Chapter 1-
Caitlin Seager Lowe stepped off the plane. She shook her head. This was most certainly not the way she had imagined her life to be. She was twenty-three years old, and she had her career. She was one of the best photographers in the country. She had traveled the world. But for some reason, she always ended up back here. She remembered her years here as a teenager, hanging out with friends, and riding Bandit. When she was first given the ultimatum when she was fifteen, that she could either move to Montana, or go to jail, she had at one point thought jail was the better plan. But now, eight years later, she was so very grateful to Jim and Dori. They had taken her in, and been parent's to her, then they adopted her when she was seventeen.
"Caitlin, over here!" She heard her name being called.
"Mom!" She ran over to her and wrapped her arms around Dori. She had called her mom since before Dori and Jim had adopted her. She also called Jim dad. They all hadn't seen each other since Christmas. Dori hugged Cailtin tightly, trying not to cry. Caitlin had been like a daughter to Dori and Jim. They couldn't have loved her more if she was their own child.
"I'm so glad you decided to move back. It just hasn't been the same here without you." Dori said, letting go of Caitlin to go help with Caitlin's luggage. "I'm also sorry about Mark. I never thought he would do something like that. When I think about it I-"
"Yeah, well, I try NOT to think about it." Caitlin said, cutting Dori off.
"Oh Caitlin, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories."
"Don't worry about it." Caitlin shrugged.
Caitlin climbed in the jeep beside Dori. "So, how have things been here?" Caitlin asked.
"Oh, same old, same old. Brett, Eric and Griffin still hang out all day after work doing, well, nothing. And Jim and I are fine."
"Oh, well. I'm sure now that I'm back there will be more excitment in this town." Caitlin said, grinning. They pulled up to the house, and Caitlin got out of the jeep.
"Home, sweet home." She said, grabbing some of her bags. She walked inside with Dori beinhs her, holding the rest of her bags.
"Hey Caitlin! How are you?" Jim said, hugging Caitlin.
"Hey dad. I'm good." She lied, trying to smile. "And how are you?"
"Same old, same old." He shrugged, leading her into the kitchen after setting her bags down.
"Hey everyone." Caitlin said, smiling at Eric, Griffin, and Brett.
"Hey Caitlin! We heard you were coming back today! So, what's up? And why'd you finally decide to bless this town with your presence?" Eric asked, taking a drink of his pepsi.
Caitlin laughed. "Well, as far as 'what's up' work. Lot's of it. And that's partially why I came back. Uh, well, Montana has some great shots, you know, for pictures, and stuff, and well, I actually missed it here. And that's why I'm moving back." She smiled at everyone's expressions.
"You're moving back? Honey, that's wonderful!" Dori cried, hugging Caitlin once again.
"Wow! That's cool Caitlin." Griffin said.
"Yeah, well, tomorrow I'm going to get in touch with a real estate broker and find a place. I doubt they have any skyrise apartment with a view around here." Caitlin smiled.
"Nope, that they don't have." Brett laughed.
"Yeah, well, I guess it's going to have to be a house then. I just didn't really want to live in a house by myself." Caitlin said.
"Well, uh, actually, I'm looking for a roomate. You interested?" Eric asked.
"Has your place been shut down by the board of health yet, or not?" Caitlin said sarcastically. She was suprised that Eric was offering to let her live in his place as a roomate, but she wasn't about to let him know that.
"No, actually, it hasn't. But don't worry, I'm sure it will be soon." Eric replied with equal sarcasm in his voice. "But I'm serious. At least think about it, ok?"
Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Well, would you mind if I took a look at the place before I signed some contract holding me to that agreement first?"
"No problem. I'll pick you up tomorrow and we can go for lunch, then I'll show you my place, ok?" 'God, that sounded like such a line' he thought, mentally kicking himself.
"Sure." Caitlin said, the humor apparent in her eyes.
"So, uh, I guess that takes care of the whole housing problem, so, uh, what about work? I mean, how are you going to get your pictures to publishers?" Jim asked, interuptting the conversation between Caitlin and Eric.
"Oh, that's no problem at all. I have to go to New York a couple of times a month, and see the publisher. I'll probally go on the weekends to give him the pics." She replied, trying to block out the bad memories of New York, and her ex-fiance.
"So, is anyone up for dinner? My treat!" Jim said, smiling. "And it's in celebration of Caitlin moving back here!"
Caitlin and Griffin looked at each other, and replied, "Let's go!" at the same time, and headed out the door to Griffin's car.
Caitlin Seager Lowe stepped off the plane. She shook her head. This was most certainly not the way she had imagined her life to be. She was twenty-three years old, and she had her career. She was one of the best photographers in the country. She had traveled the world. But for some reason, she always ended up back here. She remembered her years here as a teenager, hanging out with friends, and riding Bandit. When she was first given the ultimatum when she was fifteen, that she could either move to Montana, or go to jail, she had at one point thought jail was the better plan. But now, eight years later, she was so very grateful to Jim and Dori. They had taken her in, and been parent's to her, then they adopted her when she was seventeen.
"Caitlin, over here!" She heard her name being called.
"Mom!" She ran over to her and wrapped her arms around Dori. She had called her mom since before Dori and Jim had adopted her. She also called Jim dad. They all hadn't seen each other since Christmas. Dori hugged Cailtin tightly, trying not to cry. Caitlin had been like a daughter to Dori and Jim. They couldn't have loved her more if she was their own child.
"I'm so glad you decided to move back. It just hasn't been the same here without you." Dori said, letting go of Caitlin to go help with Caitlin's luggage. "I'm also sorry about Mark. I never thought he would do something like that. When I think about it I-"
"Yeah, well, I try NOT to think about it." Caitlin said, cutting Dori off.
"Oh Caitlin, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories."
"Don't worry about it." Caitlin shrugged.
Caitlin climbed in the jeep beside Dori. "So, how have things been here?" Caitlin asked.
"Oh, same old, same old. Brett, Eric and Griffin still hang out all day after work doing, well, nothing. And Jim and I are fine."
"Oh, well. I'm sure now that I'm back there will be more excitment in this town." Caitlin said, grinning. They pulled up to the house, and Caitlin got out of the jeep.
"Home, sweet home." She said, grabbing some of her bags. She walked inside with Dori beinhs her, holding the rest of her bags.
"Hey Caitlin! How are you?" Jim said, hugging Caitlin.
"Hey dad. I'm good." She lied, trying to smile. "And how are you?"
"Same old, same old." He shrugged, leading her into the kitchen after setting her bags down.
"Hey everyone." Caitlin said, smiling at Eric, Griffin, and Brett.
"Hey Caitlin! We heard you were coming back today! So, what's up? And why'd you finally decide to bless this town with your presence?" Eric asked, taking a drink of his pepsi.
Caitlin laughed. "Well, as far as 'what's up' work. Lot's of it. And that's partially why I came back. Uh, well, Montana has some great shots, you know, for pictures, and stuff, and well, I actually missed it here. And that's why I'm moving back." She smiled at everyone's expressions.
"You're moving back? Honey, that's wonderful!" Dori cried, hugging Caitlin once again.
"Wow! That's cool Caitlin." Griffin said.
"Yeah, well, tomorrow I'm going to get in touch with a real estate broker and find a place. I doubt they have any skyrise apartment with a view around here." Caitlin smiled.
"Nope, that they don't have." Brett laughed.
"Yeah, well, I guess it's going to have to be a house then. I just didn't really want to live in a house by myself." Caitlin said.
"Well, uh, actually, I'm looking for a roomate. You interested?" Eric asked.
"Has your place been shut down by the board of health yet, or not?" Caitlin said sarcastically. She was suprised that Eric was offering to let her live in his place as a roomate, but she wasn't about to let him know that.
"No, actually, it hasn't. But don't worry, I'm sure it will be soon." Eric replied with equal sarcasm in his voice. "But I'm serious. At least think about it, ok?"
Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Well, would you mind if I took a look at the place before I signed some contract holding me to that agreement first?"
"No problem. I'll pick you up tomorrow and we can go for lunch, then I'll show you my place, ok?" 'God, that sounded like such a line' he thought, mentally kicking himself.
"Sure." Caitlin said, the humor apparent in her eyes.
"So, uh, I guess that takes care of the whole housing problem, so, uh, what about work? I mean, how are you going to get your pictures to publishers?" Jim asked, interuptting the conversation between Caitlin and Eric.
"Oh, that's no problem at all. I have to go to New York a couple of times a month, and see the publisher. I'll probally go on the weekends to give him the pics." She replied, trying to block out the bad memories of New York, and her ex-fiance.
"So, is anyone up for dinner? My treat!" Jim said, smiling. "And it's in celebration of Caitlin moving back here!"
Caitlin and Griffin looked at each other, and replied, "Let's go!" at the same time, and headed out the door to Griffin's car.