Chapter 2

Amanda sat on the couch with Jamie snuggled in her arms. She attempted to comfort him the best she could, but nothing at that moment was going to make him feel better. Despite the colorful party hat he wore on his head, he was inconsolable. His eyes drooped as he lay against her, his body completely covered with itchy, angry welts.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry about Pretzel," she soothed, leaning her head closer to his. She cuddled him tighter.

The doorbell rang. She looked up at Phillip, who was hanging over the back of the couch. "Would you get that, Sweetheart?" Obediently, Phillip jumped up and hurried to the front door.

Turning her attention back to Jamie, she said, "Come on, now. We can have a great time. Look at all these presents." She spread her arm out to show him. She picked up a yellow box with a bright red bow. "We'll open the presents; we'll have -"

Jamie interrupted her. "That's okay, Mom." Amanda's heart melted when she heard how miserable he sounded.

Phillip leapt over the landing. "Look who's here!" he yelled excitedly. A clown followed him up to the landing where he stopped for a minute. He took a deep breath as if he was psyching himself up. But then he hopped down into the den, incessantly tooting a horn. He was tall, with bright orange hair, a blue and rainbow-colored costume, and big red shoes.

Jamie's face lit up with a big smile spreading across his dotted face. "Pretzel!" he cried, jumping off the couch. He looked closer and froze in place. "Wait a minute," Jamie continued, suddenly crestfallen. "That isn't Pretzel." He flopped back down on the couch.

"Huhuhuh." The clown laughed jovially, continuing to squeeze the horn. "Wait a minute! Waaaiiit a minute! You can't start this party without me! My name's Peanut. I'm Pretzel's brother." While Peanut was talking and tooting the horn, he awkwardly skipped and danced around. Silently, he cringed, wondering how stupid he looked.

Amanda knew that voice. She knew those eyes. Biting her lip, she narrowed her own eyes and looked up at Peanut, not believing what was happening in front of her. Lee. Oh my gosh!

Lee put the horn down on the coffee table and looked around. "Where's the rest of the party?" he asked. He avoided making eye contact with Amanda. He was glad the face paint hid the blush creeping up from his neck.

"We had to cancel it. Jamie's got the chicken pox," Amanda responded. She shrugged. She felt a tiny bit bad for Lee - he looked so embarrassed and awkward. But, after what he put her through, she was glad for a little payback.

Lee leaned over towards Jamie. "Hey, I once had the chicken pox, too! For a week, all I wanted to eat was dried corn and grains. But the clucking was the worst!" Lee started to flap his arms and cluck. Please don't tell anyone at the Agency about this, he silently begged.

Jamie and Phillip burst out in peals of giggles and started clucking and flapping their arms, joining "Peanut."

Amanda got up from the couch and motioned to Lee. She smiled sweetly. "Could I have a word with you, please?"

Lee stopped flapping and clucking and followed Amanda out the back door. When they were safely outside where no one could hear them, she asked, "What are you doing here?" She couldn't help but smile.

"Pretzel really is sick with the chicken pox. No amount of threats could get him to show up today. So, I did the next best thing… I hope."

Amanda smiled gratefully. She put her hand on his arm. "Oh my gosh, yes! Did you see Jamie's face? You've made his whole birthday."

Lee straightened a bit and beamed. Even through his white face paint, Amanda could see his dimples. "I'm glad. When I realized that Pretzel couldn't come, I had to take matters into my own hands." He held up his two gloved hands. He cleared his throat. He wasn't good at apologizing. "Look, Amanda. I owe you. I'm . . . well, I'm sorry you got mixed up in all that. I mean . . . it's my fault you got kidnapped."

Amanda took his hands in hers. For a moment, she remembered being held and comforted by Lee in the golf cart after the trade was over. "You couldn't have known that was going to happen. It's also your fault that I got rescued," she reminded him gently. "Can we just focus on that?"

Lee shrugged and nodded. He gave her a small smile. "Yeah." Her big brown eyes were happy and clear. He tried to shake the image from his mind of her terrified face as he got into the golf cart just days before. He never wanted to see that expression on her face again.

"You have no idea how much I appreciate this, Lee." She glanced in the window and watched her boys jump about and dance with excitement as Dotty began scooping out ice cream. "I can't believe the change in Jamie! He was so miserable."

While she held Lee's hands in hers, she noticed a corner of fabric peeking out of the end of his sleeve. She gave it a tug. "What's this?" she asked, slowly pulling out a handkerchief.

Lee stopped her. "Please don't," he begged. "That handkerchief is tied to twenty others, and it was a bear trying to get them all stuffed into this costume. So please don't pull anymore."

Amanda laughed brightly and tucked the piece of fabric into his sleeve again.

Lee thumbed towards the den. "Gotta go join the party now," he said, turning and stepping back into the house, joining the boys in the breakfast nook. He offered Jamie a sniff of the flower on his lapel. Jamie was rewarded with a sprinkling of water on his face. Jamie laughed so hard that he nearly fell off the bench.

"Now, me! Now, me!" Phillip cried, holding his face up and stretching towards the flower. Lee squeezed the hidden ball that sent water droplets onto Phillip's face. He giggled and wiped his face on his sleeve. "Again! Again!"

Jamie chimed in. "It's my turn!"

Amanda watched through the window. She smiled as she watched her partner interacting with her boys. That man. He never ceases to surprise me, she thought, walking into the house and joining the party.

The End.