Amanda sat staring at the envelope. She heard TP's words in her head. She was beginning to see that whatever her husband wanted to give her was important. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the second note.
Clue #2
In the office
That we share
You blackmailed me
To take you there
"Spencer's is where I blackmailed you into dinner. Stetson, your reasoning and meaning behind this is harder than your clues." She said as she put the letter down to start the car. She thought the clues would have been harder if he was going to send her out running around like a crazy person on Christmas Eve. She began to wonder if the restaurant would even be open since, one it was a holiday and two it was morning time.
Amanda parked the car in front of Spencer's. Getting out of the car, she walked toward the door. It was locked. Knocking on the door, not that she thought it would help, she was surprised when she heard the lock snap and the door open.
Going in, she walked slowly into the dining room area stopping suddenly. Approaching the small, dark-headed figure at the table she began to breathe easier when she saw Magda sitting drinking coffee.
"Hello, Magda, Merry Christmas." Amanda greeted her as she sat across from her friend.
"Merry Christmas to you as well; how has your morning gone?"
"Not the way I planned at all. All I wanted to do was spend the day at home with my family, but Lee seems to have other plans for me."
Magda smiled and said, "What has he done to change your plans?"
Taking a deep breath she explained, "Obviously, I'm not at home with my family. He has enlisted our co-workers," pointing toward Magda, "as well as friends, to give me clues to my Christmas present." Taking the offered cup of coffee from Magda, Amanda sipped the warm drink slowly.
"What a terrible thing for him to do, making a romantic gesture just to give you a present." The sarcasm dripped from her voice.
Amanda's eyes popped up to look Magda in the eyes. She thought she saw a flicker of something lost in Magda's deep brown eyes.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound ungrateful. You have to understand how things have progressed with Lee and me, it hasn't been easy for either of us."
Nodding her head Magda responded, "Why? It was so obvious to me when I first met you both that you had feelings for one another. I still do not understand why if one has feelings for another, you just simply don't come out and say so; why all the games?"
"We weren't ready for a relationship when we met you, at least not with each other. If you recall, Lee hadn't even met my mother the day he brought you to the house. When she started to come down, I made him leave."
"And so he has now met her?" Magda stated plainly.
"Yes, he has, and the boys also." Amanda replied while playing with the napkin.
"Do they all get along?"
"They do now, more than after I was shot. Jamie became really jealous of Lee and Lee was trying, but just missing the mark."
"Missing the mark? I don't understand."
"It just means that he was going by the book and well, that just doesn't work for Lee. After he started relating to Jamie without books and advise from others he did just fine."
Magda stood and handed Amanda another envelope. "It sounds like you have then come full circle. Have a Merry Christmas." Magda then left Amanda sitting alone at the table holding the envelope.
