A/N: I've not read anything comparable to Pink Flowers for a Blue Lady in the Valentine genre of any of the OTPs that I follow. It's just a gorgeous, perfect story with a sequel to die for. I urge you to read it if you've not already. You're in for a delightful treat.

I hope this story brightens your day and brings you as much joy as I found in writing it. It's based on a prompt sentence: "I think I deserve a kiss for that." Happy Valentine's Day!

"Seth, stop arguing. We agreed to this before I left for New York."

"A-yuh," Seth grumbled. "Didn't like it then. Like it even less now."

"But you love cooking so. And you admitted that you don't like using my kitchen while I'm away."

"It's not right," said Seth gruffly.

"Oh fiddle faddle. You could use it, but you won't, you stubborn old goat!"

"Stubborn? Me? Ha!" He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to point a gloved finger at Jessica. "You, woman. You are the very definition of stubborn." He glared at her, then pulled her arm through his as they continued walking to Mara's. "This attempt is a case in point."

"You know, Seth, I wouldn't have to be so stubborn if you weren't so...so...balky."

"So you're saying I'm an ass?"

"You said it. Not me."

Seth glared for a moment, then laughed and tugged her gloved hand affectionately. "You win, Jessica, as usual."

"Not as usual. I seldom win against you in chess."

"That's merely the exception that proves the rule." He sighed deeply as he opened the door to Mara's. He put a hand to the small of Jessica's back and ushered her in. "When do you want to do this?"

"How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" He frowned. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow!" She looked at him carefully. He was acting very strangely.

"Afternoon, Jessica, Seth. The usual for you?"

"Sure," agreed Seth absently. "Tomorrow," he murmured.

Jessica allowed time for them to get settled in their regular booth and for Lizzie to pour out two cups of coffee before she began. "Seth, what in the world's gotten into you? What's so special about tomorrow?"

He looked up in surprise. "Jessica, tomorrow is Valentine's Day."

"Oh." She sat back. "So it is." She found herself mildly flustered. She had been busy, but why hadn't she looked more carefully at the calendar when she was planning this little adventure? Oh dear.

"It's not like you to forget any holiday."

"Well, I've been busy with this latest book," she pushed back, a little defensively. "Anyway," she said weakly, "what's a little holiday between friends?" She brightened. "Consider it a long overdue gift."

"Valentine's Days, like birthdays, are days I stopped celebrating years ago," Seth said grumpily.

"Well then, it will be a sort of double treat." She reached over and patted his hand. When their eyes met, she almost wished she hadn't. Something in his gaze caused a flutter of nerves. Ridiculous. Hastily, she pulled her hand back. "Are you sure we should have our usual today, Seth? Ought we to be so predictable?"

"It's a little late to change now, Jess. Lizzie's already put in our orders. Besides, nothing wrong with predictable. It's solid, reliable."

As Jessica pondered his words, she wondered if she weren't ready for a change. If they both weren't ready.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Valentine's Day dawned clear and bright, but bitterly cold-just like any other February day in Cabot Cove-and Jessica was up with the sun after a restless night.

She'd spent most of the night comparing and contrasting the two men in her life. Frank Fletcher, handsome, confident, bold without being brash, had swept her right off her feet. He'd charmed her so completely that, by the end of their first meeting, she knew-beyond a shadow of a doubt-that she would marry that man. Apparently he had known it too, because only a few short weeks later, she found herself moving to San Diego to become the wife of an Air Force captain. He was charismatic, but genuine, authentic. He loved her. She knew it to the very depth of her soul. Losing Frank at such a young age had been devastating. And no children to see echoes of his face in. She vowed never to fall in love again. After all, who could ever measure up to Frank Fletcher?

Seth Hazlitt was a pebble in her shoe. A burr in her saddle. A pain in the...well. He chivvied and harangued her, insisted and prodded. Never complimented or even slacked up, just always pushed. Jessica could do more, be more. Then when she did actually do and become more, he was petulant and moody because she had less time for him. And yet. No one could get her Irish up quicker, and no one's compliments could compare to his quiet "a-yuh" of approval. She couldn't deny there was a spark between them. They circled each other warily, each sensing the potential for danger, yet neither could leave the other alone.

And in the center were two Jessicas: Jessica and JB. Where did one begin and the other end? How much of Jessica was JB? How much of JB had subsumed Jessica? Who was she and what did she want?

At first, she was pleased only to have done a reasonably good job at writing her first mystery novel. That it would be published and so well received had never occurred to her. She'd worked hard on those later novels, harder even than she'd worked on the first one. Those next novels mattered. They proved that her success wasn't just some fluke, that she did have some share of talent and intelligence.

With success came money and opportunities for travel and a broadening of her life that she could never have imagined. Would Frank recognize her now? Had she changed so much? Who was she?

She had changed. That much was a given. For one thing, she'd started taking more care with her appearance. Losing the weight she'd gained in the aftermath of Frank's death, buying more flattering clothes, arranging her hair and applying her makeup according to the professionals she'd watched like a hawk as they were preparing her for some interview or television appearance. So outwardly, she had changed. Fair enough. She liked it, and she didn't think Frank or Seth would complain about it either.

Had she become more confident? No, becoming JB Fletcher hadn't given her any additional confidence. She had always known her strengths and played to them. It was why she'd ended up writing a novel in those empty hours rather than taking up some other pursuit. She could admit that her relaxed and confident demeanor had attracted both men to her.

Likely that was what attracted other men to her as well. She was flattered by the attention, of course. She'd always preferred the company of men, which she attributed to having grown up with only brothers. She related more easily to men. Not that she didn't have wonderful female friends. She did. But she gravitated toward men. She felt more comfortable around them and accepted by them. Women were tricky, and she should know. She was one of the trickiest, as Frank was always quick to remind her, smiling as he said so.

Part of the pleasure of spending time with these disparate, attractive, successful men was knowing that their time together would be short and ultimately meaningless. She couldn't hurt them, but more importantly, they couldn't hurt her. But you could hurt Seth. And he could hurt you.

Her friendship with Seth was certainly not meaningless. It had evolved over time and had become one of the most important relationships of her life. He steadied her, kept her rooted to the truth of who she was. With Seth, she could be Jess and JB. She wasn't sure who she might become were it not for Seth's clear-eyed objectivity and his willingness to share his opinions with her, even when the truth hurt. Thinking of him gladdened her heart. When she was traveling, she wondered what Seth might be up to, phoned on occasion, looked out for unusual things he might like, worried over him from afar: was he getting enough rest, eating properly? What was that, if not love?

Love, to be sure, but what kind? For so long now, she'd resolutely refused to consider her relationship with Seth as anything but friendship. She'd become something of an expert at compartmentalizing. She could attribute her tender feelings for Seth to a mild case of homesickness instead of the tap roots of a burgeoning love.

She loathed any sort of lying, even as she recognized the social utility of the little white lie or the path to justice that often required a lie to entrap a wrongdoer. To discover that she'd been lying to herself so completely for so many years was something of a shock. A definite blind side to the self she thought she knew. And yet fear was a powerful emotion. She was afraid of change, just as Seth was. But, being the observant and intelligent woman she was, she felt confident that he would welcome this change. And so would she.

After yesterday's lunch, they'd arranged for Seth to pick her up at nine this morning. She glanced at the clock. None of this woolgathering was getting Seth's favorite Coffee Cake Crumble baked, which was step one in the bold plan that had come to her in the wee hours of the morning. She recalled Seth's words at lunch yesterday: It's a little late to change now. She hoped that wasn't true.

She looked down, surprised to find herself mixing the ingredients for her crumble, and somehow, in spite of her musings, she'd preheated the oven as well. She poured the batter into a baking dish and set it in the oven. Then she made her way upstairs to get ready.

She couldn't take any special care with her appearance today, as the day's purpose was to reorganize his nonfunctional kitchen. It was admittedly small...so much had been sacrificed in turning a residence into a doctor's office, and the large kitchen downstairs now functioned as a combination quasi-lab with two patient rooms whittled out of the rest of the space. Old Doc Wilson had had the space upstairs renovated, but you could hardly call what was up there a kitchen. It was more of a galley...dark, pokey with almost no room for one person to maneuver, much less two. It was why Seth never cooked meals for her at his home. She was surprised he'd even let her see his living quarters, but she'd wheedled her way in. It was rare for Seth to deny her something that was in his power to grant.

She decided to dress casually, as she would have done without conscious thought 48 hours before. She chose a simple flannel button-down shirt and jeans, and she tied her hair back with a navy bandana. She surveyed herself carefully in the mirror. A dab of lipstick and she would do. Just in time, too, as she heard the back door open and Seth call her name.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Although it was Valentine's Day, Seth still had a busy morning and wasn't able to help out as much as he'd intended, which suited Jessica just fine. It was far easier to work alone in such a small space. In addition, Seth had less time to observe the changes she was making. It suited her to present her work as a fait accompli. She was certain he would grumble, but only to save face. She was confident he would appreciate having a more functional space. After a few hours of shuffling and rearranging (and a small amount of purging), Jessica had the kitchen back together in a much more efficient, organized arrangement. She had a pot of coffee on the stove and she'd been keeping the crumble warm in the oven since Seth's last visit upstairs.

She heard his familiar tread on the stairs. "Speak of the devil," she murmured, and she hastily pulled out plates, forks, mugs and a handful of napkins, arranging them neatly on the counter. She came around the counter to greet him at the top of the stairs. "Ready to see your new kitchen?"

For a moment, Seth was struck silent. Jessica looked so delightfully disheveled. Her bandana was askew, her clothes were rumpled, and was that a smudge of dirt on the tip of her nose? It took all the mental discipline he had not to blurt I love you right then and there. No fool like an old fool, Seth Hazlitt. He was finally able to pull his focus from the particulars of her appearance and recognize that Jessica was waiting expectantly for an answer. "I'm sorry, what?"

Jessica laughed. "Tough day at the office? I asked whether you're ready to see your new kitchen."

"Oh. Yes and no." He hastily corrected himself after seeing Jessica's crestfallen expression. "Or rather no and yes. I'm all done for the day. Sent Beverly home."

Jessica's heart flip-flopped. "Oh really?" She hadn't planned on their being completely alone this afternoon.

"A-yuh. Always light on Valentine's Day. The mad rush happens the day after."

"Mmm," said Jessica faintly. "Well, it's good that you're free for the rest of the day." She brightened. "And how wonderful that I've just finished!" She took his hand without thinking and dragged him around to the kitchen. She stood back with flourish. "Well, what do you think?"

Seth blinked. This was his kitchen, but it looked so different. Jessica had cleared the counters, for one thing. He didn't miss all the mail and other debris that generally collected there. He looked at Jess, who was fairly skipping in her excitement to show him her handiwork. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and clasped his hands. "Well, now. I uh, I don't know what to think."

Jessica chivvied him into the kitchen proper. "Open up everything, now." Seth marveled as he opened the various cabinets and drawers. "Don't you think it makes so much more sense? It's laid out much more efficiently for you."

He wasn't sure why he'd been so reluctant to let her work in here...and he struggled mightily against the eye roll that threatened. Oh, he knew alright. "Jessica, it's...well, I appreciate what you've done here." He cleared his throat. "It means a lot."

She clasped her hands in front of her and beamed. "Oh, I'm so happy you like it!" For a moment, he could see the bright young girl she must have been, the new-minted shine of her glittering in the sunshine. She must have opened the drapes. Seth smiled, probably opened 'em as soon as she'd walked in.

"Like it? It's wonderful," he harrumphed, then leaned in to kiss her cheek.

The words slipped out before she had time to think. "Oh, I think I deserve a proper kiss for this!"

Neither could quite comprehend what Jessica had said, and as they stood so close together, the air stilled in the small kitchen. Jessica recovered her wits first. She had her pride, and if Seth didn't lean in to kiss her soon, she would kiss him, then make her excuses and skedaddle. She could always walk to the Andersons and call a taxi from there.

Seth, for his part, was giving himself a stern talking to. Kiss her, you fool! Just do it!

Seth leaned in to kiss Jessica just as she leaned in to kiss him.

"Ow!"

"Good grief, woman!" They backed away from each other and Seth was horrified to see that Jessica had covered her mouth. "Oh lord, Jess. Did I hurt you?" Jessica's eyes widened and she shook her head as she turned away from him. "Let me see, Jess." He reached for her shoulders but she wouldn't budge. "Now, Jessica, I need to see that you're alright."

"I'm alright," she replied, her voice muffled.

"Jess," he said tenderly. "Let me see your face."

She shook her head vehemently. "No, I can't. I'm so embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? Why?"

"Why?" she hissed. "Alright, humiliated! I...I just need to get home, Seth. I'll call a taxi."

"Call a taxi? Jess, what in the Sam Hill-? What are you talking about?"

"I made a mistake, that's all. I just need to get home."

"A mistake? What do you mean?"

She groaned. "I should never have asked you to kiss me. That was a ridiculous thing to say, and I'm so embarrassed. It's clear you didn't want to."

Seth grabbed her shoulders more firmly this time. "Look at me, Jess."

"No, Seth. I'm sorry. I've embarrassed us both and ruined a perfectly nice day-"

Seth turned her roughly towards him, but his hands were gentle when he placed them on her cheeks. "Woman," he said brokenly as he pulled her face to his and kissed her lips, lightly at first. When Jessica didn't pull away, he slid his arms around her back to pull her closer to him. He was relieved and gratified to feel her arms wrap around his neck. After a few moments, they broke apart.

"Oh, thank goodness," breathed Jess.

"What?" asked Seth in a low voice as he scanned her face for injury or regret.

"I thought maybe you didn't want to kiss me, but you felt some sort of obligation-"

"Obligation! Woman, I was working up my nerve! I never thought I'd be kissing you like that today. Or any day, for that matter."

She attempted a serious look, belied by the twinkle in her eye. "And now that you have?"

"Now that I have?" repeated Seth. "I never want to stop." He looked at her, a question in his eyes. She bit her lip and nodded and they gingerly met in the middle for another loving kiss.

AN: Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day!