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before.” “Maybe she’s coming down
with something.”
    Sadie sat down and took another sip of tea. How was
she going to deal with this situation? Presley would need training to do good with her skills, instead of bad things like take other
children’s toys. To do that she’d need to go to the Other Realm. That meant
Sadie would have to sit down with Brad and Lucy and tell them everything.

 
     
    Chapter
Five
     
    “Ms. Sutton…I mean, Sadie.”
    Sadie turned and headed back to the reception desk
where Hayley was holding a piece of paper out to her.
    She just wanted to get back to her room and collect
her thoughts. Today had been one of the worst of her life. The whole business
with Presley had been her fault. And after their lunch, Sadie had just wanted
to go to the Other Realm and hide for a while. She’d gotten out of afternoon
shopping with Lucy by saying she had a headache, but tonight they’d invited her
to dinner at the hotel where the family was staying.
    “Is everything okay?” asked Hayley.
    “Yes, yes, just a sudden headache.”
    “Would you like me to bring you up some tea?”
    “That would be wonderful.”
    “Someone from your head office
called and said to tell you that your supervisor will be stopping by next
week.”
    Sadie gulped. That would be Nadine from the
Department of Love. If she knew about Sadie’s disaster, she’d been finished.
    Sadie turned to head up to her room.
    “I’ll bring that tea right up,” Hayley called after
her.
    Sadie went to her room and sat on the bed. She
pulled out the Christmas card and looked at the photo again. Such a lovely
family and her impulsiveness that night when she’d taken baby Presley to the
Other Realm had ruined everything for them.  
    There was a knock on the door.
    “Come in.”
    Sadie smiled as Hayley carried in a tray bearing a
tea pot, floral cup and saucer, and a plate of cookies. She placed them on the
bedside table.
    “So what have you been up to?” asked Sadie, pouring
herself a cup of tea.
    “I signed up for some business classes at the local
community college. And I’m going to buy a Christmas tree tonight. The local fire
department’s selling them to raise money for a food bank.”
    “Really, the fire department?”
    Maybe today wasn’t such a disaster after all. Sadie
recalled that Cole had told her he worked as a volunteer fireman. Yes, these
two could be a match made in heaven. Maybe with a little of that, and a little
of this, it could be by sheer coincidence that Cole would be working the tree
lot tonight and the two of them would meet.
    “You look happy all of a sudden,” said Haley.
    “It must be these delightful cookies,” said Sadie,
taking a second bite.
    ****
    “I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t an emergency.”
    Cole’s hand gripped the phone. Him manning the Christmas tree lot. Didn’t everyone know by now that he’d been shopping for a tree when he’d gotten
the call that night? Why had Fred, the fire chief, called him of all people?
    “Glen’s suddenly came down with a sore throat and
feels like shit. I can’t expect him to be out in the cold for any length of
time. I’d do it, but we have to visit my mother-in-law in the hospital. She had
her hip replacement surgery yesterday.”
    Sweat broke out on his forehead. He’d do anything to
help these guys and the department so he couldn’t bring himself to say no, even
if it was going to be sheer agony for him. Maybe he’d take a book along to read
and wouldn’t think about where he was, or look at any of the trees.
    “Okay, what time do I need to be there?” asked Cole.
    “Six and you can close at nine.”
    Cole knew Eileen was taking the kids out shopping so
he didn’t have to worry about finding someone to supervise them at the last
minute.
    “Thanks for doing this, Cole. I really appreciate
it,” said Fred.
    “Sure, anytime.”
    He pressed the end call button. Maybe this would
make or break him. He looked out of the window and noticed