The Ties That Bind: A Scarecrow and Mrs. King Continuing Story Book 1

Chapter 15

Day 7

Lee sat behind his desk and gazed across the room at his wife. She was wearing his favorite blue blouse. Her hair, though tucked up at each side, floated down to just brush her shoulders the way he liked it. She looked beautiful.

He looked more closely. Yeah, she looked beautiful, but she didn't look quite well. Maybe it was the stress of everything that had been going on. It seemed like they hadn't had a break since, well, since even before they got married four months ago.

"Manda, you look exhausted," Lee's brow furrowed with worry.

She looked up at him and smiled softly. "I'm okay, really."

"You sure?" He didn't sound convinced. He stood up, came around her desk, and scooted one hip onto it. She smiled up at him as he gazed down at her and reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I promise." She smiled. "I'm okay." She expelled a short laugh as he cocked his head at her and squinted his eyes, looking for all the world like a parent who didn't believe his child.

"Maybe I should take you down to see Doc Kelford," Lee suggested, only slightly teasing. Amanda looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Well, aren't you glad you made me go see him?" He winked at her, reminding her of the week before their wedding when he was injected with a lethal bacteria.

"Of course I'm glad I made you go." She whispered and reached up to stroke his arm. It wasn't something she could tease about; it hadn't been long enough ago.

He took hold of the hand she had laid on his thigh and drew it to his lips to kiss the back of it. "Then humor me. I want you to see Doc. Kelford."

"Aw, Lee," she shook her head. "I'm fine. I promise; no one has injected me with anything." She winked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Manda..."

"No, really," she insisted. "I don't want to go see Doc Kelford."

"As I recall, Darling," he continued, "You didn't give me any choice in the matter whatsoever."

Amanda sighed. "Alright, listen," she hedged. "If I'm not feeling better in a couple of weeks, I'll go, okay?"

He shook his head. "No, not okay."

"Lee..." Exasperation laced her voice.

"Nope, I mean it." He stood and pulled her up with him. "I've been watching you get more and more tired when your energy level really should've been moving in the other direction by now." Pressing his hand gently against her lower back, he guided her toward the door where she stopped and turned to him.

"Lee..."

"No, Amanda," he looked her sternly in the eye. "I didn't wait this long to find you only to take chances with you now." He gently put his hands on either side of her face.

"What are you talking about? We live dangerously every day," she chuckled.

He wasn't buying the deflection. "Come on." He took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and led her out the door. She had an uncomfortable point, though. One he seriously needed to think through.

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"Scarecrow," Dr. Kelford stuck his head out the door and into the agency's medical waiting room.

Lee looked up even as he closed the magazine, set it on the coffee table in front of him, and stood up. "Yeah, Doc?"

"Would you join us, please?"