Take a Deep Breath

Chapter 1

"Yeah, Billy, let me just finish up this box, and change and I'll be there in an hour. No, no it's all right. We've got everything under control here," Lee replied into the phone as he glanced over at Amanda, watching him with a raised eyebrow. He hung up the phone and began to explain, "Amanda, I need to run into the office for a few hours this afternoon. There's been a problem with one of my contacts-"

Amanda held her hand up to stop him, her lips pressed tightly together. She didn't want to hear any more. They were standing in the garage, still unpacking boxes, waiting for the delivery truck to get there with the boys' bedroom sets. "When do you think you'll be back?" she asked sharply.

Lee blew out a frustrated breath and said, "Few hours tops. I wouldn't go…" Amanda interrupted him with a snarky laugh, but he ignored her and continued, "I wouldn't go except it has to do with -"

"Not another word, Stetson. I'll just stay here and finish unpacking what I can, get the boys' rooms set up, help Mother finish her room AND still make dinner," she snapped at him.

Lee put his hands on her shoulders, kissed her cheek and said, "I'll make it up to you tonight, I promise. And Monday, I'll drive the boys to school so you can sleep in a little. I wouldn't go if I didn't have to, believe me."

Amanda closed her eyes, shook her head and replied defeatedly, "I know." She looked down and saw a box marked KITCHEN. "Can you bring that one to Mother? I'm not sure what's in it, but she'll figure it out," she asked.

Lee gave her a weak smile, lifted the box and carried it up the steps, Amanda behind him carrying another one marked FAMILY ROOM. They had been diligent, carefully marking each box and when they moved the boxes to the new house, they were unpacking slowly but steadily. They entered the house through the kitchen, Amanda heading into the lower level while Lee placed the box on the edge of the kitchen island.

"Dotty, Amanda and I came across this one in the garage. I'm not sure what's in it," Lee explained when Dotty turned around and looked at him.

"My hands are a little full trying to arrange this pantry. Can you open it for me?" Dotty asked. "I love this pantry. We could have used one of these at the other house. Although, I feel like we need to go grocery shopping just to fill it." She surveyed the shelves, moved the boxes of cereal one shelf higher, then back down again, indecisively.

Lee grabbed a knife from the drawer beside him, sliced into the tape and using a sawing motion, cut through the packing tape holding the box flaps closed. He dropped the knife onto the counter and roughly pulled upward on the box flap. Dotty turned to thank him just as he was rewarded with a cloud of flour covering his head and shoulders. She covered her mouth to stifle her laugh when she saw the angry look on Lee's powder covered face. "That must be the box of baking supplies I was looking for," she admitted.

Lee pushed the box further onto the counter and stated, "I need to take a quick shower before I head to the office. Do you need anything else?"

Dotty shook her head as she replied sympathetically, "No, but I agree, you do need a shower." She pulled the box closer to take note of any other collateral damage and asked, "I thought you and Amanda were off until Monday?"

"We are, but I just got a call from my boss. I have to help him with a little problem he's having. I won't be gone too long," Lee explained as he began to leave the room.

"Well, don't forget the delivery truck should be here soon. I moved Amanda's car earlier, but yours might still be in the way," Dotty reminded him.

"Hopefully I'll be gone before the truck gets here," Lee called as he took the stairs, two steps at a time. He pulled a clean pair of jeans and a clean shirt from his closet and carried them into the bathroom. He turned up the water, stripped off his flour-covered clothing and had just stepped into the stream when he heard Philip yelling up the stairs to him, "Lee! The delivery truck is here!"

As Lee debated what to do, Philip knocked on the bathroom door and opened it just a crack, "Lee, your car is in the way and the delivery guy is being a jerk. Want me to move it?"

"No! No, ask your mother to-" Lee snapped quickly.

"Mom just left. Said she was going to get some aspirin because she couldn't find any," Philip cut him off.

Lee grunted and said, "Listen, my keys should be on the kitchen counter. See if your grandmother can move it out front. Or ask the guys to wait a few more minutes."

"Will do!" Philip replied as he closed the door and headed down the stairs.

Several minutes passed and Lee was just rinsing himself off when he heard a loud thud come from outside. "Those damn delivery guys better not have hit the garage," Lee grumbled as he snapped the water off and pulled the towel from the rack. Before he finished drying himself, he heard Jamie yelling for him.

"LEE! Lee, you need to come here fast! LEE!" Jamie screamed in a panic from the bottom of the stairs.

Lee shook his head, yanked on his clothes quickly and grabbed his sneakers as he ran down the stairs. "Jamie? What's going on? What's all the yelling about?" He didn't see anyone in the main foyer or in the kitchen, so he slipped his feet into his sneakers and headed into the garage. As he turned the corner, the first thing he saw was Philip's face, completely white as he comforted Dotty. Just past them, he saw Jamie standing beside the delivery men, his face also white. Lee scanned the driveway and gasped when he saw his car, the passenger side partially crushed by the basketball hoop. "What… whaaa…. What happened to my car?" Lee sputtered waving his hand in the direction of his damaged Corvette.

"Mother?" Amanda's voice rang clear across the yard. Lee turned to see Amanda running from the front yard toward them.

"Amanda? My car! What happened to my car?" Lee groaned.

"Lee, I'm so sorry!" Dotty began as she walked slowly to him. "I thought it was going to be simple. The men said I just needed to pull it to this side of the driveway, so I climbed right in and pulled it over, no problem. I put it in park or at least I thought I put it in park, but when I started to climb out it started to roll backward so I jumped right back in it!" Dotty babbled.

"But how did you… how did the basketball hoop…" Lee sputtered again.

"When I jumped back in, I tried to hit the brake but only it wasn't the brake, it was the gas and when I went to grab the wheel, I must have turned it instead and the next thing I knew the hoop was crashing in right beside me! I could have been killed!" Dotty exclaimed, holding her hands against her chest.

Lee held his head with both hands, looked at Dotty and asked, "You're sure you're not hurt?"

"No, not even a scratch! Oh, but Lee, your car is…" Dotty said sympathetically.

Amanda put her arm around Lee's waist as he groaned again, "Amanda, my car…"

"Take a deep breath, Sweetheart," Amanda replied. "Just take a deep breath."