Unforeseen Path

Chapter 13

Lee wasn't sure he heard Amanda correctly. "Wh-When did you-you did? Why? "

Then it was Amanda's turn to be confused. "What do you mean, why? Why does it matter to you? The point is, it's over and I'm not dating him any more. What about you and Eva? What happened there? "

Lee shuddered inside. This conversation just took a turn that he definitely did not like! He said quickly changing the topic, "So, when does your family get back? "

Amanda shaking her head began to pace around the room! "Typical Lee! When you don't like a question you shoot out another totally different one! Fine. I told you. In a few days-."

Lee stepped in front of her suddenly to keep her from pacing any more. " You already know about Eva. Parts of it anyway. The rest I don't care to discuss and I'm asking you to please respect that. Now, you brought up Dean. You wouldn't have normally. Why did you decide to mention that you'd broken it off? There had to be a reason here. Care to enlighten me? "

Amanda went back to the couch thinking, "Gosh, me and my big mouth! Darn! Why do I do that?" Sitting down she shook her head slowly as she then thought, " Because ever since the first day when you laid eyes on this hazel-eyed stranger, you knew that there was something about him that made you want to bare your soul to him. In a way that you haven't with anyone else. "

Lee watching her thought,"What is wrong with her all of a sudden?! She brought up the subject of that goofball she was dating! Now she's acting squirrely! I'll never understand the inner workings of that brain of hers! Not that I want to either. In some ways, it's kind of cute, but now the woman is just baffling and it's driving me nuts!"

Amanda spoke suddenly saying, "What's driving you nuts? "

Lee soon realized that he had started talking out loud and shook his head embarrassingly. "Uh, sorry. What were we talking about? " His mind went back to the first day they met when he'd first asked her for help. There hadn't been a lot of people at that point in his life he could trust except for his uncle of course and Billy and Francine. He was taking a real risk asking this stranger for a favor and there hadn't been a lot of time to explain why he needed the help but looking into her beautiful brown eyes at that moment he saw something there that told him she could possibly be another ally to him for just that day and that he'd made the right choice even though the one day was turning into two whole years later!

Then he reacted when he realized she was calling to him."Lee! Earth to Lee!"

He went back to the couch and said to Amanda, "I'm sorry. What's happening with us here? "

Amanda sighed, "I dunno. That's what I'm sitting here for. I'm trying to figure it out myself. Could you sit with me, please? "

Lee sat and took her hand saying, "There's something different here. I don't know what it is either. Tell me about Dean. "

Amanda shrugged, "Oh, gosh. I met him at the middle school where my kids go. It was Career Day and they had local personalities come to speak. Anyway, we went for coffee afterwards. I wasn't looking to date yet. It wasn't quite a year since the divorce, but we found we had some things in common and it just went from there. He and Mother were absolutely gung-ho for things to progress further but when he brought up the possibility of marriage someday I nearly wanted to jump out the window! "

Lee chuckled as he made slow circles with his thumb in the palm of her hand and said softly, "Well, I for one am glad you didn't. What made you decide it was over? "

Amanda sighed. " When I wasn't looking forward to his coming over for dinner and his phone calls. Besides, I was getting busier at the Agency and I had enough problems making up stories for my mother never mind keeping Dean at bay about marriage. Besides my kids will always come first when I decide to go down that road anyway, you know? "

Lee said, " I remember when we had that case where you had amnesia there for a while. You mentioned before that that his mother was going to have lunch with you? That sounds like it could have been more serious."

Amanda scoffed, "Well, I didn't earn praise from her at any rate for not showing up even though Mother tried to tell her that my job kept me busy at times hoping she'd understand even though Mother herself didn't really. Dean told me that his mother "suggested" that maybe I wasn't the right woman for him after all. He made it sound like a joke. That's when I knew it was over. "

Lee said, "I'm sorry."

Amanda then got up taking her hand away from Lee and going back to the window to look out and sighed saying, " Wow. That's the first time I ever really talked about it before to anyone. To my mother who was disappointed naturally I said that I simply wasn't ready and that it w-wasn't meant t-to be."

Lee came to her side and gently held her saying quietly, "What did she say? "

Amanda gulped, "She said that she'd known for a while that I wasn't truly happy with Dean but that her feelings didn't matter here. What was most important was that I be happy and she would not push me in any direction one way or another and she would always love and support me no matter what happened."

Lee rubbing her back slowly up and down said softly, "Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman with a big heart, Amanda. You're lucky to have her in your life. "

Amanda nodded and said, "Y-Yeah, I know. "

Slowly they pulled back from one another and looked at each other tentatively. It was a moment that neither one of them was expecting as they shared a kiss! It was meant to be one that was comforting but it seemed to be more than that as it continued...

TBC