Written by Scooplet
Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet
Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson, Matt Granger, and the other characters not found in the television show are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.
The Eyes of the Father
Chapter Thirteen
As Amy placed the last wine glass back on the shelf, Jennifer wiped down the counters.
"With all this help, I feel like I've hardly done anything tonight." Amanda smiled at her daughters-in-law as she sipped the last of her hot chocolate at the kitchen table. In the den nearby, Jessica lay on the couch watching her cousins David and Seth as they sat on the floor, playing a game with the Wii.
"You've been doing a lot lately, Amanda. We're glad we could make the load lighter." Amy sat down next to Amanda with her own hot chocolate.
"Well, Matt and Sarah had everything so well-organized for the move that it was mostly a show of support today. And there isn't anything to do for the wedding at the moment."
"She insisted that she didn't need us to help with the move." Jennifer stood with the sponge in her hand.
"Sarah said that you two have done enough. It gave her some time to get to know Patti Enriquez a little better. That's a good thing. And it was good for Lee and me to see the townhouse. Lee and Sarah needed to talk." Amanda glanced at the clock, then in the general direction of the office. "I wonder what the men are up to." She stood and made her way up the stairs to the foyer and to the office beyond.
"Man, I don't miss those days." Phillip chuckled to himself. "Granger is probably bored out of his mind. Except he does have Sarah there now. Look. She just showed up."
The three men jumped when Amanda saw that they were looking at camera footage of the bullpen at the Agency. "What are you doing, Phillip?"
Although he was now pushing forty, Phillip knew he was not too old to be reprimanded by his mother. "Just making sure Sis made it to the Agency okay, Mom." He clicked to another website, but not before Amanda caught a glimpse of Matt and Sarah sitting together at a computer. As usual, Marine guards could be seen in the hallway outside.
"Honestly, Amanda. Phillip pulled up the remote access just before you walked in. I was about to tell him to knock it off."
"If you hadn't, I would have." Jamie glared at Phillip. "You're such a… Do you spy on them all the time? What do you think they're going to do with the camera on them and some Marines watching?"
Phillip grew defensive. "Actually, I do like to keep an eye on Sarah. And I don't mind saying so. I guess I don't have much of an excuse at the moment. Sorry."
Amanda caught Lee's eye and they both started to laugh. "Some things never change." She grew serous. "But she has Matt to keep an eye on her now."
"Your mother is right. We need to back off and let Matt take care of Sarah—and let Sarah take care of Sarah."
Phillip huffed a little. "As long as she manages to stay out of trouble with people like the cartel." Seeing Lee's expression, he changed his tone. "But I see your point."
Amanda glanced at the clock. "Look. It's getting late. Amy and Jennifer are tired and so am I. We'll be at your house at noon tomorrow, Phillip."
After Lee and Amanda had said their goodbyes and wished everyone a merry Christmas, Amanda followed Lee absent-mindedly back to his office.
"I'll just be a minute."
"You checking that bullpen camera feed again?"
Lee colored but did not say anything.
"Because I'm curious what Sarah thinks she going to do with Matt all evening. Didn't Francine tell us when she and Efraim stopped by that there was nothing going on tonight?"
"Oh, they're probably playing a game on the computer or watching YouTube videos."
"I'm not going to ask how you would know that. Come on, Stetson. Let's go to bed. We promised Matt and Sarah we'd meet them at their church in the morning."
Lee was staring at his computer screen, reminiscing. "Remember when we'd stay up until well past midnight on a case, sleep a few hours, then head back in? Those were the good old days. Now the next generation is living it."
Amanda yawned. "Right. Well, I loved partnering with you, but I don't miss the crazy hours at all. And thankfully Matt is not on a case at the moment. That's the last thing those two need." She started for the door, but turned around. "You know, it's kind of nice to see them just sitting there, not doing anything much. That girl is running herself ragged. Matt may have taken a nap before they came for dinner tonight, but Sarah probably didn't."
"Now, Amanda. Sarah told me they had plans to go to a movie Monday eat dinner at that new restaurant at the mall. I'm making bets there will be dancing at her apartment afterwards."
"And you know this how?"
Lee had the good grace to color a little. "I suppose I've seen them up there dancing a few times when I was taking out the trash."
Amanda sighed. "Oh, Stetson. I give up. You'll never stop being a spy. I'm going to bed. Merry Christmas."
"Okay, okay. I'm turning off the computer."
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Lee was glad he had offered to drive when he glanced in the rearview mirror. Both Matt and Sarah had remained alert for the church service, but they were growing sleepy in the warm car now.
"You two don't have to stay all afternoon. Matt should go home and get a few hours' sleep before he goes to work."
Matt took a deep breath and stretched. "I'll be okay. I'm just covering the bullpen from five to nine."
Shaking off her sleepiness, Sarah joined in. "Yes, but you were there twelve hours yesterday. I left at midnight and you stayed until seven. You can at least take a nap on the couch in Phillip's office while I watch that movie with Jessica."
"Yes, dear." Matt reached over and took Sarah's hand. His eyes twinkled.
Lee and Amanda exchanged amused glances as Sarah rolled her eyes.
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Christmas Day was more relaxed than the evening before. The crowd was larger, as Amy's parents and her sister's family had joined them in the morning, then stayed to eat an early dinner with the Stetsons. Instead of using the fine china, Amy served the big meal on paper plates. And no one batted an eye when Matt took a nap on the couch in Phillip's office. While Jamie managed to keep his rambunctious young sons out of what Amy had dubbed the man cave, it had been difficult to keep them quiet as several of the family members played a board game. Phillip and Lee had been in and out of the room once or twice, checking out news and other things on the internet.
At one point Phillip had whispered to Lee, "How does he sleep through all of this?"
"Ex-Army, served in the field. At least that's what he told me before he fell asleep while I was watching a movie in his room in Kazakhstan."
"I'm not sure what Sarah's excuse is. She's trying to watch that Disney movie with Jessica, but she can't keep her eyes open." Phillip snickered.
"She just takes after your mom. In fact, all of you kids can sleep through anything." He glanced over at Matt, who was stirring. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
After the two men left, Matt opened his eyes. He checked his watch. He still had over an hour before he had to leave for the Agency. Sarah would be driving him to the townhouse to get his car. After smoothing out his hair and his shirt, he wandered out to the family room. On the couch, Jessica had curled up next to Sarah, and now Sarah's head rested against the back cushion as she dozed.
Seeing Matt, Jessica pointed to Sarah and rolled her eyes.
Matt grinned. He snuck around to the other side of the couch and attempted to shift Sarah over a little without waking her so he could sit on her other side.
Almost as if by instinct, Sarah's elbow shot up. Matt dodged her elbow and caught her wrist. He laughed as Sarah, now fully awake, looked at him in surprise.
"Oh no! Matt, I'm so sorry."
"It's my fault for teaching you that one. No harm done."
Jessica, who seemed to have missed the interaction, paused the movie. "You've been asleep for the past fifteen minutes, Aunt Sarah. I'll let you catch up while I go get us some hot chocolate. You want some, Uncle Matt?"
"Thanks, Jessica. That would be great."
Matt waited until Jessica was out of earshot. "I don't know if I should be happy that you'll never let another guy make the moves on you or be fearful that I'll be taken out if I get frisky with you in the middle of the night."
This time Sarah's blow, a swat on the arm, found its mark. "Matthew Granger. Someone might hear you."
"It's just us. And we're practically married. Just thirteen more days." As if to prove his point, Matt gave Sarah a kiss on the lips, then settled more comfortably into the space he had created for himself on the couch, wrapping one arm around his fiancée. "Go ahead and catch up on the movie. I guess you needed a nap, too."
"Yep." Sarah gave up trying to conjure up some kind of comeback and giggled a little as she searched for the last scene she could remember watching. "You really want to watch a Disney princess movie, Granger?"
"I might be able to pick up some tips from the hero."
"For saving the world?"
"Well, since I've already got my queen, sure." When Sarah looked at him sideways, he continued. "If I have to go to work in a little while, I'd like to spend as much time as possible with you. It is Christmas."
"That's very sweet, but I can ask Jessica to finish it later."
"I can handle it. My sisters watched a lot of these when we were kids."
The prince was just about to help the princess escape from her evil stepmother when Sarah paused the movie so she could turn to Matt. "I want to go through the arena again."
Matt looked at Sarah sharply. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I started thinking about it last night as I was driving home, after you showed me the videos of your arena test. Then today, when I saw Daddy standing next to Mom in church, singing along with the hymns, I realized that I needed to do it for him just as much as for me."
"He doesn't expect you to do that."
"No, but he was willing to visit our church. He said he wanted to see what it was like before the wedding, but Mom told me he was doing it out of fatherly interest more than anything."
Jessica walked in just then with the mugs.
Matt spoke hurriedly. "I'll be there. Just let me know the time."
Sarah patted his knee as Jessica began playing the movie once again.
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Taking a few cleansing breaths, Sarah tried to relax her shoulders. She bent her elbows back, then released them and shook out her shoulders. After stretching her neck, she stood quietly and took a few cleansing breaths. The day before, she had logged two hours in the gun range. Now it was Wednesday. She had only three more days to prepare for the freshmen class. This was her last time in the Arena before her official training began. She did not want a repeat of the week before.
"You ready, Stetson?"
"That's my dad or mom. I'm Sparrow."
"Gotcha. Sparrow. You know the scenario. Lone gunman, but he or she may have accomplices on the ground. Simulation starts in fifteen seconds." Leatherneck did not finish the countdown.
Running in a crouch position, Sarah found cover behind a small stand of shrubs. She listened for the direction of the gunfire. She thought she saw a flash behind the crates at the top of the "hill," a small, sloped area of the arena. She was in danger of being "hit" by friendly fire and needed to move. After plotting a protected route to the side of the building, she started to cover the distance.
A young woman with a stroller popped up. There was no baby, and she was drawing something out of the back of the stroller. A shotgun? Sarah fired twice and dashed to the side of the building.
Another pop-up, this time a middle-aged man, appeared nearby. Sarah almost fired, but saw just in time that he was not armed.
In the observation room, Leatherneck stood at the window, listening through his headset. Lee stood beside him. Matt perched on the railing near the door to the arena stairs. From his vantage point, he could see the "shooter." He could also see that Sarah would have no cover if she tried to get a clear shot at the fake assailant.
He glanced behind him as the door to the hallway opened. Phillip, Jamie, and Amanda filed in. Amanda went to Lee's side. Phillip and Jamie stood near Grant Hill, who had tried to make himself inconspicuous in the back corner of the room.
Backing up along the edge of the false building, Sarah contemplated her next move. She looked behind the building. She had never noticed before that a narrow "alley" ran between the building's false back and the wall. The false back of the building was really two walls that angled toward the arena's outside wall. The space where the corner of the two back walls jutted towards the arena wall was quite small and probably not intended as a throughway. But Sarah thought she could make it.
Gunfire erupted nearby. Another form had popped up not far from Sarah. It was a gunman, firing towards the other "agents." She did not have a clear shot. Backing up towards the wall, she shot at the new gunman and dashed behind the building. It was a tight fit around the corner, but Sarah squeaked through. She readjusted her headset and her ponytail once she was out the other side.
"Where did she go?" Lee stared at the side of the building where he'd last seen Sarah, but she did not reemerge.
"I heard a sound over the headset—interference. I wonder…"
Matt guessed that she had tried to squeeze behind the building. One of the women in his class had tried it, but she had given up. He was starting to worry that Sarah would not be able to come close to beating the scenario. When he had run one similar to it, he had taken a risky route straight up the hill, under cover of the bushes.
Having gotten her bearings, Sarah quickly contemplated her next move. Now that she was on the other side of the building, she had a clear shot at the original gunman, but unless she acted quickly, he would spot her and she would be "dead" first. The pop up was not stationery, but moved every few seconds. When Sarah raised her gun, she did not have a clear shot. More gunfire—blanks, really—came from his gun. But it was not aimed at her. Then it moved slightly into view. She fired off two rounds from her Glock.
Sarah held her breath as she waited for Leatherneck's pronouncement. There was a slight chance that the gunman had aimed in her direction, but it looked like the pop up was facing to her right.
Suddenly the overhead lights came on. Sarah stepped away from the building and removed the magazine from her handgun. She checked the barrel for cartridges.
"Well done, Sparrow. You narrowly missed being hit, but you managed to take down three gunmen. We might even give you extra points for using an alley that doesn't exist."
Sarah blew out her breath. "Thanks, Leatherneck."
Lee, followed by Leatherneck and Matt, came down the stairs from the observation room.
"Nice work, Pumpkin," Lee whispered in her ear. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he hugged her tightly to him. More loudly, he said, "I liked your trick, sneaking behind the building like that."
Sarah realized her hands were shaking. She lowered the weapon and magazine, hoping no one would notice. "I guess I was skinny enough to make it. No wonder Mom told me to put on some weight."
A chorus of congratulations came from the top of the stairs. Sarah waved at her mother and brothers, who disappeared behind the door once again.
"Jamie and Phillip had to get back to some case—they're helping out the New York office. Your mother and I were wondering if we could take you and Matt for lunch. Leatherneck, you're welcome to join us."
"That's a nice offer, Ace, but my good friend Callie is waiting for me at her place." Leatherneck winked at Lee. He reached for the Glock and the magazine. "Let me lock those up for you, Junior. It looks like you could use a little fresh air."
Seeing that Sarah was a little unsteady on her feet, Matt quickly took charge. He spoke to Lee. "We'll meet you and Amanda in the hallway outside."
His arm around Sarah's waist, Matt guided Sarah out of the arena. She was grateful to have Matt supporting her as she leaned up against the wall.
He watched her face closely as her color came back and she seemed to relax. "You know, you got a better score than most of the people in my class. I'm really proud of you, sweetie."
"It's not real, but it still stresses me out. I hope I never have to shoot anyone. Ever. It's taking a life, even if the person is a criminal."
Matt wanted to hug Sarah, but there were cameras at either end of the hallway. He tried to comfort her with words alone. "I pray you never do. But if you are ever called to a situation like that, you don't need to doubt yourself. You're one of the most capable new agents I've seen."
She looked up to see that his eyes were intently focused on her. "You really mean that. You aren't just trying to be encouraging."
"I'm completely serious." His eyes finally left her face as he heard movement down the hall behind him.
"Okay, you two. No fraternizing in the hallway."
"Lee." Amanda poked him with her elbow.
"A-mand-a. Let a man have a little fun with the freshman agent." He cast a loving look at his daughter, his eyes twinkling.
"I wanted to say in person that I'm proud of you, Sarah. I know it wasn't easy, but you made it through. And we both know I'm not talking about your aim or strategy." Amanda offered her daughter a look of understanding and held her hand briefly.
Lee cleared his throat, and then spoke in his most cheerful voice. "Let's go to lunch."
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Watching the clock tick slowly towards midnight, Sarah readied her plastic cup of sparkling cider. She had talked the armed Marine guards in the hallway into taking their own cups, but only one would drink at a time. She glanced back at Matt, who sat in a chair close by hers.
"You know," she whispered, "when I told Mom that I was bringing this to ring in the New Year, she warned me that the Marines would not have any. I think I broke the ice a little."
Matt did not look over at the two men. "You could break the ice with anyone. And it is New Year's Eve. I may just kiss you when that clock hits midnight."
"Matt! It'll be recorded. The guards will see us."
His eyes twinkled.
"You're serious. Okay, fine. But let's make it worth their while."
Now it was Matt's turn to be incredulous. "I may just take you up on that, Miss Stetson."
"In a few days, I won't be Miss Stetson anymore."
"Seven days, to be exact. Then you'll be Mrs. Granger." Matt took her hand and played with her engagement ring, but his eyes were riveted to the television. "Are you watching the ball in Times Square?" Normally the bullpen televisions were used to monitor news coverage, but there was no rule he could not watch the celebrations briefly on New Year's Eve. He knew from the flash traffic that there were agents from both the New York and D.C. offices at the event.
"Yes, I'm watching." They listened as the crowd counted down the last several seconds of the year. As soon as the crowd started to cheer, Matt raised his plastic cup to Sarah's before repeating the gesture to the guard in the hallway who had his cup. After they had taken their sips, Matt took Sarah's cup and placed it with his on the desk. He pulled her up with him and drew her into the conference room nearby—out of sight of the Marines and the surveillance cameras. Wrapping his arms around his future bride, he kissed her.
Sarah wondered when they were going to come up for air. But she decided to relax, enjoying the kiss as much as Matt. Finally he pulled away. His eyes searched hers, and his hand caressed her face. She thought he might kiss her again, but he adjusted his shirt and led her back out of the conference room.
Sarah looked at the guards out of the corner of her eye as they sat back down. They were both at attention, eyes riveted to the corridor. She snickered and whispered, "We'll never know if they saw us go in there, you cad. That was the longest kiss you've ever given me."
"Not quite, but it's up there. And I could tell you were enjoying it, too."
"You keep track?" Sarah pushed her swivel chair away from Matt's, but he grabbed the armrest and held her in place.
Before Matt could say anything, the desktop computer nearby beeped, indicating an inter-agency alert. Matt scooted his chair over so he could read the screen. "Oh, I may have to cut our little party short. Can't say why, but it's from Homeland and is in the vicinity of Embassy Row. They're asking for any agents who are available for backup."
Matt typed in a text message that would be sent to the Agency personnel on standby.
"You know, you've only been called in that way three times since we got back from Texas."
"Lucky, I guess. Plus they took me off that roster during the depositions. I may have to go over there until enough of our people can show up." Matt typed something else on the computer before taking out his Bluetooth and pairing it with his phone.
Sarah packed up the deck of cards they had been using earlier and put it in her purse. Then she collected the plastic cups. As she grabbed the cup from the table near the door, one of the guards spoke to her. "Don't worry, ma'am. Your secret's safe with us." He winked at her at turned back to the hallway.
Sarah was blushing furiously when she rejoined Matt at the computer, where he was watching for updates. He glanced over at her and then turned to look over his shoulder at the Marines.
"What's going on? Did one of the guards say something to you?"
"Yes."
Matt's brows furrowed, and he started to get up, but Sarah put a hand on his arm.
"He said that our secret is safe with them."
Matt relaxed considerably. "I figured it would be like that. Learned a few things while working at NATO."
"You might have told me."
Matt grinned. "Nah. It was more fun this way."
Scowling, Sarah stood up. "Matthew Granger."
But he was ignoring her as he scrolled through a message on the computer. "Hey, I have to go out there." At Sarah's expression, he continued. "Don't worry about me. I'm just staying until more Agency people show up. It's low level."
Matt typed a text and then grabbed their jackets off a nearby chair. "Come on. We can walk to our cars together."
"Well, I guess I shouldn't complain. We had our little celebration."
Matt waited until the elevator doors had closed. "If you think that was a celebration, just wait until the honeymoon." He winked at her.
Sarah's eyes widened. "I know that cider is nonalcoholic. What's gotten into you?"
"Less than a week until our wedding, that's what. We have family coming; Brian and Josh will be here. Kate's bringing Micah. I'm excited."
Shaking her head, Sarah felt her own grin forming as she walked with Matt into the parking garage.
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With the last of the clothes she had brought from her apartment now hanging in the closet, Sarah turned to Matt. "It's official now. We have to get married. I've put my lingerie in your dresser and my shoes in your closet."
He drawled his reply, "Well, it could mean something else, but since I've got a couple of wedding rings and a marriage license in my bedside table, I'll go to the altar with you before we shack up."
Sarah swatted him playfully. He caught her hand and pulled her in close, kissing her. He leaned his forehead against hers and spoke softly. "Six more days. And it's our closet." He thought of their run before lunch. It had been good to be out in the crisp, fresh air of the greenbelt nearby.
Fatigued from working a twelve-hour shift the night before and only sleeping a few hours before church that morning, he had felt invigorated after their run. But he also found it hard to resist his physical feelings for Sarah when he was tired. She was always so appealing after a run on a brisk day, when her cheeks were rosy with the stray hairs from her braid framing her face. And here in the bedroom area of the home they would very soon share, he was even more tempted. He took her by the hand and led her downstairs.
"While you were arranging your clothes, I took the liberty of putting your kitchen things away. Make sure I did it to your liking." He opened the kitchen cupboards and the pantry door.
"You do think like an engineer. Very organized. Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Now we have tea in our cupboards. And muffin tins." He winked at her.
"You know, I was thinking of making a batch before your family gets here. My mom is cooking up a bunch of stuff—she's got cookies, a poppyseed cake, and homemade bread, but maybe it would be nice to have something here. We can freeze what doesn't get eaten right away and have it after the honeymoon."
"I like the way you think. We have a few hours. What can I do to help?"
"Let's bake some muffins first, then a batch of cookies. Once I get them started, you should take a nap. You look like you could use one. You have to pull another shift tonight."
Yawning now, Matt had to agree about the nap. He arranged the racks in the oven for Sarah and helped her pull out the ingredients before going upstairs to lie down.
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Lee sat back in his chair, surveying the ample crowd at the dining room table on Maplewood. Even without Jamie, Phillip, and their families, the table was full. All five members of the Granger family and Sharon's parents were in attendance, and two of the Grangers' good friends had joined them. Brian and Josh seemed like solid young men—he could see why Matt had chosen them to stand up with him at the ceremony on Saturday. Laughter caught his attention as he turned to the other end of the table. Lee was glad for Sarah because she seemed to have impressed Sharon's parents, Florence and William. The three of them sat together as William told a story.
After pulling long shifts at the Agency for the last several days, Matt had been looking a bit worn around the edges earlier. But now he was in the midst of an animated conversation with his sisters and friends. Amanda and Sharon were in the kitchen, preparing to serve the dessert. Lee had not been surprised at the ease with which both Sharon and Amanda had become friends. They shared many similarities, except for their appearance. Sharon, a blonde, was a little taller than Amanda, and Amanda, a brunette, had a slighter build. Lee could see how Matt resembled his mother in appearance, but his father in personality.
He turned to David, who had also been surveying the scene. Although Lee had heard that David was opinionated and outspoken with his family, he was quiet and reserved in other settings. Lee found himself initiating conversation for not the first time that evening. "It's great how your kids get along so well."
"It wasn't always that way. Matt was mostly even-keeled, but the girls would bicker quite a bit, sometimes pushing even their brother's buttons."
"Phillip and Jamie used to trade words—and Sarah was not perfect growing up, either. She and Jamie got along great, but sometimes she and Phillip would butt heads. Still and all, Amanda says Sarah was the easiest."
David nodded, a conspiratorial smirk on his face. "The third one learns from the others and the parents have everything all figured after the first couple of kids."
"I think it helped to have so many hands, too. The boys were teenagers by the time Sarah was born. I had a steep learning curve. I didn't become the boys' stepfather until just a year before Sarah came along."
"I hear that you are pretty close with them."
"Yeah. They're great—like my own sons. I'm sorry to say their dad died only a few years after Amanda and I married."
"Well, it was God's will that you could be already involved in their lives, then. Probably eased the hurt a bit."
Lee, slightly startled by the depth of David's words, regarded him for a moment. "I'd like to think so. I never expected to get married, let alone become a father."
"Well, you have a remarkable daughter. I'm sure you had a lot to do with that as well."
Clearing his throat and coloring a little, Lee found himself opening up to David. "Well, thank you. I could say the same about your son. It's really been a pleasure having him join our family. It isn't easy letting go of my little girl, but Matt is a good man."
Lee had not seen Sarah walk up behind him, but he felt her hands on his shoulders. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Daddy."
Dreading that he might become all choked up, Lee changed the subject. But not before patting his daughter's hand and giving her a kiss on the cheek while her face was close to his. He turned back to the crowd at the table. "It looks like dessert is here. Since I think I see a little beverage left in everyone's glasses, I'd like to propose a toast." He lifted his nearly empty wine glass. "To our new family and friends. Welcome to our neck of the woods. Amanda and I are glad that we will soon be family. And to Matt and Sarah. May the wedding go smoothly and may they have a long and happy life together."
Lee felt only a twinge at those last words, but he could see his wife was pulling out a tissue. Sarah wrapped an arm around her mother's waist. He imagined Amanda might go through a number of tissues in the next few days. He turned back to David as dishes of apple crisp were served.
"So, I hear you're in for a little sightseeing."
"Well, we did a number of things when we came to see Matt last spring, but we're going to check off a couple more items on our list. We'd all like to see Sarah's exhibit at the Smithsonian."
"That's great. She worked as a docent there during grad school, so she can lead you all on a tour. As far as the exhibit goes, the lead curator gets the official credit on that one, but it's probably for the best."
"The same reason there's no wedding announcement in the newspapers here and at home?"
Lee cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I hope Sharon wasn't too bent out of shape."
"Matt explained it to her pretty well. Not sure the girls bought the 'official' excuse. At some point, Matt may have to tell them what he does."
Before Lee could say anything more, the noise level rose in the room as Matt, Brian, and Josh began to clear the table and the girls followed them into the kitchen to help with clean up.
Sharon came over to stand by David. "I want to thank you, Lee and Amanda, for letting the girls stay in the apartment. Are you sure it's no trouble? They could stay with us at the hotel."
Amanda was quick to reply. "Of course it's no trouble. Sarah wanted to spend the last few nights before the wedding in her old bedroom upstairs. And it will be nice for the three girls to have a little extra time together."
"Our girls love Sarah." Sharon colored a little, and her brows knit together. "But do you think they should go the party Sarah's friends are throwing for her Thursday night? I know Sarah is very conservative, but…"
"They'll be fine. It's just a couple of old roommates, her good friend Christina, and her sisters-in-law. I know Jennifer and Amy will take care of your girls, as would Sarah, of course." Suddenly Amanda's expression changed, as if she had had an inspiration. "You know, we were invited. I hadn't considered going, but you know, it might be kind of fun. What about your mother?"
"Oh! You know, it might be kind of fun to go. Mother and Dad will be fine at the hotel. They'll be asleep an hour after we have to be there anyway."
"Then it's a plan." Amanda put her hand on Sharon's arm, but Sharon gave her a quick hug.
"Well, we should probably get going. Maybe if we leave, the guys will clear out, too." David rose from the table at the same time as Lee. "It's been a pleasure, Lee."
"The pleasure's mine, David."
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Lee stood in the darkened bedroom with Amanda, listening to the quiet chatter of voices in the den below. He wrapped his arms around his wife and chuckled. "You know, we take for granted how quiet Sarah and Matt are."
"Quiet people often like having outgoing friends." She laughed softly. "That Emma Granger is so much like Sharon. They both remind me of Mother." She listened as Emma's voice rose above the others. Lauren could be heard hushing her sister.
Lee kissed her hair. "I kind of thought the same thing, too. And Sharon is like William. Lauren is more like Matt and David." He pulled away and took her hand, drawing her to the bed. "Think you can sleep with all that racket?"
"We've done it before."
Lee chuckled as they settled under the covers together. "You might have slept, but I was the one that would tell the boys and their buddies to zip it after I couldn't take it anymore. Your mother always said that I won her heart the first time I did that. She was getting weary of being the bad guy."
Amanda pretended to be aghast. "You never told me."
"The boys and I had a few secrets. Had to have our male bonding."
"Are you going to Matt's party on Thursday?"
"David and I were thinking we'd go get beers and let the young folks do their thing. He said Florence and William would be staying at the hotel."
"But Matt invited you. Sharon and I are going to Sarah's."
"I don't want to make him more embarrassed if his buddies pull some stunt. Imagine if a stripper showed up and his new father-in-law were there."
"There won't be a stripper."
"Uh, Amanda… You weren't at Jamie's party. The poor kid turned all sorts of shades of red. Thankfully the girl took mercy on him and stopped before…"
Amanda put her finger on Lee's lips. "I don't want to know. I'm sure Phillip had something to do with that. I heard Brian and Josh reassuring Matt that they wouldn't let one in the door. Matt said he'd leave—go out a window if he had to—if they pulled that on him."
"Well, I'm still not sure it's a good idea for David and me to go, but I'll think about it."
"And if they do have a stripper, you can help Matt get out of there." Amanda snuggled down further under the blankets and rolled onto her side, satisfied that she'd accomplished her goal.