“I was hoping you’d feel that way and add to your collection of one.”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  “With a few touches of color, a couple of pillows, this room—” she began with a wave of her hand.

  “Don’t, Sadie.” Andrew pressed his finger against her mouth to still her words. “I’m rarely here. I spend more time in my office than here.”

  “What I saw of your office, you could use some color there, too, and a few knickknacks to personalize the place.”

  “Why? They only collect dust.” He relaxed on the sofa.

  “I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I prefer to think of the various items I have around my house as mementos of my past.”

  “But you forget I don’t dwell in my past.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I think your past very much dictates how you live now. You say you don’t look back, but what happened to you in the past is what has made you the man you are today.”

  A frown creased his forehead, and he pinched his mouth into an unyielding line. “I suppose you have a point.”

  “I have my moments.” Sadie sat up straighter, twisting so she faced Andrew on the couch. “Listen, about Christmas Day. I’m so sorry about the fire. I wasn’t thinking.”

  He held up his hand to stop her flow of words. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. You would think a grown man could be in the same room as a fire, and usually I can. But for some reason I felt as though the walls were closing in on me.”

  “My parents missed saying goodbye to you.”

  “Please give them my apologies.”

  “I already have. They understand.”

  For a moment an uncomfortable silence pulsated between them. She felt as though she could hear his heart beating, and its fast tempo matched hers.

  “How long did the snowman last?” Andrew shifted on the couch, sliding his arm along the back cushion behind Sadie.

  “About twenty-four hours. It toppled over before it completely melted. I’m not sure naturally or from the two boys across the street. Either way, it bit the dust. All that was left was the carrot and two pieces of bark. I think the birds took the raisins.” She realized she was chattering, but she was nervous, as though this evening something would change between them.

  The sound of her stomach rumbling drew a raised brow from Andrew. “I suppose you’re ready to eat.”

  She nodded, a sheepish smile on her face. “I forgot to eat lunch today.”

  “No! Not you? The woman who lectured me on what a proper breakfast was?”

  “I spent all day taking down my Christmas decorations. It was a huge task.”

  “I can imagine, after seeing your house. Was there any room you didn’t have something in?”

  She thought for a moment, her head tilted to the side. “Nope, not that I can think of. As a teacher I collect a lot of things at this time of year. I have to find somewhere to display them.”

  Andrew pushed himself off the sofa and turned to help her up. “A few of the decorations did look homemade.”

  She placed her hand in his and rose. “Those are my favorites. Anyone can go out and buy something. It means a lot to me when one of my students makes me something for the classroom or my house.”

  “I noticed you collect angels.”

  “And snowmen. Those were in the back bedrooms. I’m thinking of doing one of those Christmas villages.”

  “I think you’re a kid at heart.”

  “Teaching students keeps me young.”

  “That from an old lady of thirty.”

  “I’ll say that when I’m fifty. It’s hard to be around young people and not be caught up in their exhilaration, their youthfulness.”

  “That’s your fountain of youth?”

  “You know, I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. But I also need food, so lead the way.”

  “I must say you do a good job of ordering a delicious dinner.” Sadie folded her napkin and placed it beside her empty plate. “What’s for dessert?”

  “You ask that after eating a healthy portion of prime roast beef, potatoes au gratin, steamed carrots and a Caesar salad, not to mention two rolls?”

  “Yep. I always save room for dessert.”

  “Where? Your big toe?”

  “Didn’t you notice I ate extra slow? That way I have more room for what I’m sure will be something chocolate.”

  “You’re very sure of yourself.”

  “You’ve admitted a weakness for chocolate just like me.”

  He scraped his chair back and gathered their plates. “Coffee?”

  “Yes, please. Can I help?”

  “No, you’re my guest. Sit back and relax. I’ll be just a minute.”

  Sadie took in her surroundings. The mahogany dining room table shone with a high polish, reflecting the chandelier’s many crystal pieces. There was no china cabinet, but there was a buffet table with a silk flower arrangement that matched the one in the center of the table. The room dripped elegance, but again she felt its impersonal touch.

  Andrew shouldered the kitchen door open and entered with two plates of chocolate fudge cake. After putting them on the royal blue place mats, he went back for the coffee, poured them a cup and sat down.

  “Now this is what I call a real dessert,” Sadie exclaimed, leisurely sliding the first forkful into her mouth and savoring the luscious taste.

  When she’d finished the last bite, Andrew smiled and asked, “Another piece?”

  “I’ll take a rain check on that. Better yet, you can send a slice home with me. One for the last day of the old year and the first day of the new year.”

  “You have everything figured out.”

  “Not by a long shot.” She rose. “Let’s get these dishes cleaned up so we can greet the new year in proper style.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I brought hats and horns for both of us.”

  “I haven’t worn a silly hat since a birthday party when I was eight.”

  “Oh, good. Then you know how much fun we’ll have,” Sadie said as she pushed her way through the swinging kitchen door. She took the plates to the sink, and when Andrew entered, added, “This is one of the cleanest kitchens I’ve ever seen.”

  “That’s because it’s rarely used. Even tonight all I had to do was heat up the dishes. Simplicity is my middle name.”

  “I’ll rinse the dishes while you put them in the dishwasher. You do know how to do that, don’t you?”

  “I’m not that hopeless in the kitchen.”

  “No, the dinner was heated to perfection.”

  “See, there’s hope for me.” Andrew took the first plate she rinsed.

  Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was spotless again. Sadie dried her hands on a paper towel and tossed it into the garbage can under the sink. “I didn’t realize it was so late. We only have twenty minutes until midnight.”

  “We got a late start, and you ate slow.”

  “Hurry. I want to get our hats.”

  “I was hoping you forgot about them,” Andrew grumbled as he followed her into the living room.

  She produced a bright gold hat with a point and red glitter, she set it on her head, then gave him one that was silver with blue sparkles. Next, she pulled out of her bag two horns and some confetti. “Now we’re ready, with fifteen minutes to spare.”

  “Do we just stand here and wait, or can we relax on the sofa?”

  “When was the last New Year’s Eve party you went to?”

  “Last year. I’m not as hopeless as you think.”

  “Did it have something to do with IFI?”

  He looked uncomfortable, a tiny frown furrowing his brow. “The president gave a party for all the executives.”

  “That doesn’t count.”

  He stepped toward her. “Yes, it does. A party is a party.”

  “Okay, maybe half.” She moved closer to him.

  They stood in the middle of his living room, their gazes trained on the clock on the mantel. Silence ruled as the minutes ticked by.

  “Five. Four. Three. Two. Happy New Year,” Sadie said, blowing her horn and tossing confetti into the air.

  As bits of paper drifted down, Andrew closed the space between them and drew her into his arms. He bent forward and kissed her, his embrace tightening.

  Her emotions swirled as though they were confetti caught in a breeze. His arms around her felt so right. Andrew Knight in her life felt right.

  When he touched his forehead to hers, she breathed in the scent of him and knew there would never be another man for her. She framed his face and compelled him to look her in the eye. “I’m falling in love with you, Andrew. I can’t pretend otherwise any longer.”

  Everything came to a standstill for a long moment. It seemed as though her heart stopped beating, her breath trapped in her lungs.

  Then all of a sudden, he stepped back. He placed several feet between then, removing the silver hat off his head. Something akin to fear shone in his eyes as he stared at her. Then he shuttered his look and turned away.

  “I’d better drive you home now. I have work to do tomorrow. And yes, I know it’s New Year’s Day and a holiday, but the work still has to be done.” Andrew took her hand and squeezed it, his expression softening for a few seconds. “Things will start to heat up now that the holidays are over. I’ve played long enough.”

  “Will you still be able to come to the dinner honoring the teachers of the year?”

  “Of course. I’m looking forward to it.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  Sadie felt a door slam shut in her face. He was securing his emotions against her, and she wasn’t sure there was anything she could do about it. The crack in her heart widened.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I’m glad you could come so quickly, Miss Spencer.” Mrs. Lawson motioned for Sadie to have a seat in front of her desk in her office at IFI.

  “You said something about Chris having some problems at work that you wanted to discuss with me. What’s wrong? Chris seems happy working here.”

  “Perhaps too much. That’s the problem. When he delivers mail, I’ve seen him hugging some people in the offices or high-fiving others.”

  “I know he can be a bit enthusiastic when he sees someone he knows. Has anyone complained?”

  “No, but that’s not proper in a place of business.”

  “Have you talked with Chris about this?”

  “No, I thought I would discuss it with you first. I’ve never dealt with someone—” the woman searched for her next words “—like Chris.”

  Sadie shifted, her hands clenching the arms of the chair. “Do you want me to talk to Chris?”

  “That might be best,” Mrs. Lawson said with relief in her voice.

  Sadie rose, silently counting slowly to ten. She started for the door but stopped and pivoted. “Mrs. Lawson, Chris is just like anyone else working for you. If he’s doing something wrong, I’ve often found him eager to change. He likes to please people.”

  Sadie left the woman’s office before she said something that would ruin Chris’s chances of working at IFI after graduation. She walked straight to Chris’s station, touched his arm and indicated he follow her outside.

  In the hallway Sadie pulled Chris over to the side for privacy. “How’s it going?”

  “Great! The people are nice.”

  “I’m glad you like it here. Chris, Mrs. Lawson feels you’re too friendly with people when you greet them. Remember what I’ve always said about shaking people’s hands.”

  “But I like them. I thought you hug people when you care.”

  “Not at a place of business. Can you remember that? It’s important when you greet someone to say hi and shake his hand. No hugging or high-fiving. High-fiving is fine for school but not here.”

  “Yes, Miss Spencer. I’ll remember.”

  The smile he gave her reassured her that he would try his best. “Good. Now, you’d better get back to work. I’ll talk with you tomorrow at school.”

  “See you.” Chris waved before going back into the mail room.

  Sadie glanced at the bank of elevators at the end of the hall and wondered if Andrew was in his office. She wanted to tell him what time the dinner on Saturday started. Being a spur-of-the-moment kind of person, she headed for the elevator and rode up to his floor.

  When she saw Mrs. Fox manning her desk, Sadie inhaled a deep, fortifying breath and approached. “Is Andrew busy?”

  “Yes.” Mrs. Fox looked up, her mouth pinching into a thin line.

  Sadie suspected the woman wasn’t too happy about how she had circumvented her to get to Andrew. “May I see him?”

  “Just a moment.” Mrs. Fox buzzed Andrew and announced Sadie was in the reception area. “Go on in, Miss Spencer.”

  “Thank you.” Sadie flashed the woman a huge smile and walked to Andrew’s door.

  When she entered, he was already halfway across his office. “I won’t keep you. I just wanted to tell you when the teacher’s dinner is.”

  “This Saturday, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. It’s at seven at The Garden.”

  “Then I’ll pick you up at six-thirty. I should be through with my meeting by then.”

  Through with his meeting? A rift of unease shivered through her.

  His phone rang. Andrew held up his hand and said, “Just a moment.”

  Striding quickly to his desk, he snatched up the receiver and spoke low into it. Whatever the person on the other end said clearly upset Andrew. His mouth slashed into a frown, and his grip tightened. He turned his back to her and finished the conversation.

  She had no right to feel shut out of his life, but she did. The barrier she had experienced New Year’s Eve seemed higher, and she was aware the man she had gotten to know over the holidays was retreating and the businessman was firmly back in place.

  Andrew put the receiver in its cradle with such control that another tremor shuddered down her. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but again the sense that she was intruding where she shouldn’t was underscored by the tight expression on his face when he pivoted toward her.

  “If you want, I can meet you at The Garden if you’re gonna be pressed for time.” She clutched the straps of her purse until her hands ached.

  “No, I should be all right. I’ll be there at six-thirty.” He strode forward, taking her by the elbow, his features softening somewhat. “But I am pressed for time now. I need to be in the president’s office in ten minutes, and I still have some information I need to gather.”

  “I understand,” she murmured, one part of her mourning a loss as though Andrew had told her he never wanted to see her again. “I look forward to seeing you Saturday.”

  The sound of the door closing as she left his office reinforced the feeling of being shut out of his life.

  * * *

  Sadie paced from one end of her living room to the other, glancing at her watch for the tenth time in three minutes. Andrew was late. It was six forty-five and—

  The ringing of her cell phone startled her, and she jumped. Quickly she answered it, praying nothing had happened to him. “Hello.”

  “Sadie, I’ve been delayed,” Andrew said in a whispered rush. “Hopefully I’ll be able to make the dinner later. Please go to the restaurant without me.”

  Sadie heard some people talking in the background. “I’ll save you a seat. Good—”

  He ended the call. Sadie stood in the middle of her living room holding her cell phone and listening to the silence emitting from it. Then, as if she finally realized she was going to be late for a dinner in her honor, she slid her phone into her pocket, snatched her purse and hurried to her car, pushing her swirling emotions to the background. She didn’t have time to feel—to fall apart.

  Five minutes after seven, she entered The Garden and the hostess directed her to the back room where the dinner was being held. She found the table her parents were sitting at and slipped into the empty chair next to her father.

  “Where’s Andrew?” her dad asked, passing her the basket of rolls.

  “He’ll be late. He got tied up at work.”

  “At Christmas he was telling me about the demands of his job. He has a lot of responsibility at IFI.”

  “Yes, he does.” She heard the tension in her voice and wasn’t surprised at her father’s probing look.

  “Are you two serious?”

  “We’re just friends, Dad. As you said, Andrew is too busy for much of a life outside of his work.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a man working hard.”

  She was thankful the waitress started serving the main course of roasted chicken, so she didn’t have to reply to her father’s statement. He would feel that way, since most of his life he’d buried himself in his work, often to the neglect of his family. She already felt wrung out and certainly didn’t want to get into that with him.

  Every time the door opened to admit someone into the private dining room, Sadie looked, expecting to see Andrew. By the time the waitress removed the main course and brought out the dessert, Sadie gave up.

  When the superintendent rose and went to the podium, her stomach twisted into a huge knot. This was a big moment, and she wanted Andrew sitting next to her. Her father reached over and took her hand, squeezing it as the man spoke about the honor of being selecting as a teacher of the year from a school. Then the superintendent described each candidate up for teacher of the year from the Cimarron City Public Schools.

  “Our candidate representing the high school has many roles as a teacher of special needs students. Within her classroom she has faced many challenges that most would never dream of dealing with. She has gone beyond her role as a special education teacher to set up a peer tutoring program for regular education students at Cimarron High School. It is heartwarming to see these peer tutors forming friendships and helping with students who have special needs. Outside the classroom she is a coach for Special Olympics and enjoys taking her team to many sports activities throughout the year. She also is the vocational coordinator, visiting job sites where her students work as well as developing potential job sites for possible employment opportunities for her students. Please give a round of applause for Sadie Spencer.”