Cold Body Warm Heart - A Christmas Love Story

by Laurawritesfiction

By special request, a Christmas one-shot. Seth and Jessica travel to Portland to finish Christmas shopping, but get stuck in bad weather on the way home to Cabot Cove.

A/N: This story is dedicated to Deacoco, who requested a Christmas one-shot. Hope you (and others) enjoy it! Please leave me a review.

It was a cold, wet day in Maine the week of Christmas when Seth and Jessica ventured to Portland to finish Christmas shopping. Neither of them relished the idea of being out in the miserable weather, but as it was the last weekend before the holiday, it was the only free day that Seth could drive Jessica. They had tried to go earlier in the month, but Jessica had been sick with a cold and was only now feeling better.

Jessica had purchased the majority of her gifts in New York last month, but still had a few on her list. Seth had sent something to Margie already, and he had already bought a gift for Beverly, but Jessica suspected that he was still looking for something for her. When they arrived in Portland, they walked through a couple of department stores together seeing all the Christmas lights and decorations, before splitting off, as Jessica needed to find something for Seth and she did not want him to have any idea what she had in mind.

They agreed to meet a couple of hours later back in the department store by the doors they came in at. Jessica had no doubt that Seth would be done in half an hour and would find somewhere to sit and have a cup of coffee and read a newspaper. She appreciated that he understood she would need more time.

Jessica walked leisurely through several shops, finding a few small gifts for the remaining people on her list. She continued towards the other side of the mall to the shop that she was hoping would have what she wanted for Seth.

Walking alone, she had time to think about the man she spent most of her free time with and who she knew loved her.

Things between them had shifted over the years. They were the best of friends, but she did not mind admitting that she loved him and wished she could find a way to tell him that would not be terrifying.

Seth was a dear man. Rough around the edges, but that was a form of self-protection from the grief he had experienced in his life. Inside, he was the most gentle and honorable man she had the privilege to know since Frank. She knew that he was insecure and self-conscious, despite being a Harvard educated doctor. Sometimes she found it rather confusing that someone so intelligent could be so unsure of himself, but over the years, she discovered it was more a result of the loss of Ruth and the distant relationship he had with his daughter. Seth did not have anyone in his life that he was close to and let into his life besides Jessica. Before they had become close a number of years ago, she suspected he had not been close to anyone since Ruth died, staying locked inside his shell of self-preservation. Jessica had come to view their relationship as a true honor that he would share his life with her. Maybe not in the traditional sense of being in a romantic relationship, but certainly in a regular steadfast relationship where they saw each other multiple times a week, cooking and eating together, enjoying hobbies together, and even traveling together.

Not only that, but Seth took care of her. He made sure she ate regular meals when she was on a writing deadline. He cajoled her to leave her house to fish or hike with him. He encouraged her to stop and smell the roses, both figuratively and literally, no matter how many deadlines she was under. He even took care of her house when she was out of town.

Walking into the specialty shop that she had called a few weeks ago when she was sick, she was able to find what she had been hoping for. Purchasing it, the shopkeeper offered to wrap it for her. As she had plenty of time, she waited for him to do so.

Leaving the store with the gift-wrapped package, she was done with her list. Looking at her watch, she had half an hour before she was due to meet Seth back in the department store. However, her stomach was starting to growl and she wondered if she could find him and convince him to take her somewhere for lunch before they headed home.

Finding the map, there were two coffee shops, neither too far apart. Sure enough, Seth was at the first one she went to.

"Seth!"

"Hi, Jess. What are you doing here?"

"I finished early and my stomach is growling. I was hoping we could eat lunch before we head home."

"Ayuh, sounds like a good idea. Let me help you carry something."

"Here, I'll let you take the bags, but I'll keep the package so the bow doesn't get smooshed."

Together, they walked to the parking lot, stowing the packages in the trunk of the car, before Seth opened the door for Jessica.

It was not raining, but it was cold and the wind was brutal. Seth turned the heat back up to full blast and they sat for a few minutes allowing the car to get warm.

"I hope it doesn't snow, Jess."

"Do you think it will?"

"Hard to say. The weatherman said it would rain and stay in the high 30s, but the way it feels right now, I wouldn't be surprised if that has changed."

"Should we head home?"

"We need to eat. Why don't we find a diner and eat something fast and then drive straight back?"

Jessica agreed and Seth drove until they arrived at a diner they had eaten at previously. When they entered, they saw a garland with a string of lights going around the lunch counter and a large Christmas tree in the corner. Christmas music was playing in the background. It was cheerful inside and there was a busy lunch crowd already. Claiming a booth, they ordered sandwiches and soup and plenty of hot coffee.

When the waitress brought their food out, setting it on the table, Jessica asked her, "Have you heard a weather report lately?"

Waving behind her shoulder, there was a small television bolted to the ceiling over the lunch counter. It was tuned in to the midday news report. She answered, "Yes, they just said that the temperature is dropping more than they thought and the rain will probably turn to ice or even snow."

"When is that supposed to happen? It's not raining now," Jessica said while turning back towards the windows to verify that was still the case.

"Hey Joe!" the young woman called over to the man cooking on the open grill behind the counter. "When did the weatherman say the bad weather will hit?"

"Ah, I don't remember. Sometime this afternoon I think."

Seth grumbled with no real words being said. Jessica met his eyes and shrugged. Thanking the young woman, they started to eat.

Jessica chewed a bite of her sandwich, while thinking.

"I don't suppose it will matter at this point about the weather. It is what it is. We just need to get home safely. At least we aren't in a hurry."

"Ayuh. Hopefully, the weatherman will be wrong like he normally is."

They finished their meal and paid, both of them taking a few minutes to use the facilities. The waitress offered them to-go cups of warm coffee when she learned that they had a long drive ahead of them.

Twenty minutes later, they were both back in the car with a full tank of gas and headed for Cabot Cove.

The first hour of the drive was fine, but an hour into the drive, the sky became a dark gray and the heavens opened up with more rain. However, within another half hour, the temperature dropped and the rain had become sleet and ice.

"Seth, are you alright driving?" Jessica asked, as visibility was poor and she could feel the tension pouring off his body as he gripped the steering wheel with both hands until his knuckles were white.

"Ayuh, but not if it gets any worse."

The roads were slick and while Seth did not have to use the brakes often on the county highway, it was becoming obvious that ice was making conditions unsafe.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Jessica asked while trying to comb the roads for any possible signs.

"No idea, Jess. I'm just trying to focus on staying on the road. Based on our time, we might be close to Augusta but I have been driving slow for some time now, so it's hard to say."

Jessica was beginning to worry. A quick glance at her watch showed it was only half past two, but the sky was as dark as night and the weather appeared to be getting worse, not better. She wondered how much longer they could travel without it becoming a foolish endeavor. She knew that if the conditions became any worse, they could become stranded. Seth always kept a few extra blankets and water in his car this time of year for just such emergencies, but she did not relish the idea of being cold for hours on end.

Making up her mind, Jessica said, "Seth, if we see a motel soon, I think we should stop for the night."

Expecting him to argue, she understood how stressed he was, when he answered, "Ayuh, I believe you are right."

In the current conditions, Seth was driving no more than about twenty miles per hour. There were almost no other cars on the road, proving how unsafe it was.

Jessica peered alongside the road, diligently looking for any sign of a motel or place they could stop for an extended period of time.

After another twenty minutes or so, Jessica pointed ahead, "There! Seth, I think that's a motel up on the left."

Pulling into the parking lot, he parked the car and they went into the office where a woman about thirty was behind the desk. A small Christmas tree was perched on the countertop, looking rather sad, but was the only sign of the season in view.

"Hello, could we have two rooms for the night?" Jessica asked.

The woman said, "We only have one room left with a queen-sized bed."

"I see. Well, we will take it."

Jessica could feel Seth's anxiety as she provided her credit card and Seth's license plate number. After she finished registering, the woman walked over to a cabinet on the far wall, pulling a heavy blanket from it.

"With all the ice accumulating on the power lines, they are saying the power may go out, so we are giving out extra blankets."

Gathering two candles and a box of matches, the room key and what looked like an ad for a pizza place, she added, "Please don't light the candles unless you have to. But if the power goes out, I understand you will need something. The pizza place across the street has a teenager who is delivering pizzas tonight if you want one, but they don't have a generator, so unless you want to eat whatever the gas station has next door, I would suggest ordering one soon."

Nodding in silence, the severity of their situation was becoming more clear.

Leaving the motel office, they walked down the row of rooms, finding theirs on the end of the building. This was an old motel, but it was clean and well-maintained.

The room had the promised queen-sized bed, a television, and a small table and two chairs. Jessica turned the thermostat higher, before turning to Seth. He placed the extra blanket and candles down on the bed that woman had given them.

"Jess, I'm going to walk over to the gas station and see if I can find some provisions. I will also get the blankets from my car. Why don't you order us a pizza and I'll be back in a few minutes?"

Nodding, she moved over to the phone, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She ordered a large pepperoni and extra cheese pizza, being told they had a lot of orders, but they would try to get it there in an hour. Hanging up, she dialed another number.

"Mort, it's Jessica."

"Mrs. F, where are you? Didn't you and the Doc go to Portland today?"

"Yes, we had to stop at a roadside motel an hour or so from Cabot Cove. Visibility is terrible and ice is accumulating on the power lines and roads."

"Same here. I'm glad to hear you didn't try to push getting home."

"Yes, well, I thought I better let you know we were safe, but won't be home tonight."

"Glad you did. Call me if you need anything."

Hanging up, she sighed. It was going to be a long evening ahead and it had not even begun.

S/J

Seth returned later, burdened with a large paper bag. Placing it on the table, he began pulling out a variety of snacks and water, as well as toiletries including two toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as some lotion and face cream for Jessica. From the bottom of the bag, he pulled out a pint of whiskey.

"For medicinal purposes," he said with a wink, which made Jessica laugh and helped lighten the mood.

"Thank you, Seth. I really appreciate the toothbrush and the face cream," surprising him with a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He appeared flustered, but recovered as he answered, "Ayuh, they didn't have much there, but I knew we would want toothbrushes."

Jessica arranged the few toiletries on the bathroom counter and returned to the table to move the snacks over by the small mini-fridge and microwave.

"Seth, the pizza should be here in the next hour. They said they had a lot of orders ahead of us, but it's still early for dinner."

"Ayuh, it is, but I think with the stress of the day, I will manage to find room in my stomach," he said, smiling at her.

"I called and told Mort that we had stopped for the night. I didn't want anyone to worry about us."

"That was smart."

"Perhaps we should turn the TV on and see if we can find a weather report."

Moving to the TV, she turned it on and found a Portland news station. It was obvious by the odd time of day they were showing special weather coverage. They both moved to the chairs to watch for a while. The reporters were showing different highways, city roads, and rural areas with many stranded cars alongside the roadsides, as well as various towns and cities along the eastern seaboard with no vacancies, as like this motel, people had stopped for the night to get off the roads. Most places were experiencing rain and ice, but a few had several inches of snow already. The reporters asked people to stay home, to allow those, such as emergency personnel, to reach people who needed help.

"I suppose we should have stayed home today, Seth. I'm sorry I didn't realize that it would become so dangerous."

"Jessica, you have lived here long enough to know that the weather changes by the minute sometimes. I checked the weather report before we left Cabot Cove this morning. This front was not supposed to get here until bedtime tonight. It moved faster than anyone thought it would, but we aren't God. I'm glad we found a room, although I'm sorry for you, that we have to share."

"Why would you say that?"

Seth's face grew red, as he motioned to the bed, not sure what to say.

"Oh Seth, don't be embarrassed. We are both adults. Besides…what if the power does go off and we get cold?" she asked, with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Jess!"

But she didn't help matters, because instead of answering, she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his chest.

His voice lowered as he asked what she was doing.

"Trying to reassure you that it will all be okay and tell you that if I had to be stuck overnight with anyone in a storm, there is no one else I'd rather it be."

Hearing her words, he wrapped his own arms around her, holding tightly.

"I feel the same, woman."

A knock on the door caused them to step apart and Jessica went to answer it.

A teenage boy held out a pizza box, which Jessica took, handing him a fifty-dollar bill. His eyes lit up, but quickly realized he should offer change.

"No change necessary. Thank you for delivering it in such horrible weather."

His smile was huge as he said, "Yes, ma'am. My pleasure."

Smiling at his excitement, she closed the door and turned towards Seth.

"Smells good," she said as she put it on the small table, opening the box.

As there were no plates or other utensils in the room, they ate directly out of the box, while sipping on bottled water.

The pizza was delicious, but Jessica wasn't sure if it was really the pizza or the fact that they had a warm meal on a cold winter day. When they finished, there were a few slices left, so Jessica broke down the box to a smaller size, so that it would fit in the mini-fridge.

Now what? They hadn't planned an overnight away, so neither of them had any reading material or ideas of how to pass the evening ahead. There was the television, but neither of them wanted to watch hours of it.

Jessica had an idea though.

"Seth, would you like your Christmas present now?"

"It's not Christmas yet, Jess."

"I know, but I thought it might pass the time tonight. Unless you want to spend the evening watching television?"

"Not particularly."

"Would you mind getting it out of the car?"

A few minutes later, they were sitting back at the table with Seth's wrapped gift in front of him.

Opening it, he found a lovely hand painted wooden chess set. It was similar to one that he had at home. He had told Jessica he had knocked over a glass of whiskey one night recently when he was playing against himself, causing it to stain the board and a few pieces fell off the table, causing one of them to splinter.

This new one though was all handmade, stunning in its simplicity of the black and white figures while still being beautiful.

"Jess, it's lovely."

"Merry Christmas, Seth. Would you like to set it up?"

"Ayuh, but if we are exchanging now, I want to give you your gift."

"Seth, I can wait."

"Well, I can't."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small jewelry box and placed it in front of her.

She stared at it. Seth didn't usually give her jewelry.

"Open it, woman."

Lifting the lid, she realized that her hands were shaking. Inside was a gold necklace with a peridot pendant. The color was brilliant and it sparkled in the light.

"Seth…I don't know what to say."

He was becoming uncomfortable, shifting in his chair even as she could tell, he was happy with her reaction. Mumbling, she could not understand him at first. Tilting her head at him, he repeated himself as he said, "You have that awards ceremony in New York next month, don't you? You showed me that green dress you bought for it. I thought this might go nicely with it."

"Oh, Seth. It's perfect. Thank you so much."

She stood up, leaning over him, and placed a kiss on his cheek. Pausing, before she moved away, he made eye contact with a question in his eyes. Without further consideration, she leaned back down and kissed him fully on the lips. When she pulled away a moment later, when there was only an inch of space between them, she said, "The only thing that will make it better is if you will come with me to the awards banquet next month."

Inhaling sharply at her question, he said, "I would be honored."

Standing back up with the jewelry box still in her hands, she asked if he would mind if she wore it now.

Standing behind her, he clasped the chain. Holding her shoulders to stop her moving away, he placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

She sighed in reply, turning in his arms to embrace him once more.

After a long moment, they sat back down and Seth set up the chessboard.

The next few hours passed with Seth winning the match, two out of three. Towards the end, Seth had opened the pint of whiskey, but as there were no glasses, he sipped directly from the bottle. Offering it to Jessica, she chuckled, but took a swallow as it was definitely getting colder in the room, and the wall unit was having difficulty keeping the temperature at a constant. Seth had brought in the two blankets from his car and they had each draped one over their legs and the one from the motel office was at the foot of the bed for later.

"I should have bought a bigger bottle. I know I joked about this being medicinal, but if it gets any colder, it might really be true."

"I suppose I will get ready for bed," Jessica said, as she stood to stretch.

It did not take long for her to prepare for bed, as she did not have a nightgown, nor did she intend on showering as she had that morning, but she did wash her face and brush her teeth. She removed her trousers and sweater while keeping her thick socks on, thankful she wore a base layer of clothes today that were black in a soft but warm material and looked almost like pajamas. Slipping her bra off underneath the base shirt, she hoped it would be enough to stay warm and comfortable throughout the night.

Noticing her new peridot pendant reflected in the light of the bathroom, she fingered the gem watching it glimmer and shine. She had been touched and deeply moved at Seth's thoughtfulness tonight.

Leaving the bathroom, she saw Seth seated at the end of the bed, watching the weather report. Areas were starting to lose power and the authorities were again warning people not to get out and that the utility companies would work around the clock to restore power. He had not heard her come back into the room, and she could see the worry etched on his face.

Crossing the distance between them, she sat beside him, trying not to startle him.

"Are they saying anything new?"

"Not really. Although it does sound like it's a matter of when we lose power, not if we do."

"The bathroom is free," she whispered, breaking him out of his thoughts, as he shook himself. Before he could walk away, she grasped his hand and said, "It will all be okay."

Squeezing her hand in reply, he walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Standing, she spread out all three blankets they had in their possession over the bed, and choosing the right side of the bed, she climbed under the sheets. This motel was nothing fancy, but it was clean and for now they had power and she was with Seth, which provided a degree of comfort in their current circumstances.

While the news was still on with the special weather coverage, she propped her pillows up and waited for Seth to return from the bathroom. But of course, what they had been anticipating, finally happened when the power went off. Silence pervaded the room as she could hear Seth cursing under his breath from behind the bathroom door.

Jessica got back up and felt her way over to the table where the candles and box of matches had been left, lighting both. She moved one over to the nightstand by her side of the bed, and the other one she carried to the bathroom door.

"Seth? I lit the candles. Do you need one?"

"No, I was just in the middle of brushing my teeth. I think I can muddle my way through."

Carrying the candle to Seth's side of the bed, she set it down and returned to her side. Already, the room was becoming colder.

When Seth came back into the room, he saw Jessica in the bed in the glow of the two candles and he felt his chest tighten at the sight. Never could he have imagined that their day would have ended like this, and although it might become miserable before it was over with the pervasive cold seeping into the room, he could not find it in his heart to begrudge their current circumstances.

Joining Jessica Fletcher in bed was the stuff of dreams, even if it was not in a romantic sense tonight.

Climbing into bed beside her, he made sure to keep plenty of space between them. He would not overstep.

However, Jessica had other things in mind, when she reached out with one hand, before pulling it back, seeing his face cloud even in the dim light.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'm just getting cold."

Reaching his hand out, he grasped the one she had almost offered him, finding it was ice cold.

"Woman, how are you this cold already?"

"I'm often cold at night."

Glancing down at the sheets, he pulled them back a little and asked, "What are you wearing?"

"A base layer of clothes. They are warm and I have wool socks on, too."

Looking at Seth, he was only wearing his short-sleeve undershirt and boxers. She smiled at him shyly, and he said, "I'm sorry, Jess. I should have asked if it was okay to only wear this. It's all I usually sleep in, but I shouldn't have assumed that it would be alright with you."

"Stop it, you are fine, Seth."

Reaching for her other hand, he began to rub both of them between his own, trying to get some warmth into them.

Seth's hands were warm and she suspected that his body would be as well. She wanted to ask, but did she dare?

"Seth…do you think we could snuggle? I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep yet. I'm too cold."

Not trusting himself to speak, he pulled her close, feeling how chilled she was through her clothes. She nestled her face against his chest, but he could feel her body shiver against him. He was starting to worry. The power had only been off for less than thirty minutes and she was already chilled to the bone.

"How are you so warm? You don't even have socks on," she murmured, moving her feet against his own, causing him to let out a small groan feeling the length of her body next to him.

"I don't get cold often, woman. I can't explain it. But if I'm inside, out of the elements, I can usually maintain my body temperature. Why are you cold?" he countered.

Shrugging, she said, "I don't know. During the warmer months, I'm fine, but during the winter, I usually wear wool or flannel to bed. Not very attractive, but since it's just me, I don't complain…sometimes I get hot flashes, but the older I get, those don't seem to plague me as much as they once did."

"Maybe I should run a blood panel on you and see what your iron levels are. You are only now better after that cold a few weeks ago."

Jessica muttered under her breath, but was secretly pleased at his concern. She knew he loved her as much as she loved him. Why couldn't they admit it?

"I don't know what you just said, but when we get home tomorrow, I'm taking you straight to my office for labs."

"Fine."

"I thought you would argue more."

Tilting her head back to make eye contact, she said, "There is no point. I know it's a losing battle."

He squeezed her tightly. Staring at each other, she whispered, "Haven't I heard in survival stories that if someone is in freezing temperatures that it's better to cuddle in the nude?"

His eyes widened in shock.

"Well…sometimes. Usually if one person is close to hypothermia and the other is warm, but I don't think you are in danger of hypothermia, Jess."

"But isn't it a good idea to be proactive in those situations?"

She tried not to cringe at her attempt at flirting. It had been such a long time and she hoped that he would find her endearing and not a turn off.

She could tell that he was at war internally. She continued to maintain eye contact, because even as their faces grew red, the candlelight made it less obvious. She hoped he would see her sincerity and trust she knew her own mind.

After a long pause, Seth asked, "Are you sure?"

Nodding, she let go of his hands, leaning up to raise his shirt over his head and then removing his boxers. She wanted to look at him, but knew that it would be too much for him just yet. Instead, she started to remove her own clothes, even as she continued to shiver. He had to help her with her leggings and underwear and when she tried to tug off her socks, he wouldn't let her.

"Oh Seth, I can't keep only my socks on. I'll look foolish."

Putting his index finger on her lips, he said, "Hush, woman. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your feet are going to be more difficult for me to get warm. Keep the socks on," he urged her, as he moved her body flush with his own.

"Hmm, Seth, you are so warm," she said, huskily.

"And you, my dear, are ice cold," he said, even as he held her tighter in an effort to push his own heat into her body.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, woman. I am on top of the world right now. But I need to warn you that I am not going to be able to control my body's reactions."

She giggled before she whispered, "I had noticed."

"Yes, well, I can't do anything about that. Just stay on your side."

"Oh, I can do something about it," she said, as she reached down the length of his body, before he knew what was happening.

"Jessica," he groaned, as his body moved involuntarily. "What are you doing, woman?"

"I hope I'm about to show you how much I love you," she said, not releasing her hand from him.

"You love me?"

"Oh, my darling, of course, I love you. I don't know why it took us so long to say out loud, but here we are in bed together and I'm not about to waste such a perfect opportunity."

"I love you more than anything, Jessica Fletcher."

Rolling to her back, Jessica pulled him on top of her, kissing him deeply, while placing his warm hands on her body, coaxing them to roam over her, even as she moved her legs apart to wrap around his waist.

"Make love to me, Seth."

He needed no more encouragement, but he sought to keep the blankets over them, to hold in the warmth of their bodies. The fires of desire ignited within their cores, spreading out to warm Jessica's cold body. Seth's hands smoothed over her, holding her closer, helping ease them into this new dance they were learning together. With the tension building once they moved as one, they catapulted to the skies.

Crying out together, they floated back to earth and their own consciousness, feeling sated and for Jessica, she was finally warm again.

Sighing, while still wrapped around his body, Jessica said, "I'm warm again."

Seth chuckled as he asked, "Do you think you can sleep now?"

"Oh yes, but don't think for one moment that you are getting away from me."

Blowing out the candles, they turned back to each other in the darkness, holding each other close. Keeping her head tucked on his warm chest, she could feel the beat of his heart. There was nowhere else she would rather be.