Melt Your Heart

Thanks for your review on the previous chapter, glad you're enjoying it! I wrote the chapter after this one, before I wrote this one so this one is kind of filler while I start to integrate Cassie more into Middleton life.

Chapter 6: Lonely in Middleton

Cassie had gotten into the habit of taking her morning cup of tea outside with her. The mornings were cooling off as autumn took hold, but with a thick cardigan around her shoulders and a mug of camomile in her hands it wasn't a bad way to start the day. The twins were still asleep. Although the rose early, Cassie was almost always awake before her children.

The sun was slowly rising in the sky, filtering through the trees in the Grey House garden. Leaves had fallen in piles beneath the trees; red, yellow, gold. Cassie thought that autumn might be her favourite time of year, and Middleton was certainly a wonderful place to spend it.
She was thinking about going inside for a refill of tea and to check on the twins, when she heard a banging noise coming from the direction of Sam's house. She stood up to get a closer look, wrapping her cardigan around her shoulders.

A ladder was leaning against the side of Sam's house, but she couldn't see him. She followed the sound of the banging around to the back of his house. She didn't want to startle him but her curiosity had got the better of her.

"Sam?" She called out tentatively.

The banging stopped immediately. "Cassie?"

She followed the sound of his voice and found him in the shed at the back. His garden was large too, she noticed, although not as big as Grey House. She supposed he had little need for a garden really.

"Hi,"

He was dressed casually in faded jeans, with a rip in the left thigh and worn knees. His Harley Davidson T-shirt had definitely seen better days too, but he looked good. He looked really good, Cassie couldn't help but notice.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, I was already up."

"Oh. Good." Sam was a little shaken by her unexpected arrival. He was still mentally kicking himself from their last interaction and has wanted to be more prepared for the next one.

"What are you doing?"

"Fixing my window," He grinned so that she wouldn't feel guilty again.

"I thought you would get someone to fix it for you, and then I'd foot the bill."

"I could've done that," Sam admitted. "But where would the fun have been?"

"Please let me know how much I owe you for materials and your time."

Sam shook his head. "Cassie, please. I already had everything I needed kicking around here and I enjoy a bit of DIY from time to time. That window had needed replacing for a long time, so James really did me a favour."

She couldn't share in the joke. Although she had a very strong feeling that he was a good man, she didn't like feeling she owed him. Sam seemed to sense this.

"This is how we do things in Middleton. It's part of that small-town charm and all that," When Cassie raised an eyebrow, he smiled. "I know, never thought those words would come out of my mouth either, but it's true. We help each other out when things get tough. Plus, after that pumpkin curry and my very favourite cake, I feel more like I'm in your debt that the other way around."

Cassie sighed. "I still feel bad about it."

"Please don't," He set down his materials and stepped around his workbench to be closer to her. "You have a lot on your plate with the twins settling into a new school and a new town. You're still finding your place here. It's okay to let people help you out sometimes, too."

The gentleness in his eyes nearly had tears filling her own. She was used to being self sufficient these days and putting her children first, that it didn't feel natural for her to let someone else take care of her. Abigail had taken her under her wing of course, but her cousin had a way of making it seem natural.
Sam realised he desperately wanted to hold her, and this time not in a romantic or sexual way. She looked lost, and without make up, terribly young even though there was barely five years age difference between them.

"I guess I just don't like feeling like I'm in someone's debt."

"Well, how about we start over; blank scoreboard?"

Cassie considered and nodded. "That sounds good." She took her hand out of her cardigan pocket and extended it to him. "I'm Cassie Nightingale, just moved in next door. It's nice to meet you."

A smile tugged at Sam's lips as he wiped his hand on his jeans and took hers, shaking it warmly.

"Sam Radford, grumpy surgeon who enjoys disturbing his neighbours early on Saturday mornings. I hope you won't hold that against him."

"I think we'll find a way to get along." She smiled back. His hand was warm around hers and she realised suddenly how long it had been since a man had touched her. It had been even longer since she had wanted a man to touch her.

She turned to head back to Grey House, leaving him to his window repairing but then she paused.
"This is an awfully big house for one person, don't you get lonely?"

Sam thought of all the times in his marriage when he had sought every single slice of solitude he could find. No, he couldn't say he was ever lonely. His job, the town and his hobbies all kept him busy. But sometimes, like right now, staring at Cassie Nightingale in all her beauty, strength and vulnerability he thought that sometimes it might be nice to have someone waiting for him when he got home.

Instead, he said. "I don't think anyone could ever be lonely in Middleton."

Cassie hoped that was true. She walked out of Sam's garden, aware that he was watching each step she took.

"And how was our lovely neighbour this morning?" Abigail asked when Cassie returned to Grey House, smiling at her cousin over the rim of her coffee cup.
"How do you do that?" She asked, but she was smiling too.
Abigail just winked. She didn't think Cassie was quite ready to learn all there was to know about their ancestors just yet.
"He's fixing the window that James broke all by himself."
"He is quite handy, our Dr. Radford."
She laughed at the expression on Cassie's face.
"I felt bad because he shouldn't have to be doing that on his time off from the hospital, but he told me that's just the 'Middleton way'."
"He's right," Abigail replied, crossing to the fridge to take out eggs and bacon. "It can be annoying sometimes, but it's nice to know that the town has your back when you really need it."
Cassie realised this was exactly why she had decided to transplant her children from their home to a new town; this was exactly the kind of community she wanted them to grow up in. It just might take her a little longer to adjust.

They fixed breakfast for the four of them and sat around the kitchen table to eat it. The only guests are the B&B were still asleep or had gone out early. Abigail had tried to keep bookings light while Cassie, and especially the twins, settled into life at Grey House.

"Unfortunately," Abigail said as she cleared her plate. "Some of us have to work today. Why don't you take the twins out for a walk, it will be a good way of meeting new people. Stephanie could pack you up a picnic from the Bistro."

That did sound nice, Cassie thought. It sounded normal. It sounded like the kind of thing she and Jake would have done with James and Catherine if things had been different.

"That sounds like a great idea," Cassie nodded. "Thanks, Abigail."

Her cousin swept out of the room and Cassie looked at both of her children.

"How do you two feel about a picnic?" They grinned at her and she couldn't help but smile back at them.

Although it was still early in September, Cassie bundled the twins up in their coats and put on her favourite leather jacket. They stepped out of Grey House, Cassie holding one of their tiny hands in each of hers. She felt her heart lighten as they walked towards main street, chattering and laughing. She was amazed again at how resilient her children were. A week at a brand new school, in a strange town where the only person they knew was their mother but they were both taking it in their stride. Even the incident with James smashing Sam's upstairs window had not upset him too much. Once he knew that Sam wasn't angry, James had moved on from it. Cassie wished she could, too. But that had more to do with her intriguing neighbour rather than the window incident itself.

He had said he wasn't lonely. That Middleton life didn't leave anyone with the time or space to feel alone, but Cassie wondered about him. She had been drawn to the town because of her previously undiscovered family connection to Abigail and the Merriwicks, but also because it was the kind of place she wanted her children to grow up in now that their father was gone. She wasn't sure that Middleton was the kind of place that would be attractive to someone like Sam. He seemed like someone who would be happier in the anonymity of a big city. Chicago wasn't that far away, and surely had better, more well-equipped hospitals, yet Sam had decided to settle here. She'd like to find out more about why he had chosen to make Middleton his home, but the thought of getting into personal topics of conversation with him made her anxious. If she asked Abigail, her cousin would just assume that she was interested in Sam in more than just a neighbourly capacity.

"Hi Cassie," Stephanie smiled when the three of them traipsed into the Bistro. It was warm in the Bistro, a combination of delicious smells making them feel hungry even though breakfast had not been long ago.

"Hey Stephanie, we wondered if you could pack up a picnic for the three of us. We're going to explore Middleton a little bit."

"Yoo hoo!" A loud voice cut through their friendly exchange, and Stephanie subtly rolled her eyes at Stephanie. "Ah Cassie! And your delightful children!"

Martha Tinsdale peered down at James and Catherine who stared mutely back at her.

"Such wonderful manners," She smiled, before turning her attention back to Cassie. "Now Cassie, I've been meaning to catch up with you."

"Oh?" Cassie had only been introduced to Martha once and she still wasn't quite sure what to make of the woman. She had certainly never met a woman like her before.

"I'll sort out your lunches," Stephanie said, before ducking back into the kitchen.

"You know Cassie," Martha continued, and Cassie wished she was talked a little bit more quietly as they were drawing the attention of a lot of the other customers. "Halloween isn't really that far away. We really do like to go all out for Halloween in Middleton."

"I'm sure it's wonderful," Cassie agreed, hoping it might draw the conversation to a close. "We love Halloween, don't we?" She smiled down at the twins who nodded, but both of them were getting restless. They wanted to be back outside, chasing each other through the fallen leaves, not standing in the warm Bistro still buttoned into their winter coats.

"Who doesn't?" Martha continued, not pausing for a reply. "Now, we could really use some fresh inspiration for our Halloween celebrations. I'm sure you'd be perfect for it."

"Perfect for what?"

"I trust I can count on your support Cassie, it would mean so much to the town to have our newest resident on the committee."

"Committee?"

Catherine was tugged on Cassie's hand. "Mommmm." She pleaded.

"Just a second, honey." Cassie replied.

"Wonderful, I'll pop round to Grey House and bring you all the details."

"Details?"

"Lovely to see you, Cassie. Oh look, here's Stephanie back with your lunch. Picnic, is it?" She directed the last question at the twins, who stared and nodded.

"Wow, she really is something," Cassie felt exhausted by the time Martha had swept out of the Bistro.

"Honestly, it's just easier to say yes than to fight her." Stephanie sympathised as Cassie paid for the lunches. "She means well, but she can be a teeny bit…"

"Intense."

"Exactly," Stephanie laughed. "Halloween is always special in Middleton, though. You'll really love it."

Cassie thanked her and put the brown paper takeout bag into her tote bag. The twins were relieved to be finally allowed back outside. As they stepped out onto the sidewalk again, Cassie guessed that Sam was right. It was going to very hard to be lonely in Middleton.