Chapter 2

A few hours later, Seth becomes restless in his sleep, moaning and groaning. Jessica had nodded off on the couch with her book in her lap, startling awake at the sound.

Looking at the clock, it was an hour past when he could have had the painkiller, and she knows he must be feeling rough. Grabbing his medication and water, she walks over to his bedside. He is still asleep, but his face is shrouded in pain.

Getting a pill out of the bottle, she whispers his name first, avoiding touching him, as she is not sure where all of his injuries are yet.

"Seth?"

A groan in reply.

"Seth, dear? Can you wake up? You need to take another pill."

His face is so battered and bruised. Several hours now after the accident, the colors are becoming more pronounced, and the gash on his head that had been sutured is also angry looking. Now that she has seen the police report and knows that the car was hit on the driver's side, his airbag went off, and his car totaled, she knows just how lucky he was. But knowing that makes her afraid now to even touch the one area of his face that isn't bruised.

Instead, she leans over and whispers in his ear, "Seth, wake up. It's Jess."

He startles, which is what she was trying to avoid, as he immediately moans in agony. She can tell from his eyes though, that he is struggling to remember what happened, as he stares at her, taking in his surroundings of the hotel room, while feeling the pain he is in.

"Do you remember where you are? And what happened?"

He tries to nod, but winces, and instead, becomes still.

"You said I was in a car accident, but I don't remember it. I do remember driving though this morning," he answers slowly.

"It's probably for the best that you don't remember then. I saw the police report. You probably never saw the car coming. It was a hit and run."

He didn't say anything, but he held her eyes, thoughts unspoken between them both.

"You need to take this," she says, and motions with her hand for him to take the pill. He does, along with half the water.

"Now, what can I get you to eat? I don't want that medicine upsetting your stomach."

"Something small. I don't think I can eat much."

"I'll call down for room service."

Jessica walks over to the phone and asks for a variety of foods to be brought up, along with more water and tea bags. She thought Seth would nod back off to sleep, but when she turns back towards him after getting off the phone, she finds him staring at her.

Walking back over to the bedside, she perches on the edge, carefully placing her hand on top of his, but not squeezing it.

"Mort brought your suitcase. Would you like to change into your pajamas?"

"Maybe just the shirt. This button down isn't too comfortable."

"Of course. Is it alright if I unpack for you?"

He nods, watching her as she moves around the room, setting out his suitcase and hanging clothes in the closet, beside her clothes that he could see already hanging, before placing boxers, undershirts and pajamas in the dresser drawers, presumably beside her own. Setting one pajama top on the top of the dresser, she fiddled with the rest of their clothes, organizing them the way she wanted.

Once done, she turns to him, with the pajama top in her hand. She walks over to the bed and pulls the bedclothes back, reaching to unbutton his dress shirt. Seth let her, but held his breath, without realizing it, because when she reached the end, he exhaled in a rush.

She smiles softly and says, "Seth, I'm not going to attack you. Well, at least not until you are better."

His eyebrows jump up. What does she mean by that? Instead of saying anything though, he continues to watch her, as she helps him sit up, moving the sleeves off his arms and pulling the shirt away from his body. He was wearing an undershirt still, but told her he would keep that on, as he was a little chilled. The pajama top was warm and she helped him on with it, buttoning it up and fussing to make sure it was comfortable, before he leaned back against the pillows once again.

"Are you warm now, Seth, or would you like me to turn the heat up a little?" she asks quietly.

"I'm fine, woman. You can stop fussing now," he says, but there is no harshness in his tone. Instead, he said it while staring into her blue eyes that he could get lost in, as though they are warm waters in the sea.

A knock on the door indicated the arrival of room service, which broke their connection to one another, as she turned to go to the door. A few minutes later, she came back to the bed, offering him a variety of options. Selecting some crackers and cheese, as well as apple slices, she put everything on a small plate for him that he ate from slowly. She knew that the painkillers would upset his empty stomach, as he surely knew as well, so he continued to eat, even though he did not seem interested in it. That alone, made her own stomach sink, as she could never remember a time when Seth did not enjoy eating.

Jessica made some fresh tea and fixed her own plate of half a chicken salad sandwich and some fruit. Figuring she might as well get them both used to their situation, she moved around to the other side of the bed, sitting on top of the covers, while leaning back against the headboard. She could feel his eyes on her, but she did not look at him, instead focusing on her food. After a few moments, Seth continued eating and she felt the tension ease.

When Seth finished, before she realized what he was doing, he turned his body to put the small plate on the bedside table, but the movement must have been excruciating, because he groaned loudly, muttering a curse under his breath.

"Seth! What do you think you are doing?" she cries, as she jumps up, walking around to his side to get the plate from him.

"I'm not an invalid. I can't have you doing everything, Jess. Just didn't think it would hurt that badly," he manages to get out, while gripping the left side of his body in pain.

She rolled her eyes at him, but then realized maybe he didn't remember or even know what his injuries were.

"Did the doctor tell you about your injuries?"

"I remember him telling me the CT scans of my brain and spine were normal, but in case you haven't noticed, I have been asleep most of the day and hopped up on painkillers," he answers with a bit of sarcasm in his voice that he could not seem to temper.

Trying not to take it personally, but beginning to feel frustration, she says, "Well, you are remarkably well, except for the fact that you have three broken ribs on your left side. They didn't puncture your lung, but the doctor said you need to rest for the next several days and not do anything strenuous, because he doesn't want them shifting. He does still want you on your feet from time to time though to prevent clots."

"No wonder it hurts to breathe," as he absentmindedly massages his left side, while continuing to grimace.

"Yes, I'd say it does. But apart from the ribs, there were no major injuries. You have a lot of cuts and bruises and some sutures on the side of your forehead though. Speaking of moving around, why don't you get up for the bathroom and move around the room for a few minutes, before that medicine puts you back to sleep."

He hesitates at first, and she can see him wanting to argue with her for telling him what to do, but then seems to think better of it, as she pulls back the covers and he moves to stand up beside her. She walks beside him to the bathroom door, with her hand resting on his arm, making sure he is steady. She knows she could not catch him if he fell, but hopefully she could prevent him from falling hard and hitting his head on the way down, without hurting herself in the process.

Turning the bathroom light on, Seth moves to close the door, but before he can, she tells him, "Don't lock it."

Exasperated, he exclaims, "Jess, I am fully capable of going to the bathroom on my own!"

Jessica bore her eyes into his, forcing her voice not to elevate, even as she is sure her blood pressure did, she asked, "And if you fall in there and the door is locked? Wouldn't you rather me be the one to come in and try to help you, instead of calling the front desk or 911?"

"When you put it like that…" he mutters, as he shuts the door firmly, but without locking it.

Jessica sighs, feeling her emotions simmer down as she forces the air from her body. She knew that Seth would be prickly. He does not like being a patient and he is clearly in a lot of pain. While she is used to his moods and rarely takes his grumbly comments personally, sometimes he wears her down. Especially when she is worried about him and just trying to help. She walks a few feet away from the door to preserve his privacy as much as possible, and waits until he opens the door. She walks slowly beside him as he takes a slow turn around the suite, back towards the bathroom and around one more time, before walking back to the bed.

The rest of the afternoon passes slowly, with Seth sleeping and Jessica reading on the couch. By the time evening approaches, Jessica goes to close the blinds, and gathers up some more food for both of them, before waking Seth. It is time for him to have more medicine, and she decided after the pain he was in this afternoon, that it would be better for the next day or so to stay ahead of the pain and wake him if needed to take it as soon as he could.

Turning on the bedside lamp, she whispers, "Seth? Can you please wake up? It's time to eat a little something and take some more medicine."

He groans, but somehow his groan sounds better than earlier today, as though the pain is more bearable somehow.

Opening his eyes, she hands him his glasses.

"What time is it, Jess?"

"Half past seven. I want you to stay ahead of the pain. Here, take this and I have part of a sandwich for you if you think you can handle it."

As Jessica tells him this, she helps arrange the pillows behind him so he can sit up and he takes the medicine with some water. Handing him the plate, he eats. Satisfied that he has everything he needs, she gets her own plate and glass of water and again, joins him on the other side of the bed.

"Where are we again, Jess?" he asks, pausing as he eats his sandwich.

"Downtown Montpelier."

"For how long?"

"Well, that remains to be seen. For a few days at least. Until you feel well enough to go home or until I deem you well enough to go home more than likely. It will be more difficult for me to take care of you in Cabot Cove with all the gossip, so I would rather stay here until I think you can manage."

"Oh, and when did you get a medical degree, Jess?"

"Seth, you know what I mean," she chastises him. He can be so exasperating sometimes!

He turns his head to make eye contact, lowering his voice, as he says, "Ayuh, I do. But why this sudden urge to take care of me, woman?"

Raising her hands in some kind of effort to defend herself, she answers, "You put me down as your emergency contact, Seth. So you must, deep down, want me to help you when you need it. And surely, you need it right now. The doctor could not release you today without there being a responsible adult to look after you, which is why he called. You are taking narcotics and hit your head, as well as have broken ribs…but it's not just that."

She pauses, covering her eyes with her hands trying to gather her thoughts.

She had felt so many overwhelming emotions today. She did not want to be even more vulnerable. She worked hard to be strong and confident. Seth knew that though and also knew that when he pushed her buttons like he was doing, she would sometimes cave and tell him everything without holding back. She was always honest, but she was also private. Even with Seth. But Seth waited, staying silent, willing her to speak and it broke down her last barriers.

After taking a deep breath, she lowers her hand and continues, "It isn't just that you need my help. But…it's more than that. I want to help. I want to take care of you. When the doctor called and told me this morning that I was your emergency contact and that I needed to come to the hospital, I was so worried about you. I couldn't get there fast enough. And then when I saw you in the hospital bed, with all the monitors and you were sedated, I couldn't stop crying. I was terrified that you were more seriously injured than the doctor had told me and that I would lose you…I realized…I realized that I love you, Seth. What a fool I am, for not admitting it sooner."

This last bit, Jess had said while looking down at her hands, nervous to know Seth's reaction. When she finished and looked up to make eye contact, he was still staring at her. She was astonished to see a tear roll down his cheek, even as she felt her own tears coursing down her face.

"Come here, Jess," he whispered, holding out his hand to her.

She moved across the king-size bed, to sit right beside him, while being careful not to touch. She knew his entire body hurt, and she did not want to cause him more pain.

Cradling her hand in his larger one, he marveled at the softness of her skin and the blueness of her eyes. She was a beautiful Renaissance painting, with her creamy smooth skin. His Jess. Because that is how he thought of her, always his Jess, even though he had never said it aloud. There was far too much fear that he would scare her away if he admitted how he truly felt about her.

But maybe it was time to get all this out into the open.

Jess wipes his face with her other hand, brushing the tears away, as she did to her own face, as they continue to stare at each other.

"Do you really love me, Jess?"

She nods fervently. She does. She knows it in her being, in her very soul. She suspects she always has, but isn't it just like life to kick you in the gut sometimes to make you see something that you previously denied?

"I do, Seth. I love you very much."

"Forgive me for not being a gentleman and asking for you to make the first move, but if I stay still, it doesn't hurt as badly. Could you please come closer and kiss me, my dear?"

She smiles widely, as she carefully leans over, not having any of her weight against him, as she brushes her lips softly against his own. His lips are warm and touching them to her own is electrifying. Pulling away, she feels the loss of him immediately, but knows that even an embrace is out of the question tonight.

"I love you, Jessica Fletcher. I always have. I always will."

"I know," she whispers.

It was not an arrogant statement or even a humble one, just simply stating a fact. She has felt his love for years. But in the beginning of their friendship, she was still far too lost in the world without Frank, the grief was fierce and she rarely felt anything else but the grief. It often felt debilitating. Then, as time wore on and she became more in demand in her profession with frequent travel, Seth was her lighthouse in the storm and busyness of her life. She knew that she loved him as a friend by then, but she was unwilling and frankly, too selfish to consider anything else.

But now?

She was no longer willing to ignore her emotions or her desires. If Seth was patiently waiting for her still, she would not take advantage of his love anymore. He was worth far too much to be treated the way she had been treating him. She was ashamed of herself, and when she realized that, the tears came again.

"Jess? What's wrong?" Seth asks in concern.

What in the world had gotten her upset now?

She could not speak at first, as the tears were almost uncontrollable. Instead, she kept crying, covering her face with one hand, as she continued holding Seth's with her other. After several minutes, she began to calm down and she knew she needed to answer him.

"I just realized how I have been treating you all these years, Seth. You have loved me forever, haven't you?"

"You know I have, Jess."

"And I just ignored it. I feel so ashamed at how I treated you. It's like the realization of it has crashed down on me. I don't deserve you! How could you have loved me for years and been so patient? I took advantage of you and your love and never gave anything in return."

His warm hazel eyes soften as he stares at her for a long moment, before speaking.

"Jess, loving someone isn't a guarantee of being loved in return. You know that. I have loved you, yes, but I have never proclaimed it, now have I? Because I figured there would be someone else better for you one day. Someone more cultured and adventurous in New York probably…Jess, look at me…just because I have loved you, does not mean you owe me anything. It never has. Now, if you love me now, that is a beautiful thing and one I will not turn down. But, you have never treated me poorly. In fact, you have been the best friend I have ever had."

Still crying, she says, "Oh Seth, I want to hug you so badly but I know that will hurt you."

"I'll never turn down a hug from you, woman. Just move carefully."

Jess moves her body to cross the few inches separating them. Carefully putting her arms around his neck where fewer bruises are, she feels his arms wrap around her torso. She does not squeeze him, but she does turn her face to his neck, breathing in his special scent and placing a few soft kisses down his neck, causing him to groan for hopefully other reasons besides pain.

"Seth?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you put me as your emergency contact instead of Margie?"

"Margie has her own family to care for and you know we haven't exactly been close. But really, Jess, the reason is you are the most important person in my life. There is no one else."

"But I don't even drive!"

He starts to chuckle and then forces himself to stop, as it hurts. He waves her concern away, before saying, "So what? You don't drive. You got here, didn't you? I knew if I needed you, you would come."

This admission made her feel sad in regards to his daughter, yet she understands it. Because it is the same way for her. She loves Grady, but he has his own family, too.

However, the realization that not only is Seth her best friend, but he is the man she loves, makes her feel exhilarated, especially to know it is reciprocated.

"Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"Who is your emergency contact?"

She smiles, pulling away from his body, feeling sheepish.

She looks up at him, and whispers, "You are, Seth. There is no one else for me either."

He pulls her hand, causing her body to move back towards him, and wraps his arms around her in a loose embrace again.

After some time, she asked if he wanted to shower or bathe before bed. He admitted he was far too tired, but will in the morning.

Jessica decided she would like a bath and she got up to have a soak after making sure Seth was comfortable first. She gave him the TV remote if he wanted to watch anything, as well as left a couple of books on the side table if he felt like reading. He was already yawning by the time she went into the bathroom and closed the door though.

Half an hour later, she was back in the bedroom in her nightgown and robe. Seth was still awake watching the news, but turned it off when she came to the bedside. He stared at her. She was wearing a periwinkle robe with white piping and a satin sheen. The nightgown peeking out of the top, showed a bit of lace. It was not lingerie, but it was not dowdy either. In fact, it was her normal nighttime clothing, other than the occasional flannel pajamas in the dead of winter when she was freezing. But suddenly, she felt a bit scantily clad as he stared at her, and she gripped the top of the robe feeling shy.

Seth felt a sudden pang in his chest as he looked at her. She was delightfully stunning and while she exhibited confidence in her body, she never seemed to understand just how beautiful she actually was. Seeing her grab the lapels of her robe made him wistful, wondering if she was scared of him for some reason.

"Jess, you know you are safe with me, don't you?" he asks in his gravelly voice.

That question seems to shake her out of whatever she is thinking, as she lowers her hands, and says, "Of course, I do."

He nodded, waiting for her to relax. She did eventually, as she turned her back to him and took off the robe, laying it across the chair by the bed. She kept her body turned to the side as she pulled back the covers, to get in beside him. Her nightgown was knee length and matched the robe. There was lace at the bodice and it was fitted to her curves. She knew she looked nice in it, but she did not realize when she packed this morning how exposed it would make her feel to climb into bed with Seth while wearing it.

She turned her light off, and as Seth's was already off, the room became dark, except for the few glowing electrical lights from the microwave and various switches in the room.

She did not move at first. She was too nervous; she felt almost paralyzed. This was absurd. She was a grown woman who had just professed her love for this man beside her, and she knew he loved her. Because of his injuries, she knew that nothing more was expected tonight.

She could relax. Except she couldn't.

Seth was safe and has always been safe. She tried not to think too much about how good he has always been to her, because she knew that the tears would not be far behind.

"Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"Just relax, woman."

"Seth…I haven't shared a bed with a man since Frank died."

"I know."

She rolls onto her side, facing him.

"Why am I so nervous? You can't even move right now without hurting yourself!"

He snickers softly, "This was your idea. I'm not going to pretend to understand you right now, Jess."

"Seth? Could I hold your hand?"

He moved his hand to the middle of the bed, and she reached for it. Wrapping both her hands around his, she pulled her body closer to their hands, as she closed her eyes. Finally, feeling her body begin to relax, she fell into a dreamless sleep.