It Takes a Village

Super quick update for you guys this time as this story is almost writing itself at the moment. You may notice that Cassie doesn't actually appear in this chapter at all (I didn't notice until I was deciding what went in this chapter and what's going into the next one) but she's very much present as she's on everybody's mind, yes even Linda's! So, if you don't see someone for a chapter or two I haven't forgotten about them (like that time I forgot where George had gone in "The Weekend" lol). They will make a reappearance and everybody has a storyline, however minor. The next chapter was fun to write, but it's going to take a lot of editing I think. There will also be a lot of steam. I don't think this story needs to move from a T to an M rating, but we'll see how it goes. There will definitely be some adult themes coming up and I'm excited and nervous for you to read the upcoming chapters. - Thank you for the lovely comments on the previous chapter, I appreciate all of you and all of the likes/favourites/follows etc.

P.S. I don't seem to be able to write Abigail's character without making it seem like she's flirting with everybody...unless, she is? Hmm.

Chapter 5: Scenes From a Middleton Bistro

Tara headed to the Bistro to meet Lori for lunch. She had worked the morning in the Bell, Book and Candle but she hadn't told Cassie about her appointment with Sam. She still found it a difficult subject to broach, and even though she had talked it over with Brandon he hadn't really made any helpful suggestions. He wanted Sam and Cassie back together as much as everyone else, but he was the least convinced about meddling in their romantic reunion. Brandon was more inclined to think that Cassie and Sam needed to work things out for themselves, the way he and Tara had when things had been rocky. Although Cassie had certainly given them a push in the right direction.

Lori was already waiting for Tara at a table for two in the back corner. She had a tall glass mug of latte in front of her, the foam looking so smooth and inviting.

"I would have got one you one," Lori said, once Tara had taken off her jacket and was seated opposite her. "But I thought you'd probably be cutting down on caffeine."

"Yeah, I am," Tara replied, sadly. "But Cassie made me some that tea, you know the one that kind of tastes like coffee."

"The one she used to trick Sam into thinking actually was coffee when he and Nick first moved to Middleton?" Lori giggled.

Tara swore softly. "I didn't even realise. I wonder if she thinks about him when she makes it?"

"It must be hard not to think of him when he and his ex-wife are living next door."

Tara fiddled with the specials menu, absurdly feeling a little guilty. Everything in her life was perfect at the moment, her marriage to Brandon the happiest it had ever been and now a baby on the way. It made her heart hurt to think how miserable Cassie, and Sam for that matter, were at the moment.

"I hate seeing her so sad. Obviously I saw her grieving and heartbroken when your Dad died, but she was holding it together for us and Brandon, and trying to make things as normal for Grace as possible, but this is different."

"I know," Lori sighed. "I wish I had a better idea how to help them."

While Lori and Tara were deciding what to have for lunch, Abigail breezed into the Bistro. Stephanie was at the counter bagging up a lunch order for one of the couples who were currently staying at Grey House. She started putting Abigail's lunch together on autopilot.

"Flower shop busy today?" She asked, folding a napkin into a precise triangle.

"Fairly steady," Abigail replied. "I'm actually thinking of taking a few days off to visit Harry."

"Oh, how nice!" She exclaimed. "But what about the Cassie plan?" She lowered her voice now, even though Cassie was nowhere in sight. You could never be sure, though.

"I'm sure we can work around it, and it'll just be a couple of days."

"Things with you and Harry are still going well then?"

Abigail smiled. "I know it hasn't been long, but I really like him."

"There is a glow about you."

"He makes me happy." Abigail admitted.

"I'm glad, if not a little jealous."

Abigail placed her hand over Stephanie's on the counter, an unusually friendly gesture for her. "Your time will come, Stephanie."

She looked down at their entwined hands. "I don't know anymore. First Wes, and then Ben. I think maybe the Bistro is meant to be the love of my life."

Abigail squeezed Stephanie's hand and let it go.

"You're selling yourself short. You are a smart, funny, talented and beautiful woman. Anyone would be blessed to have you."

Stephanie blinked, she wasn't accustomed to this side of Abigail and it surprised her. To cover it, she asked:

"Where is it that Harry lives, or are you going to go away together?"

Abigail opened her mouth to reply then closed it again. She laid her money on the counter and grabbed the takeout bag.

"I've got to go, I've had an idea. Thank you, Stephanie!" She kissed the blonde on her cheek and was gone. Stephanie wondered if this was what standing in the path of a tornado felt like.

George felt guilty for deceiving both Sam and Cassie the previous day, and it was eating him up inside. When they had discussed what they could all do to help bring the two of them back together, he had thought that a small accident at home might be the thing that forced them to bond but he hadn't taken into account how panicked Cassie would be. He hated them he had piled on top of her other problems. Sam had his own crosses to bear, too.

George wouldn't count himself a member of Linda's fan club but at least she had shown up and stick around for her son's recovery. Although George didn't like the fact that she had stayed at Sam's for the entirety of her visit, especially when he lived next door to a bed and breakfast. He thought of Cassie like his own daughter, and wished that she and Sam were still happily together. It didn't stop him regretting the role he had tried to play in reuniting them, though.

"George!" Sam exclaimed when Cassie's father in law entered the clinic at lunchtime. "You shouldn't be up and around yet."

The older man waved his concerns aside.

"Can I talk to you privately, please?"

Brow furrowed, Sam led George into one of the treatment rooms and closed the door. The two men sat down opposite each other, George with his hands clasped in his lap as he came clean. Sam stayed quiet while George unburdened himself. When he had finished, Sam still said nothing, sitting in silence with an eyebrow raised.

Finally, he said: "Thank you George, for your honesty. You know you really gave Cassie a scare."

"I know, I wasn't thinking. Maybe I'm just a sentimental old man, but I got swept away thinking about getting you and Cassie back together."

"George," Sam held up his hand. "Please, Cassie and I," He swallowed a bitter lump in his throat. "Well, that's between us."

"But you still love her?"

"Of course I still love her."

"And she loves you, too."

"It's not that simple, George." But it was, wasn't it?

"I can't bear to see you both so miserable when you're so clearly meant to be together." George stopped himself. "I'm sorry Sam, I came here to apologise not to lecture you."

"It's okay," Sam sighed. "Does Cassie know?"

George shook his head. "I'm going to talk to her when she gets back from the shop."

"Why don't you leave it to me," Sam said, standing up and leading George back out of the clinic an autopilot, his thoughts reeling.

Linda was surprised to receive an invitation from Abigail Pershing to join her for coffee at the Bistro at four o'clock. Linda and Abigail had not hit it off, to put it mildly. Though neither of them would admit it, they both shared a few of the same character traits.

It was that mutual stubborn streak which led Linda out of Sam's house at three forty-five that afternoon. Part of her felt like she was walking into a trap, but her curiosity was piqued. What could Abigail possibly want with her?

She didn't like leaving Nick, but Courtney and Grace had arrived straight after school. They were spending more and more time with Nick, and Linda wasn't all that happy about it. She didn't really approve of Courtney as a girlfriend for Nick, and she would prefer it if her son spent less time with Cassie Nightingale's daughter. Why did the men in her life have to be so entangled with the Merriwick women, it was almost like they had cast some sort of spell over them.

She stopped outside of the Bistro having second thoughts, but before she could even consider walking away, there was Abigail waving at her from the window. Linda sighed, lifted one designer high-heeled boot and made her way inside the Bistro.

Playing for time, Linda headed over to the counter to order a green tea latte but Abigail was calling across to her, the aforementioned drink already steaming on the table. Linda narrowed her eyes, she would never understand these women.

She stalked over to the table and peeled out of her cashmere coat, unravelling the pashmina scarf from her neck. Abigail breathed in the scent of Linda's expensive perfume, and found herself impressed. One of the few things Linda had going for her, in Abigail's opinion, was that she knew how to dress unlike a lot of people in a small town like Middleton.

"I love your scarf," She said, reaching out to rub her fingertips against the silky soft material and pretending she didn't see the possessive look in Linda's eyes. "It's so hard to find decent quality clothes and accessories in Middleton," She faked a sigh. "It's all so…"

"Tasteless," Linda supplied.

Abigail laughed, a little louder than she would usually. "Exactly." She released the scarf and sat back in her chair as if she was appraising Linda's appearance. "I'm so envious of you, getting to live and work in New York. The fashion, the restaurants…the men."

Linda was discomfited, Abigail seemed to be trying too hard to be friendly. When Cassie tried to be nice to her, it always seemed so genuine which always rankled her.

"I do miss it," She found herself admitting. Although she didn't like or trust Abigail in the slightest, she was probably the most sophisticated and cultured person in Middleton. Next to Sam of course, but then Linda didn't consider her ex husband to be a Middletonian. "Middleton is very quiet and very quaint, but you can't compare it to life in New York City."

"That's why I invited you here," Abigail admitted, pleased with how this was going already. "I've been seeing this guy for a few months, we met on the ski trip actually, but we don't get to see each other very often. We're both busy with work and we live too far apart to visit each other in the evenings."

Abigail stirred the foam into her cappuccino as she spun out her story for Linda, like a spider spinning its web for the fly.

"I think I've seen him with you at the weekends, tall guy with the sandy hair and beard?" Abigail nodded. "He's very cute."

"He is indeed," Abigail replied. "Things are getting more serious between us and I thought it would be nice for us to have a romantic weekend together. Harry is always saying he'd like to visit New York because he's never been and," She looked up at Linda then, all wide eyed innocence. "I might have slightly exaggerated how much I know about it. I've only really been once on a weekend trip with some girlfriends and we mostly went shopping or went to bars, I haven't really been as a tourist. I was hoping you might be able to give me some pointers."

Linda found herself charmed by Abigail's story, which was strange considering she had almost stood her up and had also given some serious thought to strangling her with her pashmina when she had been running her fingers over it. She picked up her latte, blew on it and took a sip. She looked straight at Abigail.

"Okay, what would you like to know?"