Chapter 32

Several days later, Amanda checked her watch again. "Okay, so what time did Leatherneck say he was going to drop off the car?" she asked.

"He said four o'clock. You have another fifteen minutes. Joe's supposed to get here at five, my uncle at five-thirty," Lee rattled off with a roll of his eyes. "Amanda, you asked me that ten minutes ago. It's going to be fine."

Amanda smoothed her sweater, "Well, it is Christmas Eve and you know what traffic looks like." She sighed and looked at Lee, "I know, I'm just nervous."

Lee took her hands in his and reminded her, "It's going to be just fine. I'm sure Joe and my uncle will be just as happy for us as Harry and Billy and even Francine were."

Amanda smiled, "I'm telling you now if Aunt Lillian tries to touch me once more… I know she won't be around much between now and the time the baby is born, but it still doesn't give her the right to keep trying to touch my belly. The belly I barely even have yet, mind you."

Lee reached out and splayed his hand across her waist. "I can't wait," he teased.

"Well, I can. I mean, I looked like a watermelon with legs when I was pregnant with Jamie. I can only imagine what's going to happen with this little one," Amanda groaned.

Lee kissed her cheek and reminded her, "You're a beautiful woman, no matter what. Now, let's head downstairs and get Dotty ready for her surprise."

Together they found Dotty in the kitchen, basting the goose. Aunt Lillian and Aunt Edna were in the family room playing cards with the boys. They could hear their laughter as Aunt Lillian tried to make up her own rules. "You can't use that card again if you already used it once," Aunt Edna reminded her.

"But I changed my mind. Isn't a woman allowed to change her mind?" Aunt Lillian moaned. The boys burst into laughter once more.

From outside Lee heard a car beep four times, the cue Leatherneck was going to give before Francine drove him back to the Agency. He grinned at Amanda and said, "Um, Dotty, can you help me get something from outside? It's a surprise."

Dotty narrowed her eyes, pulled her oven mitts off and dropped the baster into the awaiting glass, "I suppose if I must."

"You must," Amanda agreed. She headed to the front door and waited until Dotty and Lee were beside her. She pulled the door open and stepped outside. Dotty's car was parked on the street, a large red bow on the hood.

"What do you need me to get?" Dotty questioned as she stepped outside.

Lee pointed at her car and teased, "You need to get your keys out of the ignition before someone drives off with your car."

"Lee, what are you talking about, I don't have a car and I certainly wouldn't leave the keys in the ignition," Dotty insisted.

"You do now, Mother. Merry Christmas," Amanda smiled as Lee wrapped his arms around her waist and tucked his chin on her shoulder.

Dotty tipped her head to the side and looked at the white Buick Skyhawk on the street. "So, you're saying that's…. My car?" she asked, incredulously. "My car," she repeated. She held her hand to her chest as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I don't even know what to say."

Lee laughed, as he released Amanda before hugging Dotty, "Don't say anything, just go take your car for a spin around the neighborhood, test it out." Dotty covered her mouth with her hands as she walked down the brick walkway. She climbed into the front seat and ran her hands over the steering wheel and dashboard several times before she finally buckled her seatbelt. Lee and Amanda watched as she slowly pulled away from the curb and drove away. "I would call that a successful Christmas gift," Lee stated with a wide grin, his dimples deep.

Amanda turned into his arms, gave him a short kiss and teased, "Much better than a scarf."

"Okay, okay, much better than a scarf," Lee admitted. "Next on our agenda, telling Joe and Carrie and the Colonel about the baby."

Amanda checked her watch and sighed. Dotty rolled back down the street a few minutes later and carefully pulled her car into the driveway. She climbed out, holding the keys up. Her new enamel "DOTTY" keychain glittered in the waning sunlight. "Lillian, Edna and I can all go to church together tonight in my new car," she announced as she got closer to the front door. They entered the foyer and Dotty immediately ran to the family room yelling, "Lee and Amanda bought me a car for Christmas!"

Lee laughed at the outburst he heard, including Philip groaning he hoped he'd get a car soon as well. "Not a chance, Ace," Lee whispered to Amanda.

The next half-hour passed quickly as everyone but Lee and Amanda went back outside to admire Dotty's new wheels. Lee brought down the gifts Amanda had hidden in his closet as she attended to the last-minute preparations for dinner. Everyone had just come back inside when Joe and Carrie arrived.

"Hey, that's a nice car out there. Did Lillian finally get her license?" Joe asked after Lee handed he and Carrie some eggnog.

"No, that's Dotty's new car. Amanda and I gave it to her for Christmas," Lee boasted.

Amanda frowned in his direction before explaining, "One of the guys we work with got it at an auction for a decent price so he sold it to us. It was one of those things."

"And now I won't have to borrow Amanda's car all the time. Which is great because after what I did to Lee's car when we first moved in, I don't think he would ever want me to drive that ever again," Dotty exclaimed. "Amanda, did you tell Joe yet?" she asked with a smile.

"Tell me what?" Joe questioned over the rim of his eggnog.

Amanda looked at Lee then back at Joe and Carrie and said, "Joe, I think you need to sit down. Lee and I have some news for you."

Carrie looked at Amanda nervously, "You're not going to tell us we can't take the boys on vacation, are you?"

"No, no, I would never do that. You both spent all that money and after buying the house and everything… no. What makes you think I would do something like that?" Amanda rambled.

Lee chuckled and held his hands up, "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with the boys."

Joe sipped his eggnog and asked, "So, what's this big news then?"

"Joe," Amanda began but Lee blurted out, "Amanda's pregnant."

Joe choked on the mouthful of liquid then coughed before he replied, "You're pregnant? You're sure? That wasn't exactly what I thought you were going to announce."

Amanda groaned inwardly, "Yes, Joe, I'm sure. We're sure. We've even had an ultrasound and everything. I'm due the beginning of July."

Carrie looked around the room at the smiling faces then back at Amanda. "Have you been trying for a while?" she asked softly, barely loud enough for Amanda to hear.

Amanda shook her head, "No, it looks like this baby is a honeymoon baby. We never thought it would happen this fast but here we are."

Joe smiled, "Well, I think this is a wonderful surprise. Sort of like how Philip was a little bit of a surprise for us."

"I guess you could say that. But anyway, we wanted you to hear it from us, not the boys," Amanda replied.

"Congratulations are in order then," Joe said as he crossed the room and gave Amanda a hug and kiss on her cheek before offering Lee his hand. "Welcome to the Dad club."

"Yeah, thanks, Joe," Lee muttered.

Carrie gave Amanda a tentative hug as she said softly, "Maybe someday Joe and I can share the same news with you."

Amanda hugged her tightly as she whispered back, "Don't lose faith. Because it will happen when you least expect it to."

Carrie smiled back at her before she slipped her arm around Joe's waist. "Who else knows? Or doesn't know?" Joe asked.

The front doorbell chimed and Lee checked his watch, "Right on time."

"I'll get it!" Jamie called out as he ran through the room. "Hey Colonel Clayton, sir. Come on in. Merry Christmas. Everyone's in the kitchen."

The Colonel followed Jamie into the room and smiled at the small group gathered there. "Merry Christmas, everyone. It smells wonderful in here," he announced.

Amanda kissed his cheek warmly as she replied, "Merry Christmas to you, too."

Lee offered his hand and said, "Merry Christmas, Colonel. You are just in time."

"Just in time for what? I'm not late, you told me five-thirty and I arrived here at five-thirty on the dot," Colonel Clayton stated firmly.

"Just in time for Amanda to tell you our big news," Lee grinned.

Colonel Clayton looked into the face of his nephew and exhaled. "Okay, let me have it."

"Lee and I are having a baby," Amanda said before biting her bottom lip. She was both nervous and excited to tell him.

"Skip, having a baby? Are you sure?" Colonel Clayton asked.

Lee rolled his eyes skyward and asked, "Why does everyone keep asing that?" He sighed loudly as he stated, "Yes, we are sure, we have a fuzzy black and white ultrasound picture to prove it."

"So, when can I plan on meeting this newest gift to the family?" Colonel Clayton asked pointedly.

"Sir?" Amanda asked confused.

Colonel Clayton smiled broadly as he stated, "Well, it is Christmas and to be honest, this is a gift of sorts. My nephew and his beautiful wife having a baby. A truly wonderful gift."

Amanda entwined her fingers with Lee's as she said, "Well, then, mark your calendars because you should be meeting this little one in July."

"I look forward to it," Colonel Clayton smiled.

Dotty surveyed the room and all the smiling faces standing or sitting around. She took a deep breath before calling to everyone, "I propose a toast before dinner. Come around the island so I can see everyone's face."

She waited a minute for everyone to get into place then began, "This has been a year of many, many changes for our family. I won't mention what occurred in February but I will say it has helped bring our family together to what it is today. I welcome Carrie and Colonel Clayton to our Christmas Eve traditional dinner and I'm pleased to see Lee has embraced our family in every way. I never imagined last year would be our last Christmas on Maplewood but then again, I never suspected last year Lee and Amanda would be married either. And now, knowing they will be adding to our family in the summer… well, my heart swells each time I think of the new little life growing inside my little girl. So, here we are, Amanda and Lee's first Christmas as husband and wife, Joe and Carrie, too. Merry Christmas everyone! May next year have as many wonderful surprises and this year has brought… without any drama, please…."

To be continued in Two Hearts, One Love.