Chapter 3

Coming back out of her reverie, Amanda finished cleaning her face, left the bathroom and headed towards the stairs. She stopped at the foyer and watched Lee as he slept fitfully on the couch. Their evening definitely had not turned into the weekend she and Lee had planned. Amanda thought as she moved closer towards Lee.

"Lee?" Amanda reached down and stroked the top of Lee's head, running her hand through his soft strands.

"Amanda?" Lee called out in his sleep. "Said, I was…sorry," Lee mumbled turning over to one side.

"Yes, yes sweetheart, you did say you were sorry," Amanda whispered.

Amanda sat on the end of the couch and watched as Lee stirred, his eyes opened wide staring up at Amanda. "Amanda?"

"Lee."

Lee sat up, his head resting against the end of the couch and touching Amanda's back. "About last night—" they both began at the same time then laughed.

"Amanda, let me go first. I'm sorry."

"Me too, Lee!"

"It was a stupid thing; I didn't mean what I said about never listening to me."

"And, I know you trust me, and sometimes I can be too rash going in when I should just wait in the car or wait for the situation to work out."

Amanda leaned down and touched her lips to Lee's.

"Amanda," Lee cooed against Amanda's mouth.

"But Lee, you did need my help."

"Amanda, I would have been okay."

"But you needed help."

"Then you should've called for back-up!"

"If you had another partner, wouldn't they have come inside with you? And then called for back-up later, only if needed?"

"Yes, but that isn't the point."

"Then what exactly is the point, Lee?"

"They aren't my wife. " Lee said, running his fingers through his hair. "If something happened to one of them, I would be sad, upset, angry even, but I would be able to go on. But Amanda, if something happened to you, I just wouldn't know what to do. I know I said when I first met you that I was a lone wolf, but Amanda, ever since I've met you, I haven't been alone."

Amanda stared down at her husband and reached out and took his hands in hers.

"Lee, remember what you told me when we were dating, and I was so afraid of getting married again? You told me that you weren't going anywhere. Well, Buster, I'm not going anywhere either. You have me for life. And I plan on staying around for a long, long time." She kissed his cheek. "We're still partners, just like we were before we got married and I'm gonna watch your back, just like you watch mine."

Lee smiled up at Amanda, the dimples she loved so much coming out.

"Lee, is mother home?"

"I don't think so, although, I thought I heard her come in this morning. I must've dreamed of it. Why?"

"Well, you know we never did celebrate last night. And the house is still empty—" Amanda said pushing Lee down towards the couch.

"Whatever do you have in mind, Mrs. Stetson?"

"Oh just a little dessert before breakfast," Amanda cooed against Lee's lips.

"Ooh, Mrs. Stetson!"

Lee breathed as he pulled Amanda forward and kissed her.

As the kiss grew more passionate, Amanda pulled back slightly causing Lee to grumble. "Amanda, I thought you weren't angry any longer."

"Oh, I just thought that maybe we should take this upstairs."

"Must we?" Lee asked pulling Amanda back in his arms.

"Ooh!" Amanda said as Lee's lips assaulted Amanda's mouth more and more the kiss growing even deeper.

Later that afternoon, when Dotty arrived, Lee and Amanda were sitting comfortably on the couch, Amanda's head against Lee's chest, one arm draped around Amanda, the other holding his coffee cup. They were both dressed leisurely in sweats and t-shirts.

They seemed almost oblivious to her arrival. Placing her luggage against the door, she stepped further into the house and cleared her throat and said, "Good morning, Dears!" She was glad to see that the sheets were gone.

Amanda, who looked as though she was about to jump out of her skin, said, "Oh, hello, Mother!"

"Good morning, Dotty!" Lee joined in.

"Mother, where have you been, we thought you were supposed to get back hours ago."

"I was but, well, I decided to well…run some errands and went and visited a friend. Didn't you see my message?"

"Message? What message?" Amanda blinked and glanced towards the answering machine. Sure enough, it was lit up!

"No worries, darlings. Did you have a good weekend without any distractions?"

Lee and Amanda looked at one another but didn't say a word.

"Well, I'll let you two get back to relaxing." Good thing I wasn't in any trouble or anything, Dotty thought to herself. I'm so glad I stayed away a little longer though.

"Okay, Mother!"

"What was that all about?" Lee asked once Dotty was upstairs.

"Beats me, I was going to ask you," Amanda said.

Lee and Amanda looked from one another and shrugged their shoulders. Lee took Amanda's hand in his and lightly kissed it.

"Amanda?"

"Yes, Lee?"

"I love you, partner!"

"And, I love you too, partner!"

The end.

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