Broken Sleighs
Jessica Fletcher, mystery writer extraordinaire, stared out her hotel room window. She was stuck in Boston, trying desperately to get home to Cabot Cove. She left her apartment in New York in high spirits this morning. She closed up the apartment for the holiday season and would spend four lovely weeks in Cabot Cove. There would be no writing, no research, just time spent with friends, and happy gatherings.
She was seldom homesick but the entire semester she had been pining every weekend she had been unable to go home. Normally her class schedule was Tuesdays and Thursdays but she had agreed to an eight week lecture series with several other professors and although it had been originally scheduled for Wednesday mornings from 8 AM until noon, there were several mishaps and scheduling conflicts and the class was slated for Saturday mornings instead.
Two months without going home was hard but not impossible. No, her hardship stemmed because she realized she had become more than fond of her best friend, Seth.
Oh, he would be kind and tell her she must have started drinking. He would definitely let her down gently but she felt she must tell him how she felt. Sure, she would be disappointed but she felt they could weather it. She wasn't sure when the changes in her heart occurred. It might have been when he invited himself over to her place to check things out. Sure, it annoyed her, especially at first. Any plans to clamp her independence rankled her. And she let him know it too. And that dear sweet man didn't argue. No, instead he set about doing all he could to help her while carefully trodding on eggshells.
He looked so happy when she waved him off and told him she would be home that weekend. It was nice knowing someone was home waiting on you. She missed it. She called him several times that first month. He kept her updated on the state of her house, her garden, and all the gossip he could remember. He shipped her a box of mail each week that arrived at her house and usually included several Cabot Cove Gazettes she might like to read.
Her last box of mail included a foil wrapped banana bread in a small container. He was attempting to try his hand at baking a few things, nothing elaborate like cakes or cookies. An occasional pie, a loaf of zucchini bread or something similar. It also contained a sprig of the Christmas tree he had delivered to her house. She couldn't wait to decorate it.
Her flight was going to put her in Cabot Cove at seven in the evening but she was certain she would wake up on Christmas Eve morning and decorate the tree. Seth would come over after lunch and start on dinner for them. She would play carols and they would sing along. They were going to the Metzgers for Christmas dinner, along with a few others, so it was nice to have one evening where it was just the two of them.
But now everything was falling apart. Heavy snow, sleet, rain, and a lot of canceled flights made her unable to fly into Cabot Cove. Instead she barely caught a flight to Boston, hoping she would find something to get her home.
Unfortunately the trains weren't running and neither were the buses. She never regretted her inability to drive as much as she did now. Driving conditions were so hazardous though that she knew she wouldn't attempt it.
She knew she was lucky to be able to find a hotel room but to be a hundred and fifty miles from home was torturous. She may as well call Seth and give him the news.
Her heart got a little lift when he answered the phone, as it had been doing lately. "Hazlitt here," he answered.
"Seth, it's Jessica," she began.
"I hear flights are canceled and the trains aren't running. I called your apartment but got your machine."
"I'm in Boston. I'm afraid it might be the closest I'll get to Cabot Cove," she sighed.
"I haven't checked the weather in the last hour or so. You might be able to get something out in the morning," he soothed.
"That's what I'm hoping for, Seth. If not a plane, maybe the trains will run. To be so close is maddening. I haven't spent a Christmas alone in a long while." They both knew the last time had been when Grady was in the hospital with appendicitis and unable to get to Cabot Cove that first Christmas after Frank died. Jessica had still been out of sorts with grief and spent the day typing furiously on her typewriter to keep her mind off being alone. She wasn't in the mood for company and she didn't want to dampen anyone's cheer.
"I'll go over to your house in the morning, just in case."
Seth, are you busy right now?"
"No, I was just about to make dinner but it can wait." He paused. "What's on your mind?"
"I've been carrying something for a while and I need to tell you. I didn't want to tell you on the phone. I wanted to tell you in person but if I don't say it, I might explode."
"Jess, are you ill?"
"Oh no, Seth, nothing like that. Maybe if you're sitting down…"
"It must be bad if I have to sit down. Are you moving to New York permanently?"
"Goodness no, Seth."
"Well, what is it, woman? I'll have a stroke before you spit it out."
She smiled as Seth became grumpy.
"Seth, I do miss you so much. I love when you become grouchy."
"I'm getting grouchy because you aren't talking," he complained.
"Nothing in life is truly stagnant. Everything changes for good or bad. Nothing stays the same forever."
"Are you beating around the bush? Just spill it already, woman," grouched Seth.
"My feelings for you have changed, Seth. Do you want to discuss it further?" she asked tentatively. Feeling a little vulnerable but unable to give up hope completely, she waited for his answer.
"I think we should discuss it in person," he answered softly.
Jessica had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Alright," she responded.
"In the meantime I am going to make a few preparations for tomorrow. I'll call you in the morning." His voice was gruff with emotion. "Goodnight."
Jessica replaced the receiver. Well, she had her answer and now he would take the time to sort things so he could be as gentle as possible. He would pretend everything is normal until she was behaving normally again and they would continue to be the best of friends again. Only she wanted more.
It wasn't physical. Correction, it wasn't only physical. Of course she would love to be in the arms of a man she loved again. To feel that special closeness shared between two people. It wasn't only emotional either. She knew Seth cared for her, deeply. She felt the same. His pain was her pain and his joy, her joy. It wasn't just intellectually either. Seth challenged her. He made her think, not just seeking answers but seeking understanding as well as knowledge.
She took a long soak in the tub to relax followed by a long session moisturizing and inspecting her skin for changes. It was no longer summer but better safe than sorry. She tried not to worry but she hadn't fallen in love very often in her nearly sixty years. At least she knew in her heart that Seth wanted the best for her.
She went through her mental relaxation techniques and surprisingly it worked well enough for her to fall asleep.
Morning brought about a lot of frustration. Very few planes were flying and none that were headed north. She was able to secure a train ticket for Christmas morning and thought she might have to settle for it. At least she wouldn't be alone for the entire Christmas day.
Nibbling on toast and sipping her tea, she decided she may as well call Seth and let him know. She dialed his home number but there was no answer. Thinking he may be at her house already she tried there as well. She called his service to see if he was out on a call but he had time off until the twenty-eighth.
She wondered if he wasn't ready to speak to her and was avoiding her. That caused her stomach to drop but she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He might be out getting something he forgot from the grocery store. She would try again in an hour.
She spent the next hour calling various transportation companies to see if they were working. She found a car service willing to drive her from Boston to Manchester, New Hampshire. The owner told her he was going there to celebrate with his family and would take her along.
Jessica jumped at the opportunity. Manchester was about fifty miles away. Maybe she would find something there. She quickly booked a hotel room since they were filling rapidly and waited for the car service to pick her up. Checking out of the hotel was easy since most people were checking in. Within the hour she was on her way to Manchester. She never reached Seth but she would call him once she arrived.
Last night
Seth hung up the phone and sat thinking for a few minutes. Jessica had feelings for him? He smiled and grunted. She always did take the bull by the horns. He was capable of doing the same. He turned on the weather channel and listened while he packed an overnight bag. Then he made a phone call.
Eight hours later after many stalls and swearings, he reached Manchester, New Hampshire. At this rate, he would never make it to Boston. He needed sleep however. He had been driving ten to fifteen miles per hour most of the night, often stopping to assist others that were stranded. What happened to common sense? Didn't anyone know snow tires had been invented years ago? Every time he reached an open gas station, he stopped and topped off his tank. He was taking it slowly. He needed to reach Jessica in one piece.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Hazlitt. There are no vacancies. You're welcome to camp out in the lobby with the others. It's warm. We're on generators." The hotel attendant was surprisingly cheerful after having to deal with angry, loud customers.
He found an empty corner and using his overnight bag as a pillow, he lay down to take a nap. He would call Jessica in a few hours and try to drive to her.
Someone was shaking his shoulder and he grudgingly opened his eyes. They widened, then he jumped up. "Jessica? What are you doing here?"
"Seth, I got a ride as far as here. I tried calling you but didn't get an answer." She kissed his cheek before looking him over. "Come to my room. You can have a proper shower and get cleaned up. The restaurant is open and I'll order food."
Seth was in a daze as they took the elevator to the fifth floor. By the time they reached her room, he was awake enough to know how lucky they were to find each other.
"I can't believe you're here, it's like a dream," murmured Seth.
Jessica smiled playfully. "I just happened to go down to the lobby to ask if housekeeping could bring more towels and saw you. I didn't believe my eyes."
"We get to spend Christmas Eve together after all," he said cheerfully. "I drove so if the weather improves we can drive home in the morning."
"You go ahead and shower, and grab a nap if you need it. I'm going to order breakfast and lots of coffee."
Seth gathered his things and went off to shower. Jessica picked up the phone and ordered two large breakfasts. Her spirits had lifted even if he was going to dampen them when they talked. Maybe he would wait until after the holidays?
Seth pushed his tray away. Hot cakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and coffee. It hit the spot. Even Jessica was hungry as she ate most of her meal. She had given him her hash browns but she ate the rest.
Pushing the tray outside of the room, they sat in chairs and looked awkwardly at each other.
"I think we should talk," began Seth.
Jessica nodded even as she took a deep breath. "If you're going to tell me you don't feel the same way, I'll be fine. I knew the risk when I told you. It's been on my mind and I would feel like I was keeping something from you that you should know about. If roles were reversed, I would have wanted to know." Her face was red but she was able to look him in the eye.
"Would you? Would you really want to know? I would think it would scare you off. After Frank, I couldn't see you moving on." Seth picked up both of her hands. "You see, I feel the same way Jessica. I was just waiting for a sign that you were ready to fall in love again."
Jessica looked at him, surprised. "You were waiting on me?" she asked softly.
Seth nodded and then beamed at her. "I just thought we should talk about it in person. Mostly so I can kiss you."
"Kiss me? Are you insane? You drove through the worst weather conditions, risked your life, just so we could talk in person? She stood and began pacing. "Get this through your head, Seth Hazlitt, there can only be one of us risking life and limb in this relationship!"
Seth stood to stop her from pacing but she got a march on him and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Seth was caught unaware but quickly adapted and kissed her back just as passionately. The heat in his belly grew as his desire flamed. Their hands began to move and roam each other's body.
Jessica pulled back breathing heavily.
"Wow! I knew there was a wealth of passion inside of you." She tried to slow her breathing.
Seth led her over to the chairs and pulled out her seat before sitting in the other chair.
"I have a feeling we're in for an amazing ride."
Jessica turned red again. "Seth, just so you know, I haven't been with anyone…er…we might have to take it a little slower."
Seth smiled at her. "Whatever speed you wish, Jess. As long as we take it together."
Several times that day they checked the weather reports but they wouldn't be able to leave before Christmas morning at the earliest. It was a good thing the Metzger's dinner wasn't until six that evening. Seth and Jessica both had glimpsed the king size bed in the room and knew they would be sharing it but neither spoke about it.
They spent the evening watching sappy Christmas movies, eating, and talking about anything and everything. Seth admitted to not packing pajamas but willing to sleep in his clothing but Jessica assured him she knew what men's underwear looked like and it wouldn't scare her off. She said it with a smile and twinkling eyes before she winked at him.
He figured she would tease him about his boxers but the joke was on him when she came out of the bathroom wearing silky pajamas that left nothing to his imagination. He stood there staring until she moved forward and closed his mouth.
"Thank you for the unspoken compliment Seth," she kissed his cheek. She pulled back the bedcovers and got into the bed.
"Jess, I don't think I should join you. I'll make a bed on the floor."
"Seth!"
"Jess, you can only push a man so far," he took two of the four pillows from the bed and went to the closet for the spare blankets.
"Seth, please come back to bed. We can stay on separate sides." She looked at him incredulously.
"No, Jessica. We can't. If I get in that bed with you, I will be on your side with you but thanks for the invitation." He grinned wickedly at her. "I am going to have visions in my head but it won't be sugar plums."
Jessica shook her head but joined him in laughter. "Goodnight Seth. Merry Christmas."
"Being with you makes it a very Merry Christmas indeed. Goodnight, Jess."
Jessica turned off the light and settled down. It was going to be a Merry Christmas.