Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D May indeed include fictional shops and stores.
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W
Chapter Thirty FourEric pulled the truck in front of the hardware store. He was just running into town to pick up some nails and a few other odds and ends for the ranch. It had been a busy summer. They had been running a lot of their cattle to shows all over Montana. The Anderson's had even managed to win a few ribbons. After quickly running through the aisles in the small hardware store, Eric found what he needed. He placed the bag of nails and a new hammer on the counter and charged them to their account.
As he stepped out of the store, Eric noticed a small crowd outside the Malt Shoppe. He couldn't imagine what the fuss was. Though it was the summer, he had never seen it this busy. When he had thrown his bag of stuff into the truck, Eric jogged over to the favorite hangout of most of the high school kids on their summer break. However, he was having a hard time seeing over top of the several people pushing into the building. "What's going on here?" he mumbled to himself.
A teenage girl must have overheard him and answered, "There is a movie going to be filmed just outside High River. And they're in the Malt Shoppe! Can you believe it?"
Eric began to clap frantically, joining in on the teenage frenzy. "Yeah!" he said facetiously, in a high-pitched feminine voice. "I can't wait!" The blonde haired girl rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the crowd that slowly inched forward. He frowned. A movie? He found it laughable. In fact he did laugh, out loud.
"What are you laughing about?" Caitlin asked, startling Eric.
He turned around and saw Caitlin standing in front of him with her famous camera hanging around her neck. She had started her position at the High River Bugle a week after graduation. It had kept her quite busy and on the road at times. He hardly ever saw her in between his job and hers. "It's just someone just said they're going to be making a film here! Can you believe how hokey that is? I bet it's not even worth seeing," Eric scoffed.
Caitlin shrugged. "It can't be that bad. They've got some pretty big name actors in it," she smiled.
Eric rolled his eyes. "Yeah, who?"
"Well Tate Bellmer from last year's big summer hit, Times Wasting. She's playing a city girl moving into a small town. She meets one of the local guys and falls in love. But the twist is, her ex-husband comes looking for her and wants her back," Caitlin explained the outline of the plot.
The movie had about as much intrigue and excitement as a bale of hay. "Are you kidding me? That sounds sad if you ask me," Eric sighed.
"Well it really doesn't matter when they found a way to get Sean Kevin to be the male lead!" Caitlin grinned.
Eric was ready to gag, as Caitlin became a puddle of goo at the name 'Sean Kevin', a big teen heartthrob. He didn't think she would fall for that Hollywood garbage. "Oh puh-lease," Eric groaned. "You like a guy with a two first names?"
Caitlin stuck out her tongue at him and he chuckled. "Oh, brother, for someone who just graduated high school, you have the maturity of 12 year old."
The fiery auburn glared at him. "Oh and you should talk? At least I'm not up all hours of the night with Griffin trying to beat that new computer game he got for grad."
Eric looked indignantly at Caitlin. "Hey, that's a college level computer challenge. Don't knock it until you've got the skills to beat it!"
They looked at each other for moment; a sudden silence surrounded them, and then burst out laughing. "Graduation doesn't really make us mature does it?" Caitlin asked, slipping her camera strap over her head.
Eric shook his head. "Are you here to get some pictures?" He pointed to the camera. Caitlin had already made her mark on High River with the sometimes stunning, comedic, or heart-tugging pictures. Eric had started a scrapbook of all of her in print shots and some of her first informative articles. The newspaper, run by one Jason Dark, had just begun putting her on some odds and ends pieces. Most of the time they ended up being fluff columns, about the community events that week, or what someone had done that weekend, but all of it interesting. Caitlin always managed to put a different spin on what could have been a mundane story.
"Yeah, they wanted me to get some shots for the weekend extra."
"Oh," Eric nodded. "Well, I guess if you're busy, I should let you get on with the excitement." He began to head towards his truck when he felt Caitlin's hand stop him. Eric turned around and frowned. "Yeah?"
Caitlin's brow creased and she bit her lip unconsciously. "Do you want to wait a minute? I'm almost finished. I just need to get a couple of pictures of the crowd outside the Malt Shoppe," she explained.
"Don't you have to get in there and take pictures of the 'stars'?" Eric asked sarcastically.
Caitlin rolled her eyes. "I've already gotten pictures of them in the Malt Shoppe. I was just coming out to take some wide end shots."
Eric's lips rounded into a 'oh'-shape and he nodded. "Yeah. I can wait, but I have to get back to the ranch soon," Eric said. "I just came into town to run a few errands."
Caitlin flashed him a beautiful smile. "No problem, I was hoping you'd give me a ride home anyway."
Eric tilted his head. "What happened to Griffin lending you his car?"
"It's in the shop."
"Oh. Well no problem." Eric watched quietly back at his truck, as Caitlin moved around the crowd, finding the perfect angle and lighting for her shot. She seemed so comfortable doing this.
"Okay, I'm done," she huffed as she jogged over. "I don't even need to go back to the office."
Eric grinned lazily and gestured to the passenger door. "Hop in then."
***
Caitlin was glad that she caught Eric when she did. They hadn't seen each other, except for the odd hello when she was heading out the door on an assignment and he was hanging out with Griffin. She missed talking with him and just being with him. There was this sort of ease she felt around him that she didn't have with most other people -- that, and the fact that she missed sparring with him in a battle of words and wit.
"So Caitlin, I heard you're entering a couple of your pictures in the upcoming Summer Arts Festival."
Caitlin sighed. "Yeah. Jason told me that I should do it, and with there being prize money, I think it might be worth it."
"Well I'm sure you're going to win," Eric said confidently. "You've got a great portfolio of photos to choose from."
Caitlin's brow furrowed and she felt her jaw drop. "Portfolio?" she said in disbelief. "When did you pick up photography? I thought the most you knew about the arts and stuff was the three primary colors and even that I wasn't sure about.
Eric glanced over at Caitlin and leered, laughing unamused. "Ha. Ha," Eric groaned. "That's so funny."
Caitlin laughed. "I'm kidding. Sort of," Caitlin teased. "But really, I didn't know the word 'portfolio' was in your vocabulary."
Eric smirked. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me," he said mischievously.
As he drove up the Lowes' driveway, Caitlin couldn't help but wish that the drive from town wasn't so short. "Um, so what are you doing now?"
Eric shrugged. "I have a couple more chores to finish up and then I'll probably either see if Griffin is off work and wants to do something."
Caitlin nodded feeling awkward for asking him the question. "Well, why don't you come in and see if Griffin's here, then you don't have to phone?" she suggested. Eric nodded and followed Caitlin into the house. "How has the ranch been doing anyway? I know from a few of the articles we've had in the paper, your cows are doing well on the show circuit."
"Cattle," Eric sighed. "I thought we went through this once before?"
Caitlin blushed. "Yeah, right. Cattle." She laughed and put her camera case on the kitchen counter. Dori was chopping vegetables on the island. Caitlin smiled as Dori looked up and noticed the two. "Hey," Caitlin greeted, grabbing a glass from the cupboards.
"Hey guys. I wasn't expecting you home so soon. Eric, are you looking for Griffin?"
Eric nodded. "Yeah, I was wondering if he was working today?"
Dori grimaced. "Yeah, he is," she said apologetically. "Mr. Adler needed him to work on his day off. And he'll be coming home late, too."
Eric shrugged. "That's okay," he smiled. "Can you just tell him to give me a call when he gets home?"
Dori nodded. "Sure. No problem."
Caitlin watched the exchange silently, not wanting to interrupt them. As she noticed Eric hedging toward the door, she put down her glass of apple juice and walked him to the door. "Well, I guess I'll see you around?" Caitlin chirped.
"Yeah," Eric nodded, "I'll see you around."
As he turned to leave, Caitlin stopped him. "Hey, I was thinking I might go take Bandit out for a workout. I haven't ridden her this week and I'm sure she's getting stir crazy."
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking of riding by your place?" Caitlin said hesitantly. "It's a nice ride and Bandit hasn't been out there for a while."
Eric smiled. "Sure. If you come by in about an hour, I should be done chores by then."
Caitlin leaned against the door. "Sure!" She watched Eric bound down the wooden steps and jump into his truck. Caitlin waved as he backed out of their driveway. She pressed her hands to her cheek; they were warm. As Caitlin felt her heart slow to its normal rhythm, she closed the door and went to the kitchen to get a few articles written up.
***
Eric yelled and called at the slow, thickheaded animals that were moving at a snails pace into the pen. He slid down out of his saddle and made sure the gate was latched tightly. In the last few days, the cattle had been getting out, and it usually took him a half an hour to wrangle them back in.
"Eric!" Mr. Anderson called.
Eric turned around and waved. "What?" he bellowed.
"Did you make sure the bullpens are secure?"
Eric rolled his eyes and waved dismissively. "Yeah Dad, I double checked the hatches."
The tall dark haired man whom Eric had known all his life nodded his satisfaction and gave him a thumbs-up sign. "Great. Your Mom and I are going to town tonight, do you think you can watch everything by yourself?"
"Dad," Eric groaned. "I've been doing this for like, what? Three years now? Duh!"
Mr. Anderson frowned. "You know I don't like it when you say those slang words!"
Eric snorted and turned back to the gate. "Whatever Dad!" he yelled, bending down and picking up Jasper's reigns.
"Well, with an attitude like that, no wonder you can't get a date with Caitlin," Mr. Anderson teased, placing his hands on his hips. "I mean Eric, you have to be a little more likeable than that."
Eric's eyes widened. What did his Dad just yell across their backyard? He swallowed. Slowly, Eric turned around and headed towards the house where his dad was waiting. "Uh, what did you say?"
"I sa-id," Mr. Anderson drawled. "That if you don't treat Caitlin nicer than that, she's never ever going to go out with you!"
Eric was freaking out. His head began to spin and there were no words to express how stunned, bewildered and speechless this made him. "Wh-aaat?" was all that Eric could manage.
His father patted him amusingly on the shoulder. "I'm just teasing you son," Mr. Anderson laughed. "Lighten up!" The man whom Eric had always admired turned on his heel and headed back to the house. Unexpectedly his father turned around and squinted, as if thinking about some deep thought. He chuckled. "Although after all that time you spent with her during the school year, I think I might take that back." His father grinned like the Cheshire cat. "By the way, are you expecting Caitlin this afternoon?" he asked casually, as he walked into the house and slid the patio door behind him.
Eric turned around and saw Caitlin riding with Bandit into their yard. He tipped his hat back and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his gloved hand. "Hey," Eric called, waving to the approaching rider. The sun was setting and it shone brightly into his eyes as he waited for Caitlin to dismount. He raised his arm to shield his eyes from the rays of the sun. As she slid off of Bandit, Eric tried to forget what his father had just said to him. He wasn't hanging around Caitlin so he could ask her out.
"Hey," Caitlin smiled as she led Bandit to the fence and wrapped her reins around the wooden frame. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was wearing jeans and a navy blue t-shirt.
"Uh, so do you want to head out?" Eric asked, trying to regain his composure.
Caitlin frowned curiously. "Are you all right?" she asked.
Eric looked over his shoulder back to the house. "Uh yeah!" he exclaimed. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Caitlin shrugged. "I don't know. You seem a little distracted," Caitlin said conspicuously.
Eric walked over to Jasper and patted him on the neck. "No, I'm good," Eric lied. He kept his eyes on Jasper, avoiding Caitlin's scrutinizing gaze. "Let's get going. We can probably get to Hunt's Hill before the sun sets." Eric swung his right leg over the saddle and nudged Jasper back with his heels.
Caitlin looked up at Eric briefly and then nodded. "Sure." Eric waited patiently as Caitlin unwrapped the reins and mounted Bandit. "Do you want to race?" Caitlin grinned mischievously.
Eric narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Ok-ay," he drawled, tightening his grip on the reins. Eric gave Jasper a swift kick as he yelled behind him, "Go!"
***
They sat still on their horses as they were grazing on the sweet green grass. Caitlin loved it up on this hill. She could see the Rockies from here. As she looked over at Eric, he was immersed in thought. Caitlin suspected he had something on his mind that he was too stubborn to talk with her about. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip. A reflective Eric was a quiet Eric.
Caitlin slid off Bandit and let the reins drop from her hand. "What are you thinking about?" Caitlin asked quietly.
Eric seemed startled by her voice, and surprised to see that Caitlin had dismounted from Bandit. "Uh, nothing. Just thinking."
Caitlin slowly strolled over to the peak of the hill and found a nice plush spot to sit down. "It just seems like you're contemplating something complex, like how to save the world or something," Caitlin explained softly.
She heard the soft rustle of the grass brushing up against Eric's legs. He sighed and sat down beside her. "It's just that…well, it's our last summer here," Eric explained. "And then we'll probably end up never seeing each other again."
Caitlin threw her head back and chuckled. "Are you kidding me?" she frowned, turning and nudging Eric with her shoulder. "I plan on coming home for the summer, for your information."
Eric shrugged. "Yeah, you say that now. And I'll admit, I'll even say that now, but you never know…" His voice trailed off. Once again he was deep in thought. Caitlin rolled her eyes, grabbed a handful of grass and scattered it on top of his head.
Eric grimaced and fell backward. "What are you doing?" he exclaimed, brushing the prickly green confetti Caitlin threw at him.
Caitlin stuck her tongue out at him. "You're being to serious again!" she declared. "Lighten up! It's summer and we're sitting on a hill with a great view of the mountains…" Eric studied her for a moment, which made Caitlin uncomfortable. "What?" she cried standoffishly.
A grin appeared on his face and suddenly a spray of green flew in front of her face. Eric got up and stood over her, pointing his finger down at her. "That's what you get for not liking my serious side," Eric joked.
Caitlin held up her hands in surrender. She looked down at her t-shirt, which was covered with grass. Some of which had fallen into her shirt. As she stood up, she gently flicked the clumps of grass that clung to her jeans and t-shirt. "What, did you steal from a lawn mower?" Eric must have had at least a few handfuls of grass in his hand, compared to her one. He always did feel the need to show her up.
"I like to think big!" Eric winked.
Caitlin rolled her eyes -- same old Eric. As she followed him down to the little stream that ran only a few feet from them, Caitlin couldn't help but glance over at Eric's serious face. "Can I ask you something?" Caitlin said quietly as she bent down and pulled a long blade of grass out of the ground.
Eric looked over at her and shrugged. "Sure, what is it?"
Caitlin swallowed hard. Should she even ask him? Just before she left the house, Caitlin decided she was tired of feeling awkward and unsure of herself when she was around Eric, especially in the feelings department. There were times she spent with Eric when it felt like they could have been dating. He would say something sweet to her or compliment her in a deeper meaningful way than a friend would.
She had been thinking about this since their kiss on the mountain. That kiss hadn't been a 'sudden impulse' it had been more deliberate. And though Eric thought she had put it behind her and forgotten it, Caitlin hadn't been able to. However, she hadn't been able to find the right time to bring it up. It and his feelings for her had been a subject long in coming, but due to their work schedules, Caitlin hadn't had time to talk to him about it. That and she would chicken out at the last minute.
But now Caitlin had the time and the opportunity to ask him a question that neither one of them were brave enough to ask. "What am I to you?"
