Chapter one

Ruthie

It had been a long time since Ruthie last saw Martin Brewer. He had broken her heart when she was only sixteen. Ruthie left for Scotland not long after, and then returned home to be with the Rev.

Once Eric got the OK from the doctors, Ruthie decided to return to Scotland. That's where she had spent the last 3 years, studying poetry. She was now on her way back to Glen Oak, California, for good this time.

As Ruthie got off the plane and was walking into the terminal, her phone rang. As she pulled it out, she walked into an extremely fit, tan guy, with dark hair and mesmerizing green eyes. As she fell back, the stranger caught her by the arm.

"I'm so sor-" she trailed off. Standing there, eye level with Ruthie Camden was none other than Martin Brewer, smiling at her. She couldn't move. It was as if time had stopped. She could feel her heart beating faster and her palms get sweaty. She felt like that 16 year-old girl again. Why did this particular guy always have this affect on her?

As they stood there, Martin's grasp still firm around her, neither spoke. After a while Ruthie decided to break the silence.

"I think you can let go now." She said, looking down at her arm.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He replied sheepishly, barely breaking his gaze.

"That's all right." She paused, then continued, "I'm sorry for bumping into you."

"Not a problem." He gestured to the bags, "Do you need help with those?" Before she could respond, he lifted up her bags and turned to walk out.

"Wait a minute, where are you going" She asked, a little bit annoyed that he didn't give her a chance to say no.

"You're going to your parents house, right?" He asked, barely turning his head.

"well, yeah, but-" Again, she was cut off.

"Okay then. I'm heading over to my dad's. And since we're both going to practically the same place, there's no sense in you taking a cab. Unless someone's meeting you here…" He said. They had reached his car and he had already loaded the bags in the trunk. He turned to face her.

"Well no, but-"

"Great. It's settled then." He flashed that heart-melting smile of his and closed the door.

As he walked around to the passenger's side to open her door, Ruthie tried to figure out what she had just agreed to. She was still so flustered from running into him again after all these years.

Martin

She walked over to where he was and got in the car. He shut the door and walked around to get in the drivers side. As they pulled out of the airport parking lot, He looked over at her. He remembered the phone conversation he had with the rev. last week. Martin wondered how it was possible she was single. She was gorgeous. Ruthie Camden wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a woman.

He shook his head, remembering how she had told him she loved him and he had blown it. I love you. As a friend. He then recalled when he had asked her out only to be turned down. She claimed she was in love with T-bone.

"So how was life in Scotland?" He said, keeping his eyes on the road.

Ruthie studied him. She wondered how he knew she had been in Scotland all this time. She figured her dad had kept him informed.

"Scotland was Scotland. I'm just happy to be home" He seemed to think about this.

"You're staying for good?" He said, trying to keep his cool. He didn't want to show too much excitement, only to get his heart broken.

"I think so. I love Glen Oak, and even though my family drives me crazy, this is where I want to be."

"Want to be?" He said, finally looking over at her. She was looking back at him and after a few seconds he quickly turned his head back to the road.

"I want to start a family here." She replied softly.

They pulled into Martin's driveway and he again turned to look at her. She was beautiful. Her curly brown hair hung at her shoulders and her brown eyes were staring at him intensely. He took a deep breath. I'm still in love with Ruthie Camden. He thought. What am I getting myself into?