Melt Your Heart

Thanks for your reviews & comments on the previous chapter. Thank you for reading! I didn't think this story would get so long (especially as not much has really happened yet!) so I'm pleased you're enjoying it. Hope you like this chapter too :)

If you've been reading The Weekend/It Takes a Village, you'll know that Linda has been the main force keeping Sam & Cassie apart. Because Nick doesn't exist in the AU this story is set in, there's really no reason for Linda to appear...but I needed to bring someone in to maybe spice things up... ;)

Chapter 9: Holding On and Holding Back

Cassie had overestimated how much she had loaded into her shopping cart once she was faced with the challenge of getting back out to her car. She still hadn't decided what she was going to make for her very first dinner at Grey House. It wasn't that she was short on inspiration; in fact it was quite the opposite. It was important to her that she made a good first impression, even though Abigail had assured her something simple and homely would do. Cassie wanted to prove herself though; wanted to prove that she could rise to the challenge.

"Can I give you a hand with that? A friendly male voice asked, breaking through Cassie's thoughts. She had been so preoccupied with her current grocery conundrum that she hadn't noticed anyone approach.

Normally she would have insisted that she was alright, but this was Middleton and people seemed to like helping each other out with no hidden motive attached.

"Actually, that would be great," She said, allowing the stranger to lift a brown paper sack filled with root vegetables into the trunk of her car.

"Looks like you've got enough here to feed a small army,"

Cassie looked down at the rest of the bags piled up in her car.

"I think I might," She smiled. "I'm Cassie by the way, Cassie Nightingale."

Having set down another bag so his hands were empty, he reached out to shake hands with her.

"Pleasure to meet you Cassie, my name is Ryan Elliott."

"Ah, the realtor," Cassie replied. She was gradually getting acquainted with everyone in town, putting names to faces and faces to names.

"I see that my reputation precedes me," Ryan grinned. He had heard that Abigail's older cousin had moved to town, but he hadn't realised she'd be this beautiful. "How are you settling into Middleton?"

"I really like it," She admitted. "Abigail has been great, and my children are enjoying their new school."

Ryan vaguely remembered hearing that Cassie had been widowed, but he must have missed the bit about her having children.

"Middleton is pretty great, it can get a little boring though."

Ryan looked kind of like the city slicked type, Cassie thought. A little out of place in Middleton in his sharp pinstriped charcoal suit and maroon silk tie. He seemed nice enough though, and not unattractive either.

"Honestly I'd welcome a little boredom, there's never a dull moment when you have five year old twins."

"I guess not," Ryan replied, loading the last grocery bag. "But if you do get some time to yourself, perhaps we could grab coffee sometime or we could go somewhere where there definitely won't be any five year olds."

Cassie wasn't sure, but she thought that maybe Ryan was trying to ask her out. She was flattered, but she was far from ready to date anyone yet. Even if she was ready, she wasn't sure she even had time especially if things went well and she started cooking for the Grey House guests on a regular basis. She also hadn't missed the slight widening of Ryan's eyes when he realised that not only was she a mom, but that she had twins. At least Sam had been open about not being a fan of children.

On the subject of Sam, she hadn't seen much of him since their lunch in Stephanie's Bistro after the first aid course. They hadn't been avoiding each other or anything like that, but both of them had been busy with their own lives. She had hoped that maybe he would stop by Grey House and sample some of the meals she was planning on experimenting with. Her pumpkin curry had definitely been a hit with him, so hopefully he would be open to playing food critic for her.

When Cassie came back from returning her grocery cart, Ryan was still idling by her car. Trying to hide the smile that tugged at her lips, she headed for the driver side door.

"Thanks for your help Ryan, I could really get used to this small town hospitality thing."

"Anytime Cassie," He reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out a business card. "Call me if you'd like to get that coffee, but I'm sure I'll see you around town."

"I'm sure you will. Bye Ryan."

She climbed in the car and drove back towards Grey House. The radio was on but she was too lost in her thoughts to pay attention to which songs played. She had expected to feel guilty when Ryan was flirting with her and trying to ask her out. She thought that she would feel like it was an insult to Jake's memory, but maybe she didn't feel anything because she hadn't felt any attraction to Ryan. He hadn't made her feel nervous or flustered the way she had felt with Sam early in their acquaintance. Even now that they were on friendly terms, she found her heart beating a little faster when he got closer to her or found her thoughts straying to him when she should be thinking about something else.

"If I'd known how well you can cook, I don't think I would have let you move into Grey House," Abigail commented that evening, sitting back in her chair and rubbing her belly. "Everything you make is amazing, but my jeans are definitely getting tighter."

"Thanks Abigail," Cassie got up to clear their plates, which were both empty save for smears of gravy left from the pork and apple stew she had made.

"You cooked, I'll clear up," Abigail stopped her, but made no move to get up. "Once I can move again, I will."

Cassie smiled. "No one insisted that you had to have a second helping,"

"I had to make sure it was good enough for the guests," Abigail grinned back. "I also happened to notice that there was enough left for another portion too, I wonder who that might be for?"

The twins had already eaten earlier, and were watching cartoons in the adjoining room before Cassie bathed them and put them to bed.

Cassie had the grace not to blush; well not too much.

"I thought I might drop it round to Sam when he gets home from work."

Abigail said nothing, but smiled triumphantly as she hauled herself up from the chair and took their plates into the kitchen. However tempting it was, she was determined not to meddle in her cousin's love life. It didn't stop her hoping that when Cassie was good and ready to consider a relationship that she wouldn't look any further than their handsome neighbour.

After Cassie had given James and Catherine their bath and read them a bedtime story, she crept back downstairs and looked out of the window. Sam's driveway was still empty and she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She couldn't explain why, but her conversation with Ryan at the grocery store had made her really want to see Sam.

She made herself a pot of camomile tea and took it into the sitting room with her. Abigail was upstairs placing her next flower order with the wholesaler on her laptop, so Cassie had a little time to herself. She picked up the novel she had been reading on and off since her arrival in Middleton and settled in to read for a bit. She thought she would hear or sense when Sam returned from work.

She had read a couple of chapters when she heard Sam's Jeep pulling into the driveway, the beam of his headlights briefly shining through the window. Cassie put the bookmark, something Catherine had made for her a pre-school before they moved to Middleton, back in to mark her page and went to the kitchen. Now that Sam was home, she felt as if maybe going over with the leftovers wasn't such a great idea but she couldn't put her finger on why.

Dredging up all of her courage, Cassie slipped on a jacket and headed out of the kitchen door, the plastic box of stew in her hands. She knocked on Sam's door, expecting him to answer right away as he could have only been inside for a few minutes. She waited a while, wondering if maybe he had gone straight in to shower and couldn't hear her. She was about to turn back to Grey House when the door was finally pulled open.

Something in Sam's eyes ripped the casual greeting from Cassie's lips.

"Gosh Sam, is everything okay?"

His complexion was almost grey in the porch light and his eyes were bloodshot. There was about a day's growth of beard on his cheeks and chin and something in his expression that looked haunted.

"Not really," He said, with a humourless smile. He seemed to try and shake the mood off, though. "It might be a little better if that container has something I could eat for dinner in it?"

"Pork and apple stew," Cassie said, holding it out for him to take. Their fingers brushed as the box transferred from her hands to his.

"Sounds wonderful," He hesitated. He had wanted nothing but to be left alone; nothing but perhaps a decent measure of bourbon to help him sleep. Cassie's arrival seemed to be just the balm he needed though, and it certainly didn't hurt that she had brought him something that would no doubt be delicious for dinner. "Would you like to come in?"

Cassie hesitated too, but found herself agreeing and had followed Sam into his kitchen before she knew what she was doing. She eyed the bourbon bottle and as yet unfilled glass on the kitchen counter.

"Rough shift," He said by way of explanation and placed the Tupperware box of stew into the microwave.

They stared at each other as the contained spun around inside the microwave.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cassie asked eventually.

"I wanted to drink enough of that bourbon so I could sleep tonight, but it'd probably be healthier to talk to you."

"You are the doctor," She replied, trying to lighten the mood. She got a quick grin from him for her efforts, but he still look tired and miserable. Although he was a fit and attractive man, tonight he looked every one of his forty two years and maybe more besides.

Cassie was surprised at how much she wanted to soothe him; how much she wanted to ease his suffering. She hoped that her dinner and her company would help him in some way. In the short time she had known him, he had always seemed so strong and so capable. It hurt her so see him looking so desolate.

"I lost a patient tonight," He said finally, his eyes never leaving hers. She could see the guilt and shame in his gaze and she wanted to go to him, to hold him but she held back.

"I'm sorry," She said it softly and he could tell she meant it, that it wasn't just a platitude.

"It's always hard to lose a patient, especially if it's one you've gotten to know. It's even harder when it's a child," He paused. "God Cassie, he wasn't much older than your James."

She went to him then, feeling that although she couldn't understand what he was feeling in that moment she could certainly empathise with him.

Not normally one to seek out comfort in situations like this when they arose, usually finding solace in the whiskey instead, Sam let himself be held.

They fit together. Even though Cassie was taller than average for a woman, her head slotted in just under Sam's chin and he felt both protected and protector at the same time.

He pulled back from her a little, looking into his eyes. Whatever he had been about to say was lost as the microwave began to beep, alerting him to the fact that his dinner was ready.

A little regretfully, Sam let go of Cassie and crossed the room to take out his dinner. He hadn't known he still wanted or needed this, but he couldn't deny the comfort that came from having someone to look out for him on a night when he was the one who needed caring for.

Cassie watched him as he took a fork out of the drawer, tore a paper napkin from the roll. She wasn't quite sure she trusted herself to speak. She knew that something intimate had just passed between her and Sam; something important. It hadn't even been a romantic moment. Although she had appreciated the feeling of his arms around her, his body pressed against hers, it had been something deeper than just physical closeness.

He sat down at the kitchen table and Cassie moved to take the seat opposite him. She could leave now really; leave him in peace to eat his dinner and unwind but something was keeping her here.

"This is really good," Sam finally broke the silence, pointing enthusiastically as his dinner with his fork. "I'm going to have to start running more often if you keep bringing me meals like that."

"Abigail said something similar earlier," She admitted.

Sam smiled a little now. He still felt hollow inside from his gruelling, heart breaking shift at the hospital, but spending time with Cassie was easing those feelings and making it all more bearable. Especially as she had her own burdens to bear.

"It would definitely be worth it," He said around another mouthful of tender pork and succulent apple. He swallowed and then reached for her hand across the table, running his thumb softly against his knuckles. "Thank you for coming over with this tonight Cassie, I didn't know much I needed this."

She squeezed his hand back, glad that she had been able to be there for him. They looked at each other for a long moment, neither of them really needing to say anything. It was a little funny how they had started off on the wrong foot, with Sam saying everything wrong whenever they had a conversation but now here they were, able to communicate without using words at all. Yes, Cassie thought as she watched him working his way through his meal, something had certainly changed between them.

Back at Grey House, Abigail had heard the kitchen door open and close but even without that she would have known that Cassie had left to visit Sam. She was glad too, for both of them. She could sense that something had happened to Sam, and that Cassie's visit would be just the comfort and distraction he needed. She didn't resent for one second that often he would have come here and shared a beer with her; she knew that Cassie was better equipped to help Sam.

She had seen the connection between them from the very beginning, even if initially they had both seemed to rub each other up the wrong way. It was hard for Abigail not to push or meddle when she could see how great the two of them would be together. She knew it was still too soon for Cassie to even consider dating again, and she wasn't sure Sam was ready for that kind of relationship. Ever since she had known Sam, he had only been involved in casual relationships and for that Abigail was glad. She had never felt like any of the women that Sam had dated had been right for him. She knew that Cassie was perfect for him, but it was far too early for either of them.

Abigail promised that she wouldn't go out of her way to push them together, but if it looked like they needed a little nudge in the right direction, well then surely it would be her duty to do so?

Full disclosure: they were supposed to kiss in this chapter. My laptop died just as I was writing the scene in Sam's kitchen and while it was rebooting, I had second thoughts. I didn't want their first kiss to be the night that Sam lost a patient, but it's coming...don't worry ;)