Chapter One

Jessica Fletcher woke up suddenly and in slight distress which resulted in a bad mood. It wasn't anger that was fueling her mood, it was depression. This was her final week of being fifty-nine years old. She was moving into a new decade and she didn't like it. Frank died when he was in his fifties, now she would be living in a decade he didn't get to experience. Most days she was able to soldier on without too much difficulty but lately she started to notice all the little things he wasn't able to see or experience. She wasn't even thinking about her career or fame. She was thinking of the Cabot Cove Theater that was enlarged and could seat three hundred people now. The new baseball diamond over at the new sports complex. Frank loved baseball.

It was so unfair that he was taken and normally she was able to clear her mind but lately it hovered right outside her conscience, ready to invade her thoughts at any given moment. In the grocery store earlier in the week she had to blink away tears because there were pineapples in the produce section. Frank loved pineapples and always asked the store manager if he could get any but it was never managed while Frank was alive.

She wasn't sure she wanted to turn sixty. Well, she wanted to keep living as she didn't want to suffer the alternative. Sixty just seemed so old and it was new territory for her.

She didn't have issues with age normally. She was active, kept herself in reasonably good shape, and had many, many friends. But sixty? Where had the years gone? The fifties had been a long decade for her. Retiring from teaching to help take care of Frank, losing Frank, coping with his death and learning to live alone. Discovering writing and dealing with the publicity, the media, the fans, traveling. She was so busy but although the years passed slowly, suddenly she was about to turn sixty. Was sixty considered old? Of course, if you ask a younger person then sixty was ancient but she didn't feel it physically. Usually.

She looked in the mirror and peered at her face. It looked the same to her. No additional wrinkles, no bags under her eyes, no gray hairs (thanks to Loretta) and more importantly, she didn't feel differently. Her knees didn't snap, crackle or pop when she got out of bed in the morning. Her hearing was normal as well as her sight. Oh, she had reading glasses but she had those when she taught school and had to read so many student papers.

She knew her problem, and had admitted it to herself months ago. She didn't feel sexy, attractive, or even been the recipient of admiring glances from men anymore. Oh sure, some old goat would try to chat her up or ply her with drinks but that was only to get her in bed, not to have an intimate relationship. She was old fashioned enough to want a man to woo her, take her on dates, and whisper sweet words in her ears.

Was she never going to make love again? She didn't have love affairs because she wasn't raised to give herself to just anyone and even after all this time, she felt it would be insulting to Frank's memory to just have sex with anyone, not after all they shared together. She had asked Frank to wait until after they married before engaging in that particular activity so how could she just have sex with anyone? Without vows? Maybe she was out of touch with today's woman. When Jonathan Martin was around Eve, Phyllis, Ideal, Beverly, and maybe others were sleeping with him and they didn't seem to mind they weren't married to him. Phyllis even preferred him married to someone else. She had thought about making a move on Seth. They were good friends and at times she felt like he was willing to take the next step but she was unsure. She thought they could make a good go of it but was hesitant to change the dynamics of their friendship without more of a guarantee.

She finally dressed for the day and went downstairs for a cup of herbal tea. She knew Seth would be coming over for breakfast so she started the coffee pot and warmed up some cinnamon rolls for him. She hoped her stomach would behave while he was there. She was wearing a jogging suit that was a little looser in the leg but with a turtleneck and a shirt beneath that, her jacket covered any bagginess in her clothes up top. She heard footsteps and knew Seth had arrived.

"Good morning, Seth," she called out as he was opening her kitchen door. "Come have a cup of coffee." She placed a mug on the table beside the plate of cinnamon rolls.

"Morning, Jessica." He sat down while placing a roll on a saucer. He took a sip of the hot brew and sighed in contentment. "Are you running today?" He took in her outfit and looked at her sock covered feet.

"I'll go after you leave. I didn't want to deprive you of your cinnamon rolls." She smiled at him while sipping her tea.

Seth looked sharply at her. Usually she was chiding him about his eating habits and just now he took a second cinnamon roll without a comment from her. Not to mention there were only two rolls missing from the pan she baked them in. He knew she always baked eight rolls. "You aren't eating?" he asked.

"When I come back, I don't want a heavy stomach while running," she answered. She didn't want to mention she was living on a diet of tea and saltine crackers. She got up and took her cup to the sink, rinsing it out. She found her running shoes and carefully put them on. She found a towel to wrap around her neck while she ran. Dressed so warmly she was bound to start perspiring almost immediately and she wanted to be able to wipe her face as needed.

"Are you losing weight? You aren't on some crazy diet are you?"

"Seth!"

"Answer the question, woman."

Jessica quickly pondered what to say. Seth knew her very well so lying was out of the question. She felt more than heard him stand and walk around the table.

She looked down at her feet. "Seth, I'm turning sixty next week."

"Ayuh, and you want to foolishly lose weight to pretend you won't be sixty?"

"Seth, don't you dare imply I'm vain or shallow. I know I'm not getting any younger." She frowned at him and turned away again.

Seth put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jess. I only meant to tease you. Turning sixty isn't awful, it beats not aging at all."

Jessica sighed. "I know that, Seth. I just…I don't know."

"Look, why don't we go out on the town Saturday night? Make a big night of it. When you wake up on your birthday Sunday, you'll be hungover and reminded of how awful your younger years were." He squeezed her shoulders and gave them a pat.

She nodded in agreement. It would be nice to go out.

Seth smiled. He had wanted to celebrate her birthday but didn't couldn't come up with a valid reason. Usually they celebrated by eating at the diner or staying at her house and exchanging gifts. But sixty was a milestone year and he wanted to do something special with her.

Jessica went to Loretta's Beauty Parlor on Saturday morning. She had her hair done as well as her nails. When asked she told them Seth was taking her out for her birthday to remind her sixty wasn't the end of the world. Of course her friends disabused her of that notion by telling her fewer men would ask her out and those that did wanted a nurse, cook, or a housekeeper. Eve was quick to tell her most of the men were dismal in bed and not to expect much.

"Jessica, sixty isn't the end of the world but it is the next worst thing. The only thing worse is sixty-five," moaned Eve.

Ideal Malloy was nodding her head in agreement. "Jessica, everything drops suddenly."

Phyllis Grant spoke up. "Don't worry about that, Jessica. Worry about all the things on men that drop."

The women began discussing the horrors of aging and Jessica slouched in her chair. She did not want to hear the stories. She left the beauty parlor discouraged and went home. Seth was picking her up at seven and they were going to Rockland for dinner and dancing. She took a nap so she wouldn't be tired and then soaked in the tub for a long while. Her tummy troubles seemed to have disappeared but she had only been eating saltine crackers for the most part. It seemed to be the only food that settled her digestive tract.

She wanted to convince herself that sixty could be sexy so she dug deep into her closet and pulled out a red gown she hadn't worn in a few years and never in Maine. Red was her favorite color and looked good with her complexion. She found gold jewelry to wear and looked at herself in the mirror. It was daring to wear such an outfit in Cabot Cove but thankfully they weren't eating in town. She hoped Seth didn't mind the cut of the bodice. If he hadn't paid attention to her breasts before, he couldn't help but notice them now. The split on her right side was higher than she normally wore but she would be able to sit comfortably without worrying she was flashing anyone. She wore a medium heeled sandal since she would be dancing. She threw her lipstick, wallet, and cell phone in a small beaded purse that matched her dress and headed downstairs.

Seth rang the doorbell and she took a deep breath before answering it. He was holding a large bouquet of mixed flowers. She invited him in before thanking him and kissing his cheek. She put the flowers in water and then stood in front of him.

Seth was staring at her as if she grew another arm or something.

"What's wrong?" She started to frown.

"Nothing, Jess." he stammered. "You're beautiful!"

"Versus all the times I wasn't?" she asked playfully.

Seth shook his head. "You are always lovely, Jess. Tonight you're just…just…I'm speechless."

Jessica smiled. "I'm sure your condition won't last very long,"

"Shall we?" Seth took her arm and led her outside. He locked her front door then escorted her to the passenger side of his car. She got in showing a lot of leg and he stopped and admired it for a minute.

Jessica couldn't help blushing when he seemed focused on her leg but he eventually closed the car door and got in the car.

Rockland wasn't too far and thirty minutes or so later, he stopped in front of The Eagles Nest restaurant. It was a busy night but they were shown to a table immediately and after ordering but not waiting for their food, they headed to the dance floor. They danced to several songs before returning to the table as their salads had arrived.

Seth kept the conversation moving and was determined she would have a good night. He complimented her and flirted outrageously and she couldn't help laughing at some of his antics. Their entrees arrived and were quickly eaten. They decided to dance before ordering dessert and quickly returned to the dance floor. The music was faster now and Jessica inwardly smiled as Seth imitated the moves some of the younger patrons were doing.

Sitting down at the table, the waiter returned with a bottle of champagne and uncorked it.

"Seth, champagne?"

"We are celebrating, my dear." He nodded to the waiter as he poured the drink into flutes and Seth toasted her. "Happy Birthday, Jess."

At that moment a dozen or more staff members began singing the traditional Happy Birthday song while wheeling out a large cake with lit sparklers on top. The chef himself announced the cake would be served to all guests that wanted it in celebration of the famous Jessica Fletcher's birthday. The other diners applauded her and she smiled and winked at Seth. She had a second glass of champagne while eating her cake which was delicious. Seth offered to take her back to the dance floor and she accepted.

Finally a slow number was being played and Seth took her in his arms. Jessica smashed herself up against him and he smiled down at her. "How much have you drunk," he asked.

"Only two glasses. I can drink three if I'm careful." She smiled charmingly at him.

"Are you getting warm, Seth?"

"Let's sit for a minute." Seth guided her back to their seats and ordered a refill of their water glasses.

"I liked being in your arms, Seth." She lifted his hand and kissed it. "I'm leaving my fifties with flair." She smiled at him.

"So will tomorrow be the beginning of the sexy sixties?" he joked then jumped as her foot stroked his leg.

"I was thinking more along the lines of seductive sixties," she countered. "I don't have the wow factor for sexiness."

"I heartily disagree, Jess," he argued.

"Let's dance some more, Seth." When he hesitated she got up and leaned over him so her chest was lined up with his face. He abruptly agreed if only to put a little distance between them. Back on the dance floor they spent time dancing the night away.

It was two am when he told her they had to leave if he was going to stay awake long enough to see them safely home. He jumped as her hand slipped around his waist and she brushed his bottom. "Are you sure it's only been two?" He smiled at her. If she was getting tipsy he would have to be careful. They were swaying side to side and her chest was brushing against his. He held her closer than usual because she seemed less steady on her feet although she didn't stumble when they collected her purse and coat.

Before he could help her into the car, she turned and gave him a hug. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Seth," she smiled at him. Kissing his cheek she let her fingers linger as she wiped off her lipstick. She kissed his other cheek and before he could figure out what she was doing, she kissed his lips.

"My lipstick looks better on your lips than mine." She turned and got into the car while Seth stood there staring.