Disclaimer: see my profile

A/n this one-shot story takes place a couple of months after the end of the series. Like many of you, I disliked the secret marriage, so that's out the window in this story. Thanks in advance for your kind support.

Amanda Stetson took in the sunshine, the blue skies, and the green grass surrounding the public pool. The hotel Lee had chosen for their first family vacation together was huge and homey in a way Amanda hadn't expected.

Chairs and tables with striped umbrellas populated the walkway around the Olympic size pool. People milled around, lay on the pool furniture, and sipped drinks from tall glasses. Amanda looked at the drink Lee had brought her and smiled. It had an umbrella that matched the blue and white theme of the pool. At the moment, drinking was the last thing on her mind.

The boys, including Lee, were engaged in an enthusiastic game of keep-away with a yellow, white, and red striped inflated ball. They splashed around at one end of the pool and caused a racket that made Amanda and her mother smile.

"Should we tell them to keep it down," Amanda asked her mother, who sat in a white tank top with lace around the scoop neck and green shorts. She also had a white hat on her head and a colorful drink near one hand. She had tried to read, but the noise level made it impossible.

"No," Dotty said and put aside the book. "Now that you and Lee finally decided to come clean about eloping, the boys are thrilled with their new stepfather and want to welcome him into the family in their teenage way."

"Mother!"

"What?"

"You know what," Amanda said. 'You still have that tone when you talk about Lee and I's marriage. How long are you going to punish us?"

"For eloping when you know, I would've loved to see you married to Lee."

"Mother, I told you that Lee and I –"

"I understand, Amanda. You didn't want the expense of another wedding, so you both decided to elope, but what I don't understand is why you waited six months to tell us."

"I knew you'd be upset, and I chickened out."

Dotty smiled at her daughter. "Amanda, how dumb do you think I am? I know there's more to the story, but I'll wait until you both decide you want to tell me."

"Alright, Mother. "I'm sorry."

"Amanda, I'm not angry. Lee Stetson is a wonderful man who makes you smile. I'll forgive him for nearly anything because he makes you so happy. The boys love him."

"Thank you, mother."

"You're welcome. So, are you sure Lee doesn't have an uncle or – "

"Mother!"

"He's an attractive man, Amanda. I may be your mother, but I'm not dead."

"I know. Please keep it down, or Lee will hear you."

"Amanda, he can't possibly hear us over the music and all the kids in the pool."

"You're right, mother."

Dotty went back to sipping her drink and attempting to read. Amanda returned her eyes to her husband and noticed that he'd climbed out of the pool. The dark blue swimming trunks Lee wore streamed water as he pushed back his soaking wet hair from his eyes with both hands. His well-defined abs and pecs were drawing attention from other women, but he either ignored it or didn't notice as he made his way to the twelve-foot springboard at the north end of the pool.

Amanda quickly picked up her magazine when he began to turn toward her as he strode to the ladder. She peeked over the top of the pages and watched him climb. Lee's legs and amazing gluts worked as he moved, and suddenly the warm air around her seemed to increase in intensity.

The magazine became a fan as she watched him stride to the end of the board. He turned, found her staring at him, and grinned. That smile could always make her weak in the knees, and it was too late to duck behind the magazine or turn her eyes away.

Great! Lee caught her watching him like a rookie on their first milk run. She'd never hear the end of it. Amanda thanked the universe that Francine hadn't witnessed her humiliation.

Lee winked at her, leaped into the air, came down on the board with a bounce, and swan dived in a graceful arc into the pool. The water barely shifted as he entered, and a chorus of admiring cheers and whistles greeted him when his head broke water. Among the cheering crowd were her sons and several women who milled around Lee when he climbed back out of the pool.

"That was a wonderful dive," Dotty said, and she smirked at Amanda. "Don't you think so?"

"Yes, mother," Amanda said and returned to her magazine.

Lee approached, still grinning from ear to ear. His dimples on full display made Amanda irrationally angry despite her continued admiration of his well-muscled form. The sun glinted off the water dripping from him, and he looked like an advertisement for everything summer.

Damn!

"Hello, ladies," Lee said as he reached for the drink he'd left on their table. The ice had melted into the tea with lemon, but he appeared not to notice.

"Hello yourself," Dotty said as Lee snatched up a towel after two long swallows and began to scrub his upper body. "Fantastic dive."

"Thank you," Lee said and sat. "What did you think, Amanda?"

"Hm," Amanda said and peered over the magazine. "Did you say something, dear?"

Lee shook his head and took another swallow from his drink. "I learned that from a Russian diver who defected after the 1980 Olympics."

Amanda stared at Lee, still smiling at Dotty and ignoring his wife. Lee wouldn't bring up an operation – Amanda shook her head and went back to her magazine. "Lee, are you serious," Dotty wondered.

"Yes. One evening, Nadia ran into my car and offered me a diving lesson as – compensation."

"I'll bet she did," Amanda said and forced her eyes to stay on the magazine.

"Well, you meet the oddest people in DC," Dotty said.

Amanda snorted, and Lee opened his mouth, but Jamie interrupted them. "Mom, can we get a soda?"

"It's almost lunchtime. You'll spoil your appetite."

"Please."

Amanda tore her eyes away from the magazine and sighed. "Fine, but be back here in thirty minutes." She watched the boys hurry inside the hotel and sighed. "Well, I think it's my turn to take a dip."

Amanda took off the white cotton wrapper she wore over her white bikini. She kicked off her sandals and sashayed over to the pool without looking at Lee.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Dotty smirked when her new son-in-law stared open-mouthed at her daughter's skimpy bathing suit. "You're catching flies," she said.

Lee jerked, shut his mouth with a snap, and said. "Ah, sorry, Dotty."

Dotty sipped at her drink and said. "Well, you two act like your love-struck teenagers instead of adults. It's quite funny."

Lee turned his eyes to Dotty. "Well, um – "

"I think you both need lessons in spying," Dotty said.

"What?" Lee said, and then he smiled. "Dotty, I think –"

"I know it's none of my business. Just don't let the boys or Amanda see you ogling her. Now, I'm going to sit in the sauna for a few minutes. Behave!"

Lee kept his eyes to himself until Amanda returned and reached for her towel. "You look great," he said. "I'd never know you had two kids."

Amanda blushed bright red. "Well, thank you."

"You ready for lunch."

"Sure, let's round-up mother and the boys."

"Oh, Amanda," Lee said and reached down for her magazine. "You going to take this back to our room."

"Why?"

"Well, I thought if you were, I'd point out that you'd make better progress with it right-side up."