I can't believe it was that easy." Amanda shook her head. "I mean I just turned around and there he was. And then he just stood there. He didn't move or blink or anything."
"Which made it very easy for me to do my share of the job." Lee nodded, not really minding that she had been saying that exact same thing for the last twenty minutes. It was amazing what love did for a man. "And now, we have the entire Thanksgiving Weekend to do nothing." he squeezed her knee briefly before putting his hand back on the wheel.
They had been headed for New Jersey where a tip from an informant had revealed that the man they were after would be. According to sources he was holed up in the Cashire Casino Hotel in Atlantic City and Lee and Amanda had planned to go undercover as husband and wife gamblers to flush the man out. But when Amanda had accidentally run into him in the lingerie department of Lord and Taylor's, it had made a long stakeout very short.
Lee had apprehended the guy in the middle of hosiery, Amanda had called for backup, the agency car took the subject away, Francine had her fun grilling him until he squawked liked the chicken he was and suddenly all three of them had the holiday weekend free.
"So what shall we do with all of our free time?" Lee asked as he pulled the car out onto 395 for the last stretch of the road home.
"I'm sure we could think of something." Amanda grinned, smoothing her hand over his thigh.
"Oh, I'm sure we could." Lee grinned back. "Should be some great football games on."
"You are impossible," she shook her head, laughing.
"Well there are." he insisted. "Redskins, Cowboys, Steelers."
"Okay, I like football." she nodded. "Especially those tight pants they all wear that show off those great butts."
"That's it, no more football for you."
"Darn."
"But seriously aside from certain activities I am sure we will be engaged in, it will be nice to spend some time with your mother. I really did hate leaving her alone."
"Oh, Lee." Amanda's voice sounded teary. "That is so sweet. I’m so glad you like spending time with Mother. She's crazy about you, you know."
"I know." he grinned. "She tells me every time I see her. But I do like your mother very much and I really hated to have to go away over the holiday leaving her alone, especially with the boys gone too."
"I hope they have a good time with Joe." Amanda sighed.
"Who could not have a good time at Disneyland for Thanksgiving? Not putting on his turn signal, he moved over to the next lane ,causing the person coming up to honk madly.
"He has way too much stress in his life." Lee shook his head.
Amanda just laughed and rolled her eyes.
"I have to admit I do like the way he's loosed up since he and Kari called it quits. I mean she was nice and everything but there was just something about her." Amanda shrugged.
"Well you are the queen of the there -is- just- something- about -them -club." her husband teased.“ She was nice, she just didn't seem to have a grip on, well on anything. Talk about a blond air head! I'm glad that Joe was able to see that."
"It doesn't upset you that he's unattached again?" Amanda had to ask, knowing the tension between Lee and her ex-husband was not of the best kind. They both seemed to be extremely jealous of one another, something she couldn't understand and it bothered her that they both played the game of up-one-man's-ship whenever they were around each other.
"No, not one bit." Lee assured her, taking the exit for Arlington. "I know
you are mine and he can't ever have you back."
They were quiet for the remainder of their trip, it was a nice day, traffic being minimal for the holiday. Amanda kept glancing at her husband of 9 months from time to time, thrilled that he was not only hers but that everyone knew he was. Telling her mother and the boys had not been as hard as either one of them had expected, her mother just shaking her head and saying ‘it's about time you told me the truth Missie,’ Jamie shrugging and saying congratulations, Philip wondering if they could have a party to celebrate. And throw a party they did, with people from IFF attending along with Amanda's various family members, friends on both sides and with a little coaxing on Amanda's part--Lee's uncle.
And now they were approaching their first holidays as a family and it was much better that they could be at home for Thanksgiving. This way they could spend time with Dotty and be there for when the boys called and maybe get a jump on Christmas shopping which Amanda was determined to make Lee enjoy this year.
Lee pulled the car in front of the house, the engine settling into quietness. "It's still early." he said, looking at his watch. "I know we don't have time to cook a proper meal, but I was thinking we could take your mother out. I happen to know there is more than one place in this town that serves a fairly decent Thanksgiving dinner."
"I thought you always worked on Thanksgiving." Amanda opened the door, the cold air, whipping through her hair, as she stepped out.
"I still had to eat." he made sure the car door was locked. He felt his pocket for his keys, Amanda smiling at him as she held them up so he could see them.
"I wish you wouldn't do that." he grinned.
The smell of turkey was strong as they neared the front door, both of them sniffing appreciatively. 'I guess she decided she was going on without us." Amanda placed the key in the lock and turned the knob.
"That smells wonderful." Lee's stomach grumbled as though it were agreeing with him. They quietly slipped in the house, the strains of an aria filling the air along with the aroma of turkey and pumpkin pie.
"She really went all out." Lee remarked as they spotted the card table by the fireplace, set with her grandmother's china, sparkling crystal wine glasses, a bottle of which was cooling near by. A turkey sitting in the middle on a porcelain platter served as the center piece, along with a gravy boat, bowls containing mashed potatoes and Dotty's famous green bean casserole and if Amanda wasn't mistaken rolls under the plaid covering on the straw basket.
"Dotty really knows how to treat herself." Lee headed toward the table, his hand reaching for one of the rolls.
"Stop that!" his wife swatted him playfully. "We haven't been asked yet."
"But I'm hungry." he playfully complained.
"I'll go find mother, you behave."
He looked around the room, the fire crackling merrily, the smell of pine mixing with the other aromas. Dotty really knew how to make things cozy he thought. Looking at the table once more his mouth watering at the sight of all the food, he suddenly got a funny feeling. Two chairs. Two plates. Two wine glasses. Dotty was planning on having company. Well of course she was, he felt somewhat stupid as he realized it now. "And you call yourself a spy,” he mumbled to himself. He and Amanda were about to crash the older woman's party.
As he headed off in the direction of the kitchen, hoping he would find his wife before she found her mother, he wondered who the guest might be. He had met Captain Kurt, a blustery old man who meant well and did have a nice two-seater. He knew for a fact that "Harry" was still in Germany but wasn't sure if the two were still keeping in touch. Dotty was an attractive woman and men seemed to think so. Even in the few months he had been actively living in the house he had seen four of five men coming to pick her up, mostly for dancing.
"Amand-a." his voice trailed off as he watched his wife watch her mother who was currently dancing with a man, who held her very close and was making her giggle by kissing her neck and blowing in her ear. A man who looked more than a little familiar to Lee. It couldn't be but it was--it was his uncle.
"Colonel!"
"Skip?"
"Oh my gosh, Mother!"
"Amanda?"
"What are you doing here?" was asked by everyone at the same time.
"I live here." was Dotty's reply.
"So do I." was Amanda's.
"I'm with her." Lee barked, touching Amanda’s shoulder.
"I was invited. " Robert Clayton's jaw was firm.
"I thought you were going to be gone all weekend?" Dotty looked accusingly at her daughter.
"Well, we were." Amanda nodded. "But something came up."
"We came home to be with you.' Lee prevaricated a little.
"I wish you would have told me that."
"He has never been good at sticking to what he said." the older man volunteered.
"Now wait just one minute." Lee began.
"Four colleges, four different colleges, six different majors."
"I'm sure the food is getting cold." Amanda tried to change the subject.
"And then you settled for being James Bond."
"I only have enough for two." Dotty wrung her hands.
"Oh don't start on that James Bond thing with me. " Lee shook his head. "You know very well, I went to night school. I got a degree."
"We can make it stretch." Amanda leaned against the island.
"No, we can't Amanda." Dotty was talking through clenched teeth.
"Of course we can mother. The turkey is plenty big enough and if we all just take small amounts of the other food. Besides I've never known a time when you only made enough for two people."
"I like leftovers." Dotty was firm.
"How do you two know each other?" Lee wasn't ready to give up.
"We met in June at the we found out you got married party." his uncle shook his head as though Lee were completely clueless.
"Yes but how do you KNOW each other? It's obvious to me that you've become very well acquainted?"
"I don't think that's any of your business." Robert Clayton pulled himself to his full height.
"She's my mother-in-law!"
"She's my mother!"
"And thank God she's not either one of those to me."
"Can I speak for myself?" Dotty interrupted.
"We are just trying to find out what's going on here." Lee and Amanda said together.
"What's going on here is that this lovely woman invited me for Thanksgiving and you two are trying to cut in."
"We are not cutting in." Lee growled.
"Well, we kind of are cutting in but we didn't know that mother would have plans."
"It never occurred to us that she would have plans." Lee added.
"Well I do have plans." Dotty picked up a a dishtowel just for the pure pleasure of throwing it down. "And Dotty would like it if you two would leave so that she can get to her plans as soon as possible."
"And what kind of plans might those be Mother?" Amanda's eyes grew wide."
"Oh come on Amanda, you can't possibly think that anything like THAT is going to happen"
"Of course not, " Amanda looked relieved.
"Well it won't with you two here." the Colonel interjected.
"So leave." Dotty headed for the door. "Come back tomorrow."
"But we came home to be with you." Lee and Amanda started.
"And we can do something to bond tomorrow." Dotty had the front door open now, while the Colonel handed them their coats.
"So what do we do now?" Amanda asked as Lee started up the car.
"Denny's?" he looked over at her.
"Might as well."
Yes, a most interesting Thanksgiving.
The End
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King belong to Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Productions and not me. But since I can borrow them, I won't fuss to much.
Timeline: Marriage is known throughout the land
Timeline: Marriage is known throughout the land