A Perfect Match

by TeamSassie

Because we all wonder what happened after their first kiss… I wished the episode 'A Perfect Match, part 1 & part 2' had even more Sassie scenes. Would have loved to have seen more of their starting relationship.

Because we all wonder what happened after their first kiss…

I wished the episode 'A Perfect Match, part 1 & part 2' had even more Sassie scenes. Would have loved to have seen more of their starting relationship.

Cassie and Sam just stood there, Cassie's hands still resting on Sam's sides. Not wanting to let the warm feeling between them go. Eyes locked, blue and brown, familiar eyes which used to look at each other flirtingly, but now his blue eyes were filled with something else...twinkling eyes that radiated a lot of...affection. Cassie was overwhelmed, she didn't know what to say so she kept staring into his beautiful eyes. She knew this would have happened sooner or later but that it would happen today was not on her radar. Which, come to think of it, was odd...somehow her abilities were a bit off being in his presence. Just now, when she saw Sam leaning in and going for the kiss, her heart literally skipped a beat. Because he surprised her, but also the fact that it was about to happen. Her mind screamed 'omg', because of the thrill but also because she still had doubts if it was time to let those feelings out that had started broiling inside of her ever since Sam moved to town (let's be honest). But the moment his lips touched hers, all those doubts were forgotten and she kissed him back. His lips were warm, soft and gentle, it was a perfect first kiss. If Sam hadn't broken it off, she'd still be kissing him…'cause that's how good it felt. Oh my, she realized that she was really falling for this man and to be honest she was glad he finally took the leap, because she probably wouldn't have had the guts herself to give in to the butterflies in her stomach.

So, there she stood. Looking into his eyes, not wanting to step back from him. He kept smiling and looking back at her, holding her close to him as if he didn't want to let go either. It seemed like minutes flew by, as if they participated in a staredown. Then suddenly Sam broke the silence, with a smitten smile he said, "Hey." Still not knowing what to say she replied with the same three letter word. It was probably the way she said it, or rather, whispered it, because Sam's eyes turned dark and he pulled her in closer, softly without any pressure but Cassie could feel his hands firm on her back. She raised an eyebrow and managed to give him a faint smile. Before she knew it his lips covered hers again. She threw away the paint sample (why was she still holding on to that?) and grabbed his sweater to be even closer to him. This kiss felt more certain, it was still a gentle and sweet kiss and with the right amount of hunger, but it seemed as if a burden had fallen off both their shoulders. The kiss lasted longer than the first one and the perfect first kiss was already beaten. This one had set her on fire, the cold from the snow melted right before her eyes. But something inside her made her stop the kiss abruptly, the doubt had resurfaced. When they separated she looked at Sam a little apologetic, but he somehow understood right away. Sam stroked up and down her arms and gave her a little nod. Sam cleared his throat, "So, uhm, I think we've established the paint colors. Can I show you what else I've got planned for the Lake House?" he asked with a grin on his face. Cassie's heart grew even bigger, this gorgeous man really understood how she felt. "Yes, I'd love to see it. And Sam?" Sam's face went neutral again, "Yeah?" Cassie blushed a little and looked at her feet before looking Sam in the eyes, "Thanks for understanding." Sam closed his eyes for a second, cocked his head a bit, let out a sigh and finally smiled. "Of course, I get it." They hugged for a moment and Cassie was thrown back into the warm feeling he gave her. But like a real gentleman, Sam stepped back to undo the hug, took her by the hand and showed her around the house.

Of course Cassie had seen the house before but Sam was really enthusiastic about every room so she'd let him rant. He looked so happy, especially when he talked about all the things he had planned for him and Nick to do there. They shared multiple looks and Cassie was grateful the kiss earlier hadn't changed the way they treated each other. It eased Cassie's feelings, being around him still felt comfortable and it surprised her that she wanted to be near him all the time. Be in his arms...the thought of that shook her out of a daydream. "Cassie? Are you okay?" Sam looked worried. "Yeah, sorry...my mind just drifted off for a moment. What time is it? I think I'd better go home." 'Cause she wanted to head home, her feelings went back and forth. She needed to think. Usually she'd bake a bunch of stuff but for now the car ride home was the second best thing for thinking. Being around Sam, the two of them alone, unleashed so many feelings. Good and bad. Sam looked at his watch, "It's 4 o'clock. It's still early." Cassie started to walk back to the sitting room where her jacket was. "I know, but I'm kinda tired. It got late last night at the Tinsdale's anniversary party, and I promised Grace I'd have dinner ready by six." She found her jacket and put it on. Sam was still worried, "Are you sure you're up to driving home yourself?" Cassie stopped zipping up her jacket and looked at Sam, "I'm sure, don't worry." They shared another intimate look, brown and blue eyes locked again for a moment. Then she took his hand, squeezed it and walked out the door to her car.

During the car ride home Cassie's mind could only think about the kiss. Being on her own she allowed herself to do that, no one could see the blush on her face while embracing the warm feeling Sam gave her. The way he had looked at her, his deep blue eyes made her quiver. How could she keep ignoring the flame he ignited inside of her. She couldn't think of any reason not to pursue a relationship with him. But by the time Cassie got home, her doubts had returned. While entering the kitchen she was greeted by Grace who made it very clear that she was happy to see her mother again, "I'm glad you're home mom, I missed you today." Cassie gave her daughter a big hug. "Missed you too honey, sorry I was out all day." Cassie's mind wandered off to her afternoon together with Sam, she felt guilty that somehow being around him made her forget about all other things happening in the world. Including her daughter. Grace saw the troubled look on her mothers face, "Don't worry mom, I'm glad you're home now. It looks like it's just you and me for dinner, so I figured we'd make dinner together. I was just gathering all the ingredients!" Cassie loved the way Grace lifted her spirits. They made their meal together, ate at the counter island and had ice cream as dessert. After cleaning up they went upstairs to Cassie's sitting room and watched a romantic comedy together. Grace loved this alone time with her mother, "This was nice mom." Cassie looked questioningly at her daughter. Grace continued, "Just you and me, spending quality time together, just like the old days." Cassie smiled and gave Grace a big hug, "You're right, this is nice," Cassie sighed. "This is a reminder for both of us to make time for each other, no matter how busy we get." They hugged for a while before Grace let go of the embrace and stood up. "I'm going to my room, I need to finish my biology term paper. Goodnight." Cassie blew her a kiss, "Goodnight sweetie."

Cassie stayed put in her sitting room, thinking about what she just talked about with Grace. If Cassie would give in to her feelings for Sam she knew that spending time alone with her daughter would even be more challenging. And Grace was right, they needed their mother-daughter time. But still, Cassie's mind wandered off to Sam again and it surprised her again how much she wanted to be near him. She thought about the night they'd met, the friendship that had developed and it hit her that Sam had stirred things from day one. She just couldn't deny the fact that their kiss earlier had opened up her heart. As much as she loved her daughter, it was time to let someone else in. Her heart was ready for it, but her brain was telling her otherwise. Her thoughts were going back to Grace and ultimately ending with Jake. She had a hard time understanding why her heart pushed her towards Sam, but her brain made it feel like betrayal to Jake. Cassie let out a big sigh and shook her head. She needed to talk...to Olympia, being her best friend (and one outside of Middleton), she was the designated person to talk to. No disrespect to Abigail, Stephanie or Martha but none of them were able to keep a secret. She just wasn't ready to hear Middleton gossip about her love life. She walked to her bedroom where she had left her cell phone and knew that there was a safe distance between her room and Grace's, meaning she could talk freely. She dialed Olympia's number and was relieved when she answered almost immediately, "Hi Cassie, how are you?" Cassie sighed again, "Hi Olympia, I don't know, that's why I'm calling…" Olympia felt the hesitation in Cassie's voice, "Let me guess, does this have anything to do with your handsome neighbor?" Cassie laughed, her friend knew her so well. She always sensed what was going on in Cassie's life and her only friend who knew how she felt about Sam. "Yes, it does. And I just don't know how to deal with it." "Deal with what?" Olympia asked, she probably knew it but she wanted to hear Cassie saying it out loud. Cassie's end of the line was still for a minute, "Dealing with the fact that...well, that I think I'm really falling in love with him." There it was, she had said it out loud. Cassie let out a big sigh. "Ooh, and what did he do to make you admit to this?" Olympia asked with a teasing tone in her voice. Cassie hesitated for a minute, but a smile formed around her lips, "He uhm, he kissed me today...twice actually. And...I kissed him back." A happiness washed over Olympia on the other side, "Finally! Cassie my dear, this is great news! It means you're opening up your heart for him! And let me tell you, there's only one way to deal with this, go for it! Let him make you happy, you deserve it!" Cassie laughed, "Yeah, he does make me happy." Olympia heard a doubt in Cassie's voice, "Okay, spit it out Cassie...you know he can make you happy but why won't you let him do it?" Cassie teared up, with a broken voice she said, "I guess I'm feeling guilty...that I can feel this way again with someone else, someone other than Jake," she sniffed, "…and I don't want to risk losing Sam's friendship if it doesn't work out between us. That way I'd be feeling lost and hurt again, and I do not want to go back down that road. And what about Grace? How would she feel about all this?" Olympia shushed her, "Oh, Cassie...you're overthinking this! From what you've told me, Sam truly seems like a great guy. It's time to move on. A way to heal from loss is to give your heart something else to love. You've had a rough couple of years, but you climbed out of the dark. Sam helped you deal with the last bit of your grief. Thanks to him you lost the empty feeling. Just admit it." Cassie knew her friend was right and she wiped away her tears, "Thanks Olympia, I know you're right but…" Cassie got shushed again, "Listen to me Cassie, just talk to Sam about how you feel. Let him in. Take it step by step. Let Grace and his kid be a part of your journey, you'll figure it out together. If Sam understands this, then he's not going anywhere." Cassie shed some more tears but Olympia had given her the speech she needed to hear, "What would I do without you Olympia," Cassie said thankfully while saying goodbye to each other.

Cassie didn't cry a lot, but after she had hung up the phone she cried again. But she knew she needed this cry, she needed to organise her thoughts about her future with Sam and her past with Jake. Suddenly she felt the urge to call Sam. Olympia was right, she needed to talk about this with Sam. She grabbed her phone again but backed down when she saw the time, "He's probably asleep," she said to herself so she started to open up the text messenger. While doing that, a new text came in. "Sam!" Her heart skipped a beat. She opened the text and read: 'Can I come over tomorrow morning? I'd like to see you and...we need to talk.' It was the exact same line she would have texted him. She laughed to herself and replied, 'Sure, come in early, before breakfast hours. We can talk then. Goodnight.' Her heart raced a little while sending it, knowing they'd probably be on the same page about their feelings but still, she was a little anxious for the talk tomorrow. She'd better get some sleep. Her phone chimed, it was Sam again. 'Goodnight, X'.

Cassie got up early, she slept restlessly so she figured she'd better go downstairs and start the day. She quickly changed into the clothes from last night, she would shower later after breakfast. When she entered the kitchen she suddenly remembered Sam would come over early. A warm feeling came over her, but she felt nervous as well. While she prepared breakfast, she made Grace's favorite smoothie and as a surprise, she made Sam coffee to (hopefully) break the tension. She sensed he was walking towards Grey House so she already poured him a mug. She was standing in the corner of the kitchen when she heard Sam knock and saw him entering the kitchen. "Good morning Sam." He clearly hadn't noticed her standing there, "Did I startle you?" Cassie asked him with a big grin on her face. Sam chuckled, "In a good way." Cassie handed him the coffee and Sam was surprised when he smelled real coffee, "Wait...is this coffee? You never have coffee." He looked at her in surprise. "Well, it's a special occasion. You finally picked a paint color for the Lake House." Sam laughed and threw his head back a little, "Yes, the paint," he said sarcastically. He did not come over to talk about paint. He put down his mug and looked at Cassie. "So, how much longer?" Cassie was a bit shocked at how fast Sam wanted to get to the point. "Until?" She took a sip of her tea and looked down as if she had no idea what he meant. "Until we can talk about what's on both our minds." Sam could see Cassie felt uneasy, so he just threw it in there 'cause he wanted, no he needed to talk about this. He didn't sleep much 'cause all he could think about was their kiss. Kisses. He needed to know how she felt about all this. His eyes warmed up and he smiled at her. Cassie saw his face lighten up while admitting that he had thought about their kiss a lot too. She blushed as she lowered her gaze for a moment. Sam sighed and shook his head a little, "I hope I didn't surprise you." He looked truly worried that he did. Cassie eased his mind, "I can't say I was surprised that it happened…" She breathed deeply, cocked her head a little and gave Sam a loving smile. Sam got the message, he saw her eyes radiate compassion. "And it was nice," Cassie sighed. That was nice to hear but Sam felt that something else was troubling her. He nodded understandingly and asked, "But?" Cassie looked aside, worried and stuttered, "Well, it's just, what if…" Sam interrupted her, "Wait, before we dissect and examine what happened yesterday," he looked satisfied while saying it. "Why don't we take a beat and try to enjoy what happened yesterday?" He looked Cassie straight in the eyes and showed a gorgeous smile. It made Cassie think, Sam's reaction made sense. She should just enjoy it, just like she did on the car ride home yesterday. She couldn't help making a joke about Sam's comment, "That's very Zen of you." They both laughed. "Well, you gave me coffee, I'll give you Buddhism." He looked her in the eyes again, Cassie stared back and nodded. To her own surprise she was the one who tied the knot. "We um, see where this goes?" Sam never let go of her eyes, he nodded slightly and agreed to her question. "Yeah." He was glad Cassie had come to the same conclusion, they would give it a try. Cassie nodded contently, "Okay, no pressure." Sam was really okay with that, he would give her all the time in the world to let her get used to her feelings. So, he made her a promise, "No pressure." They both let out a content sigh, still not letting go of each other's eyes, until Cassie broke the contact when she sensed that Grace was walking in.

Cassie noticed that Grace was surprised to see Sam at this early hour, but hopefully she was too busy with her biology term paper to think any of it. But being a Merriwick, Grace did sense something was going on so she turned around to take another look at her mom and Sam. Cassie asked her if everything was okay, but given her facial expression she didn't have an answer herself. When Grace left the kitchen again, and Cassie sensed she was out of reach, Cassie stepped closer to Sam. She locked her eyes with his eyes again and tried to pick up their conversation. This was a hard thing to do but she had to say it. Sam noticed the sudden look on her face and he caressed her arms. She swallowed, "Sam, I'm opening my heart up for you. I can't deny my feelings for you anymore, but I can't jump in head first. I have Grace to think about and as hard as it is, Jake will always be on my mind too. We have to take it step by step, day by day." Sam closed his eyes for a moment while his heart grew big, "Cassie, I understand completely. I'm not asking you to take a big leap. We'll see where the road takes us, slowly. And if there are bumps on the road, we can take them on. Together." Tears formed in Cassie's eyes, the word 'together' sounded heavenly. "Thank you Sam. That means a lot to me." Sam had let go of her arms and he cupped Cassie's face, he looked at her intensely, removed her tears with his thumbs and planted a small kiss on her lips. Sweet and soft and it was perfect. Cassie's doubts had vanished for the time being, all she wanted was to live here and now and be close to Sam.

Sam was surprised that with every encounter he had with Cassie, he was more and more attracted to her. She was such a beautiful person, in- and outside. He hadn't been able not to kiss her, and after they hugged and she had asked him to stay for breakfast. How could he refuse coffee and freshly baked bagels? It was the perfect start to his day, even that early. By the time he got home he was in a really good mood, he hadn't even noticed he was whistling during the dishes until Nick told his dad he looked happy. He promised Cassie to take it slow, so telling Nick the real reason for his happiness wasn't going to happen. So, Sam was glad he was able to deceive his son by steering the talk to the Lake House and Nick's upcoming trip to London. Sam's day flew by, his talk with Cassie this morning gave him so much energy that he got a lot of work done. He even agreed to go to the Hillcrest hospital to negotiate his contract and working hours. By the time he was done, there was only one person he wanted to see. Cassie. He parked on Mainstreet and walked toward the Bell, Book & Candle. Cassie was standing in front of her shop, arranging her display outside. Although it was a cold December day, the sight of her made him all warm inside. "Hi, there," he greeted her. Cassie seemed happy to see him, "Hey, Sam." Sam immediately made it clear what he came for, "I just came from Hillcrest and thought we might grab a drink." "Oh, how could I say no to the new Chief of Staff," Cassie joked. Sam laughed, "Yet another benefit of the job! Actually, it's not official yet. So would you accept an invitation from the Almost Chief of Staff?" Cassie played along, "Hmm, well for you, I would make an exception." Sam laughed again, "Good!" He was happy she agreed to come with him. Suddenly the lights of Cassie's shop went out. "Hey, what happened?" Sam asked surprised. Cassie didn't seem to be surprised at all, "Hmm, wait for it." Sam looked at her questioningly and all of a sudden hundreds of the most beautiful lights were turned on. "Aah!" Sam laughed in amazement at how beautiful it all looked, "Wow!" He turned to look at Cassie and was overwhelmed by her, she looked even more beautiful in these lights. He gazed at her for a moment and let out a content sigh, Cassie looked right back into his eyes. Her eyes twinkled and were full of affection. She also presented him the most adorable smile he had ever seen. Sam needed to compliment her, "Stunning," he just said. Cassie smiled shyly knowing Sam wasn't talking about just the lights. Their eyes were locked for another second, enjoying each other's flirtations. Butterflies were going up and down Cassie's stomach. How could it be that even the smallest interaction between them sent sparks up her spine? They stood there in the ray of all these magical lights, feeling all warm out in the cold. It was another confirmation that she was really falling in love with him. She could have wished for this moment to last forever, but Sam was the first to break contact, "Okay so, how'd you do that?" he needed to know. Cassie figured she'd better let Sam in on her secret, "Hmm. Timers," she raised her eyebrows and bent towards Sam, "Lot's of timers." They both chuckled at this logical explanation and went inside the store.

Walking inside the store Sam was once again amazed how beautiful her shop looked, there must have been hundreds of lights in there as well. While looking around he said "Wow, it's beautiful!" Cassie loved that Sam liked it, "Thank you!" Cassie handed Sam the envelope Abigail gave her earlier. They found out there were two tickets inside for the Ferris wheel at the Lights Festival. "You wanna be my plus one?" Sam asked while looking at her intensely. She wanted to commit wholeheartedly, but all of the sudden she was worried what people might think of it if they saw them 'together' and it freaked her out a little. "Oh, people will get the wrong idea." Sam thought about that for a second and managed to turn her answer around, "Or they might get the right idea." Cassie knew Sam would have less problems with them going public. But he did promise her to take it slow. "Hmm, you know, what you're asking is not as simple as just a ride on the Ferris wheel." Sam looked at her with his puppy eyes, "I've never been one for simple." Cassie couldn't help but smile at him, "The whole town will be there." Sam didn't take no for an answer, "Middleton does have spirit! We'll just be honoring that tradition." Cassie admired his persistence and chuckled, "Oh, you're good. Let me think about it." Sam looked satisfied, he wanted to take her to the festival so badly. All he could ask for was for her to think about it. Once again they shared an intimate look, it was hard to look away so without breaking their eye contact Sam asked if Cassie was ready to go out for that drink. He noticed Cassie wasn't answering his question nor willing to let go of his eyes, so he stepped in closer to her. He took her hands and gently pulled her towards him. Cassie broke eye contact and looked over Sam's shoulder to see if anybody was window shopping or entering the store. When she made sure no one was there she closed the small gap still between them. His warm body pressed against hers felt so comforting. She made sure his blue eyes were locked with hers again before she took the lead and kissed him.

Sam was surprised she kissed him in the middle of the store, but he was glad she did. All he thought about that day were her soft lips and to feel them again now was the best surprise ever. Once again the kiss was sweet and tender but yet so full of love. When they broke the kiss, he hugged her tight thanking God that they were on the same page about their feelings. He hadn't felt happier in years. He ended the hug and straightened his back while caressing Cassie's arms. "So, are you ready to head out?" Cassie nodded and reluctantly stepped back from Sam to get her purse from the counter. "Yeah, sure. Where shall we go?" Sam thought for a moment, "We could just go to the Bistro...or maybe we could go to that new bar at the end of Mainstreet. They also serve Tapas...it is nearly dinner time." Sam looked at her hopefully. Cassie saw the look on his face and raised an eyebrow, "This casual drink starts to sound more like a date…" she teased. Sam showed his puppy face again, "Well, it could be. It is just you and me…" Cassie laughed, she adored him but was she ready for this? Sam sensed her discomfort and continued, "I'd love to take you out sometime, but let's just celebrate my new job for now with a drink...it will be my treat as Almost Chief of Staff." Cassie looked at him gratefully, "Let's just go to the Bistro then, I'd be more comfortable there. We have to take it step by step, Sam." Sam nodded in agreement, she was right. They did agree to take it slow. He had to keep his head up, cause his heart grew with every kiss they shared.

The next morning Sam worked as hard as he could, which resulted in a twenty minute break to go see Cassie at her shop. Last night when he had walked Cassie home, she asked him to stop by the shop today. For no particular reason, they both knew it was an excuse to see each other. His car was still parked on Mainstreet, so he'd be able to pick it up then...realizing he did have a reason to go there after all. They had had a lovely evening, one drink led to another drink and they ended up having dinner at the Bistro after all. Both Grace and Nick had texted that they were busy with their biology term papers at the library and that they would be having pizza at a friend's place. When Sam walked past the Bistro, he suddenly remembered a part of their conversation last night. They had been sitting at the bar and Cassie had pointed toward a bowl of cookies that were her favorite. He had offered to buy one for her, but she was stuffed from dinner. So, he figured he'd buy some cookies for her now. Stephanie boxed up more cookies he had asked for, but she knew as well that Cassie was really fond of them. On his way out he ran into John. They greeted each other and John wanted to start small talk, but Sam really wanted to head out. His twenty minute break was shrinking by the minute. While Sam excused himself by telling John he needed to deliver these cookies to Cassie, John called after him that she better enjoy it before heading to the Maldives.

When Sam finally walked into the Bell, Book and Candle he saw Cassie in the back talking to Abigail. When he walked towards them, Cassie noticed him right away. "Sam. Hey." "Hey," he replied. Abigail didn't even bother to greet him, "Did you get your tickets?" He immediately wondered what she was up to, "For the Ferris wheel? Yeah," he pointed out. Abigail immediately replied, "It's for couples." Abigail looked intently at both Cassie and Sam. "I know," Sam said emphatically, giving Cassie a crooked eye. Cassie knew what her cousin was doing and kept quiet for a moment. "So do you have a date yet? Abigail continued, again looking from Sam to Cassie with a dirty smile. Sam opened his mouth to answer but changed his mind, he realized what Abigail was alluding to. As a distraction, he gave the box from the Bistro to Cassie and it worked, Abigail's attention now turned to the cookies. When Abigail walked away Sam couldn't help but ask, "What is she up to?" Cassie didn't know either, "I don't know, but it's something." They both chuckled.

Cassie smelled the fresh cookies, it was so thoughtful of him to bring them over. He had really paid attention to her when she had told him chocolate icebox cookies were her favorite. "Hmm, thank you for these." "Sure," he replied. Cassie suddenly noticed the binder she had forgotten to give to Abigail. Abigail always knew how to steer a conversation and divert attention from the real subject. She would get it to her later, she couldn't leave the shop right now. She picked it up and took it to the main counter. Sam followed her and mentioned he had run into John at the Bistro, because a voice in the back of his head needed to know if Cassie indeed agreed to go with him on the dig. He really hoped she wouldn't go. His leap to kiss Cassie at the Lake House was more or less based on the fact that he was scared of losing her to John and the Maldives. "He thinks that you're going to the Maldives with him." Cassie quickly reassured him that she hadn't said yes. 'Yet' Sam thought. So, actually he wasn't reassured at all. "But you haven't said no." Cassie put down the binder and looked a little amused at Sam. "I sense you'd rather I not go." Sam couldn't admit he was scared of losing her but he also knew that if their relationship was meant to be that they would survive a period apart. But things were so new and fragile, he just wanted her near him. But he also wanted to be there for her...so he showed her his charm. "No, I'll support whatever decision you make. But I think if you go, it might be hard for you." Cassie looked surprised, "Oh?" Sam jokingly said, "Yeah, you will miss me terribly." Cassie gave him a very loving smile. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah, you might not last the entire trip!" Cassie was blown away by his concern for her. He really looked cute, when he cared for her that obviously. She actually hadn't given the entire Maldives trip any thought yet, the past two days it was Sam who was on her mind the entire time. They both looked each other in the eyes and once again sparks were flying through the air. Right now the whole Maldives trip felt meaningless, it was an adventure of a lifetime but the way Sam looked at her right now made her wanna throw the trip overboard. 'Cause she realized that a future with Sam was just as much an adventure of a lifetime. If Tara hadn't come in (and the store had been empty) she would have kissed Sam right then and there.

That afternoon Sam made a lot of effort to get the remodeling of the Lake House to start. He needed to get this going so he would be able to spend a lot of time there with Nick before he headed off to London. He had called a whole bunch of contractors, but all of them were busy. By the end of the day he had given up, it made him cranky. But his mood immediately brightened when Cassie called. She called just to hear his voice and that made him swoon. She also told him that he should pay extra good attention to his last patient of the day. It made him wonder but he knew Cassie, she had her reasons for saying things. So, when his last patient of the day stepped into his exam room he took a good look at him and he noticed his working clothes. He had to ask, "What do you do for a living?" It wasn't a weird question either, it was a new patient to his practice and he always had an initial interview with them. Sam liked to get to know his patients, it made it easier for him to treat them. The man answered, "I'm a contractor. I design and remodel houses." Sam's eyes grew big, he couldn't believe his ears. But he seized the opportunity, "Really! I have been looking for a contractor all afternoon. I need someone to remodel my new Lake House." They talked about the house for a while and (as if it was meant to be) it seemed that he was available right away to do the remodelling. Sam didn't hesitate for a moment and made an appointment to meet him at the Lake House the next day. When he closed up his practice he needed to share all of his excitement for the Lake House with Cassie, he really wanted her opinion and frankly he wanted her to come with him to discuss his plans. So, he called her and invited her to come along.

As agreed, Sam and Cassie found themselves at the Lake House again the next day. They drove up together this time after closing up their businesses early. While sitting in the car next to him Cassie felt safe and cared for and she could really get used to the fact that they were more than just friends now. The two of them felt so comfortable around each other, it was nice to share moments like this with no one else around. They talked just about everything on the ride over, except for the topic called relationship. They had both acknowledged their feelings for one another again, but they hadn't discussed the Lights Festival or the Ferris wheel. Cassie still wasn't sure if she was ready for a real date, to risk the danger of losing Sam's friendship. It felt like a big leap but she could tell it was on Sam's mind. By the time they went outside to meet the contractor, Sam brought it up, "So I've been thinking". It had to come up eventually, Cassie thought, so she'd let Sam move on. "I think we should go to the festival together." Cassie leaned against the railing and let out a big sigh. She needed to be honest to him, "It's complicated." Sam went against it, "It doesn't have to be." Cassie tried to explain herself. "We're friends, we live right next door to each other, Middleton's a small town. We got a lot to lose." Sam thought about that for a moment, "Okay, so it's complicated." Cassie laughed, he understood but he wasn't going down without a 'fight'. "...and we could end up losing what we have now. But if we're willing to take a chance, we might end up finding something that neither of us ever thought we'd have." Cassie gave him a serious look, she let his words sink in. Sam grinned, "Come on, you zip-lined," Cassie eyed him affectionately while Sam continued. "...hiked the Himalayas, lived in India for a year. Might go to the Maldives." Cassie muttered in agreement, "Mmm-hmm." "But riding a Ferris wheel, that's just too risky?" Cassie knew Sam made some good points, he was very convincing. Maybe it was time to make a leap of her own, so she agreed to go with him. "Okay." Sam looked surprised that he had been able to convince her. "Okay?" Cassie smiled and nodded. "Okay, great!" Sam proudly said. Cassie chuckled, her heart grew while watching Sam take in his 'victory'. He smiled back at her, "Come on." And they both descended down the stairs.

After a whole hour talking and discussing with the contractor, both Sam and Cassie were glad to go home. They stepped into the car and drove off. It started to snow again, which meant the drive back home took longer than usual. It was nearly 7 pm and they were only halfway home. Sam started to get hungry and asked Cassie if she could look up the nearest restaurant on her phone. "What are you in the mood for?" she asked him. "Whatever is closest." Sam chuckled. He needed food, he hadn't had a proper lunch and that was breaking him up now. Cassie started to laugh, "Well in that case, no need to search anymore. There's a diner 1 mile ahead, just take the next exit." Sam looked to his right and gave her a mischievous smile. "Okay, so how'd you know that? I haven't seen any sign." She looked back at him, amused. "You haven't, but I did. You can drive back to see for yourself if you don't believe me." Sam laughed out loud now, "No way, not through this weather. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time." He loved their banter, ever since they became friends it was their 'thing'. It really meant they were comfortable around each other. They took the exit, and there it was. It said 'The Roadside Diner' in big neon letters on the roof. Sam parked in front of the diner, got out of the car, looked around and noticed there was barely any car in the parking lot. "I hope this place is open." When he turned around, Cassie was already at the door, holding it open. She gave him one of her signature smiles. He should have known, he shook his head a little and laughed. He took a sprint and went inside with her.

The waitress showed Sam and Cassie to a cozy corner seat near the window. The diner was practically empty, which meant they had their food in no time. It wasn't the best food but it made the hunger disappear. They ate silently until their plates were empty. Cassie hated to admit it, but she was so hungry that it hadn't bothered her that the cuisine was mediocre. While they were waiting for their coffee and tea they finally had the energy to really talk again. Cassie started the conversation. "Sam?" Sam looked at Cassie and he felt worried somehow, "Yeah, what's the matter?" Cassie was surprised he noticed something was on her mind. It made her feel warm inside, this man already knew her so well. He really looked at her, listened to her, made her feel safe in a way that she was able to talk about literally everything to him. She needed to hear his opinion, "Remember our conversation in my store the other day, about me going/not going to the Maldives?" Sam chuckled, of course he remembered and he nodded. "I never told you that I really appreciate your support if I decide to go...or not to go." She gave him a thankful smile while continuing. "I still haven't made up my mind about it, on one hand it seems like a dream come true and on the other hand leaving Middleton scares me. And what would Grace think of all this?" She let out a sigh. Sam grabbed her hands and placed it in his. He stroked the back of her hands with his thumbs. Cassie looked at this gesture and instantly swallowed away a lump in her throat. She felt Sam's gaze, so she looked up and met his eyes. Without breaking eye contact Sam gave her advice, "Just talk to Grace about it. Hear her out and see how she feels. You'll figure it out." Cassie nodded slightly while Sam continued. "And...I think you need to make a pro's and con's list," he said mischievously. Cassie couldn't help but chuckle, she knew he was referring to his own list to buy or not to buy the Lake House. "Maybe you're right, I should follow my own advice." She gave him a wink. Sam smiled and closed the distance between them on the seat. "You should, worked pretty well for me." Still holding on to Cassie's hands, he stated boldly, "I know one thing that should be on the con's side." His face turned really serious, in the store he had joked about it but now he realized that it was probably a hundred percent true. "You'd miss me." Cassie's eyes turned watery, "Yes," she said. "Very much."

They left the diner and started walking towards Sam's car. It had stopped snowing but everything had already turned white. Cassie always found it fascinating that the weather up here near the lake could be so much more extreme. She looked around, white snow everywhere she looked. She started to shiver, the cold got to her. Sam noticed it and put his arm around her so he could walk even closer to her. Cassie immediately felt his warmth coming through her jacket. For a moment her memory flashed back to their first kiss at the Lake House and how good the warmth of his body felt against hers. Without her noticing, they approached the car. They stood still and faced each other. Sam put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He could tell she was cold. Cassie was yet again surprised how good it felt to be so close to him and that he was so at ease making such intimate gestures. But surprise or not, it felt good. She laid her hands on his chest and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. "This is nice," she sighed. Sam smiled lovingly, "Yeah it is, but not as nice as this." He tightened his grip around her waist, leaned in and kissed her deeply. Their lips felt perfect together. Cassie wrapped her arms around Sam to be even closer to him. The warmth spreaded through both their bodies. When Cassie suddenly felt a cold car door in her back, she broke the kiss. "Sam. We're in the middle of a parking lot." Sam looked around, "Correct, but no one is here." But then it hit him that what he had initiated was not exactly 'taking it slow'. "I'm sorry, you're right. I wasn't thinking straight." "Mmm-hmm," Cassie grinned. Sam chuckled, "That is what you're doing to me," he said seductively. "When we're alone, I can't think straight. All I think about is to be with you and to kiss you. Well, actually...I've been thinking about kissing you all the time," he admitted while showing his puppy face. Cassie grabbed his face with two hands, "You're adorable." Before laying her head on his shoulder, she gave him a sweet quick kiss and embraced him. Without letting go of the warm embrace she said, "To be honest, you have that effect on me too." Sam was surprised by her confession and stepped out of the hug to look Cassie in the eyes. "Really?" "Really," she said while nodding. "This afternoon you made me realize I have to follow my heart, you've really opened it up and...well, we should give us a chance. I want to be with you and not just only for the Ferris wheel ride. I'm ready to take the leap and sign up for the whole 'package'. Sam smiled from ear to ear and hugged her tight. He whispered in her ear, "Does this mean I can take you out on a proper first date?" Cassie whispered back, "Well yes, but I think you already did. Remember when we went horseback riding? And had dinner after? That could really pass as a perfect first date. Maybe you can take me back there one day." Sam cupped her chin and brought his lips to hers and before they touched each other he muttered, "Yeah I guess it was, glad we established that."

The next day Sam entered the Grey House kitchen and saw Cassie and Abigail talking. Abigail noticed him right away, "Sam! We were just talking about you." Sam wondered what that was about, but Abigail was always mysterious so he didn't bother to ask. He came to see Cassie so he just replied with "Hmmm." He directed himself straight at her. "You left these in the car." He gave Cassie her gloves she had forgotten yesterday evening. "Thank you," Cassie softly replied. Abigail eyeballed both Cassie and Sam before she headed off, "Bye, you two." Again Sam wondered what Abigail was up to, he wrinkled his face and had to ask Cassie, "What was that about?" "You and me...and the kids," Cassie informed him. It started to dawn on Sam that Abigail had figured out the changed relationship between the two of them. "Ah, you think we should talk to them?" Cassie smiled understandingly and said "I think it should come from us." Sam nodded in agreement, "Abigail won't say anything." "Oh, Abigail isn't exactly known for her discretion," Cassie said. Sam laughed, "Good point." Sam thought for a moment, "So…" He let out a sigh, "You think we should talk to them together? Cassie agreed to that, "Hmm. Tomorrow?" "Dinner." Sam replied. "Here?" Cassie followed up. "Yep." Sam agreed. Cassie nodded, so that was agreed. They were taking the plunge by telling their kids about them. It had to happen eventually. And Abigail was right about that earlier, it wasn't fair to their kids if they found out another way. Cassie smiled at the idea and peaked at Sam. "What exactly are we gonna tell them?" The question overwhelmed Sam a bit. "Oh," he wrinkled his face once again. "That…we care about each other." He paused for a moment to look Cassie in the eyes. Cassie looked right back at him and took a deep breath. Sam continued, "And we really wanna see where it goes." Cassie looked away shyly. "I guess we should leave out the part that, if it doesn't work out, one of us has to move?" They both laughed at Cassie's remark. While laughing Sam said, "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." Cassie smiled and nodded gently. They shared another loving look. Cassie picked up the conversation, sounding slightly troubled. "So, it's good we're doing this tomorrow. We have to start this relationship right, no sneaking around. No secrets, especially from our kids." "I agree," Sam said. Cassie still had a troubled look in her eyes so he grabbed her hands to show her his support. "And don't worry, we'll do this right, at the pace you want it to," Sam reassured her. Cassie's gaze brightened up. "Thanks Sam." Sam cocked his head a little, smiled and nodded, "You're welcome." "So, what brings your day today?" Sam asked in order to change the subject. "Well, just another day at the Bell, Book and Candle. Oh, and I need to ask Stephanie to bake eight cakes for me." Sam's eyes grew big, "Eight cakes? For what?" Cassie laughed, "I want to auction off the cakes for charity at the Lights festival. And I have a feeling Stephanie could use a distraction by designing and baking the cakes for me." Sam grinned, Cassie always seemed to know what people needed. "Well, if there's going to be a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, I'll bid on it!" Cassie laughed heartily. "Make sure you do. In the meantime, can I offer you some tea or breakfast before you head out to your office?" Sam hesitated, "Only if tea actually means coffee?" Cassie gave him a crooked smile, "Sam, you're an addict. Sorry no coffee today." Sam chuckled, "Worth the try, but actually I gotta go. I'm late as it is." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and made his way out the door. Before actually exiting he stopped in the doorway, "Cassie?" Cassie walked toward him, "Yeah?" Sam turned around and faced Cassie. "I want you to know that I'm really happy about all this." He gestured between himself and Cassie. "I know we can make it work, whatever obstacles we have to overcome." Cassie loved Sam for saying this, he was really convinced. "I really hope we can," was her answer. Their eyes locked again for a minute and Sam went out the door. Cassie stood there for a while, looking at an empty doorway. She just wished she could convince her own brain just as much as her heart.

Another day went by and Cassie got more nervous every minute. She hadn't talked to Sam all day and she had no idea how to handle the conversation with their kids tonight. She wasn't the type to map out an entire dinner, but not knowing how the evening would go made her restless. Sam probably would have thought it through, he was a planner. That's why she wanted to talk to him before their kids joined them. She really hoped that Grace and Nick we're okay with their parents being together. She was especially worried about Grace. In all the years after Jake's passing they had never had to deal with stuff like this, so Cassie had no idea how Grace would feel about all this. And what if she was against her dating Sam? Then what? Thinking about all this made her even more on edge. Suddenly she noticed she was stirring the chicken masala too hard, it was sloshing out of the pan. She lowered the heat, put a lid on the pan and walked up the kitchen stairs to change her clothes. Although she was nervous, she still wanted this to be a special evening. She had therefore already selected a beautiful dress to wear. Sam would like it. She laughed inwardly at the fact that her thoughts went straight to Sam and what he would think of her. He already played such a big part in her life. Dressing up nice for him even seemed like a goal. She changed quickly and blushed slightly as she looked at herself in the mirror. Sam would really love it. She took a deep breath and went downstairs.

Sam knocked on the door before entering the kitchen, "Hi there." "Hi," Cassie greeted him back. He was so glad to see Cassie, they hadn't seen each other all day. He had had a slow day at the office, he did a lot of paperwork instead but the patients he did see kept talking about how excited they were about the upcoming festival. It seemed that this town really knew how to have a good time. He had to admit, even the sight of Cassie's store and her own plans to help out made him excited as well. During the end of the day he figured he might as well help around during the festival. He would ask Abigail if he could help out somehow. Maybe he could even find a way to convince patients to keep coming to his office, 'cause he wasn't a big fan of slow office days. Sam walked up to Cassie and looked around, "Is, uh, Abigail around?" Cassie put down her spoon, "Oh, she's still working." Sam reached Cassie and faced her, "I wanted to volunteer for the festival." Cassie looked at him surprised, "Really?" Sam proudly said, "Yeah, a local businesswoman inspired me with her spirit and dazzling light display." Cassie couldn't help but laugh, this man kept surprising her. He really had a good soul. Suddenly it popped in Sam's head that it was really quiet in Grey House. He felt the urge to be closer to Cassie. He looked around, "Where's Grace?" Cassie noticed Sam's shift, "Ah, she went to the store to get me some cream." Sam did the math, they were alone. "Nick jumped in the shower, he'll be over soon." Cassie nodded and sighed. Sam made a compliment about whatever it was on the stove, "That smells amazing." "Oh, yeah?" Cassie grabbed the spoon again, "You wanna taste?" "Mmm-hmm," Sam mumbled. Cassie fed him a spoon of the chicken masala. "Mmmm," Sam said with his eyes closed. He really liked the taste of it. "Yeah, you like it?" Cassie asked him and looked straight at him. "I do." Sam said and locked his eyes with hers. "I like it a lot." He could tell Cassie was relieved he liked it and he wanted to make sure she knew he liked her a lot too. Knowing no one was there, he leaned in, grabbed her waist and initiated a really loving kiss.

Cassie was swept off her feet again, it felt so good to kiss him. Butterflies went up and down her stomach. Before it actually happened the first time, she had dreamed of what it would be like to feel his lips on hers. It seemed foolish then but well, now she had experienced it and it was great. No, more than great. It was spectacular. And it wasn't even weird to kiss her best friend like that. She had to admit that Sam picked the perfect moment to make the leap and kiss her at the Lake House. They had been circling around each other for a long time now, knowing they both had amourable feelings. Sam had been such a gentleman, waiting for her to be ready. But yet he was bold enough to make a move, he must have known that he was the one to initiate things. When he had kissed her, it had hit her that she was really crushing on him and that it was time to let those feelings in. And while letting her feelings grow the last couple of days she realized that she really enjoyed kissing him, which made it easier to initiate a kiss herself. She had no idea how much she had missed this kind of interaction with someone, that she could share love, happiness, excitement and even pain and struggle with someone other than her friends or family. Maybe she was even better at sharing things with Sam than anyone else. He was such a good friend and now there was so much more to explore about each other. She still was scared of losing his friendship, but the past couple of days he had made it clear to her that he was on board with Cassie's wishes and pace, just like Olympia had said, she truly believed that he wasn't going anywhere. Suddenly Cassie noticed that kissing Sam (and thinking about him during it) had caught her off guard. She completely lost track of the outside world. She broke the kiss and looked slightly panicked to her right, she felt Grace's presence in the house but she didn't see her. How could she have not sensed that? Had she entered the kitchen? Had she seen Sam and her kiss? They hadn't kissed that long, right? Real panic washed over her. This was exactly what she wanted to prevent from happening, that Grace found out the wrong way. Her heart broke a little and her brain took over, the doubt about her relationship with Sam had once again returned.

Sam noticed something was up, "Something wrong?" he asked very delicately. Cassie shook her head but her facial expression gave her away. "I don't quite believe you," he said in response. Cassie closed her eyes and sighed. "Can you help me set the table?" she asked in diversion and walked toward the cupboard to get plates and cutlery. Sam followed in her footsteps, "Cassie, you can talk to me. What's going on? I saw the look on your face...was it something I did?" he asked guiltily. Cassie turned around to face him but couldn't quite look him in the eye just yet. He thought it was his fault, gosh that was adorable. She couldn't leave him hanging so, he was right, she needed to talk to him. "No. No, it's not you." She looked up now and tried to catch his gaze. She spoke in a soft tone, "Sam, as much as I love to kiss you, we have to be careful where we kiss. We're in the middle of the kitchen here." She gestured around. "I don't want Grace to walk in on us," she stated while dropping her head. Sam looked around and tried to comfort her, "But she's not here. I wouldn't have kissed you if you hadn't told me she went out to the store." Cassie produced a faint smile, of course he'd thought it through. He didn't mean to get caught either. Her Merriwick radar had just let her down again, but Sam was unaware of her abilities so she didn't go into too much detail. "I know, it's just a weird feeling that came over me." Now Sam was the one to catch her gaze. "Cassie, look at me. I know you have your feelings, I don't always fully understand them, but please don't shut me out. Guide me through them, help me feel what you feel." For the umpteenth time these past few days, Cassie got tears in her eyes. Damn, he was right...again. "You're right, I'll work on that."

Sam helped Cassie set the table, everything seemed ready. They were just waiting for their kids to show up. "So, are you ready for this?" Sam asked Cassie. Cassie laughed nervously, "Uhm, no. Not really." Sam gave her a loving look, "I get it. You're still worried about Grace." Cassie nodded. "We'll just sit down, do some small talk, eat your lovely chicken masala and then we'll bring it up okay?" Cassie wondered why Sam was so at ease with all this. "You don't seem nervous. So, why am I?" she said out loud. Sam laughed, "I guess I just don't have to worry how Nick feels about all this, he'll finally hear the reason why his father seems so happy and why he whistles during the dishes!" Sam laughed at his own joke. It broke the tension because Cassie started to laugh out loud too. "Well, I just hope Grace will see that too. Although, I don't whistle during the dishes," she made fun of him while poking his shoulder. Cassie felt Nick was at the door, "Okay then, let's get it over with."

After a few minutes the dinner had already fallen into the water. Nick and Grace were angry at each other and made it impossible for their parents to bring up the topic of 'relationship'. They ate their own food together in relative silence, wondering what was going on exactly and how to break the news to them now. After that Sam had gone home to bring Nick food. When he returned with an empty bin, Cassie just entered the kitchen with the tray she had brought up to Grace. He looked at it and sighted, "Grace didn't eat much." Cassie let out a big sigh too, "No, how about Nick?" Sam stopped at the counter, "He ate, but silently." "Hmmm," Cassie muttered. They now both stood at the counter facing each other. Sam was worried about his son, "I still can't believe as hard as he pushed to go to London, now, he may not even go." Cassie understood, "Yeah, he's conflicted." Both their kids had a big problem and it was clear it wouldn't be gone overnight. Cassie's troubled head took over again, "Maybe this isn't the best time to introduce something new to them. We're friends and neighbours, they're friends…" Cassie started walking to the dining room and Sam followed, he dropped his jacket behind the door. He wasn't going to give up because of their kids. "Well, there may be some bumps in the road, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Cassie heard him, but the situation really troubled her. With their kids being angry and the feeling that Grace wasn't ready to see her mom with another guy. "Hmmm. You know, this isn't just something small. It's not only one issue. Grace has grown so fond of you, you and I have a friendship that I wouldn't want to live without, so…there are things to lose." Sam heard every word but he was not willing to accept it. He just knew her brain was taking over, saying those words but her body language and look in her eyes told a different story. In the past couple of days he really started to believe in 'Sam & Cassie' and she had told him her heart was ready. So he wasn't giving up on them and he needed to let Cassie know that. "And things to gain," he said convincingly. Cassie sighed deep, "You don't know that for sure." Sam grabbed the last dishes from the table, "I know us," he stated and started walking towards the kitchen. He still hadn't convinced Cassie, so he got another question. "Yeah? And what if it's bigger than us?" Sam replied in all honesty, "I think we should just take a breath and just deal with the issue at hand." Clearly that wasn't convincing enough, because she actually wanted to analyze it right away, "And what is that?" she wanted to know. Cassie was clearly overthinking this, he needed to get her out of this 'let's not go there phase', so he threw in a joke to get Cassie 'back'. "That these dishes aren't going to wash themselves." Cassie laughed, she knew what he was doing and frankly she was glad he did what he did, 'cause her brain needed to stop overanalyzing. "Well, I'm glad you volunteered." She chuckled, she was genuinely glad that Sam offered to help because the dishwasher had broken down that morning. She started putting the dirty plates in the sink when her phone rang. "Oh! Can you see who that is?" Sam turned around to look at her phone and was surprised to see John's face lighting up. Sam's face clouded. Ugh, John. He wasn't a bad guy but he just didn't want Cassie to go with him. "It's John," he said. Cassie could tell from the tone in his voice that he wasn't happy about John calling. "He's waiting for an answer on the Maldives." She still hadn't given it much thought, her pro's and con's list only consisted of two con's: it wouldn't be fair to Grace to drag her there and yes, she'd miss Sam. "And you have one for him?" Sam interrupted her thoughts. Sam asked the question not knowing if he wanted to hear the answer. In that instant Cassie made her decision, "I'm not gonna go," she said without a doubt. Sam exhaled, he had been holding his breath without knowing. The answer surprised him, he really had no idea which way she was leaning towards but he actually was afraid she'd go. "I'm surprised. I mean, that dig is an opportunity that might not come around again." Cassie blushed a little and lowered her eyes for a minute. The two items on her con's list were so important to her that right now it seemed even ridiculous she had even considered going. "Well, I had too many things pulling me toward home." While saying that she searched for Sam's eyes and a warm feeling came over her, she couldn't help but just smile at him. Sam's face brightened up, he understood what she was implying but he still needed some kind of confirmation. "And you're happy with that decision?" Cassie shyly nodded, "Yeah," she whispered. "The Maldives was tempting, but…" Sam was so relieved, he even finished the sentence for her, "Middleton." Cassie kept looking at Sam. He knew what she meant. "Even more so," she clarified. Staying in Middleton would even be more tempting, with Sam there she had a whole new adventure to look forward to. Her smile grew even bigger. Sam closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head, he was so happy. "Well, I will try to make sure that your decision not to go is worthwhile." He smiled back at her, his eyes full of compassion. "Yeah, you better." Cassie joked. They both chuckled, the evening had started badly but right now they were happy.

After doing the dishes Sam had asked Cassie if she wanted to join him for a walk. They both put on their jackets and walked towards Fosters Woods. Cassie usually didn't go there at night, not that she was afraid but it could get really dark out there. But being around Sam she felt safe and secure, so she went with him. The path led them into the woods and when the trees closed in on them, Sam put his arm around Cassie's shoulder and pulled her against him. He wanted to do that ever since their talk at the sink. He had suggested taking a walk because he wanted her out of the house. Knowing Grace was upstairs and his urge to hug (and yes, kiss her) could not be fulfilled inside. Cassie had made that clear, she was afraid Grace would find out the wrong way. So he promised himself he would hold back from any amorous activity if they weren't alone. They hadn't been able to talk to their kids yet, they were both stubborn and were hiding in their rooms. Talking to them now wouldn't do anybody any good so, they both agreed to try again tomorrow. Separately, 'cause another dinner together would raise too much suspicion. With their kids too stubborn to talk to them, they just used the time to be together. They reached a small clearing in the woods, the moonlight shone through the trees and gave a beautiful light. Sam pointed toward a bench, "Do you wanna sit down for a moment?". Cassie agreed and they sat down. "I usually come here on my own," Sam said looking straight ahead. "Ow?" Cassie seemed surprised. "I didn't know you were a forest kind of guy," she chuckled. Sam laughed and started to explain, "No I never was, but my morning run led me here one day. I stopped here to catch my breath and I sat on this bench for a while. Suddenly all my thoughts seemed so clear to me. Maybe because it's really, really quiet out here...I don't know, but somehow this place made me feel at peace. And after that I never ran home faster." Sam grinned and turned to Cassie. Cassie noticed he had started this story, 'cause he needed to get something off his chest, so she just listened. Sam continued, "I don't know why exactly, but ever since this clearing is my thinking spot." Cassie nodded and looked around, she could understand why he loved this place. Sam turned, took Cassie's hands and placed them in his. He had a boyish look on his face. "I have thought about you a lot here." Sam could see a small blush on Cassie's face, she looked so beautiful in this moonlight. He locked his eyes with hers. "Ever since we acknowledged there was this thing between us, I have been hoping for the day we'd get together and that I get to kiss you. Just like I wanted to do the night of your party in the store. And now that day is here and I want you to know that I'm really serious about you. About us. You're not just a fling…" Sam paused for a moment, while his grip on Cassie's hands tightened. "...not just someone to dive into bed with." Sam sighed deep. "I've never felt this way before about anyone, not even Linda." said Sam emphatically. Cassie was completely flattered and tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to say something but Sam put a finger on her lips. "Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me. Our friendship, our talks, our discussions, our banter...because of all that you helped me deal with so many things. Deal with Nick, deal with my failed marriage. It even made me realize that Linda never was the one for me...but you are. And most importantly, the Sam back in New York wasn't the real me, he was not a likable guy...but the Middleton Sam, he's much much better. And you were the one who let the real Sam resurface and for that alone I'll always thank you. And no matter what, I promise I'll always be here for you. As your friend...as your boyfriend. Because I'm really...really falling in love with you." When Sam ended his speech, tears streamed down Cassie's face. She didn't know how fast to hug him, she practically threw herself at him. She had never heard such an affectionate declaration. Not even from Jake. Oh god, Jake...she hadn't thought about him in a while. It made her cry even more. Sam held her really tight, held her as long as she cried. For a moment he was worried because he had never seen her like this, but the way she clinged to him made him conclude he had nothing to worry about. He kept stroking her hair for comfort and waited for her tears to dry up. When Cassie finally let go of the embrace, she backed up a little to look Sam in the eyes. "You're literally sweeping me off my feet, I'm falling really hard for you too…" Cassie showed him the most gorgeous smile. "...so, you'd better be around to catch me," she finished her sentence jokingly. Sam smiled, ear to ear. He wanted to respond but before he could say anything Cassie covered his lips with hers. They shared the hottest kiss they had so far. Cassie practically sat on Sam's lap and their foreheads still touched each other. Both their faces were covered with the biggest smile. "I forgot to tell you one more thing," Sam suddenly said, very huskily. Cassie felt a shiver down her spine, "Ow, and what's that?" she asked. Sam cleared his throat, "You look absolutely amazing in the dress you're wearing tonight." Cassie smiled gratifyingly, "I thought you might like it, I picked it out especially for you." Sam couldn't be happier.

"Will you come back here with me sometime, to do some more...uhm...thinking?" Sam asked Cassie with a big grin on his face, while they walked out of the woods. "Hmmm. It's good to have a spot for some serious thinking." Cassie replied with a mischievous smile. "But Sam, let's not get ahead of ourselves okay? We still need to talk to our kids and I still need some more time to get used to the idea that people will see us as a couple. That we are an us. No pressure, remember?" Sam stopped for a moment. "Cassie, I made you that promise. No pressure, I will stick to that. And I can see that your brain and your heart are conflicted sometimes. You've had a happy marriage and a part of you still is married. Heck, even some Middletonians will still see you as Mrs. Russel. I'm a man of my word, I'll give you...and the town the time to adjust to that." Cassie closed her eyes for a moment, he said all the right things. "Thank you Sam." They started walking again and Cassie suddenly had a feeling that directed them into another path, not the one that was leading home. "Hey, where are we going? Our homes are that way!" Sam asked, confused. Cassie followed her instinct, when she realized where the path was going it became clear to her that her subconscious wanted to show Sam something. It was getting late but given their conversation earlier she wanted to take him to Jake's grave. She didn't say anything until they walked into the cemetery. Sam looked at Cassie questioningly. "What are we doing here?" Cassie looked at him, "I want you to 'meet' Jake." Cassie grabbed Sam's hand and led him to Jake's gravestone. There was a bench in front of it and they both sat down. Sam didn't know what to say. The gravestone said 'Jake Russel. Loving husband and father.' Cassie started talking to the stone, to Jake. "Hey Jake. Sorry I haven't been around much, guess I've been a little busy lately. But I...uhm...I brought someone for you to meet." She turned her head towards Sam and showed him a faint smile. "Jake. This is Sam and just like you once did, Sam has found his way to my heart. I'll never stop loving you but I need to move on, I don't want the grief to consume me anymore. I hope, if you're watching from above, that you can be happy for me." Cassie looked up at the sky and she reached for Sam's hand. Sam took it, closed his eyes and lowered his head, she was such an angel. She cared for the living and the dead. It felt weird that she was talking to a tombstone but yet it had something beautiful. It seemed that somehow she needed Jake's permission to move on, so she could let go of the guilt she was feeling towards him. Sam looked up and catched Cassie's gaze. He didn't quite know what to say but he tried, "I wished I would have known Jake, from what I've heard about him he seemed like a great guy. I know he'd do anything to make you happy." Cassie smiled and wiped away a tear. "Whenever I'm here, I can still feel him. And right now I'm sensing he's okay with it. Because now you're the one making me happy."

Sam and Cassie strolled back to Grey House holding hands. They hadn't said much since they left the cemetery, they just enjoyed the walk together. When they approached Grey House, Sam let go of Cassie's hand trying to act normal. But as a real gentleman, he did walk her to the backdoor. "Do you wanna come in?" Cassie asked. Sam shook his head, "I should probably head home. It's late and I have a busy day tomorrow." Cassie knew he was right, it was late but she felt she couldn't let him go just yet. Suddenly the porch light went out. Cassie smiled mysteriously and wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and kissed him. Sam was flabbergasted, he returned the kiss but ended it shortly after. "Cassie." He looked squinting at her. "We agreed not to do this here." Cassie nodded, "Yeah, you're right. But the lights went out so I seized the opportunity," she said with an endearing smile. Sam couldn't help but laugh, she was something else. "Okay, kissing in the dark is allowed then," he whispered in her ear. Cassie felt shivers down her spine again, it was time to call it a night otherwise they'd be standing here forever. Right then the light came on again. Sam gave Cassie a crooked eye, she just smiled back. "Will I see you tomorrow?" Cassie asked. "I hope so," Sam replied. "I am your neighbor, so maybe we'll casually run into each other." Cassie loved his dry humor, "Okay then. See you tomorrow."

The next morning Cassie met John at the Bistro. It was time to tell him she wasn't going with him on the dig. She was surprised that she had no problems saying no to him. Her decision to stay in Middleton the night before still felt right. Fortunately, John accepted her decision. When John left, Abigail joined her at the table. Apparently, she'd overheard her conversation with John and Abigail implied things were serious with Sam. Cassie knew that Abigail knew but yet she didn't want to talk about it. When Cassie excused herself later, she walked back to her shop thinking. Abigail was right, it was getting serious with Sam. She liked the idea but they both made a promise to each other by taking it slow. Like Sam had said the night before, this wasn't just a fling. They needed to do this right by taking the time to grow into this relationship, really get to know each other on a much more personal level. But a little voice inside her head started talking, that she was enjoying the fact that Abigail knew about them and that she seemed really happy for her. Maybe everyone else in town would feel the same way? She quickly shook off the thought, it was too soon to let the town know. Suddenly she remembered she had wanted to buy a cup of tea so she turned diligently and walked back to the Bistro.

Cassie was talking to Stephanie when Sam entered the Bistro. Her heart literally skipped a beat at the sight of him. "Hey, what a nice surprise." Sam leaned nonchalantly against the bar and greeted her back. "Hi." His blue eyes immediately locked with hers, he was happy to see her too. Stephanie ruined the moment by handing him his lunch. He had ordered it to go because he was needed at the hospital. Sam focused on Cassie again. "I didn't expect the job to start until next week, but they want me in there now." Sam explained. Cassie's face looked troubled, "Sounds like a lot more work." Sam nodded, "Well, it's pretty intense, but I got it handled. And I like being busy." He cocked his head a little and looked Cassie in the eyes again. Cassie nodded understandingly, "Mmm, there's a difference between busy and overloaded." Sam loved it that she was so worried about him, but she shouldn't have to be. "You don't have to worry about me." Cassie's eyes were full of compassion, "I always worry about people I care about." He couldn't help but smile, his face warmed up and he couldn't let go of her eyes. They had no idea Stephanie watched and overheard them from a distance and that she immediately noticed the looks between them. She wondered what was going on, she'd ask Cassie later. Suddenly Sam withdrew himself out of Cassie's mesmerizing eyes, he figured if she could help him with his latest problem. "My patients think that being Chief of Staff at Hillcrest means I won't be here." Cassie jumped right at it. "Hmm, maybe you need to find a way to show them that they can trust you." She looked very convinced. Sam still didn't know what to do, "That's a tall order." Cassie smirked, "I think you're up to the challenge." He knew it was her way of helping him, she knew the answer would come to him. "Well, okay. Thanks. I'm headed to the hospital now. See you later?" Cassie slightly nodded and said goodbye. When Sam left Stephanie rushed to Cassie and gave her a questionable look. "What?" Cassie asked. "Spill, Nightingale." Cassie still had no idea what her friend meant. Stephanie walked around the bar and pretty much dragged her friend outside to the terras. "What's going on between you two?" It started to dawn on Cassie, it made her blush. Stephanie saw and got all excited. "You like him!" Stephanie remembered the way Sam had looked at Cassie. "Ooh and he likes you!" she yelled while clapping her hands. Cassie looked around to see if anyone was there. "Shhh. Please." She urged Stephanie to sit down with her. "You're right, we do like each other..." While saying that a smile formed around Cassie's mouth. "...a lot." Stephanie hugged her friend. "I'm so happy for you two! I knew he was a catch...turns out he was meant for you and not for me." Cassie blushed again. "Thanks. But please don't tell anyone. We're taking it step by step, I don't want to rush it...I still have to get used to the fact that I'm part of a relationship again. And...we still have to talk to our kids about it. We wanted to tell them last night, but they got into a fight. They should hear it from us, instead of some gossipy Middletonian." Cassie looked at her friend desperately. Stephanie laughed, she got the message. "I won't say a word, I promise." They hugged again. "Thanks, Stephanie. You're a great friend." Stephanie and Cassie stood up, hugged once more and started walking away in different directions, but Stephanie turned around in the doorway. "Cassie?" Cassie turned to face her. "When the Lights Festival is over and I have more time, I'd love to sit down with you and talk about it in detail." Cassie smiled at her, "I'd love that."

That afternoon when Cassie came home she found George busy with the cake trays. He had offered to help out with the cake auctioning and came up with the idea of the trays himself. He was always so helpful, she wouldn't know what to do without him. The rumor went through town that the whole festival was about to be cancelled, it seemed like Abigail wasn't arranging anything but Cassie knew Abigail had a reason for everything. She just had to figure out what that reason was. She knew she could confidently tell George to keep his hopes up, the festival was really going to happen. It needed to happen, 'cause all she wanted was for Sam to take her on that Ferris wheel ride and enjoy the view and his company. Sam. The now familiar warm feeling of Sam's presence washed over her. "Hey," they greeted each other. She couldn't hide her smile, the corners of her mouth went up as soon as she laid her eyes on him. Sam practically ignored her, he knew he had to keep a straight face in order to act normal. So he turned to George, "What are you making?" Sam asked him. "Cake trays." George gestured proudly to his first creation. "I only have to make seven more." George looked doubtful and then walked away. Both Sam and Cassie chuckled. Internally Sam thanked George for walking away for a moment, he had to ask Cassie if she had spoken to Grace yet but first he wondered what the cake trays were for. Cassie told him they were for the festival. Aaah, the festival, of course, he thought. He really looked forward to it. "You know, I hear the view from that Ferris wheel is supposed to be breathtaking." He emphasized 'breathtaking' by closing his eyes while saying it. She had been thinking the exact same thing a few moments ago, would Sam also believe in telepathy? "And I would really like to see that view," she informed him. "Okay," he agreed. He almost forgot to ask what he came for. "Have you talked to Grace yet?" Cassie's face clouded up a little, "I haven't, she's had a very full schedule." She hadn't seen her daughter all day, she actually was a bit upset about that. It seemed that Sam hadn't talked with Nick either. "I'm gonna talk with Nick tonight." Cassie's mind wandered off to her talk with Stephanie, apparently the change in her relationship with Sam was visible. It made her worried about the rest of Middleton again. "It's not just the kids that complicate things for us." Sam agreed, "I know, but they're an important complication. We gotta start somewhere." Cassie was grateful he put her back on track, she made sure she looked at him that way. "You are very wise," Cassie practically whispered. Sam loved the compliment, he stepped in closer to Cassie. "Oh, you think so?" he asked her passionately. Their eyes found each other again, but only briefly because George interrupted the moment. George asked if Sam came to help him but Sam had to excuse himself and left. Cassie couldn't help but smile and watched him get out the door. The grin stayed on her face and when she turned to face George again, he frowned and looked at her with a mischievous look. Cassie looked away shyly, suddenly being aware that George was the second person that day that had noticed a change in behaviour between herself and Sam. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she wanted to walk away but George called after her, "Cassie?" She turned to face him. George's face showed a big smile and while he nodded he said, "Good for you kid." Cassie lowered her eyes shyly but then looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks George." She meant it, it dawned on her that she actually didn't mind that he knew. However, it did make her realize she really needed to talk to Grace. She searched for her phone and found it in the kitchen. She dialed Grace's number and Grace picked up right away. "Hey mom." "Hey, sweetie." Cassie was glad to hear her voice. "Where are you? Haven't seen you all day! Are you okay?" She heard Grace sigh at the other end of the line, "I'm just busy, I've been working at the library the whole day. One biology project done, another due next week. And a lot of other homework too...ppff." Cassie felt sorry for her daughter, she really was busy, but she knew there was nothing she could do for her. "Then I'll keep it short. Will you make it home for dinner?" Grace sighed again, "I'm sorry, forgot to tell you. But Katie invited me to have dinner with her and her mom." Cassie felt disappointed, she needed to talk to Grace but not over the phone. "OK, well thanks for telling me now. You know what, let's have a late lunch tomorrow. Just the two of us, at home. Okay?" "That's a great idea mom, I'll be there." Cassie felt relieved now, "Great!"

Sam woke up the next morning, still tired. He had been working late the night before. After 'dinner' he had made a stop at the hospital and his skype meeting had lasted longer than he'd expected. He didn't mind the working part, he loved his new job already, but he hated it that he still hadn't been able to talk to Nick about Cassie. He really needed to do that, today. It had to be done. Suddenly it hit him that the Lights Festival was today and a smile came to his face. It made him jump out of bed. He quickly showered and while getting ready he texted Cassie. 'Wasn't able to talk to Nick last night. How 'bout you and Grace?' Within a minute he got a reply back. 'No, me neither :-( but we're having lunch tomorrow so I'll do it then.' Sam replied again, 'Good. And I'm really having the talk with Nick tonight...that way we can cross that off our list before we go to the festival.' Sam tucked away his phone in his pocket when he heard it chime again. He grabbed it and read, 'We're still going 'together'?' Sam got confused, he started replying but he figured he'd better give her a call. He closed his bedroom door when Cassie answered his call. "Hey. I figured calling would go faster," he chuckled. He wasn't good at long text messages. Cassie laughed at him a little, "You're old fashioned...but I like it." Sam laughed too. "Guess I am. But hey, are you having second thoughts about going to the festival together?" He heard a familiar door chime in the background, "You're at your shop?" Sam asked surprised while taking a glimpse at his watch. "Yeah, I just got here." He heard the door close and Cassie spoke again. "I really wanna go to the festival with you, but apparently people notice. "Notice what?" Sam asked. "Us!" Cassie started to sound irritated. "It's just that Abigail, Stephanie and George are already on to us and I'm just not ready for the whole town to know!" Sam thought about that for a moment, "Hmm. Stephanie and George too huh?" He heard a big sigh on the other end of the line. "OK. So they know. And that bothers you. I get it." "Look Sam, actually it doesn't bother me that they know. I talked to Stepahnie and she's not telling anybody, George won't either. I just don't want us to be the talk of the town." Sam understood, "I get that as well. But someday we will be the talk of the town." He heard a small laugh coming out of her, which made him smile. "I know Sam, but not just yet. First I want our kids to know and from that point on we'll see where the wind takes us." Sam knew she was right and wished he was there to give her a hug. "Okay...talking to our kids today is priority number one." He looked at his watch, "You know what? I'll swing by. I'll bring you some breakfast tea and we can talk about it some more...well, if your customers allow it." Cassie agreed to his offer, "Okay, see you in a bit."

Sam entered Cassie's shop with tea and coffee, Abigail was there too but luckily she ran off quickly. Once again she had hinted that she knew Sam and Cassie were an item. It made him think. In the week that they had been together now, already three people had figured it out. So far for taking it slow he thought. Sam followed Cassie into the back of the shop and looked around to see if he could continue the talk they had on the phone. It seemed pretty quiet so he took his chance. "I was thinking, with the kids the way they are and sensing you might be feeling a little bit rushed...we don't have to 'go together' to 'be together' at the festival. Cassie looked at him gratefully. "Yeah, we can just meet there." Sam saw the relief on her face and handed her the tea. "Yeah, we can meet up at…" he needed to think about that. But Cassie finished his sentence, "Face painting," she said all excited. Sam thought about that and had to laugh. "Uh, no." Cassie knew it wouldn't be his thing, but she loved to see him laugh so she made a little joke about it. "Aw, you'd look so good as a lion." She even imitated one. It made Sam laugh even more. "Nothing says 'Chief of Staff' like some whiskers. Nah, I better pass." Cassie came up with another idea. "Okay, um Cotton candy." Sam liked it, "Okay, but to be clear, I get my own bag." Cassie laughed at him, "It's nice to share!" Sam didn't want to hear about it. "I only get fair food, like, once or twice a year. I'm not sharing, not even with you." He looked at her affectionately. Cassie returned the look, so that was a no go on Cotton candy, "Mmm." Sam suddenly had a better idea. He gave her a ticket to the Ferris wheel, "Ah, Ferris wheel." Cassie liked the idea. Their brown and blue eyes found each other once again, their eyes radiated so much warmth. "8 o'clock?" Sam asked. "Don't be late," Cassie said softly. Neither one of them looked away. "For you? I'll be early." Sam gave her one last smile and walked out the store. Cassie stared after him with a really happy look on her face. Once again butterflies were flying up and down her stomach. He made her feel like she was the most important person in the world.

After a busy morning Cassie drove home to meet up with Grace. She was glad she could spend some time with her daughter, she hadn't seen her for almost two days. It was partly her own fault, Cassie had left before breakfast that morning to open up her shop early. Grace wasn't even awake yet. But in just a few minutes from now, they would be at the same place at the same time...and it was time to talk. Thinking about it she got a flutter in her stomach, she was both nervous and excited to tell Grace about Sam. She knew Grace adored Sam, so she really hoped her dating Sam wouldn't change that. But she had no idea if Grace was ready to see her mom with someone other than her dad. That made her anxious. All of a sudden Cassie remembered the day of the Heritage Ball, that evening Grace had told her that it was time to move on. It was the same night that she had realized for the first time that Sam stirred feelings inside of her. Could it have been that Grace (unknowingly) had been in touch with her Merriwick gift? Cassie shook her head, there was only one way to find out. She pulled up her driveway and stopped next to the mailbox, she forgot to empty it this morning. When she exited the car, she noticed Sam in his driveway and greeted him, "Hey!" Sam noticed her too, "Hi," he replied. They walked up to each other. Cassie remembered she had forgotten to ask Sam about Nick and his London trip this morning. "How are things?" she asked. Sam leaned against the hood of his car. "Oh...Nick is pretty broken up about London." It was clear to Cassie that Sam was concerned about his son. Maybe she knew a way to help both of them out. "He just needs to find the right adventure," she stated. Sam couldn't agree more, "I think you're right." Cassie began to smile, "I might know of something." Sam shook his head in disbelief, "You're always looking out for Nick." He slightly paused, "...and me." Cassie smiled gratefully. "I care about you two," she said with slanted eyes. Sam was impressed by what he heard, yet he turned his gaze shyly to the ground. "Well, I've got to go to the office, swing back by here and pick up Nick and I'll meet you at the festival." Cassie was looking forward to it. "8 o'clock?" she needed to confirm once more. "Count on it." Sam couldn't wait either. Cassie turned to walk away when suddenly a dark, weird feeling came over her. She called for Sam. Sam turned around and looked at her, confused. She sounded...upset. Cassie saw the look on his face but didn't want to worry him, she had no idea what her feeling meant. She just knew he had to watch out somehow. "Be careful tonight." Sam caught her gaze and just smiled at her, he didn't know why but he knew she was always right. He would always listen to her.

Cassie and Grace had lunch together and Grace was talking like crazy. Cassie only had been able to briefly ask how things were going with Nick. "Ugh," was all she got in reply. Grace walked out of the kitchen to the living room and yelled grumpily, "Gonna do some more homework!" Cassie could not let her get away like that, she was clearly upset about Nick and she still needed to talk to her. She made some tea and found something sweet for her to eat. She brought it over and that made Grace realize she needed to talk to her mom about Nick. Cassie gave her daughter some good advice, which made Grace decide to go over to Nick later and apologize. When the Nick matter was handled, Cassie slightly hesitated. Her heart started racing a little but she pulled through. The time was now. "I want to talk about your father." Cassie sighed deeply. "You know I loved him very much." "With all your heart," Grace added to that. Cassie kept looking at her daughter while holding each other's hands. "When he died, a part of my heart died with him." Grace noticed the sad look in her mother's eyes, "He loved you so much mom." "Yeah, it was once in a lifetime," Cassie responded. Grace kept looking at her, Cassie figured her daughter knew something was coming. Her sad feeling about Jake disappeared quickly, 'cause now it was time to bring up Sam. Cassie continued, "Which is why I was so surprised, when I started to feel the way I felt about your father..." Cassie couldn't hide a faint smile, "...with someone else." Grace's face clouded, "I, um…" Grace paused for a moment. "I saw you and Sam." All Cassie could say was "Oh." Her feeling had been right the other day. Grace had seen them in the kitchen. But somehow she didn't feel upset about that. The list of people knowing about their relationship kept growing but nobody really seemed surprised about it, except for Grace maybe...a little bit. Grace let go of her mother's hands. "Look," she said, "As much as I like Sam, I've just never really seen you kiss anyone…" Cassie understood completely and finished what Grace was about to say. "But your father." She nodded while saying it. She looked at Grace expectantly, trying for her to understand too. "Give me time," Grace asked delicately. "Of course," was all Cassie could say. She was so glad Grace accepted it so far. "I want you to be happy," Grace said in all sincerity. Cassie was struck by her daughter's feelings, "I love you. Come here." They hugged for a moment and a weight fell from Cassie's shoulders. Grace was okay and the taking it slow part would do both her and her daughter good.

Cassie gave Grace an envelope to deliver to John, the content of it would make Nick see there were other adventures out there and then Grace would be the one to help him realize that. That puzzle was solved too. Grace dropped herself back into the chair. A long big sigh came out of her. Cassie took it in and worried about her daughter, "Grace. You're tired, don't you think you should leave your homework for what it is? Try and relax a little before heading to the festival." Grace closed her eyes and let out another sigh, "You're right mom. I'm really tired. But I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it all." Cassie didn't believe that, "If there's one person who can, it's you. And it's always good to take one step back in order to go two steps forward." Grace laughed and nodded, "Okay, I'll take a break for now and maybe head for the festival early." Cassie looked at her daughter proudly, "I'm sure it will do you good and tomorrow you can start over fresh." Cassie felt her worries about her daughter disappear and she started walking out of the room. "Mom?" Cassie turned around, "Yes?" Cassie walked back up to Grace. She saw Grace look at her questioningly, "Are you going to the festival with Sam?" Cassie sat back down opposite Grace, apparently she wanted to talk some more about it. "Yes. No. I mean, I'm meeting him at the Ferris wheel at 8 o'clock, but it's not like a date or something," Cassie defended herself. Grace didn't quite believe her mother, "It sounds like one." Cassie blushed a little, "Sweetie, it's really not. I'm just looking forward to the festival and seeing him there." Grace looked at her with slanting eyes, "Yeah, right," she teased her mother. Cassie blushed again. Grace turned serious. "Mom, you're allowed to go on a date with him but...I'm glad you're not going all public about this. Like I said, give me time to adjust to this new situation." Cassie smiled affectionately at her daughter. "Of course honey, I'm not rushing anything. I need to get used to the idea myself...to be part of a couple again. Sam knows how I feel about this and a real date will come later." Grace showed her mother a faint smile. "I can tell you really like him. Otherwise you wouldn't just kiss someone in the middle of the kitchen," she joked. Both women started to laugh. Cassie felt like explaining, "Yeah," she chuckled. "I didn't mean for you to see that. It even surprised me that Sam could sweep me off my feet like that. I guess my senses were off for a moment." Cassie looked at Grace apologetically. 'And we've been trying to talk to you and Nick about us, but you were either fighting or busy." Now Grace felt sorry, "Sorry, mom." Cassie shook her head, "No, it's fine. I'm glad we talked now." They both stood up and hugged once more. "Can I ask one more question? For now?" Grace asked. Cassie nodded, "Sure." Grace hesitated for a moment, "You've been friends for so long. What made you realize you wanted to be more than friends?" Cassie's heart warmed up when thinking about it. "When he surprised me and kissed me at the Lake House last week."

Sam's workday finally came to an end. He got in his car and couldn't wait to go home and get ready for the festival. Before he turned the ignition he texted Nick that he was on his way and that they would grab a bite to eat at the festival. When he got home he found Nick staring at his laptop. He would ask later, first he needed to freshen up and change clothes. He disrobed in his room and he walked towards his wardrobe. He stared at it for a moment and then he noticed the grey sweater on the chair next to it. He had been wearing it exactly one week ago. At the Lake House. When he first kissed Cassie. When she grabbed on to it. He picked it up and smelled it. He expected to smell sweat since he had forgotten to wash it, but instead he smelled Cassie's perfume. It was hardly noticeable but he smelled it nonetheless. A warm feeling came over him, he wanted to hug and kiss her again. His mind drifted off to the last couple of days and he was really happy with the direction their relationship was going. Ever since he first kissed her it seemed like the best decision he made in years, well maybe except from moving to Middleton. Or maybe not, he chuckled. He quickly put on the sweater, some jeans and shoes. He grabbed his watch and while putting it on he walked into the living room. "So, are you, um, ready to go to the festival?" Nick had just closed his laptop and sighed. Sam suddenly remembered that Nick had been staring at his laptop like a zombie when he came home. "What's wrong?" Nick looked at his dad and informed him, "I have just officially told my teacher I'm not going to London." Sam had been worried about Nick and he sat down to hear what Nick had to say. "I just wish I didn't feel like a total coward for backing out." Sam couldn't believe what he heard. His son had been worrying about London for days, but he wasn't a coward. "You just made a very tough decision. That's not cowardice. That's bravery." He hoped to ease his son's mind and it worked. "Thanks, Dad," Nick said while showing a faint smile. Sam sighed deep, glad they tackled that issue...on to the next. "Look, there's...something else I've been wanting to talk to you about." Sam noticed he raised Nick's attention. He sighed again, 'okay let's go' he thought. "It's Cassie." He couldn't help it but his face lightened up a bit. "You know that we've become really good friends since we moved here. But now, we're both interested in something more." Sam looked at Nick expectantly, curious at how he would react. Nick slightly nodded and lowered his head. At the same time, someone knocked on the door and Sam's phone rang. Sam shook his head, he broke the news but still he had no idea how Nick felt about all this. He figured he'd be okay with it, but it would have been nice to let Nick speak for himself. Nick answered the door and Sam his phone. It was the hospital, he was needed there immediately. Sam looked at his watch, he really hoped it wouldn't take long. No way he would miss his evening with Cassie. He walked up to Nick and saw Grace standing there as well. "Look, uh...I can't go to the festival right now. Why don't you guys go on without me and I'll meet you there." Nick and Grace both were okay with it. He walked out the door in a hurry, Nick followed him. "I'm sorry pal, I really need to get to the hospital." He gave Nick some money, "Grab something to eat there. I'll be over as soon as I can." Nick took the money and turned to his dad. "Dad?" Sam had already opened up the car, "Yeah?" he answered hastily. "I hadn't reacted yet to your news...but I think you and Cassie are really great together." Sam smiled happily and closed his eyes. "Thanks Nick, I really appreciate that. She means a lot to me." Nick showed a boyish smile, "Don't forget to let her know you're running late." He winked while saying it. Sam laughed now too, his son was smart. Sam nodded, got in the car and drove off in a hurry, without texting Cassie.

It was 9 o'clock and Sam still wasn't there. They missed the first ride on the Ferris wheel and no way Cassie was going to ride it alone. Everybody wondered where Sam Radford, the highest bidder, was. People gossiped he couldn't find a date and that he was a workaholic. Cassie knew better than that and she knew the town didn't mean bad. A lot of people asked Cassie where Sam was, even Abigail, Stephanie and George. But to her sorrow, she didn't know either. Now she understood the dark feeling she had earlier that day, something must have happened. Cassie was worried sick, Sam promised he'd be early so she called him again. Voicemail, again. Damned, where could he be? Now she was standing there out in the cold watching the fireworks...alone. She wished she was in his strong arms now, at this point she couldn't care less what the town would think of that, she just wanted him beside her...and to know if Sam was safe. This last week had been an eye opener for her, Sam had made her realize she just didn't want to be alone anymore. It felt so good to be around him, she could really imagine a bright future for them. The fireworks kept exploding, but it didn't appeal much to her so she walked back inside. She'd better get ready for the cake auctioning. Hopefully that part of the evening would end well. Once inside she heard Grace calling for her. "Hey, mom? Are you alright?" Grace had seen her leave and came after her. Cassie held back and said everything was fine. But Grace knew her mom longer than that. "No, you're not. It's Sam right? He's still not here?" Cassie looked at her, startled. "What do you mean?" Grace explained what she meant and what Sam had told her and Nick. Grace was troubled by the look on her mom's face. "He didn't call or text you?" she asked. Cassie shook her head. Grace still needed to wrap her head around her mom being in a relationship but she felt sorry for her so she hugged her mom. "I'm sure everything is alright," she tried to reassure her mother. Cassie shook her head again, "No, something is wrong. I can feel it." Grace tried again. "Mom, please. Don't think of the worst right away." Cassie shrugged and showed her daughter a faint smile. "It's either that or he stood me up. And I refuse to believe the last one," Cassie said convincingly. Grace swallowed and hugged her mother again. "No, I don't think he did that either." They were both quiet for a minute, they just stood there and hugged. When Grace stepped back she asked her mom, "Now what do we do? Should we call the hospital?" Cassie acknowledged that she had already done so and that he wasn't there. "Grace. Sweetie. It's okay, you just go and enjoy the festival." Cassie paused for a moment. "I'm gonna do the cake auctioning in half an hour and after that, if he's still not here, I'm going home. Sam will turn up at one point and I'll ask for an explanation. I'm sure he has a good reason." Grace looked at Cassie in doubt, "You're sure? I can wait up with you?" Cassie loved her sweet daughter, "Ooh that's really nice of you but I have to deal with this on my own. And you have a lot of homework to do tomorrow, young lady!" Cassie teased her and gave her a nudge. Grace knew she couldn't really help her mother, "Okay then. I hope he turns up. Oh, and good luck with the auction." She kissed her mother on the cheek, "See you tomorrow," and she walked away. Cassie sighed deeply and sat down for a minute. She was still worried as hell but somehow talking to Grace made her realize that Sam himself wasn't hurt. She needed to believe that. But something had happened...and she would stay up all night, if necessary, to find out. Cassie wasn't a big believer but right then and there she prayed to God that Sam must have a heck of a reason for not showing up. Their relationship had just started, it couldn't be that he wasn't interested anymore...right? Cassie shook the thought out of her head. No. No way. She had seen him looking at her, so much love radiated from those blue eyes. He had grabbed every opportunity to kiss her, to be with her. No. No way their relationship was doomed. They were the real deal, they liked each other. Very much. Cassie stood up and she encouraged herself, she needed to get through the auctioning and the rest of the night. It will be okay, I'm okay, Sam's okay, WE are okay. Sam and Cassie. Cassie and Sam. She loved the sound of their names together and she kept repeating it in her head over and over again and everything would turn out just fine…'cause in the end they are a perfect match.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it, leave me a review if you will!

I wasn't quite sure how to end this story, because I hated the ending of this season. I felt so bad for Cassie! I thought about changing the ending, to make Sam show up after all but it didn't seem right. So, I decided to stick to the real story. Luckily we all know there's a happy ending! Sassie forever!