend regular accountability meetings and then come on the show once a month and share their victories and their struggles.”

  “I like that idea,” Sabrina was the first to respond. “It adds a human touch.”

  “Same here,” Avery agreed. “We can even follow them around and do short features on each person to show how they are implementing the changes in their lifestyle.”

  “Exactly,” said Darci. “And I want to assure you all that I will personally oversee the process of finding the participants. I’d like some high-profile individuals—maybe a news anchor and someone in public office—but I’d like to add variety. Maybe some housewives, teachers… a cashier at a grocery store, and maybe even someone who works here.”

  Avery felt excited about work for the first time in a long time. This was the old Darci—the Darci who had blockbuster ideas and the commitment to get them done. Moments like this were now few and far between, and lately he even wondered if she had lost her creative edge for good.

  “I like it. If you need help getting the word out, talk to the publicity department,” he suggested.

  “I will.”

  Before anyone could say more, a knock on the door announced the arrival of dinner.

  Avery paid the bill and adjourned the meeting for a quick meal. “I hate to work and eat,” he said. “Let’s take ten or fifteen to have dinner, and then we’ll get back to the meeting. I promise, it won’t be a marathon session.”

  Darci gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Avery blinked in surprise. Given the current state of their relationship, this action was unusually affectionate.

  What had gotten into her?

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to use my break to run to my office and return some personal phone calls,” she whispered. “I’ll just be down the hall, so call me when you get started again.”

  “I will,” he said, spearing a piece of shrimp with his fork. As Darci left the room, he noticed Sabrina sitting in the corner, watching him with a curious look on her face. As soon as he caught her staring, she blushed and turned away. Avery grinned. He hadn’t seen a woman blush in ages.

  Vincent and Maris pored over assorted papers as they ate, oblivious to anything other than what they read. They were classic workaholics—a practice Avery now fought to abandon. And even now he felt the pull of the office drawing him away from what should be time spent developing relationships with the Lord and other people.

  Avery had given his all and then some during high school, college, and the first years of the show. Now, at thirty years old, he realized he needed time simply to enjoy life, and constantly focusing on work did not make leisure time easy.

  Work was fun and challenging, but a day came when he stepped into his empty house and longed for a family to fill the rooms with laughter and love.

  Avery had long assumed that Darci would be the one to fill the role of wife and mother to his children, but time had unraveled the tapestry of that dream.

  Maybe he had waited too long. Maybe he had pushed her away too many times when she wanted to talk marriage. Or maybe he’d simply been fooling himself, waiting for her to fully share his convictions and accept his relationship with the Lord.

  At any rate, it probably wouldn’t ever happen. And now he was starting from square one. He had no real friendships with any other women except for Maris, and she was married. Then there was Sabrina. She’d been with the company since the beginning, but only recently had he taken the time to get to know her.

  She seemed nice but guarded. Someone had mentioned that she was engaged. Judging from the look on her face whenever she saw him coming, she wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of being his friend. But he didn’t know where else to begin. He needed someone to talk to, and she seemed like a good choice.

  At least she shared his faith; they attended the same church. Other than that, he had learned little else about her during the three years she had worked here. But he longed to discover more. Something about her intrigued him, and he wanted to find out what that something was.

  After a few moments of debating whether he should join Vincent and Maris, Avery decided against it. He could talk about work any time. Instead, he pulled up a chair next to Sabrina, who sipped a bottle of water.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” he asked, noticing she hadn’t fixed anything for herself.

  “I had a late lunch,” she explained, shaking her head. She shifted away from him slightly, giving the impression that she didn’t want to talk.

  Avery nodded, feeling awkward. “Look, I’m sorry you had to miss church. I’ll make sure you get out of here on time next week.”

  “Thanks,” she said coolly.

  Avery felt helpless as his attempts at making conversation ran out of gas. Should he just get up and walk away?

  Almost as though she had heard his unspoken question, Sabrina turned toward him and spoke quietly.

  “Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure.” He waited, trying not to look too surprised.

  After a deep breath, she began: “I’ve been debating about how to say this without sounding rude or ungrateful.”

  Avery leaned closer, his interest piqued by her statement.

  Sabrina put the bottle of water aside and folded her hands together. “It’s simple actually, and probably a silly worry on my part, but I feel… well, uncomfortable sometimes when you single me out to talk. I don’t mind if it’s about work, but most of the time, I get the feeling that you want to… just talk.”

  Avery shrugged, feeling confused. “I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not sure why we can’t talk to each other. I thought we could be friends. What’s wrong with that?”

  Sabrina seemed surprised by his admission. “I have nothing against being friends, but to be honest, your attempt at friendship could place me in a difficult situation with Darci.”

  Now he felt clearly puzzled. “But how?”

  Sabrina stared at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding. You know how she can be, how she gets in her moods and—” She stopped mid-sentence, looking embarrassed. “I really don’t mean to be disrespectful, because I love my job, and I don’t want to say anything to jeopardize it. Really, I just think…” She didn’t finish the sentence and looked over his shoulder at some distant point in the room.

  Avery patted her shoulder, hoping to make her feel comfortable enough to express herself. “It’s okay. Go ahead and tell me what you’re feeling.”

  She shook her head. “Maybe I should quit while I’m ahead. I think I’ve said too much.”

  “Really. I want to hear.” Avery wondered whether he sounded as if he was pleading. Even so, he didn’t care. For some reason, it didn’t make him feel any less a man to let Sabrina see his emotions.

  She took a deep breath, then continued. “Okay. I’ll get to my point. Darci is highly possessive of you, and I’ve seen other women here lose their jobs for seemingly innocent things—sometimes for reasons that don’t fully make sense.

  “But the one thing they had in common is that they were attracted to you—or Darci thought they were. I don’t mind being friends with you, but I can’t put myself in a precarious situation.”

  “Sabrina, Darci can’t keep me from having friends. And I promise I wouldn’t let her fire you because of it.”

  “Really.” It was more a statement than a question, and the incredulous look on her face suggested she felt otherwise.

  “Really,” he answered, feeling confused. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t believe me?”

  Sabrina kept eye contact with him. “Why I am so special?”

  “What?”

  “You certainly sounded chivalrous when you said you’d protect my job, but why didn’t you do the same for those other women? Why do I get the special treatment?”

  Avery felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. Sabrina was right. He had let Darci fire those women without getting a decent explanation as to why they had to be let go.

  But Darci could be so unbearable when she got her mind set on something that she couldn’t have. It was much easier to let her have her way so her mood would return to normal—although “normal” didn’t necessarily mean pleasant.

  “Okay, I stand corrected,” he told Sabrina. “But you have my word. I won’t let her do that to you.”

  She lifted an eyebrow.

  “Or anyone else. I promise to keep a closer eye on the employee situation around here. Now will you be my friend?”

  “Why do you need a friend all of a sudden?” Sabrina leaned a bit closer. “Put yourself in my shoes. Forget about the job situation. Wouldn’t you find it a little odd that an engaged man suddenly needs a female friend? What does Darci think? Isn’t she a good enough friend?” She shook her head. “I just don’t understand where this is going. I feel like I’m unwillingly being placed in the middle of something, and I don’t like the feeling.”

  Avery took a deep breath. “What if I told you that Darci and I are not engaged?”

  Again his words were met with an expression of disbelief. She gave him a wry grin. “That’s funny, because it doesn’t look that way.”

  “Actually, we never were. It’s been implied, and most people, myself included, assumed that we would eventually get married.”

  Sabrina gave him a look that suggested she didn’t quite believe him.

  He wanted to explain, but time didn’t permit. Instead, he went for the condensed version. “Okay. Without going into details, about six months ago, I realized that marrying Darci was not what the Lord wanted for my future.”

  “And… I’m just curious. Does Darci know this?” She held up a hand before he could reply. “Because, from the way she’s been acting, I’d say you forgot to tell her.”

  Avery felt like a kid getting reprimanded by his teacher. “Yes. And no. Our relationship has been… unusual. Since we were never formally engaged—I never got down on one knee and proposed or gave her a ring—it’s a little hard to break things off. The boundaries are a little blurry.”

  “Of course. Take, for example, the kiss she gave you a few minutes ago.” Sabrina still didn’t seem totally convinced. “I guess I’d put that in the category of a ‘blurred boundary.’”

  “You’re right. I probably shouldn’t have let that happen, but she’s actually been pretty annoyed with me lately. I didn’t expect or want that kind of affection from her, but it would hurt her feelings if I pushed her away from me with an audience watching.”

  Sabrina blushed again, and Avery realized she thought his comment about the “audience” was a reference to her. “I didn’t mean you. I just—”

  “I’m back,” Darci announced from the doorway. “But it looks like this has turned into a social event instead of a meeting.” Her voice was crisp and measured. “What in the world are you two talking about all huddled in the corner with your heads so close? Juicy gossip?” She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

  Sabrina moved away and gave him an “I told you so” look.

  “No gossip, Darce. Just talking.” Avery inwardly winced at having chosen this pivotal moment to use his nickname for Darci. All his explaining to Sabrina probably didn’t seem very credible right now.

  Avery didn’t miss the once-over look Darci gave Sabrina, but he felt helpless to address her actions. Despite the failed relationship, she was the host of the show and his longtime friend. He owed her the respect of not reprimanding her in front of others.

  “It’s late, Avery,” Maris said. “My husband is going to be disappointed if I don’t get home before nine.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Avery loosened his tie and tugged at his collar. “And it’s eight thirty now. You know what? Let’s go home now and finish this sometime tomorrow when we can all grab fifteen minutes or so.”

  “Oh, great. You mean I stayed this long for nothing?” Darci groaned. “Good night.” She turned and left before Avery could apologize for the delay.

  “I guess that’s it, then,” he told the remainder of the group. “I’ll lock up after everyone is out.”

  Vincent was the first to leave, and Maris and Sabrina left together, just ahead of Avery.

  As the three of them silently walked through the parking lot, Avery hoped for a moment to clear the air with Sabrina, since Darci’s interruption had understandably been less than reassuring to her concerns. Maris reached her car first, and Avery waited to be sure her car started and she drove off safely before jogging over to Sabrina.

  By the time he reached her, she was already in her car.

  “So can we be friends?” Avery asked hopefully. “I know, I need to define my relationship with Darci better, but I would like to get to know you better.”

  Sabrina didn’t answer for several moments. Finally, she answered. “You’ve been honest with me, so I’ll be honest with you. I was engaged for almost two years, but a couple of months ago, my fiancé called the whole thing off. I will be your friend, if that’s all you’re asking. But I’m not ready for anything else.”