"Mother?"
Amanda called, pausing at the base of the stairs to secure the few stray
tendrils of hair that had escaped her banana clip.
"In here,
dear."
She found her mother
seated comfortably at the kitchen table, architectural blueprints spread out in
front of her. "John dropped off the latest drawings, I see," Amanda
said, peering over the older woman's shoulder.
They were in the process
of converting the old stables on the edge of their property into a carriage
house apartment for Dotty. With their new addition in the offing, they'd all
felt some adjustments to their living arrangement were also in order.
"Yes," her
mother responded, perusing the papers with lively interest. "They arrived
by messenger while you were taking your bath."
When Dotty generously
offered to move out a few months ago, Lee had suggested the renovation. It
seemed to be the perfect solution for everyone; Amanda would still have her
mother close by, Dotty would gain her own space and the boys could keep theirs.
"What do you
think?" she asked, rounding the table to eye her mother expectantly. This
was the fourth set of plans their architect had drawn up; Dotty had managed to
find something wrong with each of the others.
"You know, dear, I
think he's finally hit the nail on the head this time."
Amanda met her mother's
satisfied smile with one of her own. When Lee had joked last week that the baby would be in college before
Dotty came to a decision, she had told him confidently that her mother would
okay the very next set of plans. They presently had a very interesting little
wager riding on it.
"So," she
inquired, "where's Captain Curt taking you tonight?"
Dotty chuckled
conspiratorially. "Out dancing, then to L'Etoile for a late supper."
Amanda joined in her
laughter. She'd guessed her mother's
indecision had more to do with her special friend's recent interest in a Beech
Jet 400 than any real dislike of the plans themselves. Once the poor Captain had
seen enough of their very handsome architect, approval was only a question of
time. Men really didn't have a clue. She was definitely going to enjoy
collecting her winnings from Lee.
Still smiling to
herself, Amanda sat down at the table, silently watching as Dotty re-rolled the
blueprints to make a space for her. Breathing deeply, she leaned forward,
resting her chin on her folded hands. It had been an exceptionally long week,
and she was suddenly glad that everyone was occupied for the evening. It had
been quite a while since she'd spent any quiet time with her husband, just the
two of them, no pressures or worries. She was definitely looking forward to it.
"Tired, dear?"
Feeling a pair of very
sharp eyes studying her, she carefully framed her reply. "A little bit, I
guess. The bath helped," she added quickly, fearful her mother would take
the admission too much to heart. She
knew Lee was certain to receive a full report later. Between the two of them,
her every ache and pain was duly noted and catalogued.
"There's nothing
more relaxing than a good soak in a tub," her mother observed, evidently
satisfied that she was feeling fine. "It always makes me feel brand
new."
"Yeah, well I'd
better enjoy it while I can," Amanda grumbled, stretching to relieve the
kinks in her back. "I think pretty soon it will be out of the question.
Why is it once babies are born, we tend to forget all the little inconveniences
it took to get them here?"
"Because if we
didn't, the world would be grossly under-populated," her mother retorted
dryly.
Amanda caught her eye
and they both broke into a grin, their shared laughter suddenly lifting her
spirits.
"Oh, Darling,"
she heard Dotty sigh, "I felt the same way when I was expecting you. I
kept thinking that there had to be an easier way. In the end, though, it was
all worth it. . . everything." She smiled softly, remembering. "But I
don't have to tell you that, do I? And just think - soon there will be a brand
new member of the family."
"It can't come soon
enough for me." She bent low over the table, resting her forehead wearily
against her folded arms as she let out a heartfelt sigh. It felt good to
commiserate with someone who understood her feelings. It was a conversation she didn't feel comfortable having with
Lee; she didn't want him to mistake her grumbling for regret.
"You know,"
she told her mother softly, leaning back in her chair once again. "It all
seemed so easy with Phillip and Jamie. This time. . ." She took a deep
breath, her finger tracing a small nick on the weathered oak table. "I'm
not complaining, though. I really am happy. . ."
Her mother nodded. Rising, she came up behind her, laying a
comforting hand on her back. "This
baby means a lot to Lee."
"I know it
does." She leaned back, resting her head against her mother's arm. Dotty gave her shoulder a squeeze, and
Amanda felt the familiar pressure that always told her everything would be all
right. She let out a long sigh as she
added wistfully, "I guess it was just a whole lot easier to do this at
twenty-two."
"Wasn't
everything?" her mother teased, giving her one last hug before taking the
empty chair beside her. "But you know, darling, this time around does have
some advantages. You won't have to do it alone."
"I know," she
answered in low voice, marveling that her mother had so easily named her most
private fear, the one she had only recently allowed to see the light of day.
"It wasn't that
hard to figure out," Dotty said evenly. "I lived through all that
with you, remember." Amanda watched as her mother pursed her lips, almost as if
she was deciding whether or not to pursue this particular subject. "So, how
does Carrie feel about Joe leaving her alone for their first Thanksgiving as a
married couple?"
"She seems to be okay
with it. She'll be joining him when the semester's finished, in time for
Christmas. She told me last night that she's looking forward to the
'adventure'."
"Well, she doesn't have
two little children to worry about, so I suppose that makes her decision
easier." Dotty looked at Amanda closely. "Does it bother you that she's so
eager to join Joe?"
"Not really. I just
wish. . ." Amanda frowned, absently twisting her wedding set. Perhaps if
Carrie wasn't quite so enthusiastic, Joe would be more willing to listen to her
concerns. Still, she was happy that he had finally moved on with his life.
After all, wasn't that what she'd wanted for him?
"Oh, I don't
know," she added with a sigh, banishing her confusion once and for all.
"I'm glad Joe's finally found someone who wants the same things he
does."
"The same way you
have," her mother gently reminded her. "Having a home and a family
are important to Lee."
Amanda smiled softly to
herself. "That's because it took us so long to finally get here. That silly mystery marriage, all the months
of being apart - it makes what we have now all the more precious."
"It's something Joe
still hasn't managed to learn. Honestly, how can he expect to forge a real
relationship with his sons if he's always running off to God-knows-where?"
"Joe cares about
his family, Mother," she intoned automatically, wondering even as she
spoke why she still felt the need to jump to her ex-husband's defense.
"It's just that he's always felt that he has something to give." She
sighed bitterly. "I just wish he didn't feel the need to give it right before
the holidays. It's been nice for the boys to have their father around the last
two Christmases, and I hate to see this cycle starting all over again."
Dotty nodded. "You
know, I love Joe, but I've never understood how he can be away from the boys over
the holidays."
"It's complicated,
Mother. To be fair, I didn't try to stop him from taking that job with the EAO
all those years ago. Maybe if things
had been working between us. . . oh, I
guess it really doesn't matter any more. Joe and I just saw things differently,
that's all. He wanted to make the world
a better place; I wanted to make a better place for the boys."
"That's exactly
what you've always done, Amanda. A
home, a family. . . you gave that to them," Dotty stated, her eyes
flashing. "Even before Joe went to work for the EAO. And as for making the
world better, why, look at you and Lee – as far as I'm concerned, the two of
you both manage to do what you do and still give your children a stable
life."
Amanda looked up, the
breath she'd drawn catching slightly in her throat. Her mother had made more
than a few snide references to her job since that day her double life had ended
so abruptly, and Amanda had always felt compelled to defend her choices. This
time, she felt only her mother's pride in everything she'd struggled to
accomplish.
"Thank you,"
she whispered in a shaky voice, her eyes slightly misty. This stamp of
approval, however belated, meant more than she could say.
"You're
welcome," Dotty replied in kind, reaching out to gently tuck a wayward
lock of hair behind Amanda's ear. "And as for Joe and the boys. . . that
will sort itself out, too. It always does."
"I know. I thought
I'd finally put all this to rest when Joe and I talked last year, but I guess
this whole business with the EAO just brings back feelings I would have
preferred to keep in the past where they belonged."
"What you need is a
little pampering," her mother stated wisely, "and some time alone
with your very handsome husband. Of course," she teased, playfully catching
Amanda's eye, "that's probably responsible for your condition in the first
place."
"Mo-ther," she
moaned, covering her embarrassment with a self-conscious laugh. Some things
never changed. Here she was, a married woman with two teenaged children and
another on the way, and her mother could still manage to make her blush.
* * * * *
"Amanda," Lee
said, gently nudging his wife's shoulder, "Wake up. Let's get you into
bed." They were comfortably ensconced on the couch, the television
illuminating the otherwise darkened family room.
"Hmm," Amanda
replied, snuggling deeper into her husband's lap. "I'm watching the
movie."
Lee laughed, his hand
traveling down her arm to rest lightly on her stomach. He felt the baby flutter
inside her, as if acknowledging his presence. Sometimes it didn't seem possible
that she was actually carrying his child; in the muted glow of the television
she looked almost like a child herself.
"Come on," he
whispered, leaning down to move his lips affectionately through her hair.
"The movie's been over for forty-five minutes."
"What?" She
quickly sat up, swaying slightly as a wave of dizziness rushed over her.
"Whoa," Lee
replied, his hand quickly steadying her. "Take it easy. You've been
asleep."
"No, I
haven't," she insisted, shaking her head a few times to clear it.
"Phillip isn't home yet. You know I can't sleep until everyone is where
they're supposed to be."
"Uh-huh," he
laughed, his arm encircling her. "Then that was a pretty good
imitation."
She tilted her head, looking
at him through heavy lidded eyes, and he couldn't help but laugh at her guilty
expression. "Okay, you win,"
she murmured, suppressing the yawn that threatened to overtake her. "What
time is it, anyway?"
"It's late,"
he told her in a low voice. "And before you ask, yes, he's late,
too."
She snapped to
attention, suddenly wide-awake. "How late?"
"Almost an
hour," he informed her with a shake of his head. "But there's no need
to panic yet."
"Panic?" she
said, looking at him as if he'd grown another head. "I'm not going to
panic. I am, however, going to lock him in his room until he's
twenty-one." Lee watched as she
brought her fingers to her throat, reaching automatically for the heart-shaped
necklace she'd obviously forgotten she wasn't wearing. "You don't think
anything's happened, do you?"
"No," he
assured her quickly. "Honestly, I think he just lost track of time."
"But he knows
better than that."
"Amanda, he's
fifteen, and at a 'cool' party with his friends. And that little cheerleader –
what's her name?"
"Christy,"
Amanda supplied with a groan.
"That's right,
Christy," he said with a throaty laugh. "She's a pretty cute
distraction. The clock is probably the last thing on his mind right now. Trust
me," he laughed again. "I speak from experience."
"Somehow I don't
find that too reassuring, Stetson," she told him, slapping him playfully
in the midsection. "I've heard too much about your checkered past for
comfort."
"Amanda, my past
was hardly checkered at Phillip's age." Pulling her closer, he let his
lips rest tantalizingly against her ear. "Of course, if you want to
fast-forward a few years, I could tell some stories that would. . ."
"I think I'll
pass."
He felt her stiffen in
his arms. He should know by now that teasing never worked when his wife's
maternal instincts were in overdrive. "Hey, don't worry," he
whispered, massaging her back lightly until he felt her begin to relax.
"He'll probably show up any minute with a dozen very plausible
excuses."
"You're probably
right." She released the breath she'd been holding, and Lee felt her melt
into his embrace as she finally let go. "So," she whispered,
"how did the Colonel handle things when you eventually waltzed in?"
"K.P. duty."
He groaned at the recollection. "One solid month, every day after
school."
"Did it cure
you?"
"Let's just say I
spent a fair amount of time in the mess hall," he said with a laugh.
"Where did you think I got that aversion to peeling potatoes?"
"I've never been
brave enough to ask," she grinned in return. "After you told me about
that weekend in Madrid, I decided there were some secrets that should remain
just that."
"That's okay, I can
think of a few other things we can share." He bent down, nuzzling her neck
with his lips. "That is," he murmured, "if you want to."
Feeling her shiver, he let his tongue lightly tease along her collarbone,
stopping to press gently into the hollow of her throat.
She drew a shaky breath,
lifting his face to capture his mouth with her own. Lee shifted slightly,
deepening the kiss, his tongue gently probing. She moaned lightly in response,
parting her lips, and, encouraged, he slid his hand inside the opening of her
robe. He moved his fingers beneath the strap of her nightgown, then down over
her left breast. It was fuller now from her pregnancy, and he felt his body
beginning to respond. Not sure how far she wanted to take this, he pulled back,
his eyes seeking hers.
Sighing, she gently
pushed his hand away. "It's not that I don't want to," she said
wistfully. "It's just that Phillip. . . I'm worried. . ."
"It's okay,"
he told her softly, thinking that he'd happily murder Phillip at the
moment. "Do you want me to go over
there and retrieve him?"
"I don't
know." She hesitated, glancing at the clock on the mantel. "He was
supposed to be home by midnight and it's nearly one now. What do you
think?"
"I think he'll be
suitably mortified, but what the hell? It serves him right. He shouldn't be
worrying you right now."
He released her, kissing
her forehead as he rose. Stretching, he headed for the kitchen, removing his
keys from the wooden holder mounted on the wall as he glanced back at his wife
one last time. She was frowning slightly, taking a few deep breaths.
"Amanda," he
called, "is everything okay?"
"Yeah," she
whispered breathily. "I just had a cramp. I'm fine now."
Lee walked over,
squatting in front of the sofa. He
gently covered her fingers with his right hand, his left tilting her chin up so
he could search her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she
said, leaning forward for a brief kiss. "I'm sure."
"Okay." He
rose, reluctantly releasing her. "Why don't you get into bed while I go
collect our wayward child? I won't be long."
She nodded, walking
towards the stairs without an argument. Lee watched her closely, his brow knit
together in a frown.
Pausing at the doorway,
she looked back at him. "I'm fine," she assured him one more time.
"Really. Go on."
"Okay." Still
frowning, he pocketed his keys and headed for the door.
* * * * *
Lee gripped the steering
wheel and depressed his foot slightly, feeling the answering roar of the
Corvette's engine. Driving on the open road usually relaxed him, but the narrow
streets in their quiet, residential neighborhood seemed to be having the
opposite effect.
Taking a deep breath, he
stole a brief glance at his stepson. Phillip was still staring resolutely out
the window, his face full of teenaged indignation. Dragging the boy
unceremoniously from the party had probably irretrievably tarnished his image
as the 'cool' stepfather, but at the moment, he was far too angry to care.
They'd exchanged only a
few tense words since leaving Jeremy's house. At the moment, Lee didn't trust
himself to speak. It must have been some bash, he thought with a dismal smile;
he briefly wondered what Phillip was using for a brain these days. Picturing
the very well endowed little blonde cheerleader, he had a pretty good idea.
"I can't believe
you did that."
The words grated harshly
in the uncomfortable silence. Ignoring his stepson's self-righteous wrath, Lee
turned down their street, the car fishtailing as he took the corner a bit too
quickly. He saw Phillip glance nervously at him for a minute before snapping
his scowl firmly back into place.
"Is that all you
have to say, Phillip?" The boy shrugged, and Lee gritted his teeth.
"Where were Jeremy's parents?"
Phillip mumbled
something indistinctly. Feeling the slow ache beginning to build just below his
jawbone, Lee tersely repeated the question.
"I said I don't
know." Phillip's voice was a bit too loud, and Lee could hear his bravado
cracking. "Gone for the weekend, I
think. "
"Did you know that
when I dropped you off?" He wondered guiltily if he should have checked
more closely before leaving the boy there. Amanda probably would have. He felt
his annoyance multiplying exponentially.
Phillip shrugged again.
"He may have said something about it. I don't remember."
Lee pulled into the
driveway, slamming his foot forcefully on the brake. They both jerked forward
as the car instantly responded. Phillip
reached for the door handle.
"Hang on," Lee
snapped. "I'm not finished."
"I am,"
Phillip muttered, looking at his stepfather challengingly for a minute before
quickly turning away.
"Don't push
it," he warned, his temper flaring despite his best intentions. "I'm pretty pi. . . angry right now.
Do you have any clue how many rules you broke tonight?"
"John's dad was
supposed to take me home," Phillip finally mumbled, looking at the floor
mat with unusual interest. "He
left without me."
"You know all you
had to do was call us for a ride," he accused, his professional demeanor
asserting itself. "Try again."
Phillip shrugged, his
eyes still on the floor, and Lee exhaled loudly. Reminding himself that the
fifteen-year-old was only guilty of adolescence, he turned to him again, his
debriefing taking a gentler tone. "You worried your mother unnecessarily
tonight. You know she doesn't need the added stress right now. I'm waiting for
an explanation."
Phillip's eyes flashed
for a moment, then unconsciously softened as he looked away. "I meant to
call," he began haltingly, "but Christy and I were. . . I mean, she
looked so. . . and I guess I forgot. . ."
"You forgot what,
Phillip?" he prodded, longing for the confidence his stepson seemed
determined to withhold. He seemed so intractable lately. Studying the boy's
solemn profile in the semi-darkness, Lee was suddenly struck by how much he
resembled his father.
"Look," he
continued as evenly as he could manage. "Believe it or not, I was your age
once myself. And I've done more than my share of. . . " He frowned,
searching for the right words. "What I'm trying to say is, if there's
anything you want to talk about. . . about Christy in particular or anything
else in general. . ."
"I've known about
all that stuff for a long time," Phillip replied smugly, his hand
energetically massaging the back of his neck.
"I'm glad you
do," Lee told him, smiling faintly. "But sometimes it's hard to
remember, especially when you throw alcohol into the mix."
"I wasn't drinking."
"Phillip, there was
enough beer at that party to open a brewery. You guys were just lucky it was me
at the door and not the Montgomery County cops, or we'd be having this little
discussion at the police station right now."
"I didn't have
anything to drink," he protested again, slowly emphasizing each word.
"And as for the rest, I think that's pretty funny coming from you."
"What exactly do
you mean by that?"
Phillip turned to him
with cold eyes. "I guess you and Mom forgot a few things five months ago,
too, huh?"
"That's just about enough." Lee's temper
flared, his patience spent. "For your information, this baby was not an
accident. And even if he was," he added angrily, "I'm pretty sure
that it's none of your business."
"Yeah, it's always
none of my business." Phillip drew a deep breath, shaking a little as he
let it go. "Just like it wasn't my business that you and Mom got married
or that you lied to us about working for a film company."
"We did that to
protect you, not hurt you," Lee stated, folding his arms across his chest
defensively. "And you know since then your mother and I have both tried to
include you in all the family decisions."
"Nobody asked me if
I wanted to move," his stepson continued in an angry monotone, "But
here we are. And you know, I'm sorry Mom's been sick, but that isn't my
fault. You guys didn't even tell us about the baby until you had to."
"Your mom and I both
explained that," Lee said tersely, feeling as if he'd suddenly stumbled into
emotional quicksand. "We weren't intentionally keeping things from you. We just
wanted to wait until we knew things were all right before we said anything."
"Yeah, right, so much
for being included in family decisions." Turning, he pushed against the door,
muttering under his breath as he fumbled blindly with the handle. "Who
wanted another brother anyway. . ."
Lee put a restraining
hand on his arm, holding him back. "I really don't care at this point what
you did or didn't want," he responded harshly. He saw the flash of tears
in Phillip's eyes, but at the moment he was too angry to care. "You will
not give your mother one more thing to worry about – understood?"
He saw Phillip bite his
lower lip as he nodded almost imperceptibly, and he added sternly, "And no
more unsupervised parties at Jeremy's. In fact, I think it would be an
excellent idea if you didn't hang out with him for a while."
"That's not
fair," Phillip cried hotly. "I'm sorry about worrying Mom, I didn't
mean to. . . but Jeremy's my best friend. I'm not gonna stay away from
him."
"I'm sorry,
Chief," Lee said in a calmer voice. "But that's the way it's got to
be."
"You can't tell me
what to do," Phillip shot back angrily. Twisting slightly, he stiffly
straightened his back, looking Lee squarely in the eye. "You're not my
father."
"If that's the way
you want it," he said flatly, his eyes focused on the steering wheel's
leather covering to counter the unexpected sting of his stepson's childish
words. "Then just consider me the guy who's grounding you for the next two
weeks."
He turned back in time
to see Phillip's unceremonious scramble from the car. Slamming the door loudly
behind him, the boy sprinted towards the garage. Exhaling loudly, Lee sank back
into the familiar caress of the Corvette's leather upholstery, the vague
recollection of similar words spoken long ago echoing in his mind. He
diligently pushed the memory away.
Running a hand through
his hair, he vaguely wondered if he'd overstepped his bounds. Amanda usually
handled the disciplinary issues that popped up with the boys. So far, they'd
been minor – misplaced homework assignments, exploding cans of soda in the
kitchen, a neighbor's shattered window. Phillip seemed determined to set the
bar a little higher.
Pulling himself from the
Corvette, he glanced at the far corner window. The light was out; Amanda was
probably asleep. It was too late to go into all this tonight anyway. She'd
trusted him to handle this, he thought with a pang, so that's what he'd do. He
only hoped the 'step' in his parenting wouldn't prove too large a hurdle to
overcome.
Shaking his head
uneasily, he headed for the door.