It Takes A Village
Thanks again for the review on the previous chapters. I probably wouldn't have picked up "The Weekend" again, let alone started a sequel (which is going to be longer than "The Weekend") if it wasn't for your support.
Lockdown certainly helped as well, as writing has been a good outlet for some of my anxiety. T
his is quite a long chapter, and it's mostly filler, but we do get to meet a couple of new, original characters (however, Sam isn't even in it!) but I think you'll really enjoy the next chapter! ;) At the end, I've included some of the songs that I've been listening to whilst writing this/which have inspired some of this story. Hope you enjoy! Xxx
Chapter 8: Weight of the World
For the first time since arriving in Middleton, today Linda put some serious thought into leaving. Until now her priority had been Nick's recovery, but she would be lying to herself if she said that he actually needed her here for any practical reason. He would be back to school in a week or two, and he was becoming more and more independent every day. Plus, he didn't seem to want to spend much time with her and she could see how tense and uncomfortable he was when the three of them shared a meal together. It was probably because things were tense and uncomfortable between her and Sam, and never more than they were now.
She admitted that it had been foolish to try and rekindle the long dead flame of their marriage. They hadn't been able to do it before, so why would it be any different all these years later? Linda wasn't even sure if she really did love him. There would always be a bond between them because they both loved Nick, but she wasn't sure she would call that love. It certainly wasn't the kind of love that seemed to radiate between Sam and Cassie whenever they were in the same room. Although what good did that do them if they couldn't even make a relationship work when they lived in neighbouring houses?
Would it have given Linda any joy to know that Cassie had been a silent witness to her attempt to seduce Sam in his own kitchen, not so long after he had tried the same moves on her? Regardless of how Linda might have felt had she possessed that knowledge, it didn't change the fact that Sam had rejected her; politely but brutally. She had been relieved to hear him leave for his morning run, and made sure to stay under the covers of the bed in the guest room until she had heard him leave for work. Even Nick seemed to know something wasn't quite right when they had eaten breakfast together, and as far as Linda was concerned he wasn't any more or less clueless than any other teenage boy.
She was beginning to realise how isolated she felt in this town, and she knew she couldn't blame anyone else for that but her. Well, she might pin some of the blame on Cassie but that would just be her pride talking. Something else she hated to admit was how Abigail had got under her skin the previous afternoon at the Bistro. Talking to her about New York had been like talking about a lover you had never really got over; a lover who was still waiting for you to come back. She did miss the city and the life she had led there. She was grateful she could still continue to work from home, but she still missed going to the office and seeing her co-workers, wining and dining new clients, and then there was Jared.
It had been far too early for her to make any promises to him when she had come rushing to Middleton and then had extended her stay indefinitely. They barely knew each other, had been to dinner a few times, but she liked him and regretted that she'd had to leave him behind before there had been a chance to see if the spark between them could lead to more. Maybe that was why she had felt the need to try and rebuild something with Sam; she might have left Jared behind but she still had that need for affection; companionship; sex. Sam had certainly made it clear that he wanted none of these things from her.
Running her hands through her long dark hair, Linda reached for her cell phone and called Jared's number.
"Hello?" He answered, his tone the abrupt side of business like.
"Hi Jared, it's Linda."
"Linda," He replied, as if he hadn't seen her name on Caller ID. Unless he had deleted her from his contacts, of course. "How are you? How's Littleton?"
"Middleton," She correctly automatically. "It's a small town, what can I say?" She added, when she realised she had just come perilously close to defending the backwoods dump.
"I can't believe you packed up your life here for life in the stick. I know your son is there, but the medical care in New York is far superior."
Linda decided not to mention that her ex-husband; her son's father was a doctor. The last thing she wanted to be talking to Jared about was Sam.
"This is where Nick considers his home to be now," Even that didn't sting quite as much as it used to. She could see the appeal, even if she didn't want to.
"And what about you?"
"I'm not sure."
"You're not sure? I thought you hated it." He reeled off a series of complaints she had made to him about Middleton before she had moved.
"I'm thinking about coming back," She admitted.
If she had expected Jared to be enthusiastic about her decision, she was wrong.
"I can't see how you wouldn't be. You're a city woman Linda, anyone can see that." Why did that feel like an insult, she wondered.
"Do you want me to come back?" She asked, before she could back out of it; she needed to know where she stood and she had learned her lesson that asking was better than assuming someone felt the same way.
"Linda, that's your decision to make."
"I know," She tried not to let the hurt into her voice. "I know."
"Whatever you decide, I wish you luck."
"Thank you," She took a breath. "Well, I have to go but it was good to talk. Take care of yourself, Jared."
"You too, Linda."
She ended the call and sat staring at her laptop for a full five minutes, not taking in one figure on the spreadsheet in front of her. It felt like she wasn't really wanted or require back home in New York or here in Middleton. She sighed, sooner or later she was going to have to decide what she wanted the rest of her life to look like.
Tara was opening the Bell, Book and Candle this morning. Tuesday mornings were usually pretty quiet and she was more than capable of dealing with the small handful of customers passing through the shop. It gave Cassie a little time to take care of some of the administrative tasks that cropped up when you ran not one but two businesses. In truth, it also gave her some time alone to gather and process her thoughts. The previous twenty-four hours felt like they had been taken from someone else's life, not her own.
Deep down she knew she really needed to talk to Sam. There had to be some explanation as to why he had been kissing her in the kitchen one minute, and then locking lips with Linda only a couple of hours later. There was no way she could have misread what had happened with Sam. There was no mistaking what they had shared as being a friendly gesture, it had been hot and heavy and passionate. Her body still ached with memories of Sam's hands and lips. It was driving her more than a little crazy.
She wandered into the kitchen, feeling the need of a mid-morning cup of tea when she became aware of someone at the front door. Curiously, she walked to the door and opened it. The early spring sunshine temporarily blinded her as she let the visitor inside. Blinking to clear her vision, Cassie took a proper look at him.
"Hello," She smiled, holding out a hand for him to shake "My name is Cassie Nightingale. Welcome to Grey House."
"Hello Cassie Nightingale," He grinned back, showing perfectly straight white teeth. "I'm Nathan Hancock, and I'm looking to rent a room for a few nights."
"Of course," Cassie led him through her office and selected a key. "I think you'll love this room. Can I give you a hand with your baggage?"
Nathan smiled again. "Oh no, I think I can manage. But would you be able to recommend me somewhere to get a great cup of coffee?"
Cassie thought of the Bistro, and she thought of Stephanie. "Oh yes, I know just the place."
She left Nathan to settle into his room and went back to her paperwork. It was getting close to lunchtime when she went to fetch her jacket and purse to go and help Tara at the shop, and allow her to take her well deserved lunch break. As she walked towards the front door, she heard Nathan coming down the stairs behind her.
"Would you mind showing me to this Bistro you mentioned?" There was a slightly pleading look in his eyes that was frankly quite adorable. "I'm terrible with directions."
"Of course. I'm headed that way anyway, I run the Bell, Book and Candle."
They walked together into town, chatting amicably. It wasn't until they parted ways so that she could go to the shop and he could go to the Bistro, that she realised she had finally gone a full ten minutes without thinking about Sam Radford.
"That guy you sent in here for breakfast? He's cute," Stephanie grinned when Cassie stepped up to the counter of the Bistro in the middle of the afternoon.
Cassie smiled back, Stephanie's enthusiasm was always contagious. Especially when it was because of an attractive man. And Cassie had to admit, Nathan Hancock did fit that description.
"I hope you made him something fantastic,"
"Of course," Stephanie pretended to be hurt. "He said he might pop back for dinner later."
Cassie took the cup of tea her friend offered her and sipped it. She looked around the Bistro, but none of her immediate acquaintances were around. Grace would still be at school and Lori was constantly here, there and everywhere researching all sorts of topics for her new blog. Cassie was grateful that he stepdaughter had decided to settle in Middleton again. Although there was no blood tie between them, Cassie felt better knowing that Lori and Brandon were both nearby. Somehow it made her feel like Jake wasn't really gone, because his legacy was continuing in the three children he had left behind.
Cassie had found herself thinking of Jake more often lately. Although he had been on her mind ever since things had started to go wrong for her and Sam; around the time of Nick's skiing accident. Things had never been as complicated between her and Jake as they had been in her relationship with Sam. Though they shared some similar qualities; qualities which had attracted Cassie to them and made her fall in love with them, they were two very different men. She was beginning to wonder if she had been wrong about Sam.
She suddenly realised that Stephanie had been talking to her, but she had zoned out.
"I'm sorry Stephanie, what did you say?"
"I said, guess who was in here earlier talking to Lori?"
Cassie felt like she should have known, but she had been so distracted and caught up in her own thoughts lately that she was drawing a blank.
"No, who?"
"Linda Wallace." Stephanie had a grim smile on her face as she said it.
"Really?" Cassie felt her stomach drop. She hadn't confided in anyone about what had happened between her and Sam, and then what she had witnessed in Sam's kitchen. If she was honest, she wasn't sure she was ready to. It was still too raw and painful, and it only seemed fair that Sam should be the first person she talked to.
Stephanie nodded. "They were in here for quite a while," She paused for a beat, wondering if she was pushing too hard. "After seeing her in here with Abigail yesterday, I wondered if perhaps she is trying to become a part of the town after all."
Cassie smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Perhaps Middleton's charm has finally won her over."
She paid Stephanie for her drink and wandered out into the late afternoon sunshine. She blinked against the brightness, which helped to hold back the tears which seemed to be on the verge of spilling over. If Linda was making an effort to get to know the people of Middleton better, did that mean she was planning on staying and living here with Sam? It would certainly explain what she had walked in on in Sam's kitchen, but it still didn't help Cassie to understand what had happened between the two of them only hours before.
"Who is that?" Abigail asked, when she wandered into the Bistro after closing up the Flower Shop after another successful day.
"Nathan Hancock," Stephanie replied. "He just arrived in town and he's staying at Grey House."
"Hmm, interesting," Abigail took off her leather jacket and made herself comfortable on one of the high stools at the counter.
"Cute, isn't he?"
Abigail rolled her eyes. "C'mon Stephanie."
She looked affronted. "What?"
"He's just blown in from God only knows where, and he might only be in town for a day or two."
"And?"
"Just don't go falling for him and get your heart broken again, okay?" Abigail pushed her hands into her wavy hair. She wasn't sure why she was taking her angst out on Stephanie; wasn't quite sure why she was feeling the way she did at all. She had been out of sorts all day, ever since she had seen how fragile and miserable her cousin had looked at breakfast. Abigail had grown so used to seeing Cassie as the head of the family, holding them all together when times got rough but it was hard watching her fall apart like this.
Abigail had watched her be sad and low after her relationship with Sam had ended, but the younger Merriwick had always assumed it was just temporary. Once Linda was safely back in New York and Nick was able to get back to his life, she had been sure that Sam and Cassie would work things out and be stronger than ever. Something else must have happened, because Cassie had just looked broken.
Stephanie was staring at her, open mouthed.
"Is that what you think I do?"
Abigail shrugged a shoulder. "It is kind of your M.O., yeah."
"Well, we can't all be as lucky as you, Abigail."
"What do you mean?" She wasn't feeling particularly blessed at the moment, in fact she kind of felt some of the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "You and Harry. It just happened; you didn't even have to try."
"Maybe you're trying too hard," Abigail replied. "Don't be desperate Stephanie, you're better than that." She grabbed up her jacket and purse, and swung out of the Bistro leaving a confused and hurt Stephanie behind her.
Lori was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop, her fingers dancing over the keys, when Cassie arrived back at Grey House. She was laden with a large brown paper bag of fresh vegetables, so Lori moved her laptop aside and went to help her step mom.
"Oh, this all looks so yummy," Lori said, helping Cassie to unpack the vegetables. "One of my favourite things about living back here is I get to eat your cooking all the time. I ate far too much takeout, or frozen meals for one when I was in L.A.
"Didn't Darren ever cook for you?" Cassie asked. Food was her love language and she didn't understand anyone who did even want to attempt to cook for their loved ones.
"I'd say Darren was a pig, if it wasn't an offence to pigs everywhere," Lori huffed. "But I don't want to talk about him anymore, he's ancient history."
"Oh?" Cassie's interest kicked up a notch. "Does that mean someone else had come along to replace his memory?"
Lori had the grace to blush. "I might have met someone, but it's very early days yet. Plus, I didn't think it was fair to talk about when you know…" She tailed off. "And when Abigail and Harry are all over each other."
Cassie sighed. "Lori, just because Sam and I aren't together anymore, it doesn't mean you have to hide your happiness from me. That's all I want for you, and for Abigail, is to find people who make you happy and treat you the way you deserve."
"You've been so sad lately," Lori said softly.
Cassie put down the onions she had been holding and wrapped her stepdaughter in her arms.
"I've been missing your Dad, a lot." She confessed.
"I miss him too," Lori replied, squeezing her own arms around Cassie. "Being back here reminds me of him all the time, but it also makes me feel closer to him."
Cassie released her hold on Lori so she could look her in the eye.
"He'd be so proud of you. Brandon, too. He would have loved to be a grandfather, although of course he would say that he was much too young."
They both laughed; both experiencing that strange but somehow beautiful emotion of wanting to smile and cry at the same time.
They went back to unpacking the groceries and Cassie made a start on the dinner prep. Lori seemed keen to hang around and went to sit at the kitchen island. With her back to her stepdaughter and the vegetable peeler poised over the pile of fresh carrots, Cassie spoke casually.
"I hear from Stephanie that you were having coffee with Linda earlier,"
Lori blushed for the second time. "I probably should have mentioned it," she admitted. "I've been working on this blog post about moving back to Middleton and how it's an adjustment after living somewhere like L.A. I thought Linda might have some insights as she came here from New York; it must have been quite a culture shock. I'm sorry, I should have told you."
"Don't be silly," Cassie replied as she chopped the carrots neatly and efficiently. "I hope you got something you can use for your article."
Lori wasn't really sure how helpful Linda had been in that regard, but she hoped she had left the older woman with the lasting impression of how big city life compared with the kind of pedestrian events that occurred in somewhere like Middleton. Like Abigail had the day before, Lori had felt guilty at badmouthing her hometown, but she had certainly given Linda some things to think about.
"Me too," Lori replied. "I'd like to ask you some questions too, if that would be okay? You settled here after living all over the world. I'd love to hear your take on what Middleton means to you."
Lori also hoped that it might bring some joy back to Cassie's life if she made her remember all of the things she loved about the town she had made her home all those years ago.
As promised, this is what I think of as the "It Takes a Village" soundtrack (so far): 1) You - Black Stone Cherry, 2) What if I never Get Over You - Lady A, 3) What Happens in a Small Town - Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell, 4) All at Once - The Fray, 5) Edge of Desire - John Mayer, 6) Set Down Your Glass - Snow Patrol, 7) Ashes & Wine - A Fine Frenzy.
If you're after a Cassie/Sam fix that isn't quite so angsty, the second part of my Good Witch AU "Melt Your Heart" is up! Xx