Chapter 3

Mid-October

"Hello?"

"Jess, it's me. How is your shoulder?"

"Oh, Seth. It's so nice to hear your voice."

"Jess, answer the question. I hear you are still wearing that sling. Is it not healing?'

"How do you know that?"

"Woman, I don't need to go to the beauty parlor to get the gossip in Cabot Cove. Now, Jess, answer my question." He realized he had blundered by being his brash, prickly self, when she still didn't answer. He softened his voice, adding, "I'm worried about you, Jess. Are you alright?"

His initial commandeering tone had irked her, but his admission of concern softened her, causing her to relax against the headboard, as she smiled. It was ten o'clock and she was in bed reading, tired after another day wearing the sling and being unable to do many of the things she wanted.

She sighed, but answered him finally, knowing she needed to be honest. "Oh, Seth. Thank you for caring. I'm okay, but it is taking longer to heal than I had hoped."

"Have you been to see Wylie?"

Teasing, she answered, "Surely, he is one of your sources of information?"

Chagrined, he admitted, "Well, I suppose he is. I talked to him earlier to get an update on my patients that he has seen this week, and you were one of them. He said he did another x-ray today to confirm he didn't miss any fracture."

"Yes, he did. He still believes it's only a bad sprain."

"Ayuh, so he said. I'll be the judge when I get back, but Wylie is a good doctor. Are you doing your exercises?"

"Yes, every morning and night. Believe me, I am ready for it to be better. I'm doing everything I can to aid the process."

"I'm sure you are, Jess."

Softly, she told him, "Seth, I'm not a young woman anymore. Unfortunately, this injury has highlighted that. I'm simply grateful that I didn't break or dislocate it."

"Me too. I know the sprain is terrible, but some of the worst pain I've ever witnessed has been when people have dislocated their shoulders. Thankfully, it can be relocated quickly but hearing someone scream in agony is not something that is easily forgotten."

Needing to change the conversation, she said, "Now, tell me about Margie and your grandbaby."

"Margie is getting stronger every day. Thankfully, she ended up not needing another blood transfusion."

"You never told me if she had a boy or girl."

"I didn't?"

She knew when it came to babies, Seth always tried to spare her feelings, protecting her from her pain, but this was his grandbaby and part of being friends meant that she needed to let him feel joy when something good happened to him. He deserved it. "You didn't, Seth."

"She had a baby girl. Seven pounds, twenty inches."

She smiled. "And her name?"

Seth cleared his throat, "Margie named her Ruth."

Tears pricked her eyes. What a lovely gesture from his daughter who had lost her mother as a teenager.

"Oh, Seth. I'm sure her mother would have loved that."

She could tell Seth was fighting deep emotion, as his voice sounded a bit strangled, when he replied, "I don't know about Ruth, but it meant a lot to me."

"Of course it did."

"Jess, I plan to come home the day after tomorrow."

"I'm glad…I've missed you."

"You have?"

"Of course. You're my best friend, Seth."

"You're mine, too, woman."

S/J

As promised, Seth returned home two days later and one of his first stops was Jessica's house. Coming through the back door, he called out to her.

"Jess?"

"In here, Seth!"

Following her voice, he found her in the living room, trying to organize a shelf of her bookcase one-handed while on a stepladder.

"Get down from there, woman."

Looking over her shoulder, she answered, "Seth, I injured my shoulder, not my leg."

"Oh? What happens when you lose your balance and are unable to catch yourself with your arm in a sling and fall and hurt your leg?"

Irritated, but willing to admit that perhaps he had a point, she climbed down the two steps. Turning to him, she smiled, "Oh, it is good to see you. You've been gone for almost a month."

She moved to give him a hug, but he gently turned to her right side, careful not to touch her left arm, when he said, "You're a sight for sore eyes, Jess," allowing her to give him a one-armed hug, as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"Would you like some coffee?"

"Ayuh, but I'll make it."

Following him into the kitchen, he started the coffee pot with the confidence of someone who had made it many times before in her kitchen. When he turned to get the cream out of the refrigerator, he noticed her to-do list, plucking it from under the magnet.

"Jess, all of these items are things you can't do right now."

Dryly, she said, "I'm aware. I made that list before my bicycle accident, and it has been staring me in the face ever since I finished my manuscript."

"Hmm, looks like you managed your closet."

Nodding, she waved towards the entryway where there were numerous bags neatly stacked, "Yes, but as you can see, I haven't been able to take anything to the charity shop yet."

"You know I'll do it for you." Raising the list, he added, "I'll do the rest of these, too."

"Now, Seth, I can do them all. Wylie said that I should be out of this sling in the next week or so. Those things can all wait until then."

"Speaking of your sling, let's have a look at your shoulder."

"Don't you want your coffee first?" The coffee pot had finished percolating, and she feared that he would be upset when he saw how poor her range of motion was.

"Don't distract me, woman. The coffee will still be hot in five minutes."

She started to undo the sling at the kitchen table, before he said, "Let's go back into the living room and I'll close the blinds. I need to see your shoulder and I'll need you to undo your shirt and take your arm out of the sleeve."

Startled, she could only ask, "What?"

"Did you not take your shirt off when you saw Wylie?"

"Well, yes, I put on a medical gown."

Softening his voice, he said, "I know it might be uncomfortable for you, but I am your doctor. I need to check for bruising and swelling, while measuring your range of motion, I only want to make sure you are okay, Jess. I'll keep you as covered as I can. Or if it really bothers you, I can see you in the office in the morning and you can wear a gown there."

Shaking her head, there was no need to wait for tomorrow; she understood. Following him into her living room, she watched him close the blinds, before turning on the lamp by the couch. She could feel his eyes on her, as she undid the Velcro on the sling, carefully pulling it away from her body. Seth perched next to her on the couch to assist, easing it free. She began undoing her shirt buttons one-handed, which was clumsy when she was alone at the best of times and while he was watching, it became almost impossible as she felt her face flush.

After she fumbled over the second button, unsuccessful in her fifth attempt, she huffed from the effort, "Would you stop staring, Seth?"

"I'm sorry, Jess. I know it's frustrating; I was hoping you'd ask for help."

She wanted to. She really did, but she should be able to take her own shirt off. She had been doing it every day for the last three weeks, but it wasn't as though she was fast even when she was alone.

Trying one final time, she felt defeated as she said, "Clearly, I need help." Belatedly, she realized it wasn't Seth's fault, adding, "Please."

Hiding a smile, he knew it wasn't in her nature to be grumpy like it was his. Acting like the doctor he was, he calmly and confidently reached towards her and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, careful to keep her right side covered, while he held the shirt open enough on the left side for her to withdraw her arm, as she grimaced.

Watching her closely, he asked, "Jess, does it still hurt that much?"

She didn't answer him, only smiling half-heartedly.

He pulled the bottom of her shirt against her body, under her exposed arm, encouraging her to hold it over her bra, even though he would have loved nothing better than to stare at it and wonder what she looked like beneath it. Instead, focusing on her shoulder and her arm, he checked for swelling and bruising, palpitating the skin to check for anything out of the ordinary, as he began moving her arm in different motions, watching her face for signs of distress.

"Show me the exercises Wylie taught you, Jess."

She considered his request. She had been grateful that he had helped her remain covered for the most part, but if she did the exercises, he would be certain to see her shirt open. She considered asking if she could dress again, but she understood part of what he was asking was how her arm and shoulder looked as she moved it, and it would be easier to see it outside of the thick long-sleeved shirt she had been wearing.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?"

Confused, he agreed. Five minutes later, she returned wearing a sleeveless shirt.

Sheepishly, he said, "I'm sorry, Jess. I should have thought of you changing shirts instead of asking you to undress in front of me."

"It's alright, Seth. I didn't think of it either until you asked me to do the exercises."

She began doing the gentle movements and rotations attempting to hide the discomfort as it came, even as she was aware he registered it each time it crossed her face.

Stopping her after a few minutes, he said, "Alright, Jess. Here is what we are going to do. I am going to add a couple more stretches and I want you to start keeping the sling off for an hour every day for the next three days. Whether you want to do it first thing in the morning or before bed is up to you, but just because it is off, it doesn't mean you should go lifting a heavy box. Instead, just try to use it normally. Do that for an hour for three days and then I'll check it again. If you aren't any better, I will have you see an orthopedic doctor, alright?"

Agreeing, he showed her the simple exercises, before he helped her back on with her button-up shirt that she had brought back down to wear over the sleeveless blouse. Dressed again, she asked if he wanted his coffee now.

"Ayuh, that sounds good."

Sitting beside each other at the kitchen table, she asked to see a picture of his grandchild.

Handing her one from his wallet, she noticed the pride in his eyes, which she found touching.

"Oh, Seth, she is so sweet. Look at those chubby cheeks."

He chuckled, pointing to Margie holding her, before he said, "it is wonderful having a granddaughter, but I am more relieved that Margie is on the mend. I was…scared. I almost lost her."

Reaching to hold his hand, she said, "I'm glad she is alright, too. She couldn't have asked for a better father, who happens to be the best doctor I know, to have looked after her these last few weeks."

Seeing shame cross his face, she felt concerned at what he hadn't said. She did not have to wait long for him to share.

"I wasn't a good father after Ruth died. I was always working, trying to pay the medical bills, keeping us afloat. I knew Margie was hurting like I was, but I had no idea how to help myself and I certainly didn't know how to help a teenager. Even one who I love with my whole heart."

She squeezed his hand. "She is a mother now, Seth. She will understand that you did the best you could."

"I hope so."

The ringing of the phone disturbed them.

Jessica stood up to answer it.

"Hello?"

Seth could only hear her responses, but when he heard her voice lower and say, "Yes, Ben, I suppose I could," his stomach dropped. A brief pause and then, he heard her add, "Seven will be fine. Alright, see you tomorrow. Bye."

Returning to the table, she smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, as she saw the question in his.

She didn't have to tell him who Ben was; Seth knew already she was seeing him. It was all over town and Wylie had told him, wanting to make sure he was prepared. He had hoped Wylie was wrong, but by Jessica's noticeable discomfort, along with the part of the conversation he heard, it was obvious that it was true.

Well, he had known it would happen sometime. He had known he would lose Jessica. It was only a matter of when now.

Staring at her, he tried not to sound jealous, as he kept his voice steady, "Where is Ben taking you tomorrow, Jess?"

"To dinner in Portland…and dancing."

Dancing had always been something that Seth and Jessica had done together. Of all the activities that Ben could take Jessica to, that one hurt the most. He didn't voice his concern that she wouldn't be able to dance with her arm in a sling. Didn't Devlin consider that?

He dug deep and focused on her, asking, "Is he treating you well, Jess?"

She hadn't been expecting that question, and she wasn't sure how to answer it. Ben didn't treat her badly. But did he treat her well?

They had been on a total of three dates so far. The last date had been four nights ago and while the goodbye kiss had still taken place by the front door, Ben had been a bit more insistent, searching her mouth, coaxing her to respond to him more than she was. Towards the end of the kiss, which he appeared to enjoy far more than she did, he had forgotten her injured arm again, squeezing both arms too tightly, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Oh, Jess. I'm sorry; I keep getting carried away. You are too alluring, my dear."

Rubbing her left arm with her right hand, she had attempted to smile, but she was fairly confident that it was obvious she was rather put out with his forgetfulness. After all, she was still wearing the sling.

He could see her frustration and she had thought he understood that there was no real chemistry. Surprised now that he had called for another date, once again, she was caught off guard with Seth there.

Making eye contact, she realized he was still waiting for her reply.

"He is nice enough."

Narrowing his eyes, he waited to see if she would be more forthcoming. But he wasn't surprised when she stayed silent. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was after nine. He was beat. He decided not to push her any more than he already had.

Standing, he said, "Jess, I'm exhausted. It's time I went home. I am seeing patients tomorrow. You look like you are about to fall over from exhaustion, too."

"Thank you for coming, Seth. I'm glad you're home."

Smiling at her, he kissed her cheek and left. She heard his car start and watched as he pulled out onto the street.

In her bed later, she brushed her fingers across her cheek. Why had Seth's brief kiss on the cheek excited her more than Ben's open-mouthed kisses?

She wasn't sure, but she sensed she needed to figure it out.

S/J

It had been frustrating the next day when Jessica realized after using her arm for the first hour of the morning how weak it had become since her accident. Combined with the pain, she felt overwhelmed at her condition, not understanding why it was taking so long to heal. She knew that what she had told Seth was true; she wasn't a young woman anymore.

Taking another dose of ibuprofen, she sat down at her kitchen table to eat her breakfast. It would be another long day ahead, ending with a date with Ben. Remembering his promise to take her dancing, she couldn't believe she didn't think of it while on the phone with him last night. How in the world did he think she could dance with a sling on her arm? Why hadn't she thought of that while on the phone with him? Her only guess was that she was caught off guard as she seemed to be most of the time with him…and she had been embarrassed that he had called while Seth was there.

Oh well. Perhaps she should call him later in the morning and remind him that she was limited right now in what she could do.

S/J

"Cabot Cove Gazette."

"Hi, Ben. It's Jessica."

"Well, if it isn't our community's most distinguished citizen! How are you, dear?"

She cringed slightly, hearing him call her, dear. Even though she knew he called most women dear, which was also cringeworthy; she couldn't think about that now.

"Ben, I was thinking about tonight–"

"Jess, I'll pick you up at about five, so we can get to Portland by dinner."

"But, Ben, I wanted to remind you. I know you mentioned dancing and I'm still in the sling."

"Oh, I thought you saw the doctor this week and were hoping to get out of it?"

"Well, I did see Wylie and Seth. But Seth is only letting me remove it for an hour each day to build the strength back up."

"So, let your hour for today be tonight when we dance."

"Ben, I've already had it off for an hour this morning and even if I could take it off again today, it would still be too painful to dance."

"Well, fine. I wanted to show off my dance skills tonight, Jess, but we can wait another week or two, I suppose. How about dinner in Cabot Cove then?"

Irritated that he thought that she would be ready for such activities as dancing in only another week or two, when she knew it would take her far longer at this point to have the range of motion that required dancing, she didn't bother arguing or trying to make him understand. She was simply too weary with everything else right now. Instead, she said, "That will be fine, Ben."

"I'll pick you up at seven."

"See you then."

S/J

Dinner with Ben was fine. Jessica understood in the back of her mind that fine wasn't good enough, to date someone. As much as she did not realize she had agreed to the first date, she had learned by the second one that Ben believed they were dating. While she may not have wanted to face the fact that she was dating Ben Devlin, she couldn't deny that was what was happening now.

This wasn't like her to be ambiguous about something so important as who she would date. She hadn't dated since Frank died. Yes, she went to many events socially and professionally with a date, but it was never one in the romantic sense. Since Frank died, she had no desire to go out with anyone, but if she had been asked who she would consider dating if she had wanted to, she knew Ben Devlin would never be her top choice. She would rather date Michael Hagarty with all his flimflam, if given the choice, purely for fun.

Or…if she ever hoped for a permanent relationship and was willing to take a risk, there was no contest; she would rather date Seth. But as they had been best friends for years and it had never happened before, she did not hold out much hope at this point that it would.

She had recognized that she had been at a low point when she went out with Ben the first few times. With Seth out of town and her shoulder injury, she had become isolated and lonely. Ben had been a distraction. Just because he had been the one to ask her out though, didn't mean she needed to continue dating him.

She had learned to be quite content being alone and there really was no reason to feel otherwise since the vulnerability she had felt recently had lessened and the reasons for saying yes to his initial dates were disappearing.

Now, going anywhere in Cabot Cove in the last few weeks had almost become unbearable. If it wasn't for the incessant questions about her bicycle injury, it was nosy questions or tittering comments about dating Ben. It made her uncomfortable and with Seth home, she felt embarrassed and ashamed. She was an adult and had the right to date whomever she pleased. But for some strange reason, she was dating someone she didn't want to date, allowing him to kiss her, and instead of standing up for herself and saying she wasn't interested, she had let it continue, not wanting to hurt him and for some reason, not having the energy to fight his arrogant and overbearing personality.

Was she being controlled?