Chapter 7 - Darling Can't You See

AN: Italicized dialogue taken from Mirror, Mirror, Season 5, episodes 21 and 22. ()

"Jessica, what you do with your life is absolutely none of my business. I tend to forget that."

"And a good thing too. Do you realize, Seth, that if I didn't have you to keep me on an even keel, then who? Out with it!"

"All right. Do you recall last month I asked you to go hiking with me up to Spooner's Mill?"

"Yes. And I wanted to go. You know that."

"Except you had that article you wanted to finish. And a couple of months before that, it was the fishing trip to Rockford, except you couldn't find any time for that either."

"Well, I had this terribly important, uh, meeting with my accountant- "

"I'm sure it was very important. Yes, I am. You know, Jess, I have arrived at an age where- Well, I expect we both have- where I don't think we ought to have to rev the engine as hard as we used to."

"Well, are- are you saying that I'm working too hard?"

"I'm saying that's all you seem to have time for these days. Have you looked at your garden lately? The weeds are about to carry off the rhododendrons."

"Well, l- I've got a lot of obligations."

"To whom, Jess? Now, a few years back, you needed this writing to help you get through the empty days and lonely nights. I know that. I went through it myself. But Frank's a long time gone now, just like my Ruth. And another best seller, or 10 best sellers, is not going to fill that void."

"Seth, I know that."

"Maybe yes and maybe no. All I know is that if Frank Fletcher were still around you wouldn't be spending half your life chained to that typewriter and the other half chasing around the country. No, sir. You'd be out smelling the salt air at sunrise."

"Seth, are you trying to hurt me?"

"Hurt you? Oh, for pity's sake, woman. That's the last thing I want to do. I just think maybe you ought to get off the treadmill while you still have a chance."

He flung a hand across the nightstand table to clear the unnecessary alarm that he'd set the night before and so many nights before that. He reached for his glasses and sighed. He feared it would be another long day.

He'd had another restless night. Replaying their last conversation over and over wasn't doing him or her any favors. He hadn't spoken with Jess in a few days, and it was past time to clear the air. They hadn't had a serious falling out, ever. They'd had a few words here and there, but he'd never been as honest with her as he had been that day. Guilt pierced him as he recalled everything else he'd been keeping from her. Nevertheless, he'd been too harsh with her, he supposed, though he knew the truth of what he said. It was how he said it, as Ruth often reminded him. He could and would apologize for that.

He knocked on the back door and waited, but there was no answer. He turned the knob, unlocked as expected, and ventured inside.

"Jess? Jess?" No answer. Ah well. No doubt he'd run into her cycling through town on his way back to his office. He spied the bowl of bright red apples on her kitchen table. "She won't mind if I have just one," he said aloud and took a bite.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Mrs. Fletcher? I, uh, I just talked to one of the nurses. They've taken him to I.C.U."

"Yeah, but what's wrong? What's the matter with him?"

"Uh, she said we'll have to talk to his doctor."

" I-Is he gonna be all right?"

" I don't know."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Hello, Jess."

"Oh, Seth. You know, you're the last person I ever expected to see in a hospital bed. How are you feeling?"

"God awful. My stomach seems to be hosting some sort of barbecue. Jessica tried to hide her face, but Seth saw the tears fall. Oh, now. Here, here. What's this?"

"Sorry. I was just deathly worried."

"About what? It was a touch of indigestion. Must be that new diet. My system simply cannot abide healthy food."

"Then you don't know?"

"Know? Know what?"

"It was poison."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It wasn't like Jessica to brood, but Seth had given her quite a lot to think about, and she was ashamed of the almost casual way she'd treated him over the years. Eve's speculation had been correct. Jessica was a perceptive woman. She had known what Seth felt for her. Of course she had. She thought she could pinpoint almost the moment he'd fallen in love with her. It had scared her, and yet. Being brutally honest with herself, she had to admit that she'd enjoyed being the object of someone's affection. She'd enjoyed having that power over someone. That was the thought that pained her most. She'd used him, in a sense. She'd kept him tied to her on a "just in case" basis, even as she experienced a new and different sort of life. The way she'd been so cavalier with this good and kind man's heart-the thought sickened her.

Jessica was using the murder, the drama that followed Eudora in her wake, the endless rewrites on a novel that was quickly losing her interest, anything as a distraction from the truth that had been haunting her ever since she'd spent those anxious, fearful hours at Seth's bedside, waiting for him to awaken, praying that he would. She'd come to depend on Seth, and keeping him firmly in the role of friend was the best way she knew to protect them both. She'd been a coward when it came to Seth. She knew how deeply she could be hurt by him, and she just couldn't bear the thought of losing him. It had taken her so long to grow accustomed to Frank's absence, to make a new life for herself after his death. Even now, she wasn't sure she was ready to sacrifice it, though after seeing Seth's lifeless form in that hospital bed she could admit to herself how much she had come to love him. Perhaps he wasn't as polished or sophisticated as some of the other men she'd come to know in her new life, but he was real. He was true, and he was consistent. He was home. He'd had the courage to tell her the truth, as he saw it, and to plead his case for her to live a different kind of life, even if it didn't include him.

People often described Jessica as brave, but she knew that Seth was the brave one. He had the courage to love, and the courage to let her go, if that was what had to happen. That thought lifted her heart, and, though she'd thought she could never love again, and certainly could never feel anything close to what she'd felt for Frank, she was pleasantly surprised to find that she was perhaps even more in love with Seth than she knew. She knew that the gruff, ill-tempered manner he projected to the world was just as much a defense mechanism as her chilly exterior could be. She knew the tender heart that beat underneath that salty old exterior. And she knew his heart belonged to her just as sure as she knew her own name. It was past time to stop running away. She glanced at the clock and pushed herself from the table. If she hurried, she might just make it to the dock before it was too late.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Seth! Seth, don't go!"

"Well, now, I'd just about given up on you."

"Well, after that gracious invitation, how could I refuse?"

"Well, if you want to make yourself useful, why don't you bear a hand with that bowline?"

"You mean, you've been waiting for me here for an hour, and all you can tell me to do is- is- is- is- is to see to that bowline?"

"We haven't been waiting. We had... mechanical difficulties."

"Oh. Well. Fine. I'll, uh, see to the bowline."

"Oh, morning, Caleb."

"Morning, ma'am. The fact is, we've been waiting here for over an hour. Sure glad you showed up. The doc was gettin' mighty testy."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

They walked along the dock in companionable silence. Seth glanced over at Jess, who was smiling, he was pleased to note; she'd gotten a bit of sun today. It suited her. "Good day?"

She grinned at him. "A very good day." She took a deep breath and cut her eyes toward him. "Shall we go home, Seth?"

Something in her tone caused him to stop short. "Home, Jess?" He cleared his throat and turned to look at her. "Where exactly is that?" He asked softly.

Jessica turned to close the gap between them, then rested her hand on his forearm. "It's wherever you are, Seth," her eyes a brilliant, blazing blue, steady and unblinking, her only nerves betrayed by the slight tremble of her hand.

Seth's eyes roved over her face, so familiar and dear to him. She was a bit flushed and her pulse throbbed in her neck, her mouth open slightly, breathing shallow. Even though he bent to drop his tackle box, it still made a loud clatter that startled her and she looked almost afraid.

"Seth? I-"

But before she could continue, he gathered her into his arms, clumsy and awkward, and pressed his mouth against hers. He kissed her, right there on the dock, not caring one whit about making a spectacle of them both. He felt Jess relax in his arms, and she shifted to bring her arms out of his tight embrace to slide around his neck. She kissed him back, and Seth felt all the love they had for one another in that kiss.

Suddenly she opened her mouth against his lips in surprise. "Oh my goodness. What you must think of me!" She drew back and looked around the dock. "What must they be thinking?"

Seth drew back too, loosening his grip only slightly so as to get a better look at her. "Woman, you know what I think of you." He paused, thinking he'd never seen her look lovelier. "You're home," he breathed.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, over at Dixon's Diner…

"I saw Doc Hazlitt kiss Jessica Fletcher on the dock this afternoon."

This news was greeted with general groans and other sounds of disapprobation.

"Sounds like just another fish story to me."

"You callin' him a liar?"

"All I'm sayin', Caleb, is that it don't sound right to me. Just more gossip."

"Aww, everybody knows old Doc's been sweet on Miz Fletcher for years."

"Well, I saw it too." Caleb nodded. "Sure did. And the two of 'em was on my boat this afternoon."

"Hmph. No surprise anyway. Those two've been thick as thieves for donkey's years! Only surprise is it took 'em so long."

"She was right crazy about ol' Frank Fletcher."

"A-yuh, but she were crazy about the doc, too. Stubborn woman just wouldn't admit it." Caleb laughed. "She has to now, I guess."

"Corinne. Corinne! Your order's ready!"

"Huh?" She pushed her glasses up her nose. "Oh. Oh yes." She got out her wallet to pay. Now this would be worth something to be able to tell Loretta first.

And the phone lines are burning up (1)…

"Beverly, it's Loretta. I guess you heard." Loretta paced back and forth behind the counter at the beauty shop. She pulled the phone away from her ear. Beverly was such a loud talker.

"Heard about Doc and Jessica." She paused for a moment. "What about 'em? What about 'em? Only that Doc kissed Jessica on the lips as soon as they got off Caleb's boat! Right on the dock. Mmm hmm…in front of everyone!"

She held the phone out even further from her ear as Beverly shrieked.

"You knew it? Now, how did you know, Beverly? Uh huh. Uh huh. Wait. Chess set? Reception? All that long ago? Uh huh." Loretta brought the phone closer to her ear cautiously. "Huh. Well, seems you were right. Well, kissin' her right out on the dock like that. Mmm hmm. I know. It is unusual. Mmm hmm. Doc is pretty private, although…Ol' Doc sorta wears his heart right out on his sleeve-." Loretta rolled her eyes. "That's a compliment, Beverly! It's Jessica we all wondered about. She's got a poker face and that's a fact. Well, listen honey, I've gotta run. I just wanted to let you know."

Loretta leaned on the counter next to the telephone. "Yeah, yeah. Corrinne told me. She was down to the diner gettin' her supper. " Loretta lifted her knees one at a time. "Alright honey. See you tomorrow?" Loretta nodded. "Ok, honey. See you then."

Loretta depressed the switch hook to disconnect from Beverly's call. She had quite a few phone calls left to make.

And the phone lines are burning up (2)…

"No, Eve. I got it from Corinne. She heard 'em all talking about it down the diner." Loretta twirled the phone cord in her fingers. "Uh huh. Uh huh. Well, no wonder. Doc nearly died from that poisoned apple he got from her house. I saw her coming from the hospital and she looked pretty shook up."

Loretta listened and sighed. "Well of course all that "friends" business was pure foolishness. You and I know that a man and a woman can't be just friends. Pfft."

She listened for a few more minutes. "Well, listen Eve. I'm going to call Ideal. You'll call Phyllis?"

Another pause. "Alright, then. Stop by the shop tomorrow. Uh huh, I will. Alright now, g'bye!"

A/N: I'll post Chapter 8 next Sunday! Although this story is coming to a close, there are a few more chapters left to wrap it all up. Thanks so much for reading and responding!