Here's the deal ... Jessica sent fans into panic mode Thursday when she posted a series of photos on Instagram without her wedding band ... leading to speculation she was, perhaps, on the outs with her hubby, Eric Johnson.

Thing is ... Jessica and Eric were spotted out to dinner the night before, on a Valentine's Day date no less ... hitting up Ivy At The Shore in Santa Monica -- obviously for some alone time.

Folks who were there tell us Jessica and Eric had a table to themselves and they looked happy together ... showing no signs of a potential split. If anything, they looked totally normal -- at least that's what was described to us ... no signs of trouble in paradise.

We should note ... Jessica going ring-less for the day after Valentine's isn't the only source of the breakup rumors ... frankly, she hasn't shared a pic with Eric since September, which is also a factor. Some have speculated something may be amiss between them lately.

Of course, a quick glance at Jessica's IG and you'll see it's mostly just photos of her ... with an occasional celeb friend ... and only a couple shots with the children she shares with Eric.

So, maybe fans are reading too much into Jessica's social media image ... and jumping to conclusions. In any case, they were all good on Wednesday night when they chowed down.

Remember, Jessica and Eric got hitched back in 2014 and they have 3 kids together ... and based on this V-Day date, any talk of a split seems premature -- if not totally off base.