Hello! Although I wish I did, I do not own any of the characters you will read about in this story. This will have several chapters and I will change it to 'Complete' when it's over. I will try to update rapidly. Please, read, enjoy and review!
1
Seth sat and watched the time tick away. Jessica had taken a late flight in and had insisted on taking the 11:15 Portland bus from the airport rather than Seth picking her up as usual. He'd managed to convince her to allow him to drive her from the bus stop home though. She had been gone for nearly two weeks and admittedly, although to no one but himself, he missed his best friend. The time ticked ever so much closer and when it was close enough he could wait no longer, he headed to his car.
About right on time the bus pulled up. Seth got out of the car and greeted Jessica just as she stepped off the last step.
She set her suitcases down and stepped into his waiting hug. "Ah, Seth! How are you?"
"Just fine, Woman. Now let's get you home. You must be exhausted." He bent to get her suitcases and headed toward his car.
"Now Seth, you're probably tired too. I could have just taken a cab tonight."
"And stopped me from seeing you until tomorrow? Not on your life! You've been gone two weeks!"
She stood and waited for him to open her car door. Once they were both in, "Now Seth, I've been gone for two weeks before."
"I didn't like it then and I don't like it now."
They both chuckled and the conversation turned to Jessica telling Seth about her trip. The short trip brought her to her already well-lit home. Seth took such good care of her. He watched her house while she was gone, took care of her bird and always made sure the heat was turned up and the lights were on when she returned.
Once inside, Seth returned his key to her and she asked, "Staying for coffee?"
"A'yuh. I made it, didn't I?"
"Well, I haven't checked yet, but you usually do, so I made the assumption." They made their way into the kitchen and sat down for their normal cup of coffee upon her return home. She was shocked when she saw a pie on the kitchen table. "Seth, you bought a pie!" Of course, she knew as soon as she'd said it, it wasn't true. The pie was baked in her own pie dish, so she knew he hadn't bought it.
It was confirmed by his response. "I did no such thing, Woman!" He walked up beside her as she gathered cups for the coffee. The strong male hand placed at her back in the intimacy of her kitchen may have made her jump if it had been any other man, but her comfort level with Seth was different than with any other.
They sat and ate pie and had coffee, talking about Jessica's trip and the goings on of Cabot Cove during her time away. Before they knew it, it was well past midnight.
"Well, Jessica, I'd better let you get some sleep."
"Yes, I am tired. I don't know how I can stay up 'til all hours talking with you." She stretched as she rose then fell into step beside him, his arm at her waist.
Once at the front door, he gathered her in a hug. "Sleep well, Jess." She felt warm in his arms and could have fallen asleep standing up at that point. "I'll see you tomorrow."
As she backed away she nodded her head. She watched him amble to his car and waved as he drove away. She'd never tell him because she'd never hear the end of it, but she had missed him too. More and more trips taking her away from her home, and her best friend, kept coming. Some of them she could deny and she tried to combine all she could, but the truth was she was just as tired of being away as Seth was tired of watching her go.
Even though she went to bed so late, she still rose early the next morning. Groggily, and still in her pajamas and robe, she made her way to the kitchen for coffee. She was in the middle of a yawn when the knock came to her back door. Seth was there, waving and pointing to the lock on the door. Chuckling, she headed to the door which she hadn't yet had time to unlock yet.
Once opened, "I knew you'd be up this early. You don't know how to sleep in."
"I see that you don't either, Seth. I only just walked downstairs and you're fully dressed and drove over here."
He headed to the coffee pot and poured her a cup. "You go upstairs and shower and change and I'll make you breakfast."
"Last night you baked me a pie and this morning you're making me breakfast? Seth Hazlitt, are you trying to woo me?"
"Well, I could stand here and wait for you to cook for me, but by then I'd be starved! Now go so 's it doesn't get cold before you get back down!"
Just as breakfast was being put on the table, timed perfectly by Seth, Jessica came back into the kitchen carrying her empty coffee cup. "Smells wonderful."
"Well sit down then. Lemme know how it tastes!"
After a couple of bites, "It's wonderful."
"Thank you, Jess."
With breakfast almost over, Jessica asked, "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"What do you mean, Jess?"
"Now Seth, every time I go away for an extended period of time, the first day that I'm back, you've totally cleared your schedule and have planned our time together."
After a chuckle, "After breakfast we're going antiquing then out for lunch. Then we'll head to the store to restock your cupboards, including the fixings for tonight's dinner and after dinner, a game of chess."
"Sounds wonderful!"
"We'll drive my car into to town and park it for any purchases we pick up." Jessica nodded in agreement.
Less than an hour later, they walked arm in arm down the streets of Cabot Cove in the chili fall breeze. They were, in fact, the only 'non-couple' that could manage that much affection in plain view without a long line of gossip to go with it.
Antiquing, lunch and afternoon shopping had been lovely. Jessica had seen a few things while antiquing that she admired, but no amount of pressing from Seth could get her to purchase anything. Just as they entered her house, both with bags in their arms, Jessica's phone rang.
She answered it while Seth went for the rest of the bags. When he came back in he heard Jessica's conversation. There were pauses while the person on the other end pressed her. "But I only just got home. I really just need some time at home. No, no, I've fulfilled my book quota this year with my publisher, but that doesn't mean- Well, I guess it is only a couple days."
She turned when she heard Seth drop the bags on the table and huff. She covered the phone and completely ignored the person on the other end. "Seth, just wait a minute, please."
In his gruff voice, obviously upset at the call she had received. "You only just got home, Jessica."
"I know Seth, I know." She turned back to the phone, "Yes, yes, I'm still here. I understand you want me to come." The sound of Seth's footsteps made her turn back around soon enough to see him walk out her back door. "Seth! Come back!" Back to the phone, "I'm sorry, I have to go." She hung up the phone, turned around, yelled for Seth again and in her haste caught her foot on a chair at her kitchen table.
Seth listened as she called after him, but his anger had gotten the best of him. He continued to his car until he heard her yell. It wasn't his name and it sounded different. Without hesitation he turned back toward the house. He instantly scolded himself when he found Jessica trying to get up from the kitchen floor.
"Oh, Jess. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" He helped her to her feet and got her seated in a chair at the table.
"I think I hurt my wrist trying to catch myself. I caught my foot on this chair."
With gentle hands, Seth took her wrist. He moved it slightly and her wince only hurt him more. "Can you wiggle your fingers?" She did, with yet another wince. "I think it's just a sprain. Let's get some ice on this." He bagged some ice from the freezer and could barely stand Jessica's silence. After placing the ice on her wrist, "I'm going to get my kit from the car so I can wrap this." She merely nodded.
He found her in the same exact position when he returned. It wasn't until he clipped the bandage in place that she spoke. With her other hand, she covered the one that had just doctored hers. "I won't go."
His head hung. "Oh, Jess. I overreacted. I just…I mean…you just got home."
She placed her one well hand on his cheek and raised his face to hers. "I miss you too."
He pulled her into a hug, ever careful of her hurt wrist. "I don't know how you put up with me, Woman."
After some pain medication and a wonderful meal that Seth had cooked, forbidding Jessica to lift a finger due her injury, Seth completely cleaned up and carried the chess set into the kitchen table. He had conceded to allow Jess to play one game as long as she played with her uninjured left hand and kept the right one on the table with ice on it. Knowing she'd never win an argument like this against him, she agreed almost instantly.
Seth won the game and immediately insisted that Jess head to bed. "Now, you got little sleep last night and after your fall today you need extra rest tonight."
"Seth, don't fuss."
"Woman, I will fuss if I care to fuss. Now, you just listen here. Sleep on your side and pile some pillows if front of you. Rest your arm high up on the pillows. I'll be back in the morning to check on you and to make you some breakfast."
"I suppose I shouldn't argue with you about that either?"
"What are you going to make for yourself without the use of your right hand?"
"Well…"
"Well, nothing!"
Jessica chuckled as she rose. She got the key from her purse that she had only just taken from Seth a day ago and held it out to him. "Here's your key back. If I'm still asleep when you get here, just come in. Don't let me sleep too late."
He nodded as he took the key and pocketed it. "Make sure you take another dose of your pain meds before going to sleep." Once at the door, he reached down and took her wrist in his hands. "I'll take care of you Jess."
"I know you will Seth."
Without another thought he raised her wrist to his lips. He waited for her to pull away, but she never did. A sprained wrist on any other person would have been just that, but on Jessica, it nearly broke his heart. He couldn't bear to see her hurt.
As he lowered her hand back to her side, "Goodnight Jess."
She pretended not to hear the slight catch in his voice and simply responded, "Goodnight Seth."