Jessica woke up late one Saturday morning in Seth's arms. She knew he was asleep and as they had been awake late into the night making love, she tried to stay still, so that he could sleep a while longer.
Their relationship had made the leap into the physical about three months ago. It was still new, passionate, and exciting, often never having any plan, other than to show each other how much they had discovered they loved each other.
Oh, they knew that they had loved each other for years. But they had been too afraid to voice it, as both of them treasured their friendship so much that it was too risky to admit their feelings if one of them did not reciprocate. Even worse would be if they believed that they did want a relationship together, tried to have one, only to realize that they were not a good fit.
But then Seth's brother, Richard, was murdered, and after drinking a few shots of scotch with Jessica in her room after finding his body, Seth began to grieve for the brother he barely knew and had just reconciled with that night. After sharing the depth of his emotions and loss, he had the nerve to make a move on the woman he loved more than anyone since losing Ruth.
As soon as Seth kissed Jessica, he pulled away, appalled that she would think it was only the scotch or the loss of his brother that was making him amorous.
But she knew it was far more than that. His brother's death was the catalyst they had needed. She simply pulled him back to her, kissing him, as she moaned in his mouth, making it clear that she was receptive to his advances.
Leading him to her bed, they made love that night, and when morning came, Jessica made sure he knew that when they returned home, she wanted their relationship to continue. Regardless of how or why they had crossed that barrier, they had, and she wanted him to know she wanted to be with him and that in no way had the night before been a mistake by clouded judgment nor was it a one-time event.
Seth could hardly believe his good fortune, even as he knew his brother had met with rotten fortune.
After Jessica solved his brother's murder, as he knew she would, they had returned home to Cabot Cove and for a while, they tiptoed around their deepening relationship. He felt he needed to court her to build back up to what they had rushed into the night his brother was killed, which only made Jessica frustrated.
But after a couple of weeks of awkwardness, Jessica stopped their conversation one night at a restaurant close to home and said, "Seth, why are we acting like we barely know each other? This is ridiculous, darling. I love you and I know you love me. Why don't we go home, and you stay the night?"
Seth was frozen in time, unable to answer, which caused her to smirk, and say, "I know you want to, Seth," as she rubbed her foot along the length of his leg, making it jerk in reply.
Looking down to cover her laughter, Seth gazed at her in wonder. He could not believe her brazenness!
And yet, Jessica was right. He wanted nothing more than to stay the night with her. But she was such a lady, and he did not want to take advantage of her. Even worse, he did not want others in town to know what they were up to and think any less of her. He had not swung a punch since he was a teenager, but he knew he would lose control if anyone disrespected Jessica and he certainly did not want to be the reason for it. Besides, he wanted more with her than a roll in the hay. Far more.
Despite his worry, he did follow Jessica upstairs that night after driving her home, as well as every night she had invited him since.
By some unspoken agreement, he did not stay during the week. They both began work early every morning and even though they tried not to worry about gossip, they did not want to add any fuel either. Since both of them had been alone for many years, they seemed to understand that they needed to ease into this new relationship, still allowing each other to have independence and time alone.
They still saw each other on most days during the week, as they always had before, but the physical nature of their relationship was less in focus during the weekdays. Without calling attention to the pattern, they had begun to establish with their intimacy, they were careful not to get too worked up, while still kissing hello and goodbye and caressing faces and arms.
When Jessica woke up this Saturday morning in Seth's arms, she pondered the night before. She felt like a teenager sometimes, with how hot and heavy they could get, especially as they had kept this as a special thing for now, only on the weekends. Somehow on these nights, it caused the passion and desire to escalate, as they had more to look forward to during the week, so when last night arrived, Seth decided to forgo dessert.
When she stood up to cut and serve the pie, he moved around her, lifting the still warm pie from the stovetop. Sliding it into the refrigerator, he added the few other food items that needed to be put inside. Turning back to her, she saw his eyes darken, as he moved her against the countertop, burying his face in her neck, breathing her in.
"Seth? I made rhubarb pie for dessert."
"It'll keep for later. Right now…I want you for dessert."
"What?"
"You heard me, woman," he almost growled, making the hair on her neck and arms stand up, even as she felt a hot wave of desire course through her abdomen down to her hips and between her legs.
When he kissed her mouth, holding her against him and the counter, keeping her firmly in place, she moaned low and almost guttural, and that was it for him.
He pulled her blouse out of her pants and moved his hands under it, undoing her bra. He could not wait to touch her. Feeling her absence over the last five days, another second was too long to wait. Moving his hands to her front, she gasped as he palmed her breasts and began to tease her nipples. Vaguely, he knew they should stop and head to the bedroom, but it was not until she stopped him and spoke that he could think again.
"Bedroom, now." She panted, and Seth took her consent and led her as quickly as possible, while they began undoing buttons and zippers on the way upstairs.
She had forgotten how wonderful it was to be worshiped as a woman and to experience the love and adoration of a gentle, kind, and loving man. There was plenty of passion and intensity every time they made love. Even when they couldn't seem to slow down and finished far quicker than they would have liked in retrospect, she still felt his love and desire for her. She knew he was always present with her, wanting and loving her.
While she had that with Frank as well, she knew from her close friends and relatives that was not common these days. She was thankful that she had always been comfortable with herself enough to be alone, instead of choosing the first available person. Being content in solitude allowed her to be discerning and know that Seth was perfect for her in so many ways. Smiling, she recalled that she had never known solitude before Frank, moving from her parent's home into one with him, but Frank was special and somehow even as a young and naive woman, as she was in those days, she knew he was the man for her.
She had been so lucky in her life. She hoped that she and Seth lived many more years together, but regardless of when their lives ended, she knew she would die with no regrets. For she had loved and been loved well and she knew contentment and peace at a deep soul level. She hoped Seth felt the same as well, but even as she had the thought, she knew he did.
It was still early, barely eight o'clock, but Jessica wanted some hot tea, and she knew that whenever Seth woke up, he would want coffee.
She got out of bed, wrapping her thick terry cloth robe around her. Going to the bathroom, she took a few minutes to also brush her teeth and hair.
Walking down the stairs, she was surprised to see the light in the kitchen was on. She thought she could even smell a whiff of coffee. She could have sworn that they turned the light off before going to bed last night, but then as she remembered their hurry to get upstairs, she felt her face grow warm, as she realized that maybe they had forgotten. She knew she had also brewed a pot of coffee to go with their pie that they did not eat, so shrugging her shoulders, she continued down the stairs.
As a result, she was speechless when she turned the corner to see Grady sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee mug in one hand and the paper in the other.
"Grady! What are you doing here?" She said in shock.
Standing, he grabbed her in a bear hug and said, "Aunt Jess! Surprise!"
"Well, I am surprised," was all she could think to say.
Trying to recover, she realized that under her robe, she did not have a stitch of clothing on, and subconsciously, felt to make sure the robe was tightly closed.
Grady was wearing a warm green flannel shirt and a pair of faded jeans. His jacket was on a hook by the back door, right by Seth's.
He motioned towards the coffee pot, asking if she wanted a cup.
She did, as coffee would be a better jolt than the hot tea she had planned on, but she stood calculating. Would Seth hear them talking and wait until Grady was gone to come downstairs? Would Grady leave anytime soon?
And more importantly, did they remove any clothing on the way upstairs last night that Grady could see? She knew there had not been any on the stairs just now, but she did not pay attention anywhere else. She was not ashamed of Seth or their relationship, but she did not want him or Grady to be embarrassed. Besides it was far different to be an adult and understand that relatives had sexual relationships, just as anyone else, and something else entirely to see evidence of that sexual relationship and passion in the form of clothes left haphazardly about the house.
Nodding for Grady to pour her a cup of coffee, she considered her options. Could she feign needing to use the bathroom to go upstairs and warn Seth or could she occupy Grady somehow to provide a distraction for Seth to leave or at least dress before Grady saw him? Trying to come up with anything, she stood in place as she watched him pour her coffee.
Grady had no idea of Jessica's discomfort, as he began to chatter, telling her why he had appeared so early on a Saturday morning without warning.
She touched his arm briefly and said, "I'm sorry. I must still be half asleep. Could we sit down for a moment, and you tell me again?"
She could only hope that Seth would hear them speaking at least and have some warning to Grady's presence, as they sat down together.
Grady chuckled, saying, "Sure, Aunt Jess. Like I said, I have a long weekend from work and the woman that I am seeing in New York, has a family place about an hour from here. I'm supposed to be there at lunchtime today, but I got a bit too excited, left too early, and drove through the night. I decided to stop by here and see if my favorite aunt would let me take her to the diner for breakfast. Your back door was unlocked as usual, so I just came in and thought I'd wait for you to wake up."
She smiled at him. When he smiled, he still looked like the little boy she had helped raise. He had turned into such a charming man, and she knew that Frank had influenced him greatly, which always made her feel like a piece of him remained. It was good to see Grady and she could tell that he was happy, which made her happy.
"So, how about it, Aunt Jess? Why don't you get dressed and I'll take you to the diner?"
But before she could answer, the inevitable happened.
From upstairs, she could hear Seth call out, "Jess, I can't find my trousers. Did you move them somewhere?"
There was no sound in the kitchen, as Grady and Jessica both froze, staring at each other. Jessica could not blink or even swallow, but she felt her face grow hot.
After a few seconds though, she realized that she could not let Seth come downstairs partially clothed, so she jumped up, all but running to the stairs, even as she heard Grady behind her, following her to the doorway.
She climbed the stairs reaching the landing, out of breath, because really what could she answer with that would not be even more embarrassing for Grady to hear? The trousers were under her own on the floor where they flung them off last night? Or check the quilt to see if they were tangled up in it? Really, there was no good answer.
Entering the bedroom, she closed the door behind her, staring at Seth, as he was clad only in his boxers, trying to find his clothes that were mixed in with her own.
Looking around the floor, she saw his trousers. They had been kicked under the edge of the bed, and she pulled them out, placing them beside the other clothes that he had rescued from the floor.
"Oh, thanks, Jess. I couldn't find them."
"So, I gathered. You should probably bring a few changes of clothes soon to keep here, so you aren't wearing wrinkled ones from the day before," she said quietly.
He must have sensed from her tone that something was amiss, as he glanced up at her, standing beside him, as he started to pull his undershirt on.
"Something wrong, my dear?"
Sighing, she sat on the edge of the bed and said, "I guess you could say that. We have a visitor."
"A visitor?" He asked, confused.
"Grady is downstairs. He saw me in my robe and heard you ask where your trousers were, and then my face went red, and I don't have to say anymore, do I?"
He didn't know how to respond, but the only thing he could think of was, "What is Grady doing here?" As though her answer would have any relevance to their current predicament.
Jessica told him, but gestured for him to continue dressing, even as she turned to the closet and began pulling fresh clothes for herself to wear. Slinging off her robe, she dressed beside him, and their comfort level at doing so, helped soothe her spirit.
She loved Seth with all her heart, and she knew he felt the same about her. This was hardly a tawdry affair that Grady was a witness to. It would all be alright. Most of the town knew or had guessed by now. It was time for Grady to know anyway, even if she had not intended on him finding out this way.
"Is he still here?" Seth asked quietly, as he stood back up to zip his trousers and fasten his belt.
"Oh, I know my nephew and not only is he still here, but you will have some explaining to do."
"Me?"
She smirked and said, "Well…probably both of us. But don't worry, I'm a big girl and you don't have to defend my honor. Once we explain that we are together and this isn't just a fling, he will be alright. And if he isn't, I will handle him. He is my nephew and he will have to respect that even if he doesn't agree. It's my life and I am capable of making my own decisions."
"You are adorable when you get fierce like this," he whispered, before he kissed her nose.
"Seth?"
"Hmm?"
"We are together, aren't we? I know we haven't had a talk about that, but…"
He stopped her, by putting one finger on her lips, "Yes, we are together, Jessica Fletcher. Permanently. And if Grady demands I marry you today with a shotgun in his hand, I'm prepared to do so."
Laughing, she said, "That boy better not, but I wouldn't be opposed to marrying you today."
Startled, his eyebrows rose to his hair, even as he smiled in delight.
"But there is no hurry, my love. Come on. Let's face the music," she said, smiling brightly back at him, as she grasped his hand, leading them downstairs.
As she knew he would be, Grady was sitting at the kitchen table. But this time, instead of reading the newspaper, he was staring into his coffee cup, the tension oozing off of him. Jessica poured fresh cups of coffee for all of them, before she and Seth joined him at the table.
Once she got comfortable, she said, "Grady?"
He finally looked up at her, obviously embarrassed and uncomfortable, while ignoring Seth, as it became apparent that Grady was going to focus on Jessica instead.
"Grady, I know it's a shock, but why in the world are you this upset, my dear?" She reached out to touch his arm and found he was shaking.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Jess. I don't know why."
He looked back down at his coffee cup and continued to stare, trying to get his emotions under control. Jessica made eye contact with Seth and he appeared to be as confused as she was. Without commenting, they waited for Grady to calm down.
When he seemed to be back in control, he looked up, still only looking at Jessica. Swallowing and moistening his lips, he tried to speak.
"Aunt Jess, I'm sorry. I know you have been alone for a long time. And I know that you and Doctor Hazlitt have been friends for many years. I guess I feel a little stupid not understanding before now. And maybe a little shocked. You have been more of a mother to me, Aunt Jess. And no man wants to think about his mother…" he trailed off.
Clearing her throat, she knew exactly what he meant, and while she understood his point and it would be far easier to skirt the issue, she also felt her ego rise up and couldn't resist speaking her mind.
"Are you suggesting I'm too old for sex, Grady?"
His eyes widened and said, "No, not at all! I would never say that!"
Seth interrupted, saying, "Now Jess," before she interjected again.
"Don't, now Jess, me."
Grady understood this was spinning out of control, and said, "No, Aunt Jess, you misunderstand. I guess I did not realize you had finally moved on from Uncle Frank. I'm happy for you, I really am, but I'm just a little shocked. I mean, I thought you were traditional and would get…married first…" he was digging a deeper hole and he could see it in his aunt's blue eyes that were beginning to flash, even if he couldn't stop himself.
Seth cleared his throat and made eye contact with Grady for the first time, telling him, "I have every intention of marrying your aunt, Grady, whenever she is ready. I love her and I will love her for the rest of my life."
He reached over to hold Jessica's hand, squeezing it tightly, hoping that he had lessened the tension in the room.
It was quiet for a few moments, until Grady had a new question.
"How long…" but then trailed off as he realized it was not any of his business.
"Grady," Jessica said, sighing in frustration.
"I don't mean to pry. I just wondered if this was new or if I had been clueless for a long time."
"Oh, I see. It's fairly new. About three months or so. Which is why you didn't know anything. Not that I would have given you details, mind you, but I would have told you if we were living together or were getting married."
"Living together?" Grady watched his aunt's eyebrows raise at his question, as he sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. I'm surprised. I remember you with Uncle Frank, Aunt Jess. You were both affectionate and loving and I suppose my loyalty to him makes it feel odd to think of you with someone else. Even if it has been years since he died and that someone is Dr. Hazlitt."
"You should call me, Seth."
Grady started to argue, but Seth held up his hand and said, "No, I insist. You're a grown man and I hope you will be family soon. Call me Seth and once we get married, you can call me Uncle Seth, but only if you want to."
Nodding, Grady did not say anything.
"Now, I want one thing understood, before we leave this room," Seth said, causing both Grady and Jessica to look at him in alarm.
Seth's face had grown a bit stern as he spoke directly to Grady, "I want you to know that your aunt is the same wonderful lady that you have always known and loved. I know you loved your uncle, but there is a reason that marriage vows end when one person dies. I was married before as well, and my wife died years before Frank did. Just because you lose your other half doesn't mean you stop feeling or loving. If you are blessed to find another person to love, as your aunt and I have been with each other, you understand just how special and important that is, because so few people really find it once, let alone again. But having it once before, makes it easier to see and know when you find it again. Just because we have a physical relationship and aren't married yet, does not mean you should respect her any less. Judge me if you need to, perhaps I have taken advantage of her love and willingness…but not her."
Jessica's eyes had filled with tears as Seth spoke.
Reaching to touch his face, she whispered, "I love you, Seth."
Cupping her hand, he said, "I love you, Jess."
At their declarations of love and the softness that touched both of their faces as they stared at each other, with the tentative caress of their hands, Grady could both see and feel the undercurrent of love and emotion between them.
"So…you have known each other for years. You are in love. You're sleeping together. So, why aren't you married?" Grady asked, despite the look he knew he would receive from his aunt.
Still touching Seth's face, Jessica turned to look at Grady in frustration, bordering on annoyance.
But before she could speak, Grady interjected, "I think it's a fair question." He said, softly. "Maybe you don't need to tell me the answer, but if Seth said he will marry you whenever you are ready and you both know you love each other and you have been best friends for years, what are you waiting for?"
"Grady, I…" but Jessica could only trail off. What was she waiting for? Life was short and she did know that she loved Seth more than anything. He was good for her and the last few months since they had admitted their feelings for each other, had been the happiest she had been since Frank was alive.
Seth turned to Jessica, reaching for her hand to squeeze. "How about it, woman? He doesn't seem to be holding a shotgun, but he does have a point. Do you want to see if I can rustle up a marriage license on a Saturday and we find someone to marry us while Grady is here?"
"Do you think you can, Seth?"
"I know a few people. Helps being a doctor after all. Let me make a few calls."
Seth went to use the phone in the living room, so Grady and Jessica could continue talking. When Seth returned less than fifteen minutes later, he reported that everything was all set. They could get married at noon.
Jessica was flustered but believed that if this was all coming together this quickly, it must be meant to be.
Even so, Seth came over and sat down beside Jessica, reaching for her hand and asked quietly, "Woman, I know this is sudden. I can wait until you are ready."
Staring into his hazel eyes, she knew at that moment that there was nothing more that she wanted than to marry Seth and marry him now.
"I'm ready, Seth," she said, kissing him softly.
"Alright, now, I know I'm happy for you, but do you really have to kiss in front of me?" Grady asked.
Rolling her eyes at Grady, Jessica did not respond to his question, but instead asked one of her own, "Grady, I know you were headed to see your girlfriend's family at lunchtime, but do you think you could go a little later and stay long enough to be our witness?"
"I'll do one even better, Aunt Jess. I'll go get her and bring her with us."
"Oh Grady, that would be wonderful. What's her name?"
"Donna. I think you will love her."