Title: "The First Time: Second Time Around"

Author: Macattack102712

Universe: Good Witch

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters of GW. I consider this fact to be most unfortunate.

Summary: Cassie and Sam are getting ready to take a second chance on love and exchange vows. But, it's more than just wedding jitters that has Middleton's beloved shop and B&B owner all out of sorts….

Publish Date: September 2018

Author's Note: Just a very short story that has been resting in the back of my mind for quite some time! Enjoy!

Monday Evening

Grey House

Middleton, IL

The chiming of the clock rang quietly in the background as Cassie's nimble fingers made quick work of chopping the carrots for her homemade vegetable soup. The farmer's stand, just two blocks from Grey House, always provided the freshest produce, among a plethora of fresh honey, eggs, and cheeses the likes of which had never seen the interior of a big-box grocery store. She'd been a long-standing patronage of the farmer's market, preferring the freshness, as well as the low prices, and the knowledge she was supporting some of the residents of Middleton. That afternoon, she'd made a quick stop to stock up on the essentials, and to procure a bundle of vegetables necessary for soup. She scooped up the carrot fragments, dumping them into the pot of broth that simmered on the stove. With a sigh, she reached into the burlap sack on the counter to retrieve the bundle of potatoes.

The distant chime reminded her, as it had the previous hour, and all the hours before, that time was quickly winding down to her wedding to Dr. Sam Radford. Yes, that Sam Radford; the same man who had blazed thru her front door and into her heart. Never mind the fact that he entered with the utmost aire of superiority and arrogance in his disapproval over her preferred home medicinal remedies. He'd blazed thru, all-assuming on what he knew, yet knowing nothing about her, or what made her tick. And yet, she'd allowed him to stay. Welcomed him, more like it. And as the memories of their first encounter swept thru her mind, she realized, with a shake of her head, her attention was focused on everything but chopping the potatoes.

In just over a week, she and Sam were set to commit their trust and faithfulness to each other, in front of Mayor Martha, her own family, and some of her dearest friends in Middleton. She was more than ready to join Sam as his wife, her heart having said its final bittersweet, but long overdue, farewell to Jake. He had passed away over six years prior, and in response to his sudden death, Cassie's heart had gone dormant, assuming life would never bring her another man like Jake. And it didn't. Instead, it brought the arrogant, irascible horse's rear-end that was Sam, and she suddenly and inexplicably found herself mired in complicated matters of the heart. But it wasn't the ceremony, or bidding Jake farewell, or Sam moving in that had her heart all jumpy, her nerves frazzled, and her doubting herself. It was…something else. So wrapped up in her thoughts, her steadfast intuition and uncanny ability to sense people coming into the room before she saw them, failed her for the first time in a long while.

"Well good evening, cuz" Abigail greeted as she breezed through the arched doorway, her sights already set on the tub of Ben and Jerry's® that was tucked on the bottom shelf of the freezer. She had just finished a large order of Gerber Daisy arrangements for Martha's Civics Club luncheon, and as such, it was, in her own eyes, way past time to reward herself with her favorite dessert. She pulled the box from its frozen tomb and grabbed a spoon from the cutlery drawer. Foregoing a bowl, she ate straight from the container. She talked over a mouthful of ice cream. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is when the Mayor decides to increase her order of table arrangements, at the last minute?". She sighed theatrically. "It took me alllll morning to get those done, and not so much as a 'Thank you, Abigail, they look just splendid!' when I delivered them this afternoon" She leaned against the counter, stabbing the contents of the container in mild frustration. "All she said was, 'Well, at least you were on time for once! Practice makes perfect, you know!'," Abigail mocked in her best imitation of Martha's signature high-pitched voice. She rolled her eyes in disgust. "You'd think I'd get something besides a lecture on how I could improve".

Cassie merely shrugged in response, her brain too swallowed by other thoughts to come up with anything remotely helpful. She heeded her long-standing motto, 'If you can't say anything helpful, simply remain quiet'. In all honesty, she was hoping, for her sake, that Abigail would be too caught up in her own drama to notice the lack of verbal response.

Unfortunately, she wasn't so fortunate.

Abigail sensed the subdued demeanor of her cousin immediately and she set the container of ice cream aside. Normally, her cousin was upbeat, positive, and always had a line or two of sage advice to dispense. But over the course of the last few days, she'd noticed Cassie had been quieter, more reserved, than usual.

She nudged Cassie with her hip. "Alright, what gives?".

Feigning ignorance, Cassie kept her eyes on the potatoes. "What are you talking about?"

Abigail pinned her with a deprecating look. "You know what I'm talking about. For the past few days, you've been quiet and withdrawn". Deciding that this conversation warranted complete abandonment of her ice-cream foray, she returned the lid to the box and dropped her dirty spoon in the dishwasher. "What's going on?"

Cassie shook her head and flashed a smile in Abigail's direction, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I've just got a lot left to do for the ceremony, that's all".

Abigail narrowed her eyes. "Stephanie's providing the food, I'm doing your flowers, and Martha is officiating the ceremony. You've already picked out your dress. What else is there to get ready for?"

She merely shrugged, not sure she wanted to get into a lengthy or in-depth conversation about what exactly was on her mind.

"Cassie…you're not having second thoughts, are you?". Abigail's own abilities were strong enough to provide her a fair amount of confidence that this was not the case, but something else nagged at her cousin….and she couldn't quite place it. For a moment, she wondered if Cassie was intentionally blocking her.

Cassie's eyes went wide, and she relinquished her grip on the knife. "NO! Oh no, never". She immediately dropped her voice, fingering the towel she'd grabbed to wipe her hands. "No second thoughts. I…had a long talk with Jake a few weeks ago".

Abigail rested her hand on her shoulder. "Cassie, he would want you to be happy. He wouldn't want you to miss out on a second chance…miss out on a man who loves you just as much, if not more, than he did".

Cassie gave a small smile, her heart squeezing at the thought of both men, who loved her so much, and who she loved equally, albeit in different ways. "I know, and it's," she bit her lip, unsure of how to voice her concerns, if she even should. "It's not that".

Abigail's brow furrowed in confusion. "If you're not having second thoughts about marrying Sam, then what is it? I've not seen you this…anxious, since he left for his humanitarian mission".

Cassie glanced around, knowing full-well (due to her intuition), the house was vacant for the time being. Yet, she needed the visual reassurance that her and Abigail were indeed, alone. "Abigail, it's…it's been a long…time". She didn't know how else to say it…to voice the fears, the insecurities that had plagued her mind the last few weeks.

"And it's okay to let your heart trust again, Cassie. It's okay to risk being loved again. Jake wouldn't want you scared of what the future may, or may not, bring".

A rueful smile tugged at the corner of her Cassie's mouth. Abigail just didn't get it. And she didn't know what to do. Didn't know how to verbalize her most intimate fears. She shook her head, taking a deep breath. She had no one to talk to about this….except Abigail. Despite their difference in age, as well as their personalities, Abigail did have a good heart, and from time to time had good advice to give, especially when it came to serious matters of the heart. When it came down to it, Cassie knew she'd be there for her. She fingered the towel absentmindedly, and her voice was almost a whisper when she spoke again. "That's not it, either".

"Then what is it, Cassie?" Abigail peered at her cousin, who refused to look at her, her eyes darting nervously about the room.

What in the world was she talking about? If Cassie was convinced she loved Sam with all her heart, and vice versa, and both were anxious to start their life together, then what was she worried about?

Ohhhh…..

The sudden epiphany swept over her in a crushing wave, and her heart broke for her cousin, whom Abigail always considered to be so brave, strong, so sure of herself.

"Oh Cassie," Abigail sighed, removing the towel from Cassie's trembling grip and tossing it to the side. She grasped her hands, sandwiching them between her own. "Don't you know he loves you? And it's probably been a long time for him, too". Not that she really believed the latter part. An eligible bachelor such as Sam, she was quite sure he hadn't been off that market very long prior to his relocation to the sleepy town of Middleton.

Cassie nodded imperceptibly, too self-conscious and embarrassed to provide voice to her fears. It had been a long time. Six years, seven months, and 23 days to be exact. Not that she was keeping track, really. It just so happened her and Jakes's last intimate moments together had occurred the morning he'd been cruelly ripped away from her, leaving her to figure out how to put the pieces of her life back together, to finish raising a daughter who so desperately needed her father.

Her eyes were watery, her voice trembling with emotion. "Abigail you don't understand. I haven't…it's been…since Jake".

If Abigail was surprised, she took great pride in that she didn't show it. She had always known her cousin to be far more reserved in that area than herself, and honestly, she'd never really given it a lot of thought as to the status of her cousin's intimate life…or lack thereof, in the years following Jake's death. She felt a stab of pain in her own heart; if only she could be more like Cassie…if only she hadn't given herself over so cheaply to men who cared for nothing more than a one-night stand. She'd brushed these encounters off in a pathetic attempt to convince herself she wasn't hurt by them, wasn't longing for more. But as the years dragged on and the lines began to form in her heart and on her face, Abigail found herself wishing more and more that she had what Cassie had had with Jake, and now Sam: a real, deep, meaningful relationship, built on mutual understanding and a commitment to each other. She was tired of being alone. Tired of being used and discarded like yesterday's sales paper.

But now was not the time to dwell on her own mistakes. Her cousin was uncharacteristically reaching out to her, and it was her responsibility to be there for her. She was family. Scratch that: she was more than a family…she was really her sister in heart.

"What if….what if I'm not good…what if I'm not enough?" she whispered while the voices of anxiety and self-doubt screamed out from within.

Abigail tightened her grip on Cassie's hands. "Cassie, you ARE good enough. For anyone. Especially Sam". She hooked a finger underneath her chin and gently lifted her face so she was forced to look Abigail in the eyes. "It will be beautiful, and wonderful, and perfect because it will come from the heart, and because it will be between the two of you. And that's all that matters".

Despite her best attempts, her eyes filled with tears at Abigail's tender sentiments. "Abigail, what happens if he decides…I'm not what he wants after all? What am I supposed to do, then? I can't…lose him, too".

"No man worth his salt would do that to you, and I don't think Sam Radford fought to win your heart just to throw it away. Cassie. He loves you. He chose you. Don't cut yourself short".

Abigail went to say more, but stopped when both of them felt the familiar sensation of another person's presence…..

"Something certainly smells delicious in here!" Sam announced as he entered the room, totally unaware of the intimate conversation taking place. He was starving, having skipped lunch due to a meeting that ran late and a backlog of patients to see. Her soup made his stomach grumble with anticipation! "Is Cassie making her famous veg-". He stopped short the moment he sensed something was clearly off, noting, with an element of concern, Cassie's suspiciously moist eyes, and the hesitant way she held herself. "Everything ok?"

To Cassie's relief, Abigail was quick on her feet. "Of course. Cassie and I were just discussing the flowers for the wedding, right Cass?".

He eyed them curiously as Cassie did not acknowledge his presence, but instead nodded in response to Abigail's question and turned her attention back to the soup that now bubbled in its pot.

"Oh. I thought we'd already decided on that".

"You did". Abigail hesitated briefly, then rushed on, "I just felt that perhaps, they needed a little more…pop of color. I've got some leftover daises from Martha's Civic Club luncheon. I thought they'd be a great addition".

Sam jerked his head in Cassie's direction, covering the short distance between them. "I think whatever Cassie chooses will be perfect. You know I don't know much about flowers, except roses are red".

Abigail rolled her eyes. "Roses come in more colors than just red, Sam".

He kept his eyes on Cassie, who cast a quick glance and a timid smile in his direction.

"I'm sure they do, Abigail". He stepped closer to Cassie.

Ah yes, he noticed the telltale signs of tear marks on her face. Something had upset her, and it didn't have anything to do with the flowers. He gently touched her elbow, his gesture causing Cassie to look up at him. Again, her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"You okay?"

She nodded, gesturing towards the soup. "Yeah. Um, the soup will be ready in just a few minutes. I'll spoon you up a bowl".

George entered the room at that time, and Cassie blew out a breath of relief at the interruption.

"Hey Sam, just the man I need to see! You mind helping me move some boxes in the garage. My back's been giving me a lot of attitude with all this rain. Of course," he gestured towards Cassie, "I'll need some more of that eucalyptus ointment you made the other day. Whenever you get some time".

Cassie nodded. "Certainly, George". She turned the burner to the lowest setting, resting the handle of the spoon on the edge of the pot. "I'll have some for you whenever you get finished downstairs".

"Thanks Cassie," he grinned, then set off for the garage, a muddled Sam following close behind. Something was certainly off, and ever the quintessential physician, it was his job to figure what was wrong and make it right.

: END CHAPTER ONE::