Chapter Text
Lori Mills sat with her eldest daughter enjoying her cup of coffee and all bran muffin, “So, are you coming with me to pick out a wedding dress?”
“Sure Mama,” Abbie answered, barely looking up from her cellphone to answer the question. Abigail Mills had been Sleepy Hollow’s sheriff for the last five years. The town and it’s issues, took up most of her time…and attention, “What day is your appointment?”
“Next Tuesday,” Lori let go a long breath, clearly exacerbated, “Will you put that phone down please? I don’t get to see you often enough as it is and when I do, I’d like to look in your eyes!”
Abbie put the phone down, chagrined, but face up Lori noticed, “I’m sorry Mama. Just some things at the station. I’m all yours now.” Abbie smiled at her mother. Lori Mills was in her early seventies, but still healthy and vibrant. She ate a vegan diet – which Abbie tried for a week to appease her beloved Mama and almost ended up killing someone…well…not literally, Abbie conceded - but it sure felt like it. Lori was looking forward to her vows renewal ceremony with her husband of fifty years, Ezra Mills.
“Who are you bringing to the wedding?” Lori asked and Abbie internally groaned. Lori knew damn well that Abbie wasn’t dating anyone and hadn’t dated anyone in – more years than she wanted to count, “Why do I have to bring anyone to the wedding? You’ll have me and Jenny there, isn’t that enough?” Abbie put on her best “sweet daughter” face - the same one that had worked on and off for the better part of fifty years.
“No that’s not enough,” Lori answered, swatting at Abbie’s hand, “You’re too young yet for things to dry up for you.”
Abbie almost choked on her coffee, “Dry up?”
“I said what I said,” Lori answered, wholly unbothered.
“Mama,” Abbie started, “Men my age aren’t exactly interested in dating a gun-toting Sheriff. Besides, I spend most of my time working. This town take up a lot of my energy. It’s not like there are a lot of men my age around here anyway and I’m not interested in being a cougar.” Abbie knew there was a man who was interested in her, but she couldn’t bring herself to date the landscaper who had to be at least a good ten or fifteen years younger. Abbie didn’t have a problem with the age difference on principle, but life experience mattered.
“That’s just an excuse and you know it.” Lori countered.
“Mama-“ Abbie’s retort was barely started when she stopped, staring. Sitting next to Abbie, Lori could see what – or more to the point who – had caught her daughter’s attention as he came into the coffee shop. He was tall, maybe a foot taller than Abbie, with wavy, short hair that was fully grey at the temples and a beard. Even Lori had to smile at how he fished out frameless reading glasses from his shirt pocket to make his order – a large tea and an apple-walnut muffin to go. The dark wash jeans and blue button down, long sleeve shirt brought out the color of his eyes, caught in the sunlight as he turned to look around the coffee shop. Lori didn’t miss his double take at Abbie but he turned around quickly to accept his order and turn over the cash to Jenny at the register. The man lifted his brown leather satchel more firmly onto his shoulder and turned to leave, making sure to do so in a way that gave him another full view of Abbie, his smile soft as he opened the coffee shop door and went out into the bright day.
Lori’s smirk was knowing as she looked over at her daughter, “Well wasn’t that interesting?”
“What?” Abbie asked, taking a final sip of her coffee.
“That,” Lori shook her head. Abbie wasn’t stupid, she knew what Lori meant.
Abbie abruptly picked up her phone and stood, “I have to get back to the station, Mama” Abbie bent over and kissed Lori on the cheek, “I’ll be there on Tuesday. Just text me the time.”
“Okay, baby. Be safe out there,” Lori wouldn’t pretend that she wasn’t incredibly proud of her daughter, but that didn’t mean she didn’t worry.
“I will. I promise,” Abbie waved to her sister on her way out.
Lori waited for Jenny to finish with the last customer in line and made her way to the counter, “Jenny, who was that man?”
“What man, mama?” Jenny owned the coffee shop with her husband Joe. The two married over twenty years ago and were the proud parents of teenage twin boys – the light of Lori’s world. If it weren’t for Jenny, Lori and Ezra wouldn’t even have grandchildren, seeing as Abbie wouldn’t even keep a damn dog, “The tall, graying man with the reading glasses.”
“Oh, you mean the large tea and apple-walnut muffin to go?” Jenny asked, “I don’t know his name, but he must be new in town. He’s English if his accent is anything to go by.”
“Well, find out the next time he comes in,” Lori insisted.
“Why and what makes you think he’ll come in again?”
“He passed two Starbucks to come here,” Lori’s lips pursed with her dry observation, “He’ll be back. And as to the why: I haven’t seen Abbie react like that to a man in fifteen years and he didn’t seem blind to her charms either.” Lori said, resting her elbows on the counter, “I just may get your sister a date for this wedding yet.”