Lee Stetson knotted the tie he would wear to the most important event in his life. As he looped it over and under and through, his mind traveled back over the miles of his past, with the woman he loves that had lead them to this day, when they would finally become man and wife. His relationship with Amanda King, soon to be Stetson, had evolved sometime through baby steps, sometimes through giant leaps and bounds. All their momentous occasions, had seemed to revolve around 10 little letters…
When they first met at the train station she was A LIFE SAVER. He was so grateful that she'd taken the package.
Yet he could remember plenty of times when he hadn't been so grateful. Like the many times, he'd found himself in his section chief's office complaining, "Amanda always does things her way, never listening when I as the trained agent, tell her to wait in the car, She's HARDHEADED Billy, just plain HARDHEADED."
At first, I'd get so frustrated every time Billy would team us up, he laughingly remembered. Eventually I came to appreciate Amanda's kind, compassionate, giving nature but when we first started working together, I am now ashamed to admit, I secretly nicked named her - PAIN IN BUTT. Lucky for me, Amanda is so forgiving in nature.
There have been so many times when I said stupid, hurtful things to her, just because I am not good with dealing with my emotions, but did she hold a grudge, nope, not my Amanda. Now this is not to say that she doesn't have a temper or ever get mad at me. The easy going Mrs. King has put up with a lot from me over the years, and for the most part, but I remember one particular occasion where I pushed my luck a little to far, and not only did she let me have it with both barrels, but after she finished empting her spleen, she barely said a word to me for the next two days. Those were two of the longest days of my life. I knew I had been wrong, but my pride kept me from apologizing right away. I tried everything, I could think of to get her to forgive me without me actually having to say the words. I turned on my most devastating smile. I turned the Stetson Charm on full force. Now normally, either one of the two would have had Amanda, laughing at my antics, shaking her head, and saying how can I resist you when you are so gosh darn cute when you do that, but not this time. That is when I realized, I'd really hurt her deeply, this time. The realization made me feel like a heel, but something good did come out of the situation, not only did I make a vow to never make her feel like that ever again, but I made a startling discovery. Somehow, someway, without me being consciously aware of it until that very moment, Amanda had changed my life forever. Never again in my life would I be alone, from that day forward, she would always be there for me. Amanda King had become my BEST FRIEND.
Since that day, we have been through a lot together. Situations that would have been impossible before, when I was all alone in this would, didn't seem so bad, because she was by my side. When no one else in this world believed in me, Amanda did. She put her life and reputation on the line, to help me. Her loyalty never wavered. Yet someone or something always steps in and tries to snatch her away from me. If I ever lose her, I don't think I could go one.
How could I go on, without the WOMAN I LOVE? When a man loves a woman, he should tell her so. It is also important that he show her. I don't remember much about my mother, because I was so young when she died, but I do remember one thing she used to tell me all the time, "Lee, always remember, Actions speak louder than words." I let my actions speak for themselves when I got down on one knee and "officially" proposed to her. A proposal of marriage is a momentous occasion and one a woman should look back on with gladness. I didn't want Amanda to only have a memory of my proposal that was tainted by her kidnapping. When she said yes, again, I wanted to shout it to the world. Unfortunately with our need for secrecy because of our jobs, I couldn't do that, but there was one person I could tell. A quick Call to California, where good old Barney was tickled Pink when I said, "I want you to say hello to Amanda, my NEW FIANCEE. Ten little letters have changed my life for the better time and time again, but like all good things it seems it is time for that to come to an end. Amanda and I will be moving in
to a new phase of our lives in a few moments when we say "I do". So we are going to move on to eleven little letters, because in a relationship it is always important to grow. As he exited the restroom and headed down the hall to wait to see if Amanda was ready, Lee knew exactly what the first 11 letter word would be, she was now, henceforth and forever more his – Life Partner.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: Read at your own risk. It isn't beta's. It was off top of my head, I thought about the words off and on today and you know how things don't go well when I think. If I must be punished for using characters I don't own, can I at least have conjugal visits
from Bruce.
Rated: If you can read it, you're old enough to read it.
Legend: 10 letter words are Capitalized since the bold, italics and underline don't show through here and I was too lazy to go back and add astericks or how ever you spell the dang word like Lynda told me.
from Bruce.
Rated: If you can read it, you're old enough to read it.
Legend: 10 letter words are Capitalized since the bold, italics and underline don't show through here and I was too lazy to go back and add astericks or how ever you spell the dang word like Lynda told me.