A/N Thank you PerryLovesDella for beta checking. Any remaining errors are because I went back and tinkered some more.
Return to Castle Cove
Chapter 6
Previously on Murder She Wrote
Jessica tied the sash of her robe as she hurried down the stairs to her front door. She was a bit confused on why Seth was ringing the doorbell - she didn't think she had locked the kitchen door, but that was the only possible explanation that she could come up with for why he would be at that door instead of just using her backdoor.
Opening it, she was surprised to find Sybil Reed of all people on her doorstep.
"Sybil!"
"Hi Mrs. Fletcher."
Recovering from her shock, Jessica smiled. "Well my heaven! What an unexpected surprise."
"Oh I guess I should have called."
"Well, come inside." While ushering her inside, Jessica told her. "I was watching you on the television this morning. What happened to your book tour?"
"All the parties, interviews and the flashbulbs in my face," Shaking her head, Sybil told her. "it just got too much for me!"
"Yes, I know the feeling." Jessica of all people could sympathize with her.
"I just had to come home. The only trouble is … I forgot I rented my house to somebody else. So I … well … I … I thought if it wouldn't be too much trouble …"
Very much put on the spot, Jessica smiled awkwardly. "Well I'm afraid I wouldn't be a very good hostess. You see, I'm in the middle of writing my new book and … um well actually, it's not going very well."
"Oh I understand. I had the same trouble. You just have to fight through it."
Not giving Jessica a chance to respond, Sybil continued on. "I'll be quiet as a mouse. Is the guest room still at the top of the stairs to the right?"
A bit distracted by trying to recall how exactly Sybil would know that, Jessica admitted. "Well … yes."
Before she could say anything more, Jessica found herself being engulfed in an embrace. "Thank you, Mrs. Fletcher. You are my favorite person in the whole world. It's so good to be home in Castle Cove."
"Cabot Cove." Jessica tried to correct her.
But turning to show herself up the stairs, Sybil didn't seem to notice the correction.
Still shaking her head in wonder at the situation, Jessica headed towards the phone to advise Seth of this latest development.
oOoOo
It was late when Seth left the hospital. Much later than he had expected so he didn't bother to stop at home to get the bottle of wine he had promised to bring. Instead, he headed straight to Jessica's house before it got any later.
Letting himself in the backdoor, Seth found the kitchen and the downstairs empty.
Unphased, he whistled a little tune as he headed up the stairs in search of Jessica.
Opening the door to her bedroom, he was a bit disappointed to see that with a cup of tea at her side, Jessica had fallen asleep sitting up in bed reading.
Well, this was a little awkward.
He contemplated leaving, but it was Wednesday & they both knew what Wednesday was.
They had made plans. He had been looking forward to this evening all day - since last Wednesday even.
It was clear that she hadn't meant to fall asleep. Her sitting up position and the cup & saucer balanced somewhat precariously beside her on the mattress made that obvious. Carefully, he reached over her to pick up the teacup & saucer so she wouldn't accidentally jostle them.
Leaving them on the bedside table, he sat on the edge of the bed beside her.
He took the book from her hand and put it next to the cup & saucer on the bedside table.
He would have just left her to sleep - really, he would have - but left there like that for the whole night, the position she had fallen asleep in, would not be doing any favors for her back.
So instead of just leaving, Seth lightly brushed his thumb across her lips tickling her ever so slightly.
On his second pass, she nipped at his finger.
Leaning closer, he kissed her on the neck. He worked his way up to nibbling on her ear before asking. "Are you asleep?"
Her eyes still closed, with a laugh Jessica told him. "If I am, it's a wonderful dream." .
Smiling, Seth moved on from kissing her ear to kissing her mouth. Slipping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back. She kissed him more than a few times before startling him by suddenly pushing him away.
"Seth!" Now seeming wide awake, in a harsh whisper, Jesica told him. "You can't be here! Didn't you get my message?"
A confused Seth admitted. "No. What message?"
"I left it on your answering machine."
"I came straight from the hospital."
"I told you not to come. I have a house guest. Sybil Reed showed up this evening."
"Sybil Reed! Is staying here?! In this -"
Jessica hushed him by clasping her hand over his mouth. "- Not so loud."
"I shouldn't have come." A shocked and horrified Seth agreed, but then added. "But … since I'm already here …"
Seth left the idea just hanging there.
Jessica contemplated the idea for a minute.
Looking doubtful, she asked. "Can you be quiet?"
"Like a church mouse." Seth promised.
"We need to be quick -"
Seth protested. "- I am not a minuteman! I only play one at the annual Founder's Day reenactment!"
Ignoring his objection, she continued with the new ground rules. "" - and then you need to leave. No falling asleep here after. Agreed?"
Seth frowned, but didn't protest. He wouldn't say that that was the best part of their regularly scheduled Wednesday evening activities - heaven help them for getting the idea from Beverly and her liaisons with the former night deputy - but he would be lying if he said it wasn't his favorite.
He agreed before realizing the more likely problem. "Can you?"
"Can I what?" Jessica asked.
"Be quiet?" Seth asked.
"Of course I can." Jessica looked slightly offended by the suggestion.
That hadn't been his experience. Seth told her. "This is a bad idea."
"I can be quiet!" Jessica argued.
"A really bad idea." Seth amended his earlier statement before adding. "I should go."
He said the words, but offered no resistance as an offended looking Jessica slid his suspenders down his arms and pushed him back into a reclining position onto the bed.
As Jessica skipped over his shirt buttons and went right for the button on his trousers, any further thoughts of arguing went right out of his head.
finis
A/N Thank you for reading & reviewing. Hope you enjoyed.
