The server jotted down drink orders, and then Molly bubbled excitedly, as if she had been holding it all in. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Jessica! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I mean, I was grateful for you before—you were so sweet on the phone, and my son was so obviously in love. But now! What you've done for our family…" Her voice trailed off as she became emotional. Molly breathed deeply and dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her napkin, shaking her head slowly. "Now, Worth can live his life in peace, and we can hold our heads up in this town again." Molly paused, regaining control. "When we decided to buy the magazine, we thought maybe it would all crash in around us again, but it was divine providence, in my opinion. Without the magazine, we wouldn't have you, and you—on top of being a fine writer—have made all the difference." Molly beamed at her son. "In so very many ways."
Molly's emotions had brought out Jessica's. For the first time, she understood Molly's lack of presence at the office. She'd been concerned about old ghosts! "You're very welcome. I'm so grateful things came together as quickly as they did. Not only was Worth's name cleared, but there's one less criminal roaming the city. And that poor man will get the help he needs to overcome what happened to him all those years ago. To overcome what he's become."
Molly nodded as she looked at Fred, whose face was a study in relief. "Yes, a tragic childhood." Molly let out a breath, as if still trying to come to terms with Todd's story, then she smiled back at Jessica. "And tomorrow, I'm having lunch with Audrey Scott! I almost forgot to tell you. She was a dear friend at one time, and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with her, which also would likely never have happened without you."
Worth found Jessica's hand under the table and squeezed it gently. "So, you'll be around more now, Molly? I think it's about time everyone at the magazine got to meet their publisher, don't you?"
"We still plan to do some traveling, but, yes, I'll be making an appearance at the magazine tomorrow morning, to introduce myself. Ten sharp, so be ready! And I hear the two of you are going to make an announcement to the staff as well?"
Jessica blushed a little. "We had planned to do that after our weekend together in Boston, but that never happened with the fire and…everything. We made a quick flight back before we even checked into our hotel."
"Well, I hope you plan to reschedule. Boston is gorgeous this time of year, and it would be good for both of you to take a few days away after all the excitement," Molly said as the server approached with their tray of drinks.
"As a matter of fact, I've already booked a flight and reserved the same room for this weekend," Worth said, thanking the server as he took his goblet.
"Excellent!" Fred said. "If you have time, take Jessica to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace." He looked at Jessica with clear blue eyes. "It's a great place, outdoor dining, only a short walk from the waterfront."
"Tomorrow, I meet everyone, have lunch with an old friend, and you two head for a romantic weekend—all things to celebrate," Molly said, raising her wine glass for a toast. The others touched their goblets to hers as they voiced the obligatory "Cheers!" Molly took a sip of her Shiraz and then continued. "When you return, you can tell the staff everything."
"Well, maybe not quite everything," Jessica said with a laugh.
"We're going to get along famously."
Worth shot Jessica an "I told you so" look, and then the server was back to take their orders. The rest of the meal was spent discussing the magazine and the future.
"Fred and I fly to Paris next week. Paris in the spring! Cliché, but true. But I promise we'll be back for another visit soon," Molly told them as they finished dessert.
If I haven't gained five pounds today, I'll be surprised. Worth may have trouble holding me against a wall now. "I look forward to seeing you again soon and introducing you to my mother," Jessica said.
Fred insisted on paying for everyone's meal, and they were pleased to see that the rain had stopped while they visited and enjoyed the excellent cuisine and wine. Jessica was also pleased that Worth gave his mother a warm hug and kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother, Carol had always said. Eric's relationship with his mother had been extremely formal, Jessica recalled. If only she'd paid closer attention to her mom's wisdom!
Per mutual agreement, Jessica went straight to her cubicle before Worth entered the office a few minutes later. Just a few more days and they wouldn't have to keep their relationship a secret any longer. They had both decided it best to wait because of all the hoopla surrounding the break in the fire story and the part Jessica had played in finding the arsonist. That, and the fact that Worth's true identity had been revealed, splashed across the news, as his innocence was finally declared—all of which was enough excitement for one week.
Walking to her desk, she noticed that most of the staff was out on assignment; it was close to three already. Donna was on the phone, taking furious notes but managing to give Jessica a smile and little nod of hello as Jessica passed her. There would be a lot of questions next week, questions Jessica would finally answer, but for now, she was just relieved that her first all-important meeting with Worth's mother was behind her. And
