"We're home!"

Lee did not fail to notice that Amanda included him in her greeting. He smiled to himself.

"In here, dears. I'm finishing up things."

As they entered the kitchen, Dotty was preparing to pull the roast from the oven. "Oh, Mother. Let me help you."

Lee put a hand on Amanda's arm, then gestured for her to sit down. "I'll get it for you, Dotty."

Instead of sitting down, Amanda washed her hands and went to the cupboard. She pulled out a box of saltine crackers and poured a glass of water for herself.

"Is your stomach queasy again, dear? I just know you have that bug that's going around." Dotty looked over at Lee. "I haven't been able to get her to eat breakfast in days. You're not sick, are you, Lee? They say it's catching, and well, you two do spend a lot of time together."

Lee looked uncomfortable. He stole a glance at Amanda. "Well, uh…"

Amanda was eager to get her mother's mind off of that subject. She was amazed Dotty had not suspected she was pregnant yet. "Mother, where are the boys? Lee and I need to speak with them."

"I dunno. They were gone all day, got home about an hour ago, and ran upstairs. I haven't seen them since. I guess they ate over at the Nelsons or at the theatre, because they didn't bother me for a snack." She looked up from her task of moving the vegetables out of the roasting pan. "Dinner should be ready soon."

"You don't need any help?"

"I'm fine. I just need to make the gravy."

Amanda finished the saltines and sipped a little more water. "We'll be upstairs with the boys, Mother."

"Okay, dear."

Once upstairs, Amanda ducked into her room for a moment, her purse in hand. She whispered to Lee. "I don't need anyone seeing what's in my purse."

Lee nodded.

Amanda came back out into the hall and raised her hand to knock on Phillip and Jamie's door, when she heard Phillip's voice.

"Listen, dorkface. I'm sure Mom had a perfectly good explanation for being dressed like that. But the boozer was pretty interesting. At least Lee was there, too. It did look kind of bad."

Amanda looked at Lee, all of her motherly resolve melting in an instant. Her hand fell to her side.

Seeing her expression, Lee spoke quietly. "You're not alone, remember?"

Amanda nodded, and knocked on the door. But the usually confident mother was nervous for a change.

"Yeah? Come in, Grandma."

The door opened, and Phillip and Jamie were surprised to see Amanda standing there with Lee right behind her. They exchanged looks as Amanda walked in the room. Lee stood just inside the doorway. He raised his hand in greeting as Amanda spoke.

"Hi, fellas. How was your day?"

"It was good, Mom. How was yours? Hey, Lee."

Lee was impressed by Phillip's nonchalant expression. Perhaps I could teach him a little five-card stud sometime.

At Phillip's demeanor, Amanda's motherly confidence returned, along with a small amount of irritation. It's going to be like that, is it Buster? "Well, it would have been better if my supervisor hadn't found out that my boys were following me around all day. You were supposed to be eating lunch with the Nelson kids and going to the movies."

Jamie was quick to reply. "We're sorry, Lee. Is Mom in trouble?" Unlike his brother, Jamie's expression was chagrined.

"I'm not your mom's supervisor, Jamie. But she could have been in trouble—and you and your friends could have been mixed up in some of your own, following us around like that."

"But aren't you a director and Mom is your assistant? I thought you were Mom's boss."

Amanda thought it would be best to tell them about the Agency when Dotty was could be in on the conversation. "Listen, we'll tell you all about what we do later. We just want to know why you were following us around."

"We wanted to see what you do all day, Mom. That's all. Kevin and Samantha thought it would be cool to see what film directors do." Phillip's expression was still nonchalant, but Jamie had grown more uncomfortable.

"Why not ask for a tour?"

Jamie could not bear it any longer. "Mom, why were you wearing that red dress? It looked pretty bad when you were with that man in the bar."

Suddenly feeling faint, Amanda reached for Jamie's desk chair and sat down. Concerned, Lee watched her face before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Sweetheart, I was playing a part. I know it looked bad to someone who didn't know what was going on. Trust me, nothing happened between me and that man. He was playing a part, too. Sort of."

Jamie was not sure he could believe his mother. "Oh. So it was just acting."

"Yes."

"And that lady Lee was hanging around with is a co-worker?"

Lee spoke up again. "Yes. She is also an old friend of mine—she knew my parents. She's a friend of your mother's, too."

"Oh. But why would you act in a documentary?"

Amanda had prepared herself for that question. "Sometimes we have to play a part or two, Sweetheart. I borrowed that dress from a wardrobe we have." She gestured to her clothes. "You can see that I don't normally dress like that."

"Okay." Jamie's face still held a troubled expression. "Mom, Lee. I need to confess why we really went. We were spying on you, Lee. We wanted to know more about you. You two seem pretty serious, and…"

As Jamie spoke, Lee's expression changed from one of hurt to one of compassion. "And you wanted to be sure I was okay."

It was Phillip's turn to be contrite. "Mom was pretty sad and lonely when Dad never came home from Africa and with the divorce and all. We just don't want to see her like that again."

Lee knelt down so he could be eye level with the boys, who sat on their beds. "I have no intention of leaving your mother. Ever."

"Really? Then you two are getting married?"

"Getting married? Finally? Oh, Lee, Amanda! Congratulations!" Dotty burst into the room and gave both Lee and Amanda enthusiastic hugs.

"Actually, Dotty…" Lee's expression was a mixture of guilt and discomfort.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Did I jump the gun? I've been hoping. And Lee, you just said…"

"Mo-ther! Get a hold of yourself. Let Lee say what he needs to say." Amanda nodded her encouragement to Lee, while Dotty stood by, a sheepish expression on her face.

"We wanted to wait until after dinner. Maybe it would be a good idea if we all went to eat and talked at the table." Lee looked over at Amanda. He was worried that she had hardly eaten all day. Now she looked pale again.

"Oh, of course. I did come up to tell you that dinner was ready. I tried to yell, but you didn't hear me."

Once they were seated and everyone was eating, Dotty looked at Lee. "So, will you tell us what is going on with you two?"

Lee finished chewing a bite of the roast. "Well, we are a lot more serious than you think…"

Amanda could tell Lee was hedging. She smiled her encouragement at him.

"We wanted to tell you that we already are married. We have been since February."

Dotty's fork clattered to her plate. "Why didn't you tell us?" She turned to Amanda. "Missy, you've kept a lot of secrets from me the last several years, but this one is a doozy. I expect an explanation." Dotty's eyes were flashing.

"We had a good reason, Mother."

"Well, I'd like to hear it."

"It has to do with our jobs…"

Phillip could not contain himself any longer. "Actually, I think it's really cool. It's kind of weird that you didn't tell us, but now that you've spilled the beans, Lee, why don't you move in with us? You can be our stepdad." Phillip's face reflected the animation in his words. He got up to give Lee a hug.

Jamie sat quietly, his face a mixture of confusion and varying emotions, none of them happy.

"Hold on there, Phillip. I want your mother and Lee to tell us why they kept their marriage a secret." Dotty resumed eating, but she was slicing up her roast with a vengeance.

"We're spies, Mother."

"Oh, of all the ridiculous stories you've told me, this one is the worst…"

"Mo-ther. I have told you this story before. And you didn't believe me."

Dotty thought for a moment. Remembering that day, she became concerned. "Oh, Amanda. You wanted us to leave town. Was there some kind of danger?"

"Yes, we thought so at the time. So I sent you to Maine, where you would be safe."

"But you weren't. Are you in danger a lot of the time?" Dotty's hands flew to her face. "Oh, my God. California!"

Amanda got up and went to Dotty. "We were on our honeymoon, Mother. It was an accident, just like Lee told you."

Dotty looked over at Lee. "I think I'm beginning to understand why you never told us what you really do. Why are you telling us now?"

While Amanda went back to her seat, Lee answered Dotty's question. "First of all, I want to say again that Amanda was not shot in the line of duty. We were not on a case at the time." Lee turned to the boys. "But Phillip and Jamie spurred on this discussion today. When Amanda first went to work for the Agency, they were too young to know what she did and where she worked. Now that the boys are older, their curiosity has gotten the better of them. And they managed to include their friends in their fact-finding mission when they followed us around today. It's time that you all knew what we did."

Dotty looked at Phillip and Jamie. "You lied to me. Both of you. In fact, everyone here has been lying to me." She threw up her hands in disgust. "Amanda, how long have you been a spy?"

"Four years in October, Mother. But at first I just sort of helped Lee a little and mostly worked around the office."

"Well, you did save my tail a few times back then."

"You've known each other for four years? I always knew you were having an affair." Dotty glanced quickly at the boys. "I mean, some kind of relationship."

"Mother, we weren't even friends, really, for a while."

Lee looked defensive. "You were my friend from the start. I just didn't know how to show it."

Dotty looked at Lee, then Amanda, her brows furrowed. "Okay. How long have you been dating? Really."

"I took your daughter on our first real date about a year or more ago. We went out a few times before that, but it wasn't serious until last May."

"What took you so long to tell us? We're your family, Mom." Jamie was still unhappy.

"Oh, Sweetheart. We wanted to."

"Intelligence is a dangerous business, Jamie. We were afraid that if anyone knew we were married, it might bring trouble to you, Phillip, and your grandmother."

"Then why tell us now?"

"When our supervisor found out you had followed us around, he suggested that you come to some classes that can educate you on how to be careful in public, how to talk to others about what we do, that sort of thing."

"So we have to lie, too, now?" Dotty was still upset.

"IFF is a real documentary film company. It is our official cover."

"It's still lying."

Amanda sighed. "You're right, Mother. I think you should know that I've never wanted to lie to you. But I had to."

Lee reached under the table to take Amanda's hand. "It's true, Dotty. Sometimes we would think of ways to tell you the truth without compromising the case."

"Like when you told me you were a spy." Dottie's expression was enigmatic.

"Yes."

Somehow everyone at the table had managed to eat at least some of their food. Lee noted with satisfaction that Amanda had eaten all of hers. "How about I clear the dishes?" He stood up and started to take Dotty's plate.

"Just hold on."

Lee sat back down, a nervous expression on his face.

"When you were gone that time last fall and in trouble, you were on some kind of mission, weren't you? And that man, Mr. Melrose. You know him, don't you? That's why you thought of asking him to help Harry. Were you really the ones investigating Harry?"

"Yes, Mother. Lee offered to help me find out more about Harry. We were both worried about you. And yes, Mr. Melrose is our supervisor. He encouraged us to tell you about the Agency tonight."

"I guess he is a nice man. He was kind to Harry. Is he a good boss?"

"Yes, Mother."

Lee went to get up again. "Just another minute, Lee. Why now? Why tell us now about your marriage?"

"I told you that the boys were following us around today." She turned to Phillip and Jamie. "I think you both know that you can never do that again. You not only put yourselves in danger, but you could have caused some real problems on the case."

"Yes, Mom." Jamie looked down at his plate.

"Yes, Mom. But it was pretty cool. Now we know what you do all day."

"Yes, well. I very rarely have to do what I did today, thank goodness. Normally we sit at desks, typing up reports and looking at computers. Sometimes we drive around to different places so we can ask people questions. It's pretty boring to watch."

"Then we picked a good day."

Lee was stern. "Phillip, you can't tell your friends what we do. And if you ever try to follow us around again, we could lose our jobs."

"We won't punish you this time, since we all owe one another apologies." Amanda was firm, too. "But there will be no second time."

Phillip, finally chagrined, did his best to sound obedient. "Yes, Mom. Yes, Lee. What will we tell Samantha and Kevin?"

"Don't tell them anything. What do they think we do?"

"They think you make documentaries, like I said before. Samantha thought you were acting. She didn't think you would really act that way with a drunk guy."

"And as I told you upstairs, it was acting. After a fashion. I had to find out some information from that man. Lee was with me the entire time and nothing ever happened. It just looked bad. And as I said, I usually don't have to do that kind of thing. Thankfully."

Dotty's eyebrows furrowed once again. "I don't think I want to know."

"I'd rather not get into it again right now, Mother."

"Let's have some dessert, then. I baked a cake."

Lee finally got up to clear the dishes. Once they had eaten dessert, he volunteered to do the dishes with Jamie and Phillip, while Amanda went upstairs. Dotty sat at the counter, grilling Lee about his career while he answered as much as he could.

Amanda pulled the test out of her purse and sighed. It's now or never. Lee will be up soon to see what it says. I wish we could have done this at his apartment. She took the test into the bathroom and shut the door.

When she came out ten minutes later, Lee was perched on the edge of her bed. "You were in there a long time."

"I'm sorry. I was waiting for the result. I didn't know you were up here."

"So?"

Amanda motioned for Lee to come into the bathroom. The test lay on the counter, and a very pink line showed through the window.

"The test says I'm pregnant. Although I still need to go to the doctor to be certain. That appointment I made for tomorrow is with my obstetrician."

It was all Lee could do to contain himself as he wrapped his arms around his wife. He wanted to shout for joy, but the family had had enough bombshells for one evening. This was one piece of news they could save for another day.

He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"You sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes, I am. Besides, if it's accurate, there's no turning back now, Scarecrow. You're going to be a daddy whether you want to or not."

"I definitely want to." He pulled back a little and put his hand on Amanda's abdomen.

She covered his hand with her own and they both looked down. "I'm excited, too. I guess I'll show it more once this morning sickness goes away. Kind of puts a damper on things for me." They moved their hands away again.

"Isn't there something you can do about it?"

"Yeah. I used to get up and eat a snack during the night when I was pregnant with Jamie. I'll try that again. Then I was able to eat some breakfast. I need to eat more than I have been."

Lee put his hand on Amanda's cheek. "Yes. Just tell me what I need to do, and I'll help you get through this."

Touched by his words, Amanda turned her face to kiss his hand.

Lee still had questions. "Does the morning sickness last for a while? I thought it was only at the beginning…"

"I usually get better after a couple of months. Then there are other things you'll want to know about. I've heard there are some good books out now…"

"We'll pick one out after we go to the doctor."

"You know, at some point I won't be able to work in the field. I won't be there to watch your back." Amanda stared at her feet.

Lee angled his face so he could see into her eyes. "Let's cross that bridge when we get to it. Hopefully this case will be wrapped up by tomorrow." He pulled back. "Um, before I go tonight, I need to talk with Jamie. He didn't say a word while we washed the dishes. In fact, he insisted that he and Phillip had it covered. That's why I was already up here."

"Oh. I should talk with him first. It may be about today." She searched Lee's face. "I wish you didn't have to leave tonight."

"Amanda, let me talk with him. It might help if he knew I wasn't bothered about your little thing with Whitsett. You handled yourself like a pro today, you know. And about tonight. Doesn't it seem like it would be better if I moved in gradually?"

"You weren't bothered about Whitsett, huh? I had a different impression. And you are right. It might be good if we let everyone get used to the marriage idea. I could come over tomorrow after work and help you pack."

"I can think of a few things we could do, and they don't involve packing." Lee winked and flashed a smile, his dimples becoming quite obvious.

Amanda wondered if their baby would be a boy—one who would be able to wrap himself around her finger just like his father did every time he offered her his dimpled smile. "Shouldn't you go talk with Jamie?"

She could not help grinning back at Lee before he went looking for Jamie, who was lying on the bed in his room. Lee could hear the sounds of a baseball game coming from the television downstairs. He knocked on the doorframe. "May I come in?"

"I guess you're entitled, since you're my stepdad now." Jamie kept his eyes focused on the book in front of him.

From Jamie's tone of voice, Lee could tell he would have to tread carefully. He feared that all of the progress he had made earning Jamie's trust had vanished. "Well, it's still your room. I haven't even moved in, yet." Lee rested his hand on the back of Jamie's desk chair. "May I sit down?"

"Sure. I guess you'll be moving in right away. Mom will like that."

"We'll see. It's a lot for everyone to handle. No need to rush."

Jamie glanced up. "You probably like having your own place. No teenagers to bother you."

"Hey. I've enjoyed having you and Phillip over. To tell you the truth, it gets lonely at my place. In fact, you didn't know it, but I've come by many times while you and Phillip were doing your homework, or getting ready for bed, to talk to your mom. This was during the first few years we were friends, before your mom and I were engaged. Your mom has always been someone I could confide in—I guess it was nice being able to talk about a case, tell her some exciting news, or lean on her for a little support after a bad day. It was nicer than hanging out by myself at my apartment." Or going to some bar.

"Mom is easy to talk to." Jamie's tone was not as stiff as when Lee had first entered his room.

"Yeah. And I used to enjoy watching you and your brother sometimes. I don't mean to sound creepy. It was nice knowing you and your grandmother were safe. And that your mom was safe."

Jamie looked at Lee for a long moment. He started to say something, and then stopped.

Lee waited, taking the opportunity to look at the pile of books on Jamie's desk. "You have some great books here. I wouldn't mind reading some of these again. Captain Jack Aubrey is one of my favorite characters."

"You can borrow them. But a couple of those are library books." Jamie sat up on the bed. "Lee, I need to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Are you scared sometimes? I mean, isn't intelligence work pretty dangerous? I've read a lot about it."

"Every good agent gets scared. It keeps him on his toes. But your mom is a great back up."

"Do you get scared she'll get hurt?"

"Yes, I do. To be honest, I've been accused of being overprotective of your mom. Besides worrying about her because I love her, I feel responsible for her. I trained your mother, and I'm still the senior agent."

"Then didn't it bother you when she was with that guy today?"

"I wouldn't be honest if I said it didn't bother me that the guy was falling all over your mom, but she was playing an important part in an investigation, so she was doing her job. He may have looked at your mom, but he didn't touch her. I was with her the entire time. Your mother does not like 'playing those roles,' as we say, so she hardly ever does. This was the first time in about a year. It's probably the last time, too."

"Oh." Jamie sat there, digesting Lee's words.

Lee looked at the books again, waiting to see if Jamie needed to talk some more.

"Lee?"

He turned back to Jamie. "Yeah?

"If you don't want to live by yourself, you should move in soon. It's weird not to live with your wife. Don't let us stop you. I know Phillip can't wait. He was talking about it after you went upstairs."

"Well, your grandmother may think differently."

"Grandma will settle down. She always does."

Lee grinned. "Thanks, Jamie. It means a lot to me that you want me to move in here."

"I'll keep that Jack Aubrey book out for you. You'll probably be too busy packing to read it right now."

"Maybe we could get more books in the series and read them together, okay?"

It was Jamie's turn to grin. "That would be great!"

Lee met Amanda downstairs. Dotty had taken her tea out onto the back patio, saying she needed time to think. Phillip was engrossed in the baseball game. Lee took Amanda's hand and led her into the living room, where he filled her in on his conversation with Jamie.

Amanda hugged her husband. "You were right to talk with him. It sounds like it went really well. I just wish I could read my mother. She's closed herself off. That's not like her."

"Let's give her some time." Lee kissed Amanda. "I should get going. You're pretty tired and the operation starts early tomorrow. Don't forget to eat a snack. I guess you'll have to set an alarm so you'll wake up."

"Maybe. I've already started getting up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night."

"Oh yeah. I noticed that at the cabin." He pulled away. "I will at least try to say good night to your mother. Start mending fences. Maybe I could bring up my idea about the garage."

Lee said his good nights to Amanda and Phillip. He opened the door and stepped out onto the back patio. Dotty turned briefly to acknowledge him.

"Thank you for the delicious dinner, Dotty. I'm sorry that Amanda and I ruined it with our news." Lee stepped around the picnic table, hoping his words would sound sincere. "I hope that somehow you'll be able to forgive us for not telling you everything sooner."

"Oh, I'm sure I will. It's a lot to digest."

"Yeah. Well, good night."

"You're leaving?" Dotty was not her usual friendly self, eager to make Lee feel welcome. But she was not cold, either.

"Uh, yeah."

"Shouldn't you be with your wife?"

"We thought it would be a lot to handle…"

"Maybe so. But you should move in soon. It isn't right for a husband and wife to be apart. Amanda's father and I could never stand it when he was away on business."

"Truth is, Dotty, we were thinking of you. This is your house, too."

"Yes and no. I moved in to help Amanda with the boys after the divorce was final. I was living in my own home before that."

"Well, this is still your home. You don't have to leave. I hope you won't."

"It's awfully crowded upstairs already."

Lee looked out across the backyard at the garage. Dotty took another sip of her tea.

"You know, if we all stayed in this house, that garage attic could easily be converted into an apartment."

Dotty regarded Lee, not sure how to respond.

"No, I mean it. I have a little nest egg… We could have an engineer figure out how to support a second floor, run some plumbing, add some windows, rebuild the roof to make more clearance inside…"

"You just thought of this?"

Lee looked sheepish. "No. I had thought of it after Amanda and I became engaged last fall. I was looking at houses in Rockville, and she wasn't too interested. So I looked into ways to renovate this place."

Dotty gazed compassionately at her son-in-law. "So you didn't always intend to hide your marriage?"

"No." Lee looked down, uncomfortable.

"Well, at least we know now. And you can stop living all by yourself in that apartment in Georgetown. Call a contractor when you get a chance, and we'll see what we can do with the garage. I'd love to stay and be near the boys, since Amanda is working full time. And I don't care to live by myself again. As long as I'm not in the way, that is."

"I think Amanda would be more than happy to have you stay here, Dotty. I know I will." Just wait until you find out about the baby. Lee hoped that Dotty would be as excited about the baby as he was. It has been twelve years since Jamie was born...

For the first time that evening, Dotty offered Lee a smile. "You know, I never did congratulate you two for actually being married. Welcome to the family, Lee. You know I've been hoping all this time that you two would tie the knot, and here you already had." She chuckled a little. Dotty got up to give him a hug, and then went to pick up her mug.

Lee followed her towards the back door so he could open it for her. "Well, Amanda and I have an early day tomorrow. I'll just let myself out through the gate. Good night."

"Good night, Lee." Before he could move away, Dotty kissed him on the cheek. "And thank you for finally telling me. I really am glad you're a part of our family."

Grinning to himself, Lee made his way to his Corvette.