Disclaimer: This story is based on characters copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. It is meant for enjoyment purposes only, I retain the right to the plot and not the characters. Do not reproduce this without the authors consent. All characters in this story are fictional.
 

*** *** *** *** ***
 

Part One:
 

"I need a vacation," Amanda complained as she plopped into the chair at her desk piled high with files and paperwork.

"I’ll second that. These last couple of weeks have been brutal, one thing right after the other," Lee replied as he collapsed into his own chair. "You know, I keep promising the boys that I’ll take them camping. Maybe we should set a date now that school’s out for the summer?"

Amanda grimaced at his suggestion. "Camping isn’t what I had in mind. Personally, I was thinking a nice four star hotel with room service and activities to keep two teen boys happy, occupied, and out of trouble…"

"Well we could do that, too," Lee smiled over at her. "I think I know exactly what you mean."

"Lee, I'm serious. We’re going to have to take some time off. I can’t keep doing these sixty-hour weeks. I don’t get to see the boys and I don’t get to see you – and don’t say that you see me at work," she warned wearily as she thumbed through the piles of paperwork stacked up on her desk.

Lee sighed. "I know, it's driving me crazy, too!"

"We're never going to catch up as long as we're both exhausted," Amanda lamented, knowing they'd been working night and day, on one assignment after the other. It gave them little time for each other. Although the boys and Amanda's mother knew they were dating, the marriage was still a secret to everyone.

"All right, it's settled. We’ll talk to Billy tomorrow about some vacation time." He walked over to her desk and sat down on the edge. He gently put his hand under her chin, lifting it up and kissing her forehead tenderly. "Hey it’s getting late, why don’t you cut out of here now before anything else happens. Surprise the boys."

"You need to get out of here, too," she wisely reminded him.

"I will - I promise. I’ll be out of here in an hour. I’ll call you later. Now get out of here before Billy finds something else for us to do." He kissed her once again before helping her up and escorting her to the door.

***

Amanda drove home and fought her drooping eyelids from closing. Upon arriving home she dragged her weary body from the car and opened the door to find her mother, Curt and the boys having a little celebration in the dining room. The boys were whooping it up and Dotty was dancing with Captain Curt.

"I guess I’m late to the party," she remarked drained, but attempted to get in the spirit of the room. "What did I miss?"

Dotty ceremoniously ushered Amanda to a dining room chair. The smile on her face was growing. "We’ve got a surprise for you."

"Oh yeah? Good, I could use a surprise. Did I win the lottery?" she joked as her mood was improving from the obvious excitement in the house.

"No, Mom, but it’s almost as good!" Phillip cheered; his eyes were wide with excitement and a broad grin across his face.

"Well is somebody going to tell me?" Amanda looked around the room with all eyes focused intently on her.

"Amanda, get out the suntan lotion and the beach blanket. Curt has invited us all to go down to Florida for two weeks. He has to use his timeshare by the end of the month. So he's invited us to spend a week in Orlando and another week on Daytona Beach. We leave on Saturday. He’s going to fly us down in his plane."

"We’re going to Disney World!" The boys yelled with enthusiasm, giving each other high five's and jumping around the room frenetically. "Space Mountain here we come. This is going to be so cool."

Amanda looked at her mother and then at the boys, her jaw dropped down, speechless. Wasn’t it just a few minutes ago she was planning a vacation with the boys and Lee? Certainly she couldn’t get time off for both. Obviously she couldn't invite Lee to join them. Her face frowned and she swallowed hard.

"Amanda, maybe we should have asked your permission first?" Curt asked softly as the boys continued their planning. "It’s just I had to use my two weeks before the end of the month and I thought since the boys were out of school, that they could come with us."

"It’s very thoughtful of you," she stammered uncomfortably feeling as if she was cornered and had no alternative but to agree.

"Amanda all you have to pay for is the entrance tickets to Disney World. Dotty and I are flying down anyway, the timeshare is mine regardless of how many people show up and how much food can two boys eat?" Curt tried to persuade her.

Amanda had to laugh at that; her boys could eat her out of house and home. "You really don’t want to know!"

"Mom, can we go, please?" Phillip and Jamie both begged.

How could she say no? They hadn’t been on a family vacation for a couple of summers. It was always something: broken bones, no money, work, work, work. She sighed heavily and looked at her two sons who were staring at her intently, eagerness in their eyes. "Yes, yes, you can go."

"All right! Thanks, Mom, this is going to be awesome," the boys shouted in delight.

"Wait until I tell Chris," Phillip remarked to Jamie. "He was bragging about going down to Virginia Beach for the weekend."

"He'll be so jealous," Jamie agreed with a conspiratorial grin. "I'll have to tell Andy. He went to Disney last summer. He can tell us which rides are the most fun…"

The boys quickly disappeared from the room and Amanda heard them arguing over who was going to call which friend first from the telephone in the kitchen.

"You’re coming too, Amanda?" Curt asked intently.

"I’d like to, really, but I couldn’t take off two weeks from work." She thought to herself, ‘I’ll be lucky to get one week off and I was hoping to get to spend that with Lee and the boys.’

"Amanda, if you can’t come down for two weeks, surely you can get a week off. You’ve been working far too hard these last couple of weeks. The boys have hardly seen you. Plane fare to Florida isn’t that expensive. You haven’t taken a family vacation in a couple of years," Dotty lectured calmly.

"Mother, I’ll see what I can do. Maybe I can get down there for a few days."

***

Later that evening, Amanda sat in her bedroom nearly in tears from emotional and physical exhaustion, another night alone, without Lee. The thought of a week’s vacation with her mother and two boys, without Lee made her heart ache. There were days when she didn’t think she could survive her hectic lifestyle much longer. The phone on her nightstand rang only once, she knew who it was before she answered it. She tried to put a smile on her face so it would echo in her voice. "Hello."

"So, were the boys happy to see their mother for a change?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, they were ecstatic when I got home so early. What time did you get home?"

"About an hour ago. I tried to get some paperwork out of the way so when we talk to Billy tomorrow he won’t give us such a hard time. I’ve been thinking about four star resorts and since we only have a week, I thought, maybe the mountains? Fresh air, swimming, hiking, and horseback riding. What do you think?"

"Lee, it sounds wonderful, but…"

He interrupted, "Amanda I don’t want to hear the word - but! If you say it’s too expensive…"

"Lee, stop!" She almost shouted into the phone, her patience running ever so thin.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"We’re going to Florida," she answered in a somber tone.

He interrupted her again, "Florida? Well, if that's where the boys want to go. That wouldn’t be my first choice, but I could live with that. Boca has some nice places, or even the Keys. We could do some fishing, wind surfing, maybe even teach the boys how to scuba dive. Do you dive?"

She sighed loudly, her head hitting the headboard of her bed. With the phone in her one hand she was nervously rubbing her forehead with the other. She wasn't sure how to tell him the news. She wished she could be as excited as the boys were, or even her mother.

"Lee, Captain Curt has invited us to Florida for two weeks. He has to use his timeshare and we’re all going to Disney for one week and Daytona Beach for the next."

There was dead silence on the phone. Amanda could feel the tears running down her face. She knew he was as disappointed as she was, but how could she say no to her sons? Wiping the tears from her eyes she swallowed hard and cleared her throat. She suspected he wanted to scream, she knew she did.

"I’m sure the boys will have a blast," Lee finally answered cheerfully, but the tone in his voice couldn't hide his disappointment.

"I couldn’t say no to the boys. Curt and mother had already told them before I got home. We haven’t been on a real family vacation for a couple of years." Amanda tried to explain to him. She felt guilty, they should be going together as a family with Lee, not leaving him behind.

"You don’t have to explain it to me. We should have made plans sooner, but we’ve been so damn busy. We’ll take some weekend trips when you get back, maybe a resort one weekend and camping another," he suggested trying to sound upbeat. "Hey, it's late. Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"I love you," Amanda whispered into the phone.

"I love you, too," he answered and then hung up the phone.

***

Amanda got a week off from Billy. They all flew to Florida in Curt’s plane on Saturday morning - that is all but Lee.

The resort was beautiful. Their room overlooked the luscious manicured greens of the golf course. Just down from their room was an Olympic size pool surrounded by palm trees, hibiscus flowers and partially shaded by a majestic Florida Oak tree. Their timeshare was spacious and comfortably furnished in a traditional Florida style.

The boys were ecstatic and nearly bouncing off the walls with energy. The long flight in Curt’s small plane had cooped them up for longer than they could stand. "Mom, can we go check out the pool? Please?"

Amanda couldn’t help but smile, they were already wearing their swim suits. She wished she had their youthful energy, "Yes you can go to the pool, but no horseplay. I don’t want you two to be thrown out of the pool your first day here."

"Thanks, Mom!" they yelled as they raced out the door.

Amanda plopped down on the couch in the living room; she hadn’t yet unpacked her suitcase. She closed her eyes and smiled. She was picturing herself with Lee on vacation with the boys.

Dotty noticed her smile and misconstrued it. "See, sweetheart, I told you that you’d love it here – it's so relaxing. You’ve been strung so tight lately. I think you and Lee need some time away from each other, it’s good for your relationship. Maybe he’ll miss you enough to finally ask you to marry him," Dotty wisely suggested.

Amanda merely rolled her eyes. "Mother, please!" She got up and tugged on her suitcase and went in search of her bedroom. Sitting on her bed she stared aimlessly out the window. It was a beautiful condo and the setting was relaxing, but it was missing one very important person - her husband, Lee Stetson.

The next few days were anything but relaxing as the boys were up early every day. They were at the theme parks when they opened and spent all day trekking through them. The hot and humid weather drained her further and the afternoon thunderstorms did little but thin out the crowds for a few hours. They got home late every night totally exhausted.

Each night, she called Lee when they got home. It was little consolation for either of them, but to hear his voice made the distance between them seen less formidable. But somehow when she hung up from talking with him she seemed emptier than before she'd called knowing she'd be forced to spend another night, alone wanting him.

On Wednesday night, Lee called her. "So how’s the weather?"

"Hot and humid. How about DC?"

"According to the weatherman, it's hotter here than Florida," he remarked. "Hey listen, I have a friend in Orlando, he wants to show you the town."

"Lee, I’d really rather not," Amanda quickly replied.

"Amanda, do this for me, please? He said he’d meet you at some place called 'Pleasure Island' tomorrow night at ten, it’s supposed to be a nightclub. Do you know where that is?"

"I’ve seen some signs for it, but, Lee…"

"Do it for me, please?" Lee urged.

"I can't believe you're going to make me do this. All right, but how will I recognize him," she responded with reluctance knowing that she wouldn’t be able to turn him down.

"Don’t worry, he knows what you look like, and knowing him he’ll bring you flowers. Amanda, I got to run, duty calls…"

Before she could say another word, she heard a ‘click’ of him hanging up the phone. She scowled at the phone and thought, ‘You’d think after all these years I’d be used to this’. Amanda placed the receiver back onto its cradle and shook her head, feeling yet again lonely and sad.

The next evening, despite her better judgment, Amanda got ready for her ‘date’. She was still fuming at Lee for setting this up. 'All right', she said to herself. 'What's suitable for a casual evening with an old friend of Lee's? Nothing too alluring, but I don't want to appear prudish either. Hmm, I think I'll wear my yellow short sleeve blouse and matching shorts.' After dressing, she glanced at the mirror… "That'll do," she remarked out loud. She searched her room for her white sneakers, finally realizing they were still wet from the afternoon's thunderstorm, she hadn’t packed another pair. Finally settling for her white sandals she looked in the mirror. "Respectable" she decided and headed into the living room.
 

Dotty took one look at her and gasped, "You’re not seriously thinking about going to 'Pleasure Island' dressed like that? Amanda, it’s a nightclub, not the beach. Why don’t you wear that sundress you bought the other day."

"Mother, it’s a quick drink with an old friend of Lee’s. I’ll probably by home before midnight."

"Never the less, I think you should change. That sundress would be perfect."

Amanda looked down at her outfit, thinking ‘OK, perhaps this is too casual.’ "Maybe you’re right." She headed back into her bedroom and changed again, putting on the flowery print sundress she had just bought. Getting the nod of approval from her mother and a smile from Curt and the boys she headed for the door.

"Have a good time," Dotty called to her.

*** *** *** ****

Amanda waited at the entrance to 'Pleasure Island' surveying the throngs of people milling about, trying to find someone she didn’t know, an old friend of Lee. She surmised he would be in his late 30’s and carrying flowers. How did she ever let Lee talk her into this tonight anyway? She was more exhausted than she would've been if she'd stayed home and worked. She looked down at her watch and was annoyed to see it was ten minutes after ten. "You’ve got ten more minutes and I’m out of here," She mumbled out loud, then she got really flustered when she realized she said it so loudly. She looked down and shuffled her achy feet.

"You look beautiful tonight, but I’m not sure I approve." The voice said with genuine warmth.

"LEE!" she cried in delight as she hugged him tightly, their lips met instantly and a long and intense kiss ensued. He wrapped his arms around her just as tightly. When she pulled back from him he presented her with a single yellow rose that he'd concealed behind his back. She kissed him once again being careful not to squish the rose.

"It matches your dress," he commented, "I’m a little jealous that you would go to so much trouble to lovely for an old friend of mine."

"Well my first outfit was vetoed by mother," she laughed. "She suggested this, you can speak to her about it. I was coming in shorts."

"Remind me to thank your mother." He kissed her quickly, and then he gently placed his arm around her back and escorted her into 'Pleasure Island'.

They had a quick drink in one club, then went dancing in another for a while before settling on the Jazz club. They found a cozy table in the corner and listened to the last set. They enjoyed the music and one another thoroughly. The night passed by too quickly and they were surprised when they realized it was last call. Whenever they were alone, it seemed like time just flew by.

Arm in arm they walked out into the warm summer evening towards the parking lot. It was late, but neither of them wanted to part company just yet.

"My hotel is right around the corner."

Amanda grinned, "I’ll drive."

*** *** ***

Lee’s room was actually a suite, with a comfortable sitting room and a large king size bed. Across from the bed was a large Jacuzzi tub set into a mirrored alcove. Lee closed the door quickly and pulled her brusquely into his arms. Her suntanned skin made her look even more alluring in her sundress. His kisses were passionate from the start. She didn’t even realize when he picked her up and carried her to the bed. His lips were tracing her tan lines, and his fingers were nimbly unbuttoning her dress.

Amanda was returning his kisses with her own pent-up passion. It was obvious that she'd missed him and wanted to be with him. Her hands were exploring his muscular body and she breathed heavily, enjoying the scent from his cologne.

Lee finished unbuttoning her sundress, almost totally lost in his pent-up passion for his beautiful wife.

"Lee, we can't do this tonight…" Amanda protested softly, but with mixed emotions.

His mouth covered her protest with another deep kiss.

"Lee, stop." She forced the words out of her mouth despite her body's willingness to continue.

"Amanda, I didn’t fly all the way down to Florida just to have a drink with you. I want to make love to you," he objected as he continued on his seduction.

"Lee, we can’t. I wasn’t expecting you."

Lee continued trailing kisses down her exposed neck and shoulder. He was ignoring her complaints, and in a deep and impassioned voice filled with longing he responded, "Amanda, you’re so beautiful tonight. I’ve missed you so."

She finally pulled away from him knowing that if she didn’t put some distance between them she might not get another chance. She modestly reached for her sundress and pulled it to her, covering her exposed skin. "You don’t understand." She got up and walked across the room trying to catch her breath. "I didn’t know you were coming tonight, or at all for that matter. I didn’t bring my diaphragm. It’s at home - in Virginia!"

One look at his face and Amanda knew he understood completely. The realization finally dawned on him, now he groaned with dread, his face mired in disappointment.

"I don’t supposed you stopped by the drugstore tonight." She asked with a questioning but hopeful look.

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The thought didn’t even cross my mind. I don’t suppose we could…" But he stopped before he finished.

She could tell he knew the answer of that question. Their faces mirrored disappointment. "I'm sorry…"

He pulled her into his arms again, this time for the strength to survive another night without her. "Damn it! I can’t believe this is happening! I never gave it a second thought." He kissed her and turned away, the closeness was driving him crazy.

"I’d better get back, it’s getting really late." She said uncomfortably, not really wanting to go, but knowing that if she didn’t leave now she might not have the willpower to later.

"Tomorrow morning?" He asked hopefully.

"What?"

"I’ll drop by the drugstore first thing in the morning."

"We’re going to River Country tomorrow." She answered, looking hopeless.
 

"Can’t you go later? Amanda, please." Lee pleaded, earnestly.

She looked at him longingly. "I’ll work something out. Call me after nine, they should be gone by then."

"I’ll do better than that. I’ll be waiting for you!" Lee answered as he gave her a simple kiss and his hand touched her face.

End Part 1
 
 

*** *** *** ***

Part 2

"Amanda, are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Dotty asked her daughter one more time.

"I'm sure, Mother. I'm kind of tired. I promise I'll meet you after lunch," Amanda answered. "I've got such a headache this morning. I think if I rest for a few hours I'll feel better."

"All right, sweetheart," Dotty agreed. "We'll look for you after lunch then."

"Boys, you listen to your grandmother and Curt!" she warned her sons once more as the four of them filed out of the condo.

Amanda watched as they got into the car then waved goodbye to them, certain that Lee was somewhere out in the parking lot, but she didn't see him. She closed the door to the condo and barely had enough time to get into the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. She greeted him with a wide smile. Teasing him she asked, "What took you so long?"

"I didn’t think they'd ever leave. Are you ready to go?" he answered.

"Go, what’s wrong with here? It’s closer." She demanded sharply.

He shook his head. "No, with our luck they would come back for sun tan lotion, a beach blanket or something. I don’t want to be interrupted."

Lee sped through amber lights and wove through the heavy morning traffic. In doing so, he managed to make it to his hotel in record time. They hurried across the parking lot, through the lobby, and waited interminably for the elevator to arrive. Finally, he opened the door to his hotel room and they were alone once again.

"Wow!" Amanda remarked when she saw what was waiting for her in Lee's hotel room. "Fruit, croissants, champagne, and a dozen roses. Roses and breakfast! How thoughtful, but since when did you become a breakfast eater?"

"I'm not. I wanted to make up for last night's debacle. Would you like something to eat or some champagne and orange juice?" he asked politely.

She shook her head no and glanced over at the bed. He grinned widely and nodded his head in agreement. "I have a feeling we can work up an appetite together. That’ll keep."

He lifted her up and carried her over to the bed. His lips feverishly met hers…

Their passion and needs were unrestrained. Their lovemaking was unbridled. When they finished they lay together closely, satisfied and exhausted, their bodies glistening ever so slightly with perspiration. Too exhausted to speak they dreamily caressed each other and kissed softly.

Lee finally laid back and pulled away slightly, already becoming aroused again.. "If you keep this up were not going to get you back home by lunch time."

"I don’t want to leave yet."

Leaning on his elbow, his fingers pushing back a few stray hairs away from her tanned face. "I didn’t say you had to leave, we still have breakfast, and we both need a shower."

She grinned as she pulled him back to her. "I was thinking about a bath myself. Got any bubbles?" she asked playfully, eyeing the large Jacuzzi tub that lay only a few feet away.

He shook his head. "Sorry, no bubbles, although I like the way you think." Lee sat up and started to stand to head for the shower but stopped abruptly.

"Amanda, I think we have a problem."

She rolled over on the bed. "We couldn't possibly have any problems. It's not noon yet!"

He looked at her and for a second as if he wasn’t going to say anything. "Sweetheart, I don’t know how to tell you this but, ah, the um, we seem to have sprung a leak."

"That’s not funny," she answered as she leaned on her elbow, but his face was ashen. She knew immediately that he wasn’t joking.

"This can’t be happening," she whispered with apprehension.

"Hey it I’ll be all right. Can’t you take a morning after pill or something?"

"Yeah, maybe if I was home in Arlington." She looked at him wide-eyed, fear in her eyes.

"OK, let’s not panic."

"Lee, if I thought that it was ‘safe’, we would've made love last night. That’s why I stopped you. Right now is about the worse time for, for, for – for this to happen." She sat in the middle of the bed. She pulled the sheet to her body as if it could protect her from the words she couldn’t say.

He came over and put his arm around her for support. She leaned her head into his shoulder for support; he kissed her on the forehead. "I’m sorry."

She glanced at his worried face and whispered hoarsely. "It’s not your fault. These things happen."

"So what are the odds?" he asked in a whisper."They’re in your favor – one time, without protection, at my age? We should be OK," she answered nervously, trying to sound convincing, but it did little to make her feel better. How many children were born because of one little mistake?

"Come on, we need to get cleaned up and get you back before we have something else to explain. I don’t suppose I could see you tonight for a late dinner maybe?" he inquired hopefully. So far, his surprise visit had been nothing short of a nightmare.

Amanda was clearly as frustrated as he was. After accessing the situation, she finally answered. "We’re going to ‘Arabian Nights’ for dinner. Why don’t you join us?"

He looked at her with a questionable look. "You really mean that?"

She only nodded to him.

"Wouldn’t you have a lot of explaining to do to your mother?" Lee questioned.

"Lee, at this point I really don’t care. You’ve flown all the way down here to see me so we’re going to spend some time together. I’ll deal with Mother."

He was thrilled, his smile showed that. "What time is dinner?"

*** ***

Amanda met her family at River Country in the afternoon. She had great fun swimming and watching the boys on the water rides, but most of all she looked forward to dinner. Although she'd have to explain Lee’s sudden arrival to her ever-inquisitive mother, Amanda knew she’d think of something - she always did.

Amanda was all smiles as they arrived at dinner, scanning in the crowd for Lee. She didn't see him, but there were so many people around it was like finding a needle in a haystack. They were seated at their table for dinner Amanda made sure she sat on the outside of the table with an empty seat next to her.

"Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asked as a casually dressed Lee Stetson bent down to kiss Amanda on the cheek.

"Lee!" Dotty and the boys chimed together.  Dotty glanced over at Amanda with a knowing look. Amanda turned away, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.

Curt was courteous enough to break what was becoming an uneasy moment. "Lee, so nice to see you. I'm happy you could join us."

"Thank you, Curt. I was glad I could get down here." He gently placed his hand on Amanda’s. He turned to Amanda and whispered for her ears only, "You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you," she answered softly as she started blushing.Dinner was served before the show began and they all enjoyed their meal. The boys eagerly shared with Lee their many exploits in Disney World, Sea World and all the other places they had visited. Lee listened intently as they told him of the rides they'd gone on and what they had enjoyed most.

"So I guess Space Mountain is both of your favorite," he remarked.

"Oh yeah!" both boys cheered. "Mom only went on it once, but we went on it four times.  Tomorrow we going over to Daytona Beach. Curt says they actually let you drive your car on the beach. Are you coming to the beach with us, Lee?" Phillip asked curiously.

"Well that kind of depends," Lee answered before he turned to Amanda. "I’ve got a question for you."

Every eye at the table turned towards Lee and Amanda. She smiled at him and asked innocently, "What’s that?"

"Will you marry me?"She just stared at him with a stunned expression. She could feel the heat rise in her face. Her chest suddenly started to pound. She found it hard to breathe, let alone speak. She gawked at him like she wasn’t sure what he had just asked her. Maybe she didn’t hear him correctly. She glanced at her mother and the boys, but from their shocked expressions on their faces, she realized what he did say. How could he ask her that in front of the boys and her mother? Was he insane?  He waited for what seemed an eternity for her to answer. He slowly reached into his pocket and took out a box containing her diamond engagement ring and carefully opened it. He repeated the question to her once again. "Amanda, will you marry me?"

She pushed her chair away from the table in haste almost knocking it to the floor. She grabbed her purse and quickly ran towards the exit without saying a word.

Lee was stunned for a few seconds. "Excuse me," was all he said as he chased after her.

He caught up to her outside, reaching for her arm to stop her. "Amanda, what’s wrong?"

"Wrong? What’s wrong? You don’t know? What the hell do you think you were doing in there?" She was flustered, flabbergasted.

"I thought I made myself pretty clear."

"We’re already married."

"I know, but they don’t." He yelled as he turned and pointed to the building where her family sat inside.

"They can’t know. Nothing’s changed, Lee, we can’t tell them that. What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking? I was thinking about this whole week, when you’re down here on vacation sunning yourself without me and I’m in DC working my butt off. I was thinking about last night when I wanted to make love to you and couldn’t. I was thinking about this morning when I did and realized that we might have created something we can’t hide," he voice rose in frustration.

She just glared at him and walked away, waving her arm and calling "Taxi."

He caught up to her again. "What are you doing?"

"I’m going back to my room. You don’t seriously think I could go back inside after what you just did?" she snapped.

"I know you're upset that you could be pregnant, but we might have to face that fact. I’ll take you back to your room."

"Don't even suggest that! You don't even like children. Now just leave me alone," she argued as she wrestled her arm from his grasp.

"Amanda, I said I’ll take you home. You don’t have to take a taxi."

She paused, realizing she didn’t have enough cash on her, just a few travelers' checks, she turned towards the parking lot, still not saying a word.The drive back to the timeshare was filled with tension. Amanda was still fuming mad at him and Lee didn't understand why she was so upset. She glanced over at him and notice the death grip he had on the steering wheel of the rental car. It was obvious neither of them were calming down. When they finally arrived at the timeshare she stormed out of the car.

"Where do you think you’re going?" she snapped as she stood at the door to the condo, fumbling anxiously for the key.

"Amanda, we need to talk," he answered calmly.

She opened the door with her key and turned to face him. "Lee, do you have any idea of the damage control I’m going to have to do because of your little outburst? Do you realize the lecture I’m going to get from my mother and the explaining I’m going to have to do to the boys?" she shouted, her temper flaring.

Lee pushed the door open and walked past her. "Then just say, 'yes'. For weeks you’ve been complaining about splitting what little free time you have between the boys and me. You shouldn’t have to choose between your husband and your children. I love your boys, you know that, and I think they really care about me too – even Jamie. When you called me that night and told me you were going to Florida - without me, I wanted to scream. I was staring at a dozen different brochures for resorts that I was ready to take you and the boys to. I can’t go on living like this - separate lives, separate living arrangements."

"You’re not the only one struggling with this, but it doesn’t change the risks." She slammed the door closed and stepped into the living room of the condo.

"I'm not backing down on this. Not this time. The Agency be damned if they don’t like us being married. And as for protecting the boys, wouldn’t it be easier if we lived together? I can be there if trouble was brewing."

Amanda just shook her head.

"And what if you’re pregnant? What then? How are you going to explain that to your mother and the boys or to Billy for that matter? You can’t make that go away." He stared at her intently.

"That’s what this whole thing is all about, isn’t it? You’re feeling guilty because I might be pregnant. I might not be pregnant too," she poked him in the chest with her finger. Her feelings were mixed up; she was scared, tired, and confused.

"That’s not what this is about. Think about it." He pulled out her ring box again. "I missed you so much when you were gone. It was driving me crazy. Talking to you on the phone each night only made it worse. I made this decision before I left DC. I don’t generally travel with your engagement ring in my pocket. The fact that you might be pregnant is only adding one more reason why we need to do this. Marry me again, this time publicly so we can spend the rest of our lives together. Please!" He reached out for her hand, hoping she would let him put the ring on her finger.

She pulled her hand away, "It’s not that simple and you know it."

He walked over to the dining room and put the ring box on the table. The hurt in his face was more than she could handle and she turned away. "I’m sorry this is such a tough decision for you. I really didn’t expect it to be. I thought you felt the same way I did. When you decide you can put that ring on your finger for good, you know where I’ll be." His voice was very low, and trembled with emotion. He looked at her one last time before he turned and left.

She didn’t realize how long she'd been standing there in the middle of the room after he left. Her whole body was shaking. Slowly, she walked over to the table where her engagement ring sat. She picked it up, box and all and admired its sparkle even in the dim evening light. Tears filled her eyes as she closed the box and it fell to the floor. She ran to her bedroom and slammed the door.

End Part 2
 

*** **** ***
 

Part 3

A few hours later Dotty, Curt and the boys returned not quite knowing what to expect after the spectacle at dinner. When they walked into the living room Dotty saw the ring box carelessly lying on the floor. She bent over and picked it up opening the box to find a beautiful solitaire ring sitting lonely, without an owner. She closed the box and put it carefully onto the table shaking her head with worry as she headed to Amanda’s bedroom.Knocking quietly on the door she didn’t wait for an answer, but entered anyway. Amanda was lying curled on her side with her back to the door. "Amanda, are you all right?" Dotty asked with concern.

"Mother, leave me alone, please," she whispered soberly.

"I thought you might need somebody to talk to. I think you’ve had a very emotional day." She answered sympathetically as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I know you think I’m crazy for turning him down, but I have my reasons," Amanda sighed.

Dotty placed a motherly hand on her shoulder. "I’m sure you do. But I also think you’re scared."

Amanda stirred slowly. She sat up on the bed, wiping her reddened eyes. "Scared? Mother, I know you mean well, but you’re wrong."

"Am I, Amanda? You’re scared because you've had one failed marriage, but when you and Joe married, you were both young and didn’t want the same things out of life. It's different with you and Lee, but he’s not going to wait for you forever. That poor man went out of his way to make friends with your sons - especially Jamie. Most men wouldn’t have bothered. Now the boys adore him almost as much as you do. Sweetheart, don’t push him away, talk to him. My guess is you two can probably work things out if you really tried."

"Mother, I wish it was that simple," she whispered in misery.

"Amanda, I think deep down in your heart you know I’m right. I see how you two look at each other. Your father used to look at me like that." Dotty smiled reflecting on the memory, and then slipped her arm around Amanda’s shoulder. "Not to mention he flew all the way down here from DC to ask you to marry him, you’ve got to admit that’s really romantic."

"You can’t survive on romance, Mother." Amanda warned, sadly.

"No, but it will keep you warm on a cold winter’s night. Think about what I said, Amanda. Lee’s offering you everything you’ve been looking for. He loves you and the boys. He’s smart, handsome, successful and fun to be around. Just promise me you’ll give this some serious thought before you make a hasty decision which will effect not only your life, but your sons’ lives, too." With that, Dotty hugged Amanda, and left the room quietly closing the door.

*** ***

Amanda sat in her room as the sun set outside. The room darkened noticeably, but in a way she found it comforting to sit alone in the dark. She didn't quite know what to do. She could hear the boys coax her mother to accompany them to the pool for one last swim. As she heard the door close, she quietly got up and headed out of the confines of her room.

Curt was in the kitchen and startled her. "Are you feeling any better, Amanda?"

"I’m really sorry about this evening, Curt. I guess I put a real damper on things." She apologized.

"We’re just worried about you. Not quite sure what the problem is, but I’m sorry you’re so upset. If there’s anything I can do." He shrugged uncomfortably.Amanda sat down at the table and Curt motioned if he could join her. She nodded her consent.

He picked up the ring box and opened it admiring the contents. "Quite a diamond."

Amanda smiled and nodded quietly, "It’s really beautiful.""Can I tell you a secret?"Amanda smiled "Please," she answered quickly, glad not to be the focus of everyone’s thoughts for a few minutes.

"Hang on a second." He got up, and went to his room and then came back in a few seconds later. Seeing a similar sized box, her eyes got wide. He opened it up to show her a smaller, but very delicate pear shaped diamond ring.

"It’s lovely. You weren’t going to ask her tonight were you?" she asked in a panic thinking that her outburst had ruined his evening more than she could have imagined.

He shook his head. "I’m going to ask her tomorrow at dinner. I have reservations for two at a very romantic restaurant overlooking the beach. I hope I don’t lose my nerve."

"Oh, Curt, don’t let what happened tonight spoil your plans."

He took a deep breath. "I’m just a little nervous she might say no. I’ve only done this once before, that was over thirty years ago. I was almost as nervous then, too."

"Oh my gosh, she wouldn’t. Curt, she loves you."

He put his hand out to try to calm Amanda. "I know, but it is kind of scary. We’ve both been married before and lost a spouse. Starting all over again with somebody else, well, at our age, it’s nerve wracking to say the least. But she’s been sending me subtle signals over the last couple of months. I think she’s ready. But you never know for sure until you ask." He remarked quietly, obviously very deep in his own thoughts.

Amanda nodded in agreement as she sat silently reflecting on what Curt had just said. What had she been saying to Lee over the last few months? She sat looking across the table at two diamond engagement rings and the commitments both of them represented. She knew she had to make amends with Lee. She grinned brightly and asked, "May I borrow the car?"

Curt smiled and reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. She kissed him on the cheek and grabbed the ring box – her ring box."Mums the word!" he yelled before she got to the door as he held onto the other ring box.

Amanda winked at him, "Not a peep!" she grinned as she closed the door behind her.

*** *** ***

Amanda arrived at Lee’s hotel and rushed through the lobby towards the elevators. Lee was in the bar trying to drown his sorrows and wasn’t quite sure it was his wife who passed by. He was more than a little surprised, but he quickly settled his bar tab and headed after her. He missed the elevator she got on and had to wait for the next one. It seemed like it took forever. Several people crowded onto the elevator with him and, of course, it had to stop on both the second and third floor before he could get off on the fourth floor. He turned the corner to find her banging on his door.

"Lee, please open the door, I know you’re angry with me, but..." she pleaded, almost in tears.

"I'm not angry with you, just a little confused," he answered softly as he closed the distance from the elevator to where she was standing in front of his door. She ran to him and he opened his arms to hold her. He breathed a sigh of relief that she'd come at all. After her anger earlier he hadn’t expected her to. Then he pushed her away a bit to kiss her. Another couple got off the elevator and walked past them.  "How about we go into my room for a little privacy?"

She nodded at his suggestion and quietly waited as he nervously fumbled for the key. Finally he got the door opened and they headed inside. He threw the key on the table and took her hands in his. He looked down at her left hand, his thumb rubbing the finger where her engagement ring should have been. Then he simply raised one eyebrow. The question was in his eyes; he didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to, she knew what he meant.

"I think we need to talk about that." Amanda said quietly.

Lee dropped her hands and turned away from her. "I’m tired of talking about it, Amanda. I won’t go on living like this. I can’t. I love you too much to live apart from you and allow this charade to continue."

"We’ve been over this before, the risk to my family hasn’t gone away. I'm scared…"

Lee turned back to her, reached out for her hands and led her to the sofa. "Amanda, I know the risks better than anyone, you know that. But regardless of whether we announce our marriage or not, there still is risk to your family just because - you - work for the Agency. You’re a target, so in turn, they’re potential targets."

She pulled away from him. "Lee, I can’t choose between you and the boys. I feel like I'm trapped no matter what choice I make."

"I’m not asking you to choose. I want us to be a family. You’re the one who keeps telling me we’re such a good team, that we work better together. Together we can protect the boys - a united front. Please, Amanda, I realize I shouldn’t have asked you tonight in front of the family. I was going to ask you last night, but then…well, and then this morning." He stopped, "If I didn’t ask you at dinner tonight…" He was trying to explain, but the words just wouldn’t come. He couldn’t bear being alone anymore. He couldn't continue to live without her.

She reached into her purse and pulled out the box.

He smiled as he opened it and reached in for the ring. Without a word between them, he slid the ring onto her finger. Both of them stared at it silently, knowing that it was a huge decision to go public with their relationship, but the time had come.

"It’s a really huge step, and I’m really scared, not just about the boys…"

"We need to take precautions, to protect the boys, but no matter what we do, they could be targets. We’ve been foolish to think that living apart would change that."

"Lee, what really scares me is the thought of losing you.""Never!" he stated emphatically, pulling her to him and kissing her deeply. His hands reached tightly around her waist. He had no intentions of letting her go, not tonight, not ever……

End Part 3
 

*** *** *** ***
 

Part 4

Amanda and Lee returned from Florida together on Sunday night. Amanda spent the night at Lee’s apartment and together they drove to the Agency in the morning. As the staff meeting ended, Billy asked if there were any announcements. Lee looked over at Amanda who nodded. Lee got up, glanced around the room at the other agents and cleared his throat.

Smiling like a Cheshire cat, Lee replied, "Yeah, Billy, I have an announcement. Amanda and I are getting married."

At first there was dead silence in the room as if no one had heard Lee correctly. Finally Billy broke the awkward silence.

"Congratulations to you both. When’s the big day?" Billy asked.

"We haven’t set a date yet." Amanda replied.

"Be sure to let me know as soon as possible." Billy remarked, grinning happily.

As the room recovered from the stunning news, there were the usual congratulations from all of the agents. Billy continued to grin like a proud father. Francine, however, sat in her chair totally stunned. She appeared as if she was going to faint. Her face was devoid of color, her mouth was wide open but she still hadn’t uttered a word. The other agents filed out of the room while Francine sat there motionless.

"Francine? Are you all right?" Amanda asked in concern.

She looked up at Amanda in amazement. "I don't believe it! He could've had any socialite in DC, no strike that, on several continents, but look who lands ‘Scarecrow’? A simple housewife from Arlington."

Amanda only shook her head as she left the room, a smile on her face.

Lee lingered for just a moment more, "Francine, let me remind you of something. I’ve really learned to appreciate over the last year that you should never underestimate the American housewife!" He winked at her as he walked out of the room.

*** *** ***

Lee and Amanda had a quiet dinner at her house that night. The main topic of conversation was their future. After dinner they began to discuss plans for the wedding.

"I don’t care if it’s just you, me, your mother and the boys, but I want a commitment from you tonight - no more stalling. I’m not leaving this house until we set a date for the wedding." Lee stated resolutely.

"Who said I want you to leave tonight anyway?" she teased with a raised eyebrow and devilish grin.

"Amanda!" Lee growled, getting aggravated.

"OK, OK, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were in such a big rush to set a date. Let me get the calendar out." She responded finally realizing that Lee was extremely serious.

Lee sighed with relief. "The boys won’t be back until Saturday, so this weekend is out. How about next weekend?"

"Even a small wedding is going to take more than a week to pull off. If we're lucky, we might be able to get everything taken care of by the last weekend of July, but that gives us less than a month."

"Fine, consider it a date," Lee announced firmly.

"That’s a lot of work. We’ll have to get invitations out this week, check with the church, find a reception hall."

Lee grabbed Amanda’s hands, brought them to his lips and kissed them ever so tenderly. "Sweetheart, we can get married in the backyard for all I care, the details aren’t important. I just want the world to know that you are Mrs. Lee Stetson."

She blushed. "Well how about we just invite a few friends and let the world find out by itself?"

"Sounds good to me." He smiled back at her.

"All right, I guess we better get started on a guest list tonight…"

*** *** ***

When her mother and the boys arrived home at the end of the week they were surprised that the wedding date had already been set, invitations had been mailed, and most of the details had been taken care of.

"Mother, I know it’s a short engagement, but we don’t want to wait. I’ve already had a big wedding and Lee doesn’t have much family. We really just want a small, quiet wedding," Amanda explained to her Mother for the third time.

"I’m not suggesting that you’re rushing into this marriage. God knows it took you long enough to get engaged. I just thought you’d like to have a nice wedding."

"Mother, it’s still going to be a lovely wedding, just a small one. It’s not the ceremony that’s important - you know that. Besides, you have a wedding of your own to plan. September isn’t that far away either!" Amanda reminded her.

Dotty kissed her on the forehead, "You’re right, dear, I just want you two to be happy."

"Trust me, Mother, we couldn’t be happier. Now, what can I do to help you with your wedding?"

*** *** ***
 

The next week flew by quickly. Amanda’s nerves were getting raw with anticipation and all the little details that it took to pull off a wedding. Even as small as theirs was going to be, there were the usual problems and phone calls and arrangements to be made. Amanda found herself snapping at Lee at the office. He knew she was getting stressed over the wedding and her mother’s meddling in it.

"Amanda," Lee said as he reached around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss, "quit worrying about the wedding. Everything will work out fine."

"Fine? You call having no place for the reception fine?" she barked at him.

"We can have the reception in the backyard, if all else fails. As long as you and I show up at the church on time, and get on that plane for Hawaii afterwards, the rest doesn’t matter."

"You’re right. I’m sorry," she apologized, letting out a long sigh. "I’ve got a million things on my mind. I’m losing sight of what’s important and that’s you."

Lee wrapped her in his arms and kissed her softly. "What I think you need is a good night's sleep. Why don’t you head home early and do just that. I can finish up here. I’ll talk to you in the morning."

"That’s really not a bad idea. I think I will," she replied as she kissed him quickly.

"I’ll talk to you in the morning," Lee called out to her as she reached for the door.

Despite a good night’s sleep, Amanda woke up early to cramps and feeling achy. She made her way to the bathroom for some aspirin when she realized, she wasn’t pregnant. She immediately went into to her bedroom and picked up the phone. She dialed Lee’s number. It was early, but she knew he’d want the news right away.

When the phone rang in Lee’s apartment, he picked up the phone and growled testily, "Stetson."

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

His tone changed quickly, "Good morning to you. And to what do I owe the pleasure of your lovely voice at," he paused, "Amanda, why are you calling me so early? It’s not even six o’clock yet! Is something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine. I know it's early, but I woke up early..."

"So naturally, I should be up, too."

"Lee, I’m not pregnant," she gushed with relief.

"You’re sure?" he asked in a deflated voice.

"Oh yeah, no doubt in my mind." She added with authority.

Lee replied, "OK, that’s good. I mean it’s a relief, right?"

"You bet," Amanda answered, but for a moment she thought, she couldn’t be sure, but was it disappointment she heard in his voice? Did he want her to be pregnant, maybe subconsciously?

"I’ll see you later, at the office."

"Yeah, I’ll be in early."

He stammered somewhat uncomfortably, "I’ve got some errands to run this morning. I’ll be a little late."

Amanda hung up the phone feeling unsure of herself. She was relieved she wasn’t pregnant, but was Lee? She shook her head; ‘You woke him up out of a sound sleep, that’s all,’ she thought to herself.

*** ****

Lee hung up the phone. He felt like he had been sucker punched. He spent the morning in bed, somehow not feeling like going anywhere or seeing anyone. The phone rang several times but he let the machine get it.

It was almost noon when he got dressed and headed out the door. He went for a walk, in no specific direction. He needed to clear his head and try to understand the feelings he had. After several hours of aimless wandering he ended up at the zoo. He sat on the bench watching the children, the couples and the families. Suddenly, he felt a void that he never felt before; all because of one phone call earlier in the morning.

He arrived at the Agency in the late afternoon. Amanda wasn’t in the office, he felt oddly glad at that. He wasn’t sure he could face her at the moment. He wasn’t sure what he’d say to her. Billy pounced on him for being out of the office for most of the day.

"Scarecrow!" Billy yelled for the third time.

"What?" he answered, snapping his head in Billy’s direction.

"Where have you been all day? We were starting to get worried about you."

"I’m sorry, Billy, I had some personal things to take care of."

"Well how about you get some work done. I’ve been waiting for your report on the Vincent brothers. You promised it to me by noon today," he reminded his agent as he was tapped his watch.

Lee glanced at the time; it was after four. He swallowed hard, but had no excuse and didn't say a word.

"Not to mention I need the status report on Quintaverdes retreat – where are we on that?"

"I’m sorry. You're right. You’ll have the Vincent report within the hour."

"OK, but what about Quintaverdes?" Billy questioned once again, but Lee again was distracted. "Lee, did you hear a word I said? I need the status on that, too."

Lee nodded and waved as he walked away from Billy. He headed back to the Q bureau and pulled up the Vincent case on computer. What should have taken him only a few minutes took him over an hour. His mind wouldn’t focus. He looked over his notes on Quintaverdes, but there wasn’t much to report, he had planned on working that today. Lee returned to Billy’s office with the one report.

"Here’s the Vincent report. Sorry it’s late."

"And what about the status on Quintaverdes?" Billy asked, trying to be patient, but Lee was lost in his own world.

"I’ll see you tomorrow, Billy," Lee murmured as he started to leave.

"Lee!" Billy had to shout to get his attention.

Lee turned. "I’m sorry, Billy, what did you say?"

"Have a seat, Lee. I’d like to talk to you." Billy quietly responded, as he got up and closed the door. "Is there something wrong? I know planning a wedding can be stressful. Are things all right between you and Amanda?" he questioned cautiously.

"Things are exactly the way they should be." He smiled reassuringly at Billy, but he wasn’t so sure himself. He couldn’t get the thought out of his head that she wasn’t pregnant. How could something that he never wanted before be so important now?

"You know if you have a problem, my door is always open."

"I know and thanks. I’ve just got a lot on my mind." He was slightly embarrassed. "I’m sorry about today, it won’t happen again."

Billy nodded as Lee got up. "Make sure that it doesn’t," he said with authority.

Lee left the Agency. He was relieved that Billy hadn’t blasted him. He knew that he deserved it. His mind was on other things but he knew better than to neglect his job. He drove home mindlessly; even walking up the stairs to his apartment, hoping the exercise would clear his head. It didn’t. He stretched out on his sofa, putting his feet up.

"Well, hello, stranger! Where have you been hiding all day?" Amanda asked as she came in from the bedroom, startling him so that he jumped up quickly. "I’m sorry, it’s only me. Didn’t you see my car?"

He shook his head and reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms. He gave her a peck on the cheek. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did," she answered, sweetly. "I thought you were going to run some errands."

"I did," he answered defensively because he hadn’t done any of the personal things he should have done.

"And where exactly did you go? I stopped by the cleaners you didn’t pick up your suits." She pointed over to the open closet where she'd hung his suits. "TP called at one, you missed your appointment with him and Billy’s been after me all day wondering where we were on the Quintaverdes retreat." She looked at him as only Amanda could, knowing something was wrong.

"I’m sorry; I played hooky today. I didn’t get out of bed until almost noon," he tried to explain.

She felt his forehead, "Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well."

"Amanda, I’m not sick - just sick of! I needed a day to myself." He snapped sharply, aggravated at everything. He usually had a tight reign on his emotions, but where Amanda was concerned he had little control.

She pulled away from him, obviously hurt by the implication. She muttered an uneasy - "Oh."

"No." He cringed, "It’s not like that."

"Hey, I understand. All this wedding stuff can get to anyone. As long as you’re not getting cold feet on me."

He smiled, that would be a great way for him to get out of the conversation. "No, I promise you it’s not cold feet. You’re right, all this wedding stuff is a hassle. Between that and work… well, I just needed some time to unwind. You understand."

She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek. "As long as the next time you play hooky, you remember to take me with you. You know, for a while today, I thought maybe you were upset about me not being pregnant."

The color in Lee’s face drained away. He tried to turned away to avoid her gaze, but she had already seen his face. He was now embarrassed and he didn’t know what to say.  Apparently, neither did she.

"Amanda, it’s not like what you’re thinking," he stammered.

"Its not?" she countered wide-eyed, not buying his answer one bit.

"When you told me this morning you weren’t pregnant, I don’t know how I felt. The last couple of weeks I thought, well, you know…"

"No, I don’t know." She looked at him, puzzled.

He got up from the couch and paced the floor nervously. He wasn't sure of the words he was searching for. How could he explain what he didn’t understand himself. "I can’t explain it," he honestly answered with a defeated shrug.

"Don’t you think you ought to try?" Amanda persuaded, sensitively.

"Amanda, I’m having trouble finding the words because until this morning I didn’t know. When I hung up the phone with you this morning it hit me like a truck. I felt like I'd lost something that was so precious to me."

Amanda tried to reason with him. "Lee, I didn’t have a miscarriage, I was never pregnant."

"I know. That’s what’s so absurd about the way I feel. I’ve tried all day, I just can’t shake it." His thoughts were racing. ‘How can I tell her I think I want a baby? In a couple of more years both the boys will be out of the house, and I want her to have a baby! She’s going to think I’m crazy.’

"Lee, sit down," she suggested as she reached for his hand.

He sat down beside her, but still couldn’t look at her face.

She reached over with her hand, her finger mindlessly stroking his chin; she gently turned his face towards hers. "What are you so embarrassed about?"

He tried to get up, to escape this conversation, but she grabbed his shoulder and held him down. "You’re not going anywhere. We need to talk about this."

"Why? You’re not pregnant, so there’s nothing to talk about," his frustration apparent in his voice.

"Why not talk about the fact that you just might be interested in fathering a child?"

His heart started to beat so loudly when she said that, surely Amanda could hear it. He gave her a funny little smile and shrugged ever so slightly. The silence lengthened as he searched his soul for the words to explain how he felt. Amanda didn't press him allowing him time to think.

"It’s really funny," he started slowly, his voice uncertain. "When we were in Florida and all this happened, I was scared to death at the thought, and as the days passed…I don’t know what changed. I started to like the idea – I guess, I got used to it. So when you called this morning and told me that you weren’t pregnant, I just felt so, so…Amanda, I don’t know what."

"I shouldn’t have called and told you over the phone. I should have come by personally," she replied honestly.

"It’s not that."

"Waking you up before dawn to tell you I wasn’t pregnant wasn’t the best idea - I’m sorry. I had a feeling the last few days that I wasn’t pregnant. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. I wish you had told me how you felt. I would have been a little more tactful about the subject and not just blurted it out."

He shook his head. "I’m not really sure that I knew how I felt until this morning. This really hit me like a bolt of lightning."

"So, you want to try to start a family?" she asked him point blank.

God, he hated the way she was so direct. He was having such a hard time dealing with his emotions and she wanted to get to the core of them. He tried to flee again, but she still had her hand firmly planted on his shoulder.

"You’re not going anywhere. We need to finish this conversation," she said with a determined but loving look on her face.

"Now?" he grimaced, uncomfortably. Talking frankly about his feelings was difficult for him.

She shook her head up and down. "Yup."

"How did I know the answer to that?"

"Lee, I’m your wife and in just a couple of weeks were going to ‘get married’ again so the rest of the world will know we’re married. So I really think now is the perfect time to discuss whether or not we want to have a family. I’m not getting any younger you know, so the sooner we decide this, the better."

He started to relax a little. Her last sentence gave him a little confidence, that maybe she wouldn’t mind having another baby. So he turned the tables on her. "All right, what do you think about the subject."

"About having another baby? Until today, I really hadn’t given it a whole lot of thought."

‘Damn!’ he thought. ‘How can she throw this back to me so easily?’ He sat there and pondered his predicament; he wasn’t getting anywhere. He shook his head because he knew that she wouldn’t let him off the couch until she knew exactly where he stood on this issue. But then again, she had a right to know, she was his wife. "OK," he said then stopped. She was staring at him with those dark brown eyes of hers. He wanted to continue, but somehow he lost his nerve.

"You were saying?" she prompted.

"I guess when you come right down to it, yes, I think I really want to have a family of our own." He blurted it out. He was almost shocked by the fact when he heard himself say it out loud, let alone tell Amanda. But she just smiled at him, that comforting smile. The one that told him everything would be all right.

"That wasn’t so bad now was it?" she teased.

He blushed, but she was right. He felt better now than he had all day. His head was no longer pounding. He felt more relaxed. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. "No, it wasn’t. But I still don’t know how you feel about the situation. I would understand perfectly why you wouldn’t want to have another baby."

"A baby." She shook her head dreamily and stared at Lee.

Lee watched as she shook her head and again misinterpreted the sign. "I understand," he said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

She looked at him and immediately realized what he was thinking. "Oh, no you don’t! I was shaking my head at the fact that I never would've thought YOU wanted a baby! I kind of like the idea of another baby in the house. I’m just not sure you realize what you’re getting yourself into. If I do get pregnant, and at my age it’s far from a sure thing, you’re going to have to deal with morning sickness and raging hormones for nine months and that’s the easy part. Then you have smelly diapers, and two am feedings and teething to look forward to."

"Are you trying to talk me out of this or what?" he asked feeling a little overwhelmed.

She smiled, "Not on your life. It’s one of the greatest experiences of your life. Being a parent is one of the best jobs in the world, but it’s also the toughest."

"Yeah, I’ve watched you over the last few years. I realize it’s no picnic. We’ll also need to make some adjustment to our professional life, take some precautions…"

She nodded agreement. "Yeah, there will be a lot of changes in your life."

"In yours, too!"

"Yes, but I’ve been through it before, and the last time, I went through it pretty much alone," Amanda admitted, gloomily.

"Joe wasn’t really there for you much was he?"

Amanda started to get up. Lee recognized the signs - now she was trying to escape, but Lee put a hand on her thigh. "No way, Amanda. We’re going to discuss this all the way through. These are your rules, remember?"

"For once, you’re actually listening to me?" she complained, but then continued on, "No, Joe wasn’t there for me. First, it was law school and being the new man on the job. Later, his focus was on Africa. I guess that’s why I never really wanted to think about having a baby with you. The idea had to be yours because I wanted you to want a baby. I didn't want you to do it for me."

"So, I guess it’s settled then. When can we start practicing?" He grinned from ear to ear.

Amanda laughed out loud. "Well, most couples wait until after the wedding."

"Good thing it’s only a few weeks away." Lee teased with a gleam in his eye.

"Yeah, and you know what?" she asked suggestively.

He shook his head.

"The timing couldn’t be better for a baby on our honeymoon." She smiled happily. "My mother would be thrilled if we had a ‘honeymoon baby’."

"Well, maybe I should cancel our plans for Hawaii and we can just stay at my apartment for the week and work… on making a baby?"

"Not on your life, buster." She slapped at him playfully. "Billy’s given us the week off; we’re going to Hawaii!"

"Yeah, you’re right, we’ll still need room service." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "I know one thing, Mrs. Stetson."

"What's that, Mr. Stetson?" she asked, intrigued.

"I’m really going to like practicing…."
 

The end.
 

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