+++SMK+++

Lee heaved a sigh of relief as he walked into his apartment. It felt so good to be home. For some strange reason, this last assignment had really taken its toll on him. He'd worked cases that were more difficult and certainly more dangerous than this one, but none of them had left him feeling like he'd gone ten rounds with Ali and Frazier simultaneously.

He left his luggage in the small foyer and walked over to the mini-bar. After tossing some ice into a tumbler, he poured two fingers of Scotch and downed it in one long swallow, relishing the burn of the liquor as it slid down his throat.

He refilled his glass and carried it into the living room. He lowered his weary body into the welcoming softness of the leather couch, moaning in pleasure as he sank into the cushions. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander while he absently sipped his whiskey, its HEAT slowly easing the tension from his aching muscles.

One by one, images popped into his head, starting with the aborted telegram from his friend, Emiliano. Amanda had eagerly agreed to help him, even if she'd balked a bit at her cover as his fiancé. As usual, her eagerness nearly ended in disaster. A shudder raced through him at the image of her dangling precariously over the churning ocean. She was lucky he and Orlando just happened to be walking by and had pulled that boom back into place.

Another sip of his drink, and other memories flashed before him. Images of Amanda from earlier that same day. The sway of her hips as she walked toward him. Even wearing a conservative one-piece bathing suit, she looked spectacular. With her slim figure, she'd look even more fabulous in a BIKINI.

He smiled as he remembered the blush that stained her neck and cheeks when she'd caught him staring while she rubbed suntan LOTION on her long legs. Her skin looked soft as satin. His fingers had itched to caress her.

Lee jolted upright, and some of the Scotch sloshed over the glass and landed on his hand. He had no business thinking about Amanda that way. She was his friend, not one of his women.

He drained his glass and placed it on the coffee table. As he rose from the couch, a searing pain shot down his right leg from his knee to his ankle. He must have tweaked his bum knee diving out of the moving car or scuffling in the SAND with Miles. But it seemed to be his only injury, so he considered himself lucky.

Jumping out of that car had been risky, but they didn't have a choice. When he told her to jump, Amanda never hesitated. She just opened her door and out she went. Her courage and absolute trust in him amazed and humbled him.

Lee limped around the apartment, trying to get his knee to pop back into place. Another image jumped into his head. An image of he and Amanda standing in front of the minister, going through with the wedding to protect their cover.

She'd looked like an angel in the flowing white dress. Her voice trembled as she pledged herself to him. When the minister proclaimed them man and wife and said it was time to kiss the bride, Lee nearly swallowed his tongue. He turned to face her, gently held her, and lowered his lips to hers. When their lips met, FIREWORKS exploded. He'd had his share of lip-locks, but nothing had ever jolted him like the taste of Amanda's kiss, and he'd needed a second taste to be sure.

It had to be the setting, or relief that she wasn't hurt on that stupid boom. On the other hand, maybe he just needed to go out and party. Amanda King was not the type of woman that turned him on.

Lee heard a loud crack and felt the pressure in his knee ease up. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now that he'd started to feel better, maybe he'd call that pretty blonde he met last week and see if she was free tonight.

End

*The usual disclaimers apply--don't own 'em, just write about them for fun and so on and so forth. This story came to me in a flash and I wrote it down--so any typos and errors are my fault and I apologize in advance. Should have a drabble tonight, with any luck. Hope you enjoy and wishing everyone a fantastic Fourth of July :)

Gulp

Ballston Common Mall
Saturday, May 13,
1989
11:30 AM

“Rubber Ducky, You’re
the one, you make bath time so much fun—”

The music assaulted Lee’s ears as he stared blankly down at
the racks in front of him. So many
colors, designs—he picked up a couple, looking at them. One was lavender with
purple butterflies—another one was a two-piece, bright pink and decorated with ruffles and
little red strawberries. Sure, they
looked nice. They all looked nice—and they were the right size.

But how was he supposed to choose? Amanda and Dotty could
spend hours browsing, going from store to store, comparing prices—Lee’s idea of
shopping was to make a list, grab what you needed to get and then go home. Simple,
quick and easy. Only this time—

A sigh of frustration issued from Lee’s mouth—he ran one
hand back through his hair.

*~*

“Amanda, I shouldn’t
be the one to do this.”

“Well, you’re gonna
have to. Mother and I are going to be out of town and she needs one by Monday
for her class. You know that.”

“I know—but I can’t—I can’t make that kind of decision.”

“You can, Stetson—I have faith in you.”

Amanda’s arms had
wrapped around him, her soft lips pressing against his, mouth opening slightly
as she’d drawn him into a kiss that he’d
felt down to the center of his being—all objections had been forgotten as he’d
pressed her body closer against his, breathing in her intoxicating scent—

*~*

“Oh no—you can’t buy that!”

“Who says I can’t?
I’ve got the money. I mean seriously, Lisa—can you picture the FIREWORKS
when I show up at the beach in this?”

“I can picture something, that’s for sure.”

The girls’ voices shook Lee from his reverie. Where—he
turned his head, trying to locate the source and then he realized—it came from
the dressing room behind him.

“Yeah, and guess who Josh will be putting suntan LOTION on
then?”

Putting lotion on—Lee shook his head bemusedly—just how old
were those girls anyway?

“No he won’t,” Lisa exclaimed. “You won’t be going to the beach in that—your
dad’ll call the HEAT on you before he ever lets you out of the house in a
string BIKINI.”

“Look according to my dad, I’m still a little kid building
castles in the SAND,” the other girl
said. “So, he never has to know—get
it?”

The dressing room door opened. A blond girl who looked about
fourteen stepped out—her hair teased up, lashes coated with mascara—followed by
a dark-haired girl actually wearing lipstick so dark it was nearly black, her
shirt hanging off one shoulder—they strode slowly past him as they continued
talking, clearly immersed in their own
little world.

“Ba ba ba ba—” Lee looked down at his daughter, strapped
securely against his chest. His sweet
little girl—Jenna smiled at him—brown eyes lighting up—

“They grow up so fast now, don’t they?”

The voice startled him.
Lee turned to look at the woman, whose nametag identified her as Janice,
Sales Associate.

“I’m sorry?”

“Those girls,”
Janice pointed to the teenagers Lee had been listening to earlier.
“Fifteen going on twenty-five—I remember girls like that when I was
young.”

“So do I.” Lee replied. He’d known girls that that. Hell,
he’d dated girls like that, taken them out to the drive-in—and then when the
mood was just right he would—

“How old is she, by the way—your baby?” Janice asked.

“Four months and two weeks now.”

“Oh my—” Janice cooed at Jenna, who grinned and gurgled.
“Look at those big eyes—she’s just adorable.”

“Thank you.”

“Time goes by so fast,” the saleswoman continued. “ I mean,
before you know it, the little one you have there will be asking to borrow the
keys to your car, going out on dates—”

Going out on dates—Lee’s throat tightened suddenly—imagining a teenaged
Jenna going out on dates—out to the beach— or out with some boy in a car— the type
of boy he’d been growing up— at that thought his arms wrapped protectively around his
daughter. Jenna wriggled in her carrier—little feet kicking--babbling out a
stream of nonsense syllables and completely oblivious to her father’s distress.

“By the way, can I help you with something?”

He stared at the saleswoman blankly. “Help?”

“You’re holding two
of our infant swimsuits. Do you need help choosing?”

Lee stared down at the swimsuits in his hand. The lavender one-piece—the pink two piece—an image of those two girls went through his head—Time goes by so fast—

Definitely not the two-piece.

“We’re going with the one piece,” he told Janice hastily,
putting the other one back on the rack.

“That’s fine—if you’ll just follow me we’ll check you
out.”

Lee followed her to the register. Looking down at Jenna he
kissed the top of her head.

“Don’t grow up too fast, okay munchkin?” he said. “Please?”

Jenna just looked up at him and laughed.

The End.

Written in response to the July Wicklow Challenge: Use the words: FIREWORKS, BIKINI, SAND, HEAT, and LOTION.

General - no warnings
Timeline - between season 3 and 4

Amanda sat at home, alone, on the Fourth of July. Joe had the boys. Her mother was out with the Captain. Lee had said he needed her for an assignment but then, at the last minute had cancelled. She sighed and hugged a pillow to her chest, trying to lecture herself out of her melancholy.

The whole house was hers. It was peaceful. She could read or take a bubblebath without someone pounding on the door. No one would argue with her over the TV program she chose... There were lots of benefits to being home, all by yourself, even if it was the Fourth of July when everyone was having family picnics and watching FIREWORKS... A lone tear dripped down her face and she sniffed, then resolutely scrubbed it away.

That's enough, she scolded herself, grabbing the remote control. Turning on the TV, she began flicking channels. Baseball, a cooking show, infomercial, golf...She finally found an old movie, Beach Blanket Bingo, starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Settling back she watched the silly antics wondering if life was really ever that simple. Soon her eyes began to get heavy and she laid down on the couch. Maybe she'd close her eyes just for a moment during the commercial...

The HEAT of the sun was baking into her as she laid on the SAND. The sound of laughter reached her ears and she smiled. Her friends were playing beach volleyball but she preferred to just absorb the rays. Besides, she felt a bit self-conscious in her new string BIKINI.

Flipping onto her stomach, she propped her chin on her hands and stared at the young man who was just exiting the water. He was tall and well built with sandy hair and hazel eyes. She'd heard his name was Lee.

He looked her way and she quickly averted her gaze pretending to be studying the sea gulls walking along the shoreline. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him approaching and bit her lip, wondering if she dared to say hello. While she was still debating, a shadow fell across her and she looked up to see him standing beside her.

"Hi! Mind if I join you?"

"No. Be my guest."

Dropping down beside her, he smiled and then looked over at the volleyball game. "You don't like to play?"

"Sometimes. Today I just wanted to enjoy the sun." She returned his smile shyly.

He let his eyes drift over her body and she struggled to keep from shivering as his gaze slowly moved up her legs, paused at her rear then moved up her back to her face.

"I wouldn't want you to get burned. How about if I put some LOTION on you?" he suggested, picking up the bottle that was beside her.

"Alright." She felt rather brazen letting a boy she just met rub lotion all over her but there was something about him...

As the cool cream landed on her back, she gasped then sighed as his strong warm hands began to smooth it over her skin. Frisons of awareness shot through her body.

"My name's Lee. What's yours?"

"Amanda."

"Amanda. I like it. Amanda..." His hands were on her shoulders now and he squeezed them, saying her name over and over...

With a start she woke up and realized that Lee was kneeling beside the couch and shaking her.

"Lee! You're here! I thought you were off on an assignment."

"I was but it was a bust so I thought I'd come over and see what you were up to."

"Oh. Well, I was just watching a movie but I guess I fell asleep."

"So I see. "

"Hmm. I was having this dream about being at the beach and this fellow was rubbing lotion all over me."

"Anyone I know?"

"Maybe." She smiled mischievously up at him.

"Did it stop at just lotion or did he try any smooth moves on you?"

"Smooth moves?"

"Uh-huh. Like this" Lee bent down and brushed his lips over her cheek while his hand rubbed her back.

"No—he didn't try that."

"Or maybe this?" He nuzzled her ear and his hand slid off her back and brushed against the side of her breast.

"No—you woke me up before any of the good stuff started."

"That's too bad. Maybe I should try to make it up to you." He encouraged her to roll over and she willingly complied.

"I think that's the least that you could do." She agreed, pulling his head down for a lingering kiss. `Maybe,' she thought to herself, `This Fourth of July would have some FIREWORKS after all.'

Virginia Beach

The blazing HEAT of the July sun beat down on the glistening bodies scattered along the beach. For once, she was grateful they'd rented an umbrella and two chairs. A person could only bake in the sun for so long, before it became unbearable.

She pulled the bottle of suntan LOTION from her beach bag and squirted a generous amount into her hand, then rubbed it into her arms, shoulders, and legs. Next, she positioned her chair so that the umbrella would provide some shade. She wanted a tan; she didn't want to look like a red lobster.

This short vacation to the beach had been an impromptu trip. Since it was a holiday weekend, they'd been lucky to find a hotel room.

She'd always loved the ocean--the sound of the waves hitting the shore, the beautiful whitecaps in the distance, walking along the sand at dusk or early morning, collecting seashells. The gorgeous sunrises and sunsets that seemed to rise up or drop off on the horizon. Even the scent of the salt air made her smile. The ocean had a relaxing effect on her entire body.

Shading her eyes with her hand, she scanned the beach for her family. It took her a while to find them among the throngs of beach-goers. Finally, she spotted the blue T-shirts she'd insisted they wear to protect them from the sun's glare while they played in the waves at the ocean's edge. A couple of years ago, she'd gotten a horrible sunburn from the reflection off the water. She'd learned her lesson well.

She picked up the bucket of seashells they'd collected earlier and sorted through them. She'd found some amazingly intact ones, but the ocean currents and the force of the waves pounding them onto the shore had pummeled most of them. Even with those imperfections, some were uniquely shaped. One day she hoped to make a seashell wreath for their front door. At least that was her plan.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman dressed in the brightest yellow BIKINI she'd ever seen. She'd seen a lot of wild colors and different types of swimsuits today, but that one had to be the most outrageous color of all. She glanced down at her one-piece suit. Maybe next year she'd get a bikini. But it wouldn't be yellow. Maybe a red one.

Several hours later, she fished her watch out of her beach bag and checked the time. If they wanted to come back tonight for the carnival and FIREWORKS display on the pier, they needed to get ready for dinner soon.

She walked across the SAND to her husband, sitting in front of a sandcastle. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I think we're done. Take our picture first. I'm proud of this castle."

"Okay, let me go get the camera." She dug the camera out of her bag, returned to her husband and daughter, and knelt in the sand. "Ready."

"Smile for mommy, Panda," Carl directed their three-year-old daughter.

Holding a shovel and bucket in her hand, Amanda giggled as she posed for the camera.

Dotty took the picture of Carl and Amanda sitting in front of the sandcastle, which he'd helped her construct. She swore he had more fun building it than Amanda did. He spent a good portion of the afternoon working on it, even adding a moat. She loved how he took Amanda's hand and led her down to the water's edge to fill her bucket. Then they'd poured the water into the moat.

Secretly, Dotty had taken several pictures of them while they played in the sand. She hoped the prints would be clear, but she wouldn't know until she took the film to be developed.

While she packed up their belongings, Carl returned the umbrella and chairs to the rental wagon. Amanda's buckets and the toys scattered around the sandcastle were the last things she needed to collect.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's get your toys." She took Amanda's hand in hers. They sat down in the sand together to put the toys away.

"Come back here, you little scamp!" a woman yelled.

Being a mother, Dotty heard the slight irritation in the woman's voice. She'd lost track of the number of times she had said almost the same thing to Amanda. Children could be so fast; you had to keep your eye on them every minute of the day.

She looked around, trying to spot the wayward child. A blur whizzed past her and straight into the sandcastle, smashing it.

A bright-eyed, brown-haired boy laughed as he pushed the sand around. Amanda laughed, too, and helped him rearrange the sand.

"I'm so sorry." A frazzled-looking woman joined them. "Tell the nice people you're sorry."

The little boy just sat there and grinned.

"Don't worry. We were leaving anyway. He had fun destroying it, and it would've been washed out into the ocean anyway. And it looks like Amanda enjoyed it, too." Dotty watched the two youngsters as they played.

"He's a handful." The woman tousled the boy's hair. "Come on, young man, it's time to go. Daddy's waiting for us."

He clutched Amanda's hand and shook his head.

"Lee, mummy says it's time to go." She lifted him into her arms, and his lips crinkled into a sulky frown. "Now say bye-bye to the nice lady and little girl."

He waved at them as his mother carted him off.

A blur in a blue T-shirt tried to dart past her, and she quickly grabbed her daughter. "No you don't, young lady. You're not following them."

"Wanna play wif him." Amanda scrunched up her face and pouted.

"Not today." Dotty hoisted her daughter onto her hip, then picked up the bag of toys with her free hand. "Maybe you'll see him again one day."

The End

Special Note: Thanks to Jan who gave me the idea for what is now going to be known as a series of five second meetings.

Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters belong to WB and Shoot the Moon Productions. No infringement is intended. This is written for entertainment purposes only. Please do not redistribute or reproduce this story without my permission.

Summary: Phillip and Lee have a bonding experience. Written in response to the July Wicklow Challenge: Use the words: FIREWORKS, BIKINI, SAND, HEAT, and LOTION.

Season 4 – Married but still a secret.
Genre: fluff
Rating: General
Title: Suntan Lotion

"Hey, Mom!"

"Be quiet, doofus!"

"No way. You're in big trouble now. Hey, Mom! Mom!"

Lee wandered into the back yard. "Your mom's getting dressed, Jamie. What do you need?"

"Phillip's looking at a girlie magazine." Jamie smirked at his brother,

"No, I'm not. It's a car magazine."

"Yeah but you only look at the girlie pictures."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Lee decided to put an end to the accusations. "Jamie, be quiet. Now Phillip, what's this all about?"

"Nothin' Lee."

"Phillip?"

"Oh alright – here." He reluctantly handed Lee the magazine, his face turning red with the HEAT of embarrassment.

Lee glanced down and saw an ad featuring a BIKINI clad girl lying on the SAND, a bottle of suntan LOTION in her hand. He suppressed a grin and spoke in a conversational tone. "So Phillip, you need to buy some lotion do you?"

"Yeah..," The boy stared at the ground scuffing the grass with his toe.

"Looks like a good brand, to me. You'll have to ask your mom to pick you up some next time she's out."

"Lee! He's not looking at the lotion—. " Jaime sputtered.

"Never mind Jamie." Lee gave his stepson a warning glance. "You two go get your homework done."

"All right..." Jaime shuffled inside obviously disappointed at having failed to get his brother in trouble.

Phillip hung back for a moment biting his lip, then looked at Lee out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks Lee."

"For what?"

"For not getting all uptight like Mom would've done. I won't do it again."

Lee doubted the truth of that statement but decided not to question it. "Hey I was fourteen once too."

Phillip gave a half smile. "You taking Mom out on another date?"

"Uh huh. Is that okay with you?"

Phillip shrugged. "You know, sometimes it's nice having you around. Mom and Grandma, they try but...well, they're girls."

Lee tapped Phillip lightly on the head with the magazine. "I know what you mean." He hesitated, unsure of the ground he was about to step on. "Ah...Phillip, if you ever need to... you know...talk or ask something and you don't feel comfortable telling one of them, you can always ask me."

Phillip gave him a quick smile. "Thanks!" He turned to go, then paused. "Can I have my magazine back?"

Lee looked from the boy to the ad, then shrugged and tossed it to him.

Phillip caught it, folded it in half, turned and walked into his mother.

"Phillip King, watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, Mom. Bye, Lee and thanks again!" He hurried inside.

"Hi!" She gave Lee a quick kiss. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing. Just some guy stuff."

"Guy stuff, huh?"

"Yep."

"Can a mom know about this guy stuff?"

"Maybe, if she gives the step-dad sufficient incentive."

"You mean like this? Amanda slid her arms up around his neck, pressed her body against his and gave him a slow lingering kiss. Lee wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tighter.

"Mmm...'" He sighed when they finally parted. "That kiss certainly caused some FIREWORKS. I guess it warrants the exchange of information."
"Good! So what were you guys talking about?"
Lee put his arm around Amanda's waist and led her down the driveway to his car, chuckling to himself. "Well, it seems that Phillip needs some suntan lotion."

"What?"

"Let me explain..."

*the usual disclaimers apply. This is just the first part—the second part to be posted tomorrow or Friday at the latest. Hope you enjoy :) *

Swim Class

4247 Maplewood Dr.

Monday, June 15, 1989

8:30 AM

“I thought you were supposed to be coming home this morning,” Lee paced the length of the family room, phone clutched in his hand. “What happened?”

“Well, Aunt Edna and Aunt Lillian want us to have lunch at the Grey Goose Tea Rooms,” Amanda said. “So we probably won’t be back until later this evening.”

“You’re doing a terrible job, dorkbreath,” Phillip said. “She’s got more food on her than in her.”

“Only because she keeps spitting it back up,” Jamie shot back. “And I don’t blame her—I bet this stuff tastes like SAND.”

“Meep Meep!” The sounds of Road Runner filled the room. Jenna let out a high-pitched squeal and pumped her little legs excitedly, making her ‘bouncy seat’ squeak as it moved up and down.

“Guys, could you keep it down and turn that set down—I’m trying to talk to your mother.” Lee said.

“Sorry, Lee.” Phillip grabbed the remote and turned the volume down.

“Sounds like it’s pretty busy there.” Amanda said.

Lee ran a hand through his hair. “That’s about the gist of it.”

“Actually that’s pretty typical,” Amanda replied. “How’s Jenna?”

“She’s fine—the boys are trying to feed her –you know—some of that rice cereal the Doc said we can start her out on.” Lee had mixed it up with some formula, making sure it was mushy and soft.

“The boys are feeding her?”

“Well, they’re trying,” Lee told her.

“This is frustrating,” Jamie brought up the spoon to Jenna’s mouth—she pressed her lips together and turned her head away. He put the spoon back in the bowl. “I give up.”

“That’s because you’re doing it all wrong—watch me. Hey Jenna look—I’m an airplane.” Dipping the spoon into the milky cereal Phillip made airplane noises. Dark eyes wide, Jenna followed the spoon as it whirled around in front of her—letting out another squeal of excitement as the spoon moved closer—

“Open wide,” Phillip said. “Coming in for a landing—” Jenna’s mouth opened and Phillip gave her a spoonful of cereal. “See—that’s how you do it—oh no.” The food dribbled out of Jenna’s mouth and onto her bib.

Jamie snorted. “Yeah, smooth move, ex-lax.”

“I think I should probably go, Amanda—take control of this situation,” Lee said. “Give your Mother and your Aunts my love.”

“Wait—there’s just one more thing I need to tell you. Remember Jenna’s swim class?”

“Of course I remember—I did buy her that swimsuit.” Lee was starting to get a feeling about where the conversation was heading—it was giving him an uneasy feeling in his gut.

“Did you remember the class is this morning at eleven?” Amanda asked. “And since I won’t be able to be there, I was wondering –”

“Amanda, no,” Lee said. “Now, in the first place you said this class was for mothers and daughters—I am not a mother.”

“I never said mothers and daughters—it’s a parent-child class. I’m sure there’ll be other fathers there. Jenna will get to swim—it’ll be fun for both of you.”

“But isn’t she just a little young for this?” Lee asked. “I mean, swimming could be dangerous—she can’t even crawl yet.”

“These classes start at four months. Anyway, she won’t actually be swimming—you’ll just be getting her used to the water, let her splash, kick her legs a little— she’ll enjoy it—you know how much fun she has when you give her a bath.”

“I know that, I’m just not sure—”

“The special swim diapers are in the bathroom—trust me, you’ll be fine.”

“What about sunscreen LOTION? We don’t have that, do we?”

“It’s an indoor pool.”

Lee sighed. “All right— I’ll do it.” .

“You’ll have a great time, Stetson—give everyone my love—I love you.”

Lee smiled. “I love you too, Mrs. Stetson.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

IFF

10:00 AM

“And how’s my Goddaughter this morning?” Billy took Jenna from Lee as soon as he walked into the office. “Hmm? How are you?” He bounced Jenna lightly in his arms as he spoke, making her laugh. Lee was unable to suppress a smile—watching the section chief with Jenna was nothing short of priceless.

“She’s just fine,” Lee said. “Listen, I just came to turn in my report and then I’m taking her to swim class.”

“I thought Amanda was taking her,” Francine remarked as she took the folder that Lee offered.

“Well she was,” Lee said. “But she’s still out of town.”

“Are you going swimming with your Daddy?” Billy asked Jenna. “Yeah?” Jenna just smiled and babbled at him, her fingers jammed into her mouth.

“Did you get her a suit?” Francine asked. “You know Amanda and I saw the most adorable little pink BIKINI in the store earlier—it had ruffles and all these little red strawberries along the—”

“No!” Lee spoke a little more vehemently than he’d intended— both Francine and Billy looked at him in surprise. “I mean, yeah—I bought her a suit—but it was a one-piece—I don’t think she’s ready for a bikini just yet.”

“It wasn’t exactly risqué, Scarecrow,” Francine said drily.

“Even so.”

“Don’t worry, Jenna,” Francine told the baby. “We’ll make you fashionable despite your Daddy—won’t we?”

Lee took Jenna. “Can it, Francine.” Francine smiled and wrinkled her nose at Jenna, who laughed again in response—these days it didn’t take much to make Jenna laugh—Amanda said she was at that stage. Lee kissed the top of Jenna’s head. “Let’s go, munchkin.”

“You two have a wonderful time,” Billy called out.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

YMCA

10:45 AM

Luckily the ‘Y’ had a family changing area—Lee definitely hadn’t wanted to take Jenna into the men’s locker room. Unluckily for him, the rest of the class seemed to be composed of women—no other dads to speak of. He found a quiet cubicle and placed Jenna on the changing table while he quickly changed into his trunks. He took off Jenna’s regular diaper—not messy or wet, thank God—he’d already dealt with one messy diaper earlier today—and put her swim diaper on. Her swimsuit came next—Jenna wriggled and kicked out her legs.

“Come on, munchkin— hold still, okay? Daddy needs to get you changed so you can swim,” he told her. “Wouldn’t you like to swim? You would?” Jenna smiled and gurgled, her dark eyes shining. Lee smiled back—he could never resist those eyes.

She was still a bit wiggly, but but he finally managed to get legs into the suit, pulling it up over the diaper. A knock on the cubicle startled him.

“Yoohoo!” a woman’s voice said.

Lee finished pulling up Jenna’s straps. “Just a minute,” he called. He put their street clothes into the diaper bag, shouldered it and lifted Jenna into his arms as he slid open the curtain for the cubicle. A very blond woman wearing a bikini and balancing a baby boy on her hip smiled at him.

“Well I wondered who was behind the curtain,” she murmured, pink lips turning upwards in a slow smile. Slowly she moved closer. “Now I know.”

Her gaze slid up and down his body—checking him out, Lee realized. HEAT rose in his cheeks—he took a step back. “Yeah, now you know.”

“How big is yours?”

Lee stared at the woman. “I’m sorry?”

The woman’s smile widened. “I meant how old—my Nicholas here is five months now.”

“Jenna’s four and a half months,” Lee replied.

“Bababababa,” Jenna replied the moment her name was mentioned.

“She’s adorable,” the woman said. “And she really likes Nicholas here—I can tell.”

Lee realized with horror that Jenna’s chubby hands were reaching out towards the baby boy—hastily he pulled her back. “Well, she’s just curious—you know—about other babies.”

“Oh I think it’s more than that,” the woman said. “There’s definitely FIREWORKS here.”

‘Over my dead body there is.’ Lee held Jenna against him protectively—keeping her distance from Nicholas. “I—ah—I think we need to get going,” he said out loud.

“Catch you out at the pool, then—I’m Tawnia, by the way. And you are?”

“I’m Lee.”

Tawnia’s smile widened. “Nice to meet you—Lee. See you in the pool. Okay?”

‘Not if I see you first,’ Lee thought. “Come on, munchkin,” he said out loud. A small group of women stood by the lockers near the exit.

“Whoa check that out,” one of the woman said— while another let out an appreciative wolf whistle.

Lee tried not to look at them—he was sure his face was bright red at this point.

This was not going to be an easy class.

+++SMK+++

Amanda opened her compact and checked her make-up one last time. Everything had to be perfect. They were meeting Joe's parents for an early dinner in honor of Joe's birthday. His brothers couldn't make it, so it would just be the four of them, and she was a little nervous.

The Kings always treated her as a member of the family, but for some reason, Mrs. King always made her feel awkward and clumsy. Perhaps it was because Mrs. King seemed so competent.

Usually, when she joined Joe and his family for dinner, she sat quietly with Joe and only spoke in response to a direct question. When the entire family got together, there was enough commotion that no one seemed to notice she didn't say much.


She smoothed out her rouge and applied another coat of lipstick. Just as she was about to slip the mirror back into her purse, the warm baritone voice of her fiancé whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful, sweetheart."

Blushing at the compliment, she slid her compact into her purse and grasped his outstretched hand, allowing him to escort her into the Italian restaurant.

The interior felt cool, and she wished she'd brought her sweater. The thin material of her dress offered little warmth in the air-conditioned dining room. But if she became too uncomfortable, Joe would slip his jacket around her shoulders.

As they stepped further into the restaurant, the tantalizing aroma of tangy tomato sauce mixed with the pungent smell of roasted garlic greeted them. It smelled wonderful, and her mouth watered in anticipation of a fine meal.

Joe strode to the podium and gave the hostess his name. The girl walked toward the back of the restaurant and returned a few moments later. Her smile brightened, and she led them through the restaurant, weaving between vacant tables like dancers in a Conga line.


Amanda found it hard to believe Mr. and Mrs. King hadn't arrived yet. Joe had some car trouble, and they'd arrived a bit later than expected.

The hostess continued toward the back of the establishment. Amanda started to request a table closer to the main dinning room, but before she could get the words out, the hostess stopped and gestured to an open doorway. Using a gentle hand on her back, Joe nudged her forward, allowing her to precede him.

The room was dark, and she took a step back, colliding with the solid wall of Joe's chest. He snaked his arms around her waist, holding her in place. Just as she turned to question him, the lights flashed on.

A chorus of "SURPRISE!" echoed through the room. Her eyes dazzled by the sudden brightness, she had no idea what all the commotion was about, until she glanced around the room and noted the white crepe-paper wedding bells hanging from the ceiling and resting on each tabletop. Then it dawned on her. She wasn't here for Joe's birthday. That was simply an excuse to get her to the restaurant for her bridal shower.


Her mother and her friends had managed to pull a fast one on her. She'd assumed they'd give her a bridal shower, but not seventy-six days before the wedding. Joe must have been in on the secret. The next time they were alone, she was going to kill him for not telling her about it. He knew how much she hated surprises.


She managed to drag him into the room with her. He dutifully kissed both her mother and his, but as soon as he spotted his Great-aunt Veronica heading for them, he ducked behind Amanda.

"I'll pick you up after the party," he whispered into her ear. Then he gave her a quick peck and made a hasty exit.


She couldn't blame him for rushing out of there. Aunt Veronica liked to pinch cheeks, and she had a remarkably strong grip for an old woman. Amanda gritted her teeth, bent to kiss Aunt Veronica, and tried not to wince when the older woman squeezed her cheeks.



Amanda straightened and rubbed her face, trying to bring the feeling back in her cheeks, while her mother led her around the room, greeting guests.


It seemed like everyone she'd ever met had turned out for her party. Her maid of honor, Debbie Ann, and her bridesmaids--Cheryl, Rita, Monica, Charlie, Jan, and Stephy--crowded around her and guided her to her seat on the dais. They had decorated her chair with white tulle and balloons. As soon as she was seated, the wait staff began serving plates of delicious-smelling pasta, followed by Chicken Parmagine and a green salad.


Debbie's mother, Ana, had made a beautiful chocolate cake in the shape of an umbrella. A scrumptious butter-cream icing covered the cake, and tiny red roses outlined the umbrella's ribs, giving the design some definition.


After the guests finished their cake and coffee, the bus boys collected the empty plates, adding a tinkling harmony to the staccato sound of chairs scraping across the floor as friends and family shifted positions to get a better look at the myriad of gifts she had yet to open.


Opening the gifts was a major disappointment. She didn't get to open a single one. The girls had a system. First, Monica selected a gift, removed any bows or ribbons, and gave them to Rita, who had the task of making "bow bonnets" for the bridal party.


Cheryl and Jan unwrapped each box and passed the card and gift to Debbie, who read the card aloud before handing the present to Amanda.

Amanda opened the box and held up each gift, while the guests oohed and ahhed. After giving everyone enough time to admire the present, Charlie took possession of the box and re-taped the card to the side to remind Amanda who had given her that item. Finally, Stephy placed the properly marked box back on the table.


She'd just handed Charlie the third toaster when Debbie placed a large box from Aunt Lillian on the floor at her feet. It contained a beautiful set of stainless steel pots and pans, kitchen utensils, and bake ware. There were too many items to display all of them, so she pulled out a cake pan and an egg timer. Leave it to Aunt Lillian to find an hourglass filled with blue SAND.


The next box piqued her curiosity. The card simply read "from the girls." She lifted the lid and gasped. HEAT raced up her neck and flooded her face. Inside the box lay a pair of see-through, black-lace BIKINI panties, a bottle of Wildfire massage LOTION, and a book titled "101 Ways to Keep the FIREWORKS Going in the Bedroom."


She glanced at each of her friends. The guilty look on Cheryl and Jan's faces confirmed her suspicion. They were the culprits behind the risqué gifts.


"Come on, Amanda, show us what's in the box." Cheryl grinned and winked at her.

"Yeah, hold them up and let us see them." Jan snickered. "What's the matter, don't you like your presents?"

Amanda snorted. There was no way she'd show anyone that erotic stuff! Tossing an "I'll get you for this" look their way, she snapped the lid back on the box and shoved it at Stephy.


Two irons, an ironing board, and several sets of sheets and towels later, she reached the end of the pile. The final gift was from her mother. Tears streamed down her face as she read the tender words written on the card. Carefully, she lifted the lid and brushed the tissue paper aside, unveiling a beautiful white peignoir set.

She pulled it out of the box and held it against her. The silk gown swirled as it floated to the floor. Delicate lace and iridescent beading adorned the bodice of the gown and threaded through the gossamer robe.


Gently, she folded the gown and robe and placed them back in the box, before reaching for her mother. She held on tight while Mother used a tissue to blot the tears from her cheeks.


Breaking into the tender mother/daughter moment, Rita handed Amanda one of the finished "bonnets." All the girls had a bonnet tied to their heads. She giggled. They looked so silly. Her bonnet held all of the white bows, and multi-colored bows adorned those worn by the rest of the bridal party.


Flashbulbs popped as the eight women posed for pictures. Amanda blinked, trying to clear the spots from her eyes.


Baritone laughter filled the room, and she looked toward the door. Joe and his friends--Jim, Eric, Tony, and Mike--stood there gawking at them.


Amanda took off the hat and tossed it onto the table, then strode across the floor and into Joe's arms, kissing him lightly. The crowd applauded. Joe dipped her over his arm and passionately kissed her again.


He broke the kiss and set her on her feet. Her bones had melted, and she held on to him until she was sure her legs would support her. Judging by that kiss, they'd never have occasion to use Cheryl's book.


Steadier on her feet, she stepped out of his embrace and asked him to start loading the gifts in the car. The men formed an impromptu assembly line and, in a matter of minutes, had all the presents loaded into Joe's car and Mike's van.

Amanda circled the room, stopping at each table to thank the ladies for their generous gifts. After giving her mother one last hug, she left with Joe. She had a special birthday present for him, and she wanted privacy when she gave it to him.


End