Together Forever

Caitlin looks like she's marrying Antonio Banderas

Book Series:                Caitlin: The Forever Trilogy #3
Title:                            Together Forever
Publishing Date:         1988
Author:                        Francine Pascal
Publisher:                    Bantam Books, Inc.
Point of View:             Third Person, omnipotent
Chapter Count:           16
Page Count:               200

Chapter 1- Caitlin models her wedding gown for Melanie who squees with anticipation. Now that Melanie is safely paired off with Howard and totally over Laurence, Caitlin can focus on her upcoming wedding to Jed. Her trousseau is all ready, (how adorably old-fashioned!) the honeymoon trip to Hawaii booked. Now, Caitlin must change and be off to meet Jed. He's taking her to a horse auction.

Chapter 2- At the auction, Jed has his eye on the prize Thoroughbred, Magic Man. He's set on buying him for Caitlin as a wedding present. Trouble arises, though, when Jed and Caitlin are warned that rich and powerful Avil Horton also has his eye on Magic Man. Jed outbids him and the horse is sold for one million, one hundred thousand dollars. Avil Horton tells them they'll regret this. Look out Jed!  

Chapter 3- Avil Horton pays a call at Ryan Acres the following evening but Jed and Caitlin refuse to be intimidated by his threats and offers. Magic Man is not for sale. They have big plans next season to enter him in the Dogwood Cup and take Ryan Acres to new business heights as a racing and breeding estate.
Avil leaves and the happy couple visits their new horse, getting settled in his temporary quarters until the new stable is complete (after the fire that occurred in the last book). They've hired a trainer, now they need to find a good jockey.

Chapter 4- Preparations for the wedding are underway. The flowers have been ordered, a reception tent will be erected on the vast manicured lawn, but Jed is disturbed by a phone call. His mother wants to come for the wedding. He hasn't seen her since she abandoned the family and ran off with another man; hasn't been a part of Jed's life since; not even a birthday card. He's understandably reticent about allowing her back. Caitlin thinks he should give her a chance.
Apparently, Caitlin is a B-list celebrity. Her wedding planner has assured her there will be security to prevent the paparazzi from taking any unwanted photos today, the day of the wedding. The folding chairs have been arranged in the living room of the mansion where Caitlin's father will walk her down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon in D, all her guests have arrived, Jed is looking handsomer than ever in his tux. He flashes his crooked smile as waits for her at the front of the room and Caitlin feels like the luckiest woman in the world.
It's a Disney princess wedding! With her poofy gown of ivory satin billowing  all around her, a long chapel-length train, wearing something "old" her mother's pearls, and something "new," her wedding dress, while a friend's garter on loan covers "borrowed and blue." She has a penny in her shoe for luck. Caitlin and Jed stand before the minister and exchange their vows. Her ring is a circlet of tiny diamonds set in gold. Lifting her veil, Jed kisses her. And so they were married.
The wedding luncheon consists of veal in apricot sauce, artichoke hearts and baby vegetables. Guests dance and guzzle champagne. Jed and Caitlin cut into their five-tier wedding cake while a photographer snaps pictures.
Upstairs, Melanie helps Caitlin change into her honeymoon travel outfit, a yellow linen suit. Neither can hardly believe that Caitlin and Jed actually did it. She's a married woman now and when she returns, this room she grew up in will no longer be hers. Jed and Caitlin will share a master suite of their own in another wing of the house as a married couple just as soon as they get back from Hawaii. 

Chapter 5- The reader is spared all the gory details of the wedding night. (Boo! Fail Ghostwriter!) Instead, the chapter opens on a beach scene where Jed and Caitlin are lying out on the sand. Jed trails kisses along Caitlin's neck then pulls her into the surf where she laughs as they fall into the water and Jed kisses her.
The last three days have been like a dream. Jed wants to go surfing one last time tomorrow before they leave but Caitlin is adamant. Surfing is dangerous and she really wants Jed to stop risking his life. Angry at his wife's paranoia, Jed refuses. He's going out there. Reminding herself Ryan Acres is hours away from the nearest beach, Caitlin sighs and lets him go.

Chapter 6- Caitlin is pleased to learn, as president of Ryan Mining, her actions to improve equipment and conditions at the mines are making a difference. She can also work from home and has set up an office for herself at the mansion. Jed finds her for lunch and presents her with a beautiful jeweled necklace in celebration of their one-month anniversary. Caitlin is touched.
By October, the new stable boy, Johnny, has been put in charge of caring for Magic Man. He's a good, dependable young man with red hair who loves horses. Johnny came highly recommended by the trainer who also suggests Jed hire another young man, Red Meyers, as the new jockey. Johnny is troubled hearing that name. According to the workers at the his last job, Red Meyers is nothing but trouble. Johnny hopes Jed will use good judgement.

Chapter 7- Six weeks have passed since the wedding and Caitlin is already pregnant. She's thrilled to be having Jed's baby. She hasn't told him yet, she's waiting for the right moment to surprise him, like over dinner tonight. Caitlin talks to the cook and arranges for all of Jed's favorite foods to be served, then, when Jed notices she's not drinking any wine, she'll give him the news.
But Jed drops his own bomb at lunch. There's a surfing competition this weekend at Virginia Beach and, to Caitlin's horror, he's entering. For one minute she's tempted to tell him about the baby to stop him from going but decides to wait until next week. Let Jed have one last fling with his surfboard, then, when he learns he going to be a father, he'll give up the sport once and for all.
Alarmed by the high waves and emergency vehicles parked near the beach on the day of the surfing competition, Caitlin tries one last time to talk Jed out of it but he's determined. Catching a wave, Jed is the crowd favorite and they cheer him on while Caitlin proudly brags that's HER hubby out there. It looks like Jed's going to win but Caitlin's foreboding proves right as Jed wipes out and disappears under the water. Caitlin screams from the shore as the crowd erupts in shock and admiration. Jed had so much potential.

Chapter 8- Caitlin rides in the ambulance with a semi-conscious Jed. He's admitted and Caitlin fills out all the forms, clinging to hope that Jed will be okay. But Jed is far from okay. He can't feel his legs. The doctor soberly informs them Jed is paralyzed from the shoulders down. He'll never walk again. Caitlin wants nothing but to be at Jed's side. The doctor discourages this saying Caitlin and Jed need some time apart, to let the reality sink in. Remembering Melanie, Caitlin starts calling the family to inform them of the accident. Melanie cries. Her father promises to make some calls himself to other doctors who specialize in Jed's condition. Caitlin's last call is to Mrs. Katherine Michaels (who apparently never married the man she ran off with).

Chapter 9- Caitlin tries to visit Jed who just stares at the ceiling of his hospital room and won't talk until he finally yells at her to go away and leave him alone. Caitlin calls a cab to take her back to the beach so she can retrieve the car. Someone left Jed's surfboard leaning against the vehicle. Caitlin heaves it onto the sand before driving away. She never wants to see another surfboard again. She drives back to Ryan Acres where Howard and Melanie are anxiously awaiting the latest news. They pour Caitlin a drink which she accepts, taking a sip, before remembering the baby. 
Upstairs, Caitlin finds one of Jed's pajama tops in his dressing room and falls asleep wearing that instead of one of her own nightgowns. Next morning she and Melanie return to the hospital where Jed refuses to talk to either of them. Melanie weeps at the change in her brother. He's so depressed and despondent.
Then Mrs. Michaels shows up. Caitlin is glad to meet her but Jed won't see her. Caitlin leads her mother-in-law to a chair in the waiting room where they talk. Caitlin brings her back to Ryan Acres, to the dismay of Melanie, who screams her indignation and storms out of the room. Caitlin tries to talk to her but Melanie makes a good point: her mother has had no part of her life since she chose to abandon her children and commit adultery, she's made her bed, now she can lie in it.
Dr. Westlake comes to the house to talk to Caitlin who introduces him to Mrs. Michaels. The two parents find they have much in common, since they had no part of their children's lives until they were much older (except one could've contacted her children any time while the other never knew his boys could swim). Gordon Westlake tells Caitlin he knows of a doctor who can help Jed.
Jed phones the house to speak to Caitlin. He wants her to come see him tomorrow so they can talk. That's all.

Chapter 10- Filled with happiness, Caitlin enters Jed's hospital room carrying flowers but Jed tells her not to bother sitting down. This won't take long. He wants an annulment so she can move on and find another man, whole and healthy, who can take care of her and make her happy; he obviously can't, not in his present condition. Caitlin is shocked and angry at Jed's self-pity. Jed screams at her again to go away. Backing slowly away from the bed, blinking back tears, Caitlin honors Jed's request and leaves the room.
Johnny is sorry to learn of his employer's accident. More determined than ever to find a way to stop the new jockey, Red, from making any trouble with Magic Man, he overhears Red agreeing to a suspicious deal over the phone. Red sees him and Johnny knows he's in trouble. The trainer approaches Johnny later that day to warn him about making trouble for their trusted jockey, the best in the area, well-liked and trusted by Mr. and Mrs. Michaels. If he hears Johnny making trouble for Red, he's going to fire him. Realizing he can't confide in anyone, Johnny nods. He'll keep quiet, watch his back and find a way to prove Red's deception.

Chapter 11- Apparently, six years have passed since Promise Trilogy #3, A New Promise because Dr. Westlake has learned of a doctor in Boston with a new technology in microsurgery for spinal cord injuries and he's been training his protégé to do the all the surgeries. Both are willing to take Jed as their next patient but the young second year resident is none other than Julian Stokes! Hearing the name, Caitlin experiences a jolt. Her ex-boyfriend who seduced her into thinking she was in love with him so he could destroy her and Jed. How could she possibly trust him to perform a life-threatening surgery on her beloved husband without killing him? Her father tells her Julian has obviously changed, dedicated his life to helping others. He deserves a second chance.
Taking her father's advice, Caitlin flies to Boston to meet Julian who invites her into his office. He has indeed become a new man, proud of his humble family roots, deeply regretful of the lying, deceiving young man he once was but now he has a chance to make up for the hurt he caused Caitlin (from kissing her too much?). Just like that, Caitlin forgives him and will explain to Jed who will hopefully agree to undergo the surgery so he can be cured.

Chapter 12- Back at Ryan Acres, Caitlin is sharing the news about the surgery with Melanie and Mrs. Michaels when a legal courier comes knocking with an envelope for Caitlin. It's the annulment papers to end the marriage, signed Jed.
Furious, Caitlin marches into Jed's hospital room to chew him out. Jed tells her she'll see him in court, unless she'd rather get a divorce. Caitlin wants neither. She tells him about the risky surgery but when Jed learns Julian is the surgeon he absolutely refuses to go under the knife. No telling what Julian might do to him. Desperate to convince him, Caitlin tells him she's pregnant. He's going to be a father. After a lengthy silence, Jed agrees to undergo the procedure but if it doesn't work, not only is their marriage over but Caitlin will get rid of the baby. (Implying she'll get an abortion. What a jerk!) Caitlin gulps and agrees to his terms.

Chapter 13- Jed is moved to the hospital in Boston. The surgery will be performed the following day. Caitlin is in turmoil. What if it doesn't work? Her father tells her to calm down and brings her some tea, if only to stop Caitlin from wearing a hole in the waiting room carpet with her pacing.
Julian finds them. The operation was a success. Jed has a very good chance of regaining the use of his legs. Caitlin takes his hand, thanking him profusely. Julian kisses her cheek.
Four days later, a happy Jed announces he can feel his toes. He's cured! It's a miracle! He'll still have to undergo months of physical therapy at Ryan Acres but he's on his way to a full recovery. He didn't mean what he said about the baby, he's good with being a husband and father now. Somehow the surgery also magically changed Jed's attitude toward his mother. He's forgiven her. He's ready to see her and let her be part of his life again. Caitlin claps her hands and weeps for joy.   

Chapter 14- It's a happy Thanksgiving at Ryan Acres with a recovering Jed, an ecstatic Caitlin, Melanie and Howard, Gordon Westlake and Mrs. Michael all in attendance.
Christmas arrives with a marriage proposal to Melanie from Howard which she accepts. Jed gives Caitlin an expensive chestnut filly for her Christmas present and a promise to take her dancing on New Year's Eve. He's ready to give up his walking canes and be a real man again. They see Mrs. Michaels off at the airport.
Magic Man is showing real promise as a racehorse. He's already won first place in the preliminary races. The Dogwood Cup will be held in July.
One June day, Caitlin and Jed are relaxing by the pool, speculating on names for the baby. Patting her enormous stomach, Caitlin decides if it's a boy they'll name him Jed but if it's a girl she'll be called Laura after her tragically dead grandmother.
On June 28th Caitlin gives birth to perfectly formed and healthy baby girl with dark, silky hair and adorable face. It's a sweet scene as Jed and Caitlin coo over their new little bundle of joy, their love stronger than ever.

Chapter 15- The day of the Dogwood Cup, Johnny happens to overhear Red making a deal with Avil Horton to deliberately throw the race in Avil's favor with a large amount of money promised to Red if he succeeds.
Figuring no one will believe him, Johnny takes matters into his own hands. Waiting until Red is alone, making his final preparations for the race, Johnny enters Red's dressing room and tells him to come with him to the men's room where he promptly knocks Red out and changes into his racing silks. Pulling the cap low over his head, it's very lucky for Johnny that he and Red both have the same hair color and physical build so he can impersonate Red, ride Magic Man and win the race.
The crowd cheers wildly as Johnny pulls Magic Man into a walk after crossing the finish line. Then he notices his superiors, waiting expectantly for him, but, to his relief, Jed and Mrs. Michaels aren't angry with him. 

Chapter 16- Somehow the entire plot was discovered during the race. Ryan Acres did not get disqualified for letting an unlicensed jockey ride illegally in the race and, thanks to lawyers, (and a lot of bribery) they were allowed to keep the cup and the purse while Avil Horton and Red Meyers won't be racing again for a long time. Johnny has a new job now as Magic Man's official racing jockey.
Ginny and Julian come to Ryan Acres for a visit. Everyone is glad there are no hard feelings anymore between any of them. Thanks to Caitlin's saint-like ability to forgive sins, Julian found the courage to ask Ginny to marry him. She accepted and now they're married. Caitlin and Jed are very happy for them. The future is looking bright for all. Group hug!
And everyone lived happily ever after.

THE END