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Sunday morning Amanda King woke up in exactly the place she expected to. Her house. Alone. Surprisingly, she had no good reason as to why that seemed to bother her.
The previous night had turned out completely different than Amanda had planned. With Dotty and Phillip both gone for the evening, she intended to make Jamie a sandwich for dinner and the rest of the night would be hers. She had splurged on her favorite bubble bath and borrowed one of her mother’s romance novels planning on relaxing.
Instead, Amanda had found herself sitting across from Lee enjoying chili dogs and each other’s company. She had driven back home by herself slightly disappointed that the night had come to an end so soon.
A morning person her entire life, Amanda usually faced the day by bounding out of bed. Today, she was finding it difficult to get out from under the covers. As the sunlight filled her bedroom that morning she reasoned that maybe it was how unusually quiet the normally busy house was. Or possibly it was the extra half of a chili dog she eaten. Deep, deep down she had a nagging suspicion that it had more to do with someone else than it did with food. As she had for most of her adult life, Amanda opted to focus on everyone else but herself and ignore the feelings triggered by that thought.
After a quick shower she started a load of laundry for the boys. They would need their basketball uniforms for Tuesday. The next Trailblazer meeting was on Wednesday, and Amanda was in charge of snacks. Dotty had mentioned needing a few groceries for that week’s meals so she made a list for later. Then Amanda had promised Mr. Melrose she would be finished with her latest transcripts on Monday so she set to work.
The boys were home by lunch, and Dotty came in the door mid-afternoon. The rest of the day was spent listening to stories about bumper cars, blaster buttons, and hybrid blossoms.
The next couple weeks went on as normal. If dodging bullets, near misses, and mistaken identities could be considered normal.
It was a sunny Thursday afternoon and Amanda had no sooner entered the house before she was bombarded by both the boys at the same time.
“Mom! Guess what! You will never guess. It’s so c.…”
“Hey Mom! I have to tell you. You will not belie..…”
She held her hands up to stop them. “One at a time please. Philip, you first.”
“Remember that science project I did on transistor radios?” Amanda nodded. “I got picked to present it at Parents’ Night!”
“Philip! That is wonderful! I am so proud of you!” Amanda beamed at her oldest. “Now Jamie.”
“My project on Germany got picked for Parents’ Night too! Usually they just pick older kids, but Miss Breeden said mine was so well done it should be presented.”
Amanda wrapped the two in a tight bear hug. “I am so proud of both of you!”
At that moment Dotty came in through the front door. “So I see our two scholars informed you about Parents’ Night,” she said smiling. “I was just over at Edna’s telling her the good news.”
“Bragging about the good news, you mean,” Amanda teased.
“If it’s considered bragging to tell a friend about what successful students your grandchildren are, then I guess I was,” Dotty shot back. “But turnabout’s fair play. I did have to listen to the story about her granddaughter’s solo in the dance recital three times.”
Amanda chuckled, “How about if we celebrate our scholars by going to Marvelous Marvin’s for dinner?”
“YEAH!” The boys shouted at the same time. Not a fan of Marvin’s, Dotty rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
“Okay,” Amanda continued, “Give me 10 minutes to get changed and we’ll head out.”
Dotty spoke up. “That gives you boys enough time to put on clean t-shirts and wash your hands. They’ve been playing outside,” she explained.
“Awww Grandma…”
She cut them off. “Don’t awww Grandma me. Now scoot.”
Philip and Jamie were halfway up the stairs before either of the women could say, “And don’t run.”
“Amanda, this really is excited news. You should be very proud.”
“You should too Mother. After all, you’ve helped me raise them.”
Dotty looked pleased but protested, “I am just doing what any good mother would for her daughter and grandsons. It’s not a sacrifice when it’s for people you love.” She sighed for extra dramatic effect.
Amanda smiled knowingly, “Well, we appreciate it Mother. Now I’d better get out of my work clothes. Be back down in a few minutes.”
Soon the four of them were piled in the car. As they were pulling up to Marvelous Marvin’s Jamie spotted a familiar silver car in the parking lot across the street. When he saw its owner walking out of the building he waved and called out “Lee!”
Lee head spun toward the shout, and his hand automatically moved to his firearm. When he saw who it was, he relaxed and waved back. With long strides he crossed the street with a smile on his face.
“Hey guys, what’s up? Did your mother burn the pot roast again?” He teased.
“That was one time,” Amanda retorted. “And it was because I got called in for a work emergency remember?” She tried to sound stern, but the twinkle in her eye gave her away. “Actually, we’re having a celebratory dinner.”
Jamie piped up, “Guess what! I got picked to present my Germany project at Parents Night!”
Before Lee could respond Philip added, “And my transistor project got picked too.”
“Wow! I am genuinely impressed.” Lee tipped his head to the side. “Sounds like you have two good reasons to celebrate.”
“We most definitely do,” Dotty agreed. “You know the boys get their brains from my side of the family.”
“Mother,” Amanda admonished.
“It’s true, Amanda,” Dotty insisted. “Our family tree is just full of the intellectually gifted.” She turned to Lee, “You know, Amanda was a very accomplished student. Her instructors were always telling me how impressed they were with her.”
Blushing and desperate to change the subject Amanda asked, “So, what brings you to our neck of the woods, Lee?”
“Just checking in with a friend. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, and I wanted to hear about his trip to Paris.” Amanda nodded slightly to indicate she understood that he had been checking in with a source.
Before she could change the subject herself Jamie interrupted. "Hey Mom,” he asked, “can Lee celebrate with us too?”
“I don’t want to intrude on a family event,” Lee protested.
To Lee and Amanda’s surprise, Dotty stepped in. “Nonsense,” she said taking Lee by the arm. “You were a wonderful resource for Jamie, and I’m sure a big part of why his project was chosen.”
Before he knew it, Lee was seated at a booth with the others, a burger, fries, and soda in front of him. The boys did most of the talking, chattering on about school, their friends, and their projects.
“Mom, can we have some dessert?” Philip asked. “They just added choco-loco cookies to the menu.”
Amanda looked doubtful.
Lee spoke up, “Hey, you bought my dinner. How about if I take care of dessert? Okay?”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I want to,” he insisted.
“All right,” Amanda relented. She turned to Philip and winked, “In that case, get me one too please.”
Lee handed the money to Philip. “Make that four. Dotty?”
“No thank you. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
Lee stood up as Dotty got up and made her way to the restroom. The boys headed to the counter.
Finally alone, Amanda leaned in to ask in a hushed tone, “What did you find out?”
Lee looked around to make sure no one was listening, “Nothing. My source is going to put out some feelers though.”
Before Amanda could reply the boys returned with the cookies.
Lee took a bite and nodded, “These are pretty good.”
“Better than mine?” Amanda inquired.
“Oooh nooo, I am not about to walk into that trap,” he said putting his hands up.
“What trap?” Philip wanted to know.
Lee leaned in, “The ‘no matter what you answer you lose’ trap. I know better than to get into one of those. Especially with your mother.”
By this time Dotty had returned. “A wise man,” she said chuckling. “We’d better get these scholars home. After all, it’s a school night.”
Lee stood up, “Right. I’d better get going myself. Congratulations again on Parents Night.”
It was the opportunity Jamie had been waiting for. “Mom, since Lee helped me with the project can he come to Parents Night?”
Taken aback, Amanda didn’t respond right away.
Philip, however, jumped into the conversation. “He can’t. He’s not a parent, wormbrain.”
“Grandma went last year, and she’s not a parent,” Jamie shot back. Then he added, “Doofus.”
Amanda’s “Knock it off!” was so strict that even Lee sat up.
Both boys gave a mumbled “sorry”.
Then Philip added hopefully, “I just thought Dad might be able to come.”
Amanda felt that familiar pang that always hit her stomach when one of the boys mentioned their father attending an event. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Joe there. It was just that more than often she wound up having to look into disappointed eyes while making some excuse as to why he couldn’t make it after all.
“Philip, Parents Night is in a little more than 3 weeks. There’s no phone service where he is right now so we’d have to send a letter. Even if it does reach him, he might not be able to get away from work to come.”
Philip looked down at the ground. “Yeah, I know. It’s just, since both of us are going to be presenting….” he trailed off.
Amanda squatted down to look her oldest in the eye. “Philip, I know how much this means to you. All I can promise is I will do my best. Deal?”
“Deal,” he agreed sounding a little more upbeat.
Lee spoke up in the silence that followed. “Look, I gotta go. Thanks again for dinner. See you soon.” With that he crossed back to his car and drove off.
Amanda and crew got in their car and headed back home. The rest of the evening was a flurry of bath time, homework checking, and prepping for the next day. Once the boys were in bed, Dotty went to her room as well. Amanda headed back down to make sure everything was locked up for the night.
Meanwhile Philip’s obvious disappointment at his father’s absence from Parents Night had been gnawing at Lee. He had seen the pain it caused Amanda too. She tried so hard to do the job of two parents. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for them, and yet he knew a part of her still felt lacking. He wished there was something he could do to fix it. Then a thought hit him. After a quick phone call, he turned the Porsche around and headed for Maplewood Drive.
Amanda was just about to check the lock on the back door when Lee knocked on the window. Despite the fact that it was so light that she barely heard it, Amanda jumped.
“Do you always have to do that?” she asked slightly annoyed as she opened the door.
Lee gave her a sheepish smile, “Is it safe for me to come in for a minute?”
“Yeah, everyone is upstairs in bed. Is there something with the case?”
“No, I just had an idea to help you with Joe.”
“With Joe?” Amanda was very confused.
“With getting ahold of him, I mean. I called in a favor, and a friend of mine can get a letter to him via diplomatic pouch.”
“Is that even legal?” Amanda asked uncertainly.
Lee shrugged. “It’s not illegal………..exactly. It’s a gray area.” He rolled his eyes and asked impatiently, “A-man-da, do you want to send the letter or not?”
It took her all of one second to accept Lee’s offer. “Do you need the letter right now?”
“You can give it to me in the morning.” He paused, “And don’t tell the boys just in case something goes wrong. I would hate to get their hopes up for nothing.”
Amanda was deeply touched that Lee cared so much about the boys. Despite her short time at the agency, she understood the value of a hard-earned favor and the significance of calling one in. It wasn’t something that agents took lightly.
Before she realized what she was doing Amanda threw her arms around Lee and gave him a big hug with a whispered “Thank you.”
They stayed in the embrace for a moment until Lee cleared his throat and stepped back.
“Well,” he said, “I guess I’d better get going.” However, he stood there awkwardly looking at her.
Amanda could only look back until she managed to respond, “Yeah, me too. I mean, I need to go. To work. On the letter.” She laughed a little at herself and then smiled, “Thanks again.”
Lee returned the smile and gave a quick wave. Then he was gone.
Amanda went to a drawer and retrieved some paper and a pen. She scribbled down a note to Joe explaining about Parents Night including the event information. Then she folded it, put it in an envelope and put the envelope next to her purse.
She hummed to herself as she climbed up the stairs lost in thought. The memory of that hug and the feeling of being held in Lee’s arms kept distracting her as she prepared for bed. Even as she closed her eyes to sleep, she couldn’t shake the remnants of that warm feeling. Maybe she was mistaking gratitude about the diplomatic pouch for something else. “That was all it was,” she reasoned as she rolled over and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Lee was humming along with the radio as he made his way home. He’d never admit it to anyone, but he really enjoyed being around Amanda’s family. Lee was surprised by how willingly they’d accepted him into the group. Especially Dotty. The last two times she was the one who had pulled him in physically and conversationally.
Then there was the hug. He flashed back to that moment in her kitchen and how it felt to have Amanda in his arms. He’d never experienced anything like that before even with Dorothy or Eva. At that moment Lee had felt…….at peace? safe? home? Maybe he was confusing the inclusion he felt with her family for something else. “That was all it was,” he reasoned as he pulled into a parking space.
The next morning Amanda was already working away in the bullpen when Lee arrived. He had made a quick stop to check with another source before he came in.
Amanda had put the letter in a file folder on top of some other paperwork for Lee. The last thing she wanted was for him to get into trouble for breaking the rules or for their coworkers to wonder why he would break them for her. Before she could hand the paperwork to him however, Billy opened his door.
“Lee, Francine. Get in here. Now.”
The two of them exchanged questioning looks as they entered and sat down. Amanda tried to watch, but Billy shut the door and closed the blinds. Ten minutes later, the two of them walked out with serious looks on their faces.
“Everything okay?” Amanda asked tentatively.
“Yeah, Billy’s been getting heat from the higher ups about the lack of progress in the case. Francine and I are going to check a possible lead.” He paused, “Can you do me a favor and go through the transcripts? You usually notice something that the rest of us miss.”
“Absolutely,” she answered feeling proud that he acknowledged her contributions.
Francine let out a sigh, “Let’s go,” she said impatiently.
“Lee,” Amanda stopped him before he could go. “I have that paperwork for you.”
“Right,” he replied absently, “I’ll look at it when I get back.”
“But,” she insisted, “I have the form that you called me about.”
“What?” Lee was so focused on finding a lead that he wasn’t understanding.
“The form you called me about after work yesterday.” Her eyes were wide as she tried to convey her meaning without Francine catching on. “The one you said Accounting was going “choco-loco’ about so it wouldn’t be late.”
Comprehension dawned in Lee’s eyes. “Oh yeah, you know how they can be.” He held out his hand and took it from Amanda.
He turned to his fellow agent. “Francine, I’ll meet you in the foyer. I have to take care of this first.”
“Fine,” Francine huffed. “But hurry up.”
Lee made sure Francine was out of earshot before he softly said, “Sorry, I just got caught up in this investigation. I will get this to my friend this morning. Trust me.”
“You’re a government agent. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?” Amanda responded.
With a quick smile and wink he was gone.
Amanda allowed herself some hope. If anyone could get find a way to get a message to Joe, it would be Lee. He was truly a man of his word. She had been let down enough to know how rare that was. Her instincts were telling her that Lee had personally connected with her boys and their situation. She knew only the vaguest of details about his family and childhood, but from what she had pieced together she guessed his childhood had been very different from hers.
Meanwhile, Lee had transferred the letter from the folder to his inside jacket pocket. He waited a few minutes before getting on the elevator to give the appearance he had stopped by Accounting.
Francine was speaking with Mrs. Marston when he stepped into the lobby. Seeing Lee she glanced at her watch and pointedly said, “If you’re ready, we should probably be going. Or does Amanda need you to take a requisition to Fabrication? What’s the deal with you running errands anyway? She’s not even an agent. Are you afraid she’ll get lost again?”
Despite himself, Lee chuckled at the memory of the day Amanda had accidentally wandered into his top secret briefing with a double agent while looking for the supply closet.
Double agents were notorious for being edgy and untrusting, even with their own side. This one was no exception. Pulling out the gun he had somehow managed to sneak past security, he pointed it directly at Amanda. Fearing for his partner’s life, Lee moved to get between her and the weapon.
Before Lee could get there, the man exclaimed, “Amanda?”
The woman in question stared at the speaker, blinked rapidly, and gasped, “Arthur?”
It turned out Amanda had been Arthur’s camp counselor. Lee could only stand there speechless as the previously surly agent transformed into an excited young man singing along with Amanda to the Camp Hanover theme song. The two of them were chatting animatedly about some canoe race, when he finally recovered.
“A-man-da,” he interrupted, “If you don’t mind, ‘Angler’ and I have some things we have to discuss.”
“Who?” Amanda
Lee sighed. “Arthur,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Actually,” Arthur/Angler interjected, “I’d feel much more comfortable if Amanda, I mean Agent West, sat in.”
Lee grudgingly agreed, figuring it would be easier to go along with the ruse than to explain that Amanda wasn’t technically an agent or a “West”. Surprisingly, the rest of the interview went very smoothly with Arthur/Angler providing a large amount of useful information. He even asked to schedule the next meet up, provided that Agent West would be present as well. Normally, Lee had to literally twist his arm to meet up.
Lee also recalled how annoyed he’d been with Amanda after. He still felt a little guilty for lecturing her about protocol when she’d once again helped him out. Feeling the need to defend his partner Lee responded to Francine’s questioning, “I seem to remember you wandered into a couple places you weren’t supposed to be your first year here. Or don’t you remember the time a certain rookie set off Code 5 alert?”
That seemed to shut her down. “Fine. You’ve made your point,” she acquiesced. “Can we get going now?”
“Absolutely,” Lee agreed. “We just need to make a quick stop at the State Department on the way.”
“The State Department? Why?” Francine questioned. “Is there a development you haven’t told me about?”
“It has to do with another case,” Lee answered vaguely. “It will only take a minute. You can wait in the car.”
While Francine waited impatiently in the Porsche, Lee quickly located Calvin Keller’s State Department office.
“I gotta run Cal, but thanks again for handling this,” Lee said shaking his hand.
The slightly graying man nodded, “You bet. Don’t forget you owe me one now. Bye.”
With the letter safely in Cal’s hands. Lee was free to focus on the case at hand.
A few days later, the phone rang at Maplewood Drive.
Amanda had just come in the door. She set her purse down and quickly picked up the receiver. Her hello was greeted by raspy static. She was about to hang up when she heard a faint “Amanda?”
“Joe?” She strained to hear the reply.
“Yeah. Listen, I managed to find a phone, but I can’t talk long. I got your letter about Parents Night. I don’t know how you managed to get it here. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be there.”
“Oh, that’s great. The bo..” The line went dead and she put the receiver back. Despite the abrupt end to the call, Amanda was thrilled. She picked the phone up again and dialed Lee’s number.
Amanda waited for the answering machine’s beep before she spoke, “Lee, it’s Amanda. I just wanted to..”
Before she could finish, the phone was picked up and Lee’s baritone came over the line.
“Amanda, is everything okay?” There was a touch of concern in his voice.
“Yes, I wanted to tell you Joe got the letter. He just called. It was a bad connection, but he said he’ll be back for Parents Night. The boys are going to be so excited. I just can’t thank you enough. It means so much to me that you did this.”
“I didn’t really do anything,” he protested. He could hear the emotion in her voice and pictured her brown eyes tearing up from happiness. Emotions were not his strong suit, and Lee tried to avoid them.
Amanda sensed Lee’s discomfort. Wiping the stray tear rolling down her cheek, she took a deep breath to steady herself and said, “Well, it was very nice of you. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” Amanda could hear the satisfaction in his voice and pictured the smile on his face that came from knowing how appreciated his help was. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work. Bye.” Then he hung up.
At that moment his doorbell rang. After looking through the peephole, he opened the door for a young man holding a package.
“My cousin was able to find another bottle of the ’42, Mr. Stetson.”
“Thank you, Tim. The usual price?” Lee questioned.
“Yes sir,” the young man verified.
Lee pulled out his wallet and handed Tim some bills. “Keep the change.”
The delivery boy’s eyes widened at the amount, “Thank you, Mr. Stetson.”
Tim bounced down the stairs planning how to spend his unexpected bonus. Judging from the smile on his customer’s face and the large tip he gave, he reasoned Mr. Stetson must have had some very good news. Either that or he was an even bigger fan of the ’42 than his cousin had thought.
Upstairs, Lee put the latest additional to his collection safety away. For a moment he had considered opening the bottle, but a wine as good as the ’42 wasn’t something you drank alone. It was meant to be enjoyed with someone as special as the vintage.
At that, he found his thoughts turning to Amanda. She would appreciate it, especially after patiently listening to him go on about it during that stakeout. It was a long night and for once Amanda had run out of things to say. He had just had his first taste of the ‘42 the night before.
To keep the conversation going and the two of them awake, he told her all about its body, its tannins, its acidity, and anything else he could think of. In return, Amanda had listened intently and asked very thoughtful questions.
“Maybe I could bring a bottle next Thanksgiving,” he thought. He immediately rejected that idea realizing it would mean he might have to share his find with Davis (Duncan?) and Joe.
Joe. Lee was truly glad he had been able to help Amanda get a message to her ex-husband. He was even happier that Joe had said he intended to attend Parents Night. But he sincerely hoped Amanda wouldn’t tell the boys in case Joe failed to fulfill his promise. Amanda had never said anything about her ex, but Lee had caught the odd inflection in her voice. He suspected Joe had let that family down time and time again. The man was an absolute idiot to have put his career ahead of them.
Meanwhile in Arlington, Amanda was contemplating the news about Joe. She knew better than to tell Philip and Jamie, but maybe she could alert her mother. “No”, she reasoned, “It’s probably best if Lee and I are the only ones who know about it.”
Lee. Amanda still couldn’t believe that Lee had gone out of his way to get a message to Joe. It had meant using up a favor that might have been useful in a future case. He had put her family ahead of his career. She wanted to do something really nice to show her appreciation.
“Maybe I could find a bottle of the ’42 he was going on about,” she thought.