Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica froze, her body tensing for a split second before she shoved Timothy

away with all her strength. She yanked the comforter up to shield herself, glaring at him with a wariness that hadn't been there before.

"It was just a kiss. Was that really necessary?" Timothy scoffed.

She never used to react like this.

Her rejection stoked his frustration-ever since Herbert Wheeler had shown up, Jessica hardly let Timothy touch her at all.

Jessica silently cursed her inability to speak; if she could, she would have called him a creep to his face.

As if he even realized where he'd tried to kiss her.

After making sure the blanket was secure around her, Jessica reached out and signed, "Trying to pull that stunt in broad daylight at the hospital? Get out. I'll change by myself."

Timothy's irritation softened, if only a little.

She was shy-especially in the middle of the day, in a hospital room no less. With her temperament, of course she couldn't accept it.

As long as she wasn't pushing him away for another man, he could live with it.

He was still coaxing her, after all; the last thing he wanted was to drive her so far that she'd never come home again.

So he left the room.

dressed in a hurry and slipped

and led her toward the exit, his grip firm and

Estates, Henry was nestled up against Sheila, chatting with her. "Miss Sheila, could you please talk to my

Timothy's voice was

stony expression. Remembering the scolding he'd received at the paper-cutting contest that morning, he shrank back and

they could talk Timothy out of this. She didn't

you're back," Sheila greeted them politely, then turned to Timothy. "You shouldn't be

then, Mabel appeared and announced, "Sir, ma'am, dinner's ready. You

but with dinner ready and guests around, now was hardly the

nor Jessica had eaten lunch, so he

out her chair

Henry over, and the two of them sat across from Timothy

soup for Jessica and set it in front of

voice was

as if her heart were

kind of tenderness

kept her head

or not, it barely seemed to

kept serving Jessica, picking out pieces