Chapter Three

Lee glanced at his wife. She had reclined the seat in the BMW so she could rest and watch the trees go by at the same time. They had been holding hands across the console for some time. It was a favorite habit they had started long before they were married.

"A penny for your thoughts."

"I was just thinking that I was looking forward to going to Kazakhstan. It will be fun to be in the field with you again."

"I'm looking forward to that, too. But you are on vacation, my dear. Let's just try to relax today. Maybe you can think of a few things you'd like to do while we're at the condo."

Amanda stretched a little and yawned. "Sleep, eat, take a walk in the dunes, and of course…" She glanced over at Lee and winked.

"I like the way you think, Mrs. Stetson." Lee pulled Amanda's hand to his lips. "You hungry?"

"I'm ready when you are."

"Let's stop in this little town just ahead. I hope that nice little diner is still around."

Amanda adjusted her seat so she was upright and looked over at Lee. "That sounds perfect."

The diner was indeed still in business, and it was not long before they were on the road once again.

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Matt's shyness at joining the crowd in the unfamiliar home quickly evaporated as Phillip introduced him to the family. He shook hands with Amy and Jennifer, and smiled at Sarah's niece and nephews. Wide-eyed, Jessica gawked at Matt, while Jamie's son Seth elbowed his brother David and snickered. He guessed that they were making the most out of meeting their aunt's new friend. He tried not to laugh at the resemblance Seth had to his uncle Phillip, the Agency wisecracker. Must run in the family.

Sarah's hand soon slipped into his. "You okay?"

He squeezed her hand back. "Yeah. Your niece and nephews seem like nice kids."

"They are, but Seth can be so rambunctious, and he gets David all worked up sometimes. Mom says he's like Phillip. Daddy often takes David and Seth outside to shoot hoops so they'll be out from underfoot."

"If lunch isn't ready, I could do it. It looks like Jennifer might appreciate it."

"Oh, I didn't mean that as a hint. Your back…"

"Nonsense. I can keep away from them."

"Seriously, there's two of them."

As Matt made the offer to the boys, Phillip got up to go join them. He didn't say anything about Matt's back, but he knew his nephews. Jamie followed them out the door.

Sarah went back to the kitchen to help Amy and Jennifer with the sandwiches.

Jennifer was the first to speak. "So, you two are dating officially? Did you talk with your dad?"

"Yes, last night. He wasn't really happy about me dating an agent, but Daddy gave in, I guess."

Amy looked over at Sarah. "Matt really seems taken with you."

Sarah blushed. "I guess the feeling is mutual. We have a good time together."

Amy and Jennifer exchanged glances. "Jennifer said you finally broke it off with Jeff."

"Yeah. I waited way too long to do it. Honestly, I should have broken things off a year or more ago. I think I knew back then that we were only going to be friends. Maybe I always knew it. Jeff had other ideas. I thought I was saving him from hurt feelings, but I just led him on."

Jennifer noticed that Sarah's eyes were starting to glisten. "You meant well, Sarah. What's done is done. I like Matt. He was so nice to take the boys outside. How long has it been now for you two? Four weeks?"

"A month and a half—we've been meeting for lunch during the week. I think he's going to join the dance class—he came last week." Sarah finished making her sandwiches and began to clean up. Amy and Jennifer exchanged knowing glances again.

"Do you like him? I mean, as more than a friend?" Jennifer asked the question gently.

"I've never felt this way about anybody else before—not Jeff, not anyone." Suddenly Sarah blushed. I've probably said too much. "But it's too soon to get all worked up."

Jennifer gave Sarah a quick hug. "Well, I wish you guys the best. I hope you'll keep inviting him to these family get-togethers. It's nice to have you bring a friend." She didn't say anything about how Jeff had rarely come.

Lunch was a lively affair. The adults sat outside on patio chairs, while the cousins sat at a picnic table. The conversation eventually became focused on Matt, who politely answered questions from Jennifer and Amy about his home and family in Texas.

Jamie made an attempt to change the subject. "I hear you're going to be joining Lee and Mom on an assignment."

"Yeah. I've been working on it. I need to schedule a meeting with you this coming week. For now, I've asked Sarah to help with the background information."

Jamie looked at Phillip before looking at Sarah. "I suppose that's just the public domain information."

"That's mostly what I have access to, Jamie. Matt wouldn't have asked for my help on classified information."

"Well, I know you have a lot of resources Sarah, but I might have a few other non-classified websites that would be helpful—we can cover the other stuff at work. Come on, Matt. You too, Sarah. You'll probably enjoy this."

Phillip tagged along after them as the foursome went into his office.

Jennifer and Amy finished cleaning up and went into the kitchen. Amy whispered to Jennifer. "So, what do you think? Is this serious or a rebound?"

"It seems serious. To Matt's credit, he seems to have started slow. They've just had lunch so far—if you don't count the dance class and dinner with Lee and Amanda last night. I think he's giving Sarah time. I definitely think he's better for her. Jeff was nice, but he didn't take the things that were important to Sarah very seriously."

"You make a good point…"

Jennifer warmed to the subject. "Like today. The fact that he even came this afternoon—they're barely dating. Then the research thing. Sarah's been wanting to help with Agency things for years now—and most of the time the guys brushed her off. Matt's already asked her for help."

Amy thought for a minute. "I think you're right. Matt seems like he's a lot better for Sarah." She stood back and looked over at the clock. "Hey, let's go see what they're talking about in there. I'm glad Jamie and Phillip are making Matt feel welcome, but they are sort of using it as an excuse to talk shop again."

Jennifer laughed and followed Amy into the den.

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The afternoon shadows were long as they pulled onto the road leading to the condo. Lee briefly stopped the car and turned to Amanda. "You sure you don't need anything at the store?"

"I made a careful list and packed it all. We should be good." She smiled at him.

Lee looked at her closely and continued up the drive. He could tell that Amanda hadn't slept well once again. Her eyes were weary. "I still want to take you to dinner a few times, maybe catch lunch in town. You're supposed to be relaxing."

"I'd love that." Amanda smiled at Lee once again, but as he glanced over at her, he saw she was putting on a front for him.

The condominium was really a duplex typical of the construction in the Outer Banks. Built on stilts to allow for storm surges, the outside was grey, designed to look like it had weathered decades of Atlantic storms. Inside, it was actually of modern design with upscale appointments. Lee remembered the commercial stove in the kitchen and the generously-sized rooms with vaulted ceilings. Harry had known the neighbors, but hadn't talked about them much. Lee imagined that they were either former colleagues or something of the sort. They didn't use their side of the duplex much and they wouldn't be there this week.

After a walk along the beach to stretch their legs, the couple set about to make the condo their temporary home for the next two weeks. It didn't take long for the two of them to get settled, and soon Amanda had a chicken pasta dish on the table. Lee brought them some wine and turned down the lights so the candles lit the room as they ate a leisurely meal. When it was time to clear the dishes, Lee got up quickly and put a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "Let me do them. Why don't you go relax?"

"Actually, Lee, would you mind if I just went straight to bed? I didn't sleep well last night. I kept thinking of things I wanted to be sure we did before we left the house."

Lee was relieved at Amanda's honesty. "I suspected as much. I'll finish these and join you in a little bit. We both need to catch up on our sleep."

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Matt stood up and stretched as Sarah busied herself cleaning up the takeout containers from the counter. "I think I had better call it a night. I can't tell you how helpful this research has been, Sarah."

Sarah looked up at Matt and smiled. "It was fun to help. I know Jamie had some interesting information, but hopefully what I gave you this evening will prevent culture shock. Traveling in Asia is so very different from the U.S. or Europe."

"I can imagine. I've only seen a little bit of Asia, and it wasn't that part."

"Where did you go?"

"I wish I could tell you, but it was with Army Intelligence. Those cases are still classified." At Sarah's frustrated expression, he added, "But I can tell you about my experiences in Europe sometime. I wasn't always on assignment." Matt gathered up his notes and took the memory stick from Sarah's computer. "I'll return this to you soon."

She walked over to him. "We definitely have an opening in dance class. Do you want to join?"

Matt smiled at Sarah's hopeful look. "I can't wait to go back. Of course, I'll miss two or three weeks…" He reached out to touch her face. "I'm hoping the time will go by quickly."

"I hope so, too." Sarah quickly turned from Matt to hide her expression and finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

Matt watched her. "I'm sorry, Sarah."

Sarah closed the dishwasher, but didn't turn around. "Now, Matt. It's only a few weeks. If you'll be with Mom and Daddy, it can't be a risky assignment."

Matt thought it best to remain noncommittal. "Not likely." He walked up to her and briefly touched her shoulder. "It means a lot to me that you would miss me. I know I'm going to miss you." He gently turned her to face him. "Like I promised, we'll have dinner, and go somewhere special on Saturday. Just you and me. We can pack something to eat, and spend the day hiking, hanging out, whatever."

"That would be nice."

"What nights do you want to have dinner? Let's go a few times."

Sarah thought for a moment. "Would Thursday or Friday be okay?"

"Both would be great—if you want."

"I'd love that…"

"I could take you out one night and cook for you the other night. You can let me know if you still want to go back to church with me."

"That sounds perfect…"

Matt was grateful that he had distracted Sarah. "Is there anything else you need from the apartment before I go?"

"Oh, I don't think so. Thank you for helping me move my things over this afternoon."

"I'm glad I could help." Matt stepped closer and gently grasped her arms. "Thank you again, Sarah. I really enjoyed being with you today."

Sarah thrilled at Matt's touch. After being distracted for a moment, she finally found her voice. "I know Seth and David love you. Thanks for playing basketball with them. Jessica might have a little crush on you. You know, you really hit it off with everyone."

Matt ducked his head. "It was fun for me, too. I was glad to help."

"You have a nice way with people, Matt."

"I feel the same way about you." Matt looked up once again. Sarah could not read his expression. When he looked into her eyes, she felt drawn to him physically. He met her halfway. The kiss wasn't a light brush this time. She could feel a thrill run through her body as his hands lightly gripped her arms.

He pulled away from her and took a breath. "I'm sorry. That was probably a bit much."

Sarah put her hands on Matt's chest and looked into his eyes again. "It was nice."

Matt smiled at her uncertainly before gathering his things once again. He quickly walked to the front door. "Have a good day tomorrow."

"You, too!" She stopped him again and quickly kissed his cheek. "I'm looking forward to lunch on Tuesday. Good night!"

Matt regarded her once again, his face enigmatic. "Good night."

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Amanda couldn't see in the darkened hallway. She groped along the walls, thinking she was looking for first her mother, then Jamie and Phillip. The hallway continued on until she saw stairs. Suddenly she knew she was searching for Lee, and had been all the time. The light at the top of the stairs was beckoning to her. She walked out into it, and saw Lee standing in the distance. A man she could not identify was holding a gun to his chest. She tried to run to them, but her feet would not take her there. Forcing herself to cry out to Lee, she could only hear garbled words coming from her mouth. She reached out towards them as the man fired. The force of the gun's blast threw Lee backward to the ground. Suddenly the gunman was gone, and Amanda was standing over Lee. She knew it was him, but she couldn't see his face. Without feeling for a pulse, Amanda knew in her heart that Lee was dead.

Before the sobs could come, Amanda found herself lying in bed, staring into a darkened room she did not recognize at first.

After a moment it came to her that she was with Lee at Harry Thornton's condo. Forcing her breathing to calm down, she reached up and found her cheeks were wet with tears. Her body was bathed in sweat and her nightgown was damp. Easing herself quietly from the bed, she grabbed a new nightgown from the closet and went into the bathroom to change her clothes and wash her face.

Amanda avoided looking at herself in the mirror. She knew she would look haggard. Turning off the light, she slipped quietly out of the bathroom and went to the living room. Curling up on the couch, she felt suddenly chilled. She covered herself with a throw, and leaned back in the pillows. The tears started to come again, but her exhausted body refused to move. Soon she drifted off to sleep once again.

Lee yawned and stretched, a smile growing on his face. They had no plans for the day, and he couldn't be happier. He glanced at the clock. Seven a.m. and nowhere to go. As he reached over for Amanda, he realized she was gone; her side of the bed was cold. He got up. Seeing that that the bathroom was empty, he went to the living room, where she was fast asleep on the couch. He sighed. Things have got to get better. Noticing she had changed her nightgown sometime in the night, he examined her face. She's been crying again. She's had that dream again and I slept right through it. Lee chastised himself for not being there to comfort her. He sighed and sat down carefully at the end of the couch. Tilting his head back against the sofa, he waited for Amanda to wake up.

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"Lee, get up. You're going to get a crick in your neck." Amanda leaned over Lee, shaking his shoulder gently.

Slowly he opened his eyes. Looking up at Amanda, he quickly remembered the reason he had been dozing on the couch. He reached up and drew her down next to him. "Come sit with me for a bit." As Amanda settled beside him, he wrapped his arms around her.

Still feeling a chill in the air-conditioned condo, she reached over and pulled the throw over them.

He spoke against her hair. "You had the dream again last night."

Amanda shifted uncomfortably, but Lee held her close. "Please be honest with me. I know you changed your nightgown, and I could see you were crying. It was bad, wasn't it?"

Amanda didn't answer right away. How do you tell someone that you dreamed of them being gunned down?

Lee caressed Amanda's back and stroked her hair while he waited for her to answer. She leaned her head against him. "Someone shot you this time. You died right in front of me." Tears came unbidden once again. Amanda tried to wipe them away. Lee leaned away a little so he could cup her face with his hands and turn it towards his. He looked in her eyes.

"We can fix this together. I'm still here. We're in no danger. I'm really okay." I can prove to you I'm really here. He kissed her lips, then her cheeks and her forehead. He could taste her salty tears. He pulled his hands away as Amanda sat up straight, moving her face away from his. She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I know that Lee. My conscious brain knows that, but for some irrational reason, my subconscious brain doesn't." Lee could hear the frustration in her voice.

"You've been so tired lately. Did you get much sleep last night?"

"Actually I did. I wasn't awake very long. Do you know we went to bed at eight o'clock and it's eight o'clock again now?"

Lee chuckled. He was glad that Amanda was becoming more animated. "We had a long week—we were tired." He put his arms around her again and pulled her close, allowing his hands to roam over her. "If you aren't really hungry, I'd like to start off our vacation on the right foot. You won't even have to move. Much." Lee tilted his head so she could see his dimpled grin.

Amanda laughed quietly and put her hand up to smooth his hair from his face. "You're never going to change, Stetson."

"Nope."

She sighed softly as his hands continued to caress her and his lips found hers.