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“So, I hear Cassie Nightingale has you under her spell.”
Dr. Sam Radford barely registered his patient's comment, focused on making sure April Perkins' allergies were just that and nothing more. At this point in the exam he didn't detect any flu symptoms, and besides, it appeared she had plenty of energy to gossip. A small part of him wondered if the late-forties divorcee used her allergies as an excuse to flirt.
Ignoring the pry for information, Sam pretended he didn't hear her and made notes in her file. “Well, I'm confident that you're experiencing seasonal allergies. Keep taking the over-the-counter medication, but if you feel that's not enough, I can prescribe a stronger antihistamine.”
“Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine. Thanks, Dr. Radford.” But April didn't hop off the table just yet. “Look, you're new to Middleton. What has it been, three, four months?”
Sam tilted his head in thought. “About that. Amazing how New York already feels like a lifetime ago.”
“Middleton has that effect on people. But still, you probably haven't been here long enough to learn about...the Merriwick witches.” She grinned while Sam paused, realizing what she'd said.
He made sure his face was carefully blank when he slowly looked up at her. “You people really do get into Halloween around here. Hate to disappoint you, but I don't believe in witches.”
“You might want to rethink that since you're dating one.”
“First of all, Cassie and I aren't dating,” Sam insisted firmly. “And secondly, she's not a witch! No one is because witches and magic aren't real! I...this conversation isn't happening.” He paused, let out a deep breath. This couldn't be normal small-town behavior, could it? “You don't really believe, do you?”
April replied with an exaggerated shrug. “All I'm saying is, there are some pretty wild stories about Cassie, I even heard her daughter can predict when there will be a pop quiz...”
“Don't bring Grace into this,” he warned.
Hold up her hands in defense, April replied, “Fine, whatever. But this time, my kids said the rumors started at the high school.”
“This time?”
“There have always been rumors about Cassie Nightingale. Since she first moved into Grey House, actually. Some people even tried to run her out of town.”
Sam's eyes widened. “Because they thought she was a witch? That's ridiculous!”
“But Cassie stayed and Middleton was forever changed.” April smirked as she finally stepped down from the exam table, her purse in her hand. “Just be careful, Dr. Radford. I'd hate to see such a handsome man turned into a toad.”
She strolled out of the office, leaving dumbfounded Sam staring at the door.
As much as Sam tried to shake the incident, he found himself confiding in Eve later that day. He waited until the reception area was clear of patients and they both had a few minutes free. “Hey, um, Ms. Perkins said something really strange during her appointment earlier. In fact I'm wondering if I should send her for a psych eval.”
“I thought she only had allergies.”
“She did, but she started talking, and...” He sighed, jumped in. “You don't believe Cassie's a witch, do you? Please say you don't.”
But Eve hesitated, her hand freezing mid-air as she filed charts.
“Eve?”
“If it makes you feel better, I think Cassie's only ever used her magic for good.”
Sam's eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Do I need to have you evaluated too?”
The receptionist grimaced as she stood up from her chair. “I'm sorry, I keep forgetting you wouldn't know about the Merriwicks. Everyone was probably too polite to say anything since you're friends with Cassie. As for Ms. Perkins, well, that's never been her problem...”
“Hold on, still wrapping my head around this...” Sam paced in a small circle while Eve looked on apologetically. “My receptionist believes in magic. And witches.”
“Dr. Radford, I know this is hard for a newcomer to understand. But you can't grow up in Middleton and not believe in witches. There's magic everywhere. Anyone who's been here long enough just...accepts it, even welcomes it. Frankly I'm sure people like Ms. Perkins will give up soon enough, because that's not how things are done here.” She gave her boss a sympathetic smile. “I'm not intuitive like a Merriwick, but something tells me you'll believe too. One day.”
Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Yeah, not happening. I'll never be that much of a Middletonian.”
The next day, Sam arrived home to find Nick and Grace studying in the living room. He smiled, grateful for the effect Grace had on his son. Maybe it wasn't magic, but she certainly was a miracle-worker...just like her mom.
“Hey, you two,” Sam greeted, putting his jacket over a chair. “I'm thinking takeout for dinner. Grace, you're welcome to stay.”
Grace's smile didn't reach her eyes. “Thanks, Sam. But uh, I'm kind of tired, so I think I'll go home as soon as we finish these notecards.”
“You should stay, Grace,” Nick insisted, glancing over with concern. “If you go home, you'll end up looking at your phone the whole time. That's the last thing you need.”
“Nick...” Grace nodded at Sam, warning against bringing him into it.
But Sam had already picked up on the exchange. His mind flew back to April and her comment about the high school. “What's going on? Everything okay?”
Even though Grace was still glaring at Nick, he went into an explanation for his father. “These girls at school started a nasty rumor about Grace because I hang out with her. Now it's gotten way out of hand and people are saying stuff about her family too. I swear you'd think we moved on from the Salem Witch Trials by now, even a small town like this one...”
“Nice to know you paid attention in history,” Sam commented softly.
Meanwhile, Grace stared at Sam, a sudden understanding in her expression. “You already knew, didn't you? Someone told you.”
“Unfortunately,” Sam replied with a sigh. “A patient of mine has kids in your school. I'm sorry you're going through this, Grace. Honestly it's unsettling for me too. The idea that people, even grown adults, would let Halloween get to their heads like this...”
Grace turned away from him as she wiped at a tear. “I-It's not just Halloween. It's...being a Merriwick, living in Grey House. I know people have always whispered about my mom, even Abigail since she moved to town. Before, I'd ask...what's the big deal? So what if people think we're witches? But now I get why it made my mom so upset.”
Nick's eyes widened. “Oh man, Grace, I'm sorry. I had no idea it ran that deep.”
Suddenly embarrassed, Grace packed up her books and tossed her bag over her shoulder. “I shouldn't have said anything. Sam, please don't mention this to her.” With one last backwards glance to make sure Sam heard her, she ran out the door.
After a second, Nick turned to his father. “Wow.”
“I know. Small towns do have their downsides...but we're not leaving, so don't get any ideas.”
“Man, things have really changed,” Nick said. “Until you mentioned it, I didn't even think of that. What I am thinking might be even worse.”
Sam indicated for him to continue.
“I was finally starting to like this place, and it really let me down.”
Seriously, did the good people of Middleton not realize it was the twenty-first century?
Sam tried not to glare at passerby as he walked to The Bistro the next day, his thoughts hostile towards his fellow townsfolk. He wondered how many of them had whispered behind Cassie, Abigail and even Grace's back, discussing those Merriwicks to spice up their boring lives. It burned him even more when he realized Cassie probably helped most of those people at one time or another.
When he entered the cafe and saw Stephanie, it ebbed his temper to remind him that even with the rumors, Cassie had a lot of loyal friends. Including Eve – who simply accepted witches as part of daily life in Middleton. He still couldn't get over that.
It made him curious to see what Stephanie believed, as one of Cassie's best friends.
He purposely took lunch late to avoid the rush and found a table near the back. The entire section of the restaurant was empty. As he'd anticipated, Stephanie arrived to take his order herself, a friendly smile on her face. “Hey Sam, late lunch today?”
“Yeah, um...I sort of wanted to talk to you.” He indicated the seat across from him. “Do you have a minute? It's...about Cassie.”
Stephanie instantly frowned with concern. “This sounds serious. Let me put in your order and we'll talk.”
Ten minutes later he'd started on a burger and fries, while Stephanie took a seat across from him. “This is delicious, as usual.”
“Thanks. Now what's going on with Cassie?”
“Nothing really, it's this town.” Sam couldn't hold back the exasperation in his reply, and Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “Someone basically accused Cassie of witchcraft the other day. And it wasn't a joke because of the holiday, she meant it. Middleton is a small town, but I'd expected you people to be more sophisticated than that!”
“We are, in most cases,” Stephanie retorted defensively. “But when it comes to magic, well, we're a little behind the times. Or ahead of them, depending on how you look at it.”
Sam stared at her. “Oh no, not you too.”
Taking pity on him, Stephanie leaned forward on the table, making sure no one was in earshot. “Look, do I believe Cassie casts spells and rides a broom through the night sky? Of course not.”
“Thank God.”
“But...and I wouldn't say this to anyone else...” Stephanie hesitated, her eyes darting around the room again. “Cassie does have a way of making things happen, of knowing things she couldn't possibly know. I've tried to bring it up with her before but...you know how she is, she gets everyone else to open up, then when it comes to her...”
“Yeah, I've noticed. For one thing, I've only recently found out her given name isn't Cassandra Nightingale...” He froze. “You did know that, right?”
“It's not?” Stephanie feigned shock for a brief, agonizing second, then burst into laughter at his face. “I've known for a long time, Sam. Relax. Tightly-wound, are we?”
Sam glared, unamused by her teasing. “You have no idea. My sanity's hanging on by a thread.”
“These rumors are really bothering you, huh?”
“Doesn't it bother you that people are saying this nonsense?”
“Sam, they've been saying it since Cassie first arrived in Middleton.” Sadness filled Stephanie's eyes at the thought. “I wasn't living here then, but from what I've heard...it got pretty bad.”
Sam glanced down at the table. “Someone told me she was almost run out of town.”
“Yeah. So as hurtful as it is, you just learn to tune it out after a while. People get bored and move on to the next hot topic. It's...it's better than the alternative.” Stephanie frowned at his disheartened expression. “I'm with you, okay? This will always be awful, and I hate that Grace was dragged into it this time. But you have to remember...those gossips don't matter. What matters is, Cassie and her family have a lot of friends in this town, and we will always be here to defend them.”
After Stephanie went back to work, Sam sat for a long time, his remaining burger going cold. Stephanie's advice made him realize how worked up he'd gotten over rumors. Strange rumors, but at their core, they were no different than colleagues back in New York gossiping about his divorce. To be fair though, those rumors never turned a town against him.
Still, regardless of the subject matter, Sam knew one thing he could do to help Cassie.
He could be her friend.
That night after dinner, Sam walked up to Grey House, pausing just outside the kitchen door. He was second-guessing his decision to talk with Cassie about this. Was Stephanie right? Would he just upset Cassie even more, by bringing it up when there was nothing they could do about it?
His hand raised to knock, Sam wondered if he should turn back around.
“Coming in, Sam?”
Despite his nerves, he smiled at the sound of Cassie's voice. That was a neat trick – not magic, but he'd never figure out how she did it. “Hi, Cassie,” he said as he walked in. Of course she already had cake and two plates set out. “Linda's not around, is she?” he whispered.
“Coast is clear,” Cassie whispered back, amused. “She's already up in her room for the night.”
“Good.” Thank goodness the rumor hadn't reached his ex-wife, and he'd do everything in his power to keep it that way. The very thought of Linda using it against him gave him a headache. Sam sat down at the counter island as Cassie cut them both slices. “Thanks. So, um...how's Grace doing? She didn't seem like herself when she was over yesterday.”
She stared down at her plate, her playful mood dimmed. “Grace is going through something at school. She'll be okay though, thanks for asking.”
“Cassie...I know what this is about.”
“Grace told you?”
“Sort of.” Sam hesitated, choosing his next words carefully. “I'm sorry that people are still so...backwards in this day and age. My son was right, the Salem Witch Trials were a long time ago. It boggles my mind how anyone can actually believe you and your family are witches. Especially when you're so kind and helpful to everyone around you.”
Cassie was quiet for a minute. “Thank you, but one doesn't preclude the other.”
“What?”
“Someone can be a witch, and also kind or helpful.” At his disbelief, she quickly added, “I just mean it's possible.”
Even though he'd been trying to comfort her, Sam couldn't help reminding her of the obvious. “Actually it's not, because witches aren't real.”
“Ever hear of Wicca?”
“Those aren't the kind of witches I meant, and you know it.” They'd gone back to teasing, Sam noted, relieved she hadn't been offended. “Really, how can a whole town believe in magic? Eve filled me in that it's a Middleton thing. I'm sure it's probably a draw for tourists, but...there have to be some logical people here.”
Cassie grinned. “Most of us are.”
“I don't know how you can be so glib about it after...” He trailed off, biting his own tongue rather than dredge up bad memories for her.
He'd bitten his tongue for nothing, since she finished his sentence for him. “After they judged me when I first got here,” Cassie said knowingly. “I'll admit, Middleton and I had a rocky start. Things did reach a point where I thought I'd have to leave. It wouldn't have been the first time, though. In one of the more remote places I've stayed, I was almost burned at the stake.”
Sam's jaw dropped as he processed her confession, one that would probably give him nightmares. “My God, Cassie.”
“Grace doesn't even know that story.” A wave of emotion passed over her face, but she ruthlessly fought it back. “People are afraid of what they can't explain, Sam. And I've always been...different. My only regret is not preparing Grace as well as I should have. Between losing Jake, and feeling so accepted in Middleton...I let my guard down. I allowed myself to believe it wouldn't happen to her.”
Sam jumped up to hug her, holding Cassie in his arms while she put her head on his shoulder. It broke his heart when she tried to hide her tears from him. “None of this is your fault,” he insisted. “There's nothing you can do, or not do, to prevent people from being...people.”
In the back of his mind, Sam wondered if this was a subconscious reason she went out of her way to make others happy. A deeply-rooted fear that the public could turn on her at any moment. It made him sick to his stomach – especially when he remembered his own behavior. “Middleton loves you. They would even if you didn't solve all their problems. You know what else Eve told me? She said this campaign against your family isn't how things work here. That true Middetonians know better.”
“Thank you...” Cassie pulled away, her eyes dry again as she looked up at him. The air sizzled between them and for a second they leaned in...
Catching themselves, they both shook their heads and took a step back. “I, uh, better get going,” Sam said quickly. “There's some work I need to catch up on at home. Thanks for the cake.”
“Take this, I've wrapped up a piece for Nick.” She paused as she picked up the container from the counter, realizing she shouldn't have known Sam would be there. “I...was going to have Grace bring it over. Since they walk to school together.”
Sam gave her a reassuring smile as he took the container. “Right. Good night, Cassie.”
Her own, happy smile made him glad he'd stopped by. “Have a good night, Sam.”
The day after their talk, Cassie walked into Sam's office right before lunch time, carrying two takeout boxes from The Bistro. Again, Sam and Eve were the only ones in the reception area. “Special delivery,” she said brightly, with no trace of the previous night's discussion. “Lunch is on me today.”
“You didn't have to do that,” Sam insisted.
Eve smirked as she took one of the boxes. “Speak for yourself, Dr. Radford. I forgot my wallet at home today so it would have been a real pain to go all the way...back...” She trailed off and smiled wide at Cassie. “Thank you. We're lucky you decided to treat us today.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” Cassie said, returning Eve's grin. “I wanted to thank you, actually. For being my friend.”
Confusion, then realization, swept over Eve's face. Finally it turned red with embarrassment. “Oh no. Dr. Radford told you...Cassie, I didn't mean...”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Cassie assured her. “In fact, you helped remind me what it means to be a Middletonian. At a time when I really needed the reminder.” She stepped back towards the door. “Well, my shop calls. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Thanks, Cassie.” Sam took one of the boxes while perplexed Eve watched Cassie go out the door, processing the exchange. “Yum, she got my favorite sandwich.”
Meanwhile, Eve fell back into her chair. “Cassie Nightingale knows I believe in magic.”
“Well, you said it yourself. Isn't that how things work in Middleton?” The takeout box in his hand, Sam chuckled on the way back towards his office.
Maybe he could get used to this. One day.