Chapter 3
"Carter." She said, wiping her eyes, hoping he wouldn't know she had been crying.
But he always knew. "Jamie, have you been crying?"
"No." Jamie replied, not wanting to look stupid in front of him.
"Look, Jamie." He started
"Landon, before we get into this, what are you doing here?" She asked
"Well, the same thing you're here for, or at least I assume. Remember, Jamie, I use to go out with you, I did know your father. He was close to me." Landon said, pointing to her father's grave.
"Well, then I assume your coming tomorrow for his funeral?" Asked Jamie
"Wouldn't miss it." He replied.
Jamie nodded, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then Carter. Goodbye."
"Goodbye Jamie." Landon said sadly
The next day Jamie put on her black, slim fitting dress, and black boots, and set out for the church.
The pastor that was going to do the ceremony had been there for a while, and Jamie knew him well.
"Hi Rev. Nelson." She greeted him at the door
"Oh, hello Jamie. I'm so glad you could make it. Your father was a wonderful man, me and my wife are with you." He said, giving her a hug.
"Thank you." Jamie said, and started walking down the aisle.
In the church were a lot of people Jamie knew.
"Jamie, how lovely to see you." Said one
"Our hearts go out to you." Said another.
"Jamie!" Came a voice from the front row, and there was Eric, and he had saved her a spot.
"Hi Eric." She said, sitting down.
"Oh, Jamie? Is that you sweetheart?" A woman sitting on the other side of Eric said.
"Mrs. Carter?" Jamie exclaimed, "Hi!"
"Jamie it's great to see you. But it's a shame you're here for such an event." She said
"Yes, my father was very close to me." Jamie said
"Now, where did Landon go?" She asked looking around, "He was here just a minute ago."
Jamie couldn't blame Mrs. Carter for wanting to hook Jamie and Landon up again. She had no idea the real reason that they had broken up. Landon had just told her that the distance was the issue. And now that Jamie was back, Mrs. Carter would want them to be together again.
Soon Landon came back in, and his mom waved him over.
"Landon, look who's here." She said and gestured to Jamie
"Yes, we've already met." Landon said in a weird tone.
"Oh, really?" Mrs. Carter said, and was going to say more, but luckily, the music started and everyone hushed up.
"We are here today to honor the life and death of a wonderful friend, pastor, and beloved father." Pastor Nelson started and looked at Jamie.
It went on for about thirty minutes, then he said, "We have a special guest here who has just come back to Beaufort for the funeral. Let's give a warm welcome to Jamie Sullivan."
The people who had all ready seen Jamie clapped and the others started to whisper and stare at Jamie.
She walked up the podium and adjusted the mike, then she said, "Hi, I'm Jamie, and on behave of my father, I would like to thank you all for coming. My father was my family and my best friend when I grew up. My mother had died right after I was born, so I never met her, but my father loved talking about how beautiful and wonderful she was. As I started school I met new friends, and started different relationships," Jamie looked at Landon, "Still none would compare to how close I was with my Dad. He was kind, always loved me, took care of me, and was always there, even through my darkest and hardest of times. He was, and is, someone I always look up to. He wrote a song for me and use to sing it to me every night. I would like to share that with you now." She took the microphone out of the holder and held it. Then she started singing.
"My baby, I will always look out for you,
And care for you like the way I do,
As I hold you in my arms, I know this is true,
Baby, I love you,
I watch you fall asleep at night,
Hoping you will sleep all right,
No one can compare the way I feel about you,
Baby, I love you,
You mean more then the world to me,
No one thought that could every be,
Our family will always include two,
Baby, I love you,
Even far after I die,
I could never be able to say goodbye,
I cared for you, more then you ever knew,
Baby, I love you,
Baby, I love you"
As Jamie finished and took her seat, everyone was still in awe. Jamie had always sung in the church choir, and people had heard her voice a hundred times, it was still the most beautiful thing, and somehow it became even more amazing.
"Thank you for that Jamie. It was wonderful." The reverend said
After the ceremony, Jamie tried to leave as early as possible to get away from Landon; she still wasn't ready to talk. But soon she heard, "Jamie!", and Landon caught up with her.
"Look Jamie, Eric told me." He said as soon as he was a foot a way, "Jamie, we need to talk. No more excuses. I have to tell you what I should of told you seven years ago."
"Landon, this is not a good time." Jamie said, quickening up her pace, but Landon was still there.
He grabbed her arm and turned her around, looking her straight in the eye.
"No. We need to talk."
Jamie sighed, "Fine Carter, but not here."
"I know a place to go." Landon said, and then took her hand.
When Landon had taken her hand, Jamie's heart had gone up, and it felt like it was doing a cartwheel.
He led her to the nearby park, and sat down on a swing, and Jamie sat on the one next to him.
"Look, Jamie." Landon said, "Eric told me this morning about how he went to go see you yesterday. He said that he told you the reason that you saw, you know."
Jamie nodded, and slowly started swinging.
"So why are you still mad at me?" He asked
"Because even though you didn't cheat on me Landon, you lied to me. If you knew the truth why didn't you tell me? You never called or wrote to me once in all seven years. What was I suppose to think. Then here I come back, and you think I'm all of a sudden I'm not going to care?" She said
Landon was silent for a moment, and then said, "I was too afraid. I thought you would never want to see or hear from me again. The when you came back, I thought, I don't know, that we could become friends again."
"Well Landon, now that I know that you didn't cheat on me, I'm ready to start over. We'll just pretend that it never happened."
"Okay, I guess I can deal with that." He said and stuck out his hand, "Hi, I'm Landon Carter."
Jamie laughed and shook his hand, "Hi, nice to meet you Landon. I'm Jamie Sullivan."
"So Jamie, what brings you back to Beaufort?" Asked Landon, then shook his head, "Whoops, wrong question."
"It's okay. I'm here because my father recently died, and he left me the house." Jamie told him
"Well Jamie, it was nice meeting you. Could I walk you home?" Landon asked carefully, hoping he was pushing it. But Jamie smiled.
"Sure Carter."
"Hey," he said, taking her hand again, "No more calling me Carter. It's Landon from now on."
"Why?" Jamie asked laughing, "I like that nickname."
"Come on." Landon said pulling her.
Landon stared to speed up, and he was still holding Jamie's hand.
"Hey," Jamie shouted to him, "You're going to make me fall!" And sure enough, Jamie fell, and she pulled down Landon too.
"Hey! That wasn't fair!" Landon said, getting up.
"Why not? You made me fall." Jamie said poking him.
They resumed walking, and as they reached Jamie's house, they turned to look at each other.
"Well, I guess you gotta go." Landon said
"Yeah, I guess." Jamie said and gave his hand a squeeze, "Later Carter." And walked up the stairs.
"Bye Jamie." He said as she closed the door.
AN: For those of you who want it, send me an e-mail (Luckyrangestar@aol.com) and I'll send you an excerpt from the next chapter.
"Carter." She said, wiping her eyes, hoping he wouldn't know she had been crying.
But he always knew. "Jamie, have you been crying?"
"No." Jamie replied, not wanting to look stupid in front of him.
"Look, Jamie." He started
"Landon, before we get into this, what are you doing here?" She asked
"Well, the same thing you're here for, or at least I assume. Remember, Jamie, I use to go out with you, I did know your father. He was close to me." Landon said, pointing to her father's grave.
"Well, then I assume your coming tomorrow for his funeral?" Asked Jamie
"Wouldn't miss it." He replied.
Jamie nodded, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then Carter. Goodbye."
"Goodbye Jamie." Landon said sadly
The next day Jamie put on her black, slim fitting dress, and black boots, and set out for the church.
The pastor that was going to do the ceremony had been there for a while, and Jamie knew him well.
"Hi Rev. Nelson." She greeted him at the door
"Oh, hello Jamie. I'm so glad you could make it. Your father was a wonderful man, me and my wife are with you." He said, giving her a hug.
"Thank you." Jamie said, and started walking down the aisle.
In the church were a lot of people Jamie knew.
"Jamie, how lovely to see you." Said one
"Our hearts go out to you." Said another.
"Jamie!" Came a voice from the front row, and there was Eric, and he had saved her a spot.
"Hi Eric." She said, sitting down.
"Oh, Jamie? Is that you sweetheart?" A woman sitting on the other side of Eric said.
"Mrs. Carter?" Jamie exclaimed, "Hi!"
"Jamie it's great to see you. But it's a shame you're here for such an event." She said
"Yes, my father was very close to me." Jamie said
"Now, where did Landon go?" She asked looking around, "He was here just a minute ago."
Jamie couldn't blame Mrs. Carter for wanting to hook Jamie and Landon up again. She had no idea the real reason that they had broken up. Landon had just told her that the distance was the issue. And now that Jamie was back, Mrs. Carter would want them to be together again.
Soon Landon came back in, and his mom waved him over.
"Landon, look who's here." She said and gestured to Jamie
"Yes, we've already met." Landon said in a weird tone.
"Oh, really?" Mrs. Carter said, and was going to say more, but luckily, the music started and everyone hushed up.
"We are here today to honor the life and death of a wonderful friend, pastor, and beloved father." Pastor Nelson started and looked at Jamie.
It went on for about thirty minutes, then he said, "We have a special guest here who has just come back to Beaufort for the funeral. Let's give a warm welcome to Jamie Sullivan."
The people who had all ready seen Jamie clapped and the others started to whisper and stare at Jamie.
She walked up the podium and adjusted the mike, then she said, "Hi, I'm Jamie, and on behave of my father, I would like to thank you all for coming. My father was my family and my best friend when I grew up. My mother had died right after I was born, so I never met her, but my father loved talking about how beautiful and wonderful she was. As I started school I met new friends, and started different relationships," Jamie looked at Landon, "Still none would compare to how close I was with my Dad. He was kind, always loved me, took care of me, and was always there, even through my darkest and hardest of times. He was, and is, someone I always look up to. He wrote a song for me and use to sing it to me every night. I would like to share that with you now." She took the microphone out of the holder and held it. Then she started singing.
"My baby, I will always look out for you,
And care for you like the way I do,
As I hold you in my arms, I know this is true,
Baby, I love you,
I watch you fall asleep at night,
Hoping you will sleep all right,
No one can compare the way I feel about you,
Baby, I love you,
You mean more then the world to me,
No one thought that could every be,
Our family will always include two,
Baby, I love you,
Even far after I die,
I could never be able to say goodbye,
I cared for you, more then you ever knew,
Baby, I love you,
Baby, I love you"
As Jamie finished and took her seat, everyone was still in awe. Jamie had always sung in the church choir, and people had heard her voice a hundred times, it was still the most beautiful thing, and somehow it became even more amazing.
"Thank you for that Jamie. It was wonderful." The reverend said
After the ceremony, Jamie tried to leave as early as possible to get away from Landon; she still wasn't ready to talk. But soon she heard, "Jamie!", and Landon caught up with her.
"Look Jamie, Eric told me." He said as soon as he was a foot a way, "Jamie, we need to talk. No more excuses. I have to tell you what I should of told you seven years ago."
"Landon, this is not a good time." Jamie said, quickening up her pace, but Landon was still there.
He grabbed her arm and turned her around, looking her straight in the eye.
"No. We need to talk."
Jamie sighed, "Fine Carter, but not here."
"I know a place to go." Landon said, and then took her hand.
When Landon had taken her hand, Jamie's heart had gone up, and it felt like it was doing a cartwheel.
He led her to the nearby park, and sat down on a swing, and Jamie sat on the one next to him.
"Look, Jamie." Landon said, "Eric told me this morning about how he went to go see you yesterday. He said that he told you the reason that you saw, you know."
Jamie nodded, and slowly started swinging.
"So why are you still mad at me?" He asked
"Because even though you didn't cheat on me Landon, you lied to me. If you knew the truth why didn't you tell me? You never called or wrote to me once in all seven years. What was I suppose to think. Then here I come back, and you think I'm all of a sudden I'm not going to care?" She said
Landon was silent for a moment, and then said, "I was too afraid. I thought you would never want to see or hear from me again. The when you came back, I thought, I don't know, that we could become friends again."
"Well Landon, now that I know that you didn't cheat on me, I'm ready to start over. We'll just pretend that it never happened."
"Okay, I guess I can deal with that." He said and stuck out his hand, "Hi, I'm Landon Carter."
Jamie laughed and shook his hand, "Hi, nice to meet you Landon. I'm Jamie Sullivan."
"So Jamie, what brings you back to Beaufort?" Asked Landon, then shook his head, "Whoops, wrong question."
"It's okay. I'm here because my father recently died, and he left me the house." Jamie told him
"Well Jamie, it was nice meeting you. Could I walk you home?" Landon asked carefully, hoping he was pushing it. But Jamie smiled.
"Sure Carter."
"Hey," he said, taking her hand again, "No more calling me Carter. It's Landon from now on."
"Why?" Jamie asked laughing, "I like that nickname."
"Come on." Landon said pulling her.
Landon stared to speed up, and he was still holding Jamie's hand.
"Hey," Jamie shouted to him, "You're going to make me fall!" And sure enough, Jamie fell, and she pulled down Landon too.
"Hey! That wasn't fair!" Landon said, getting up.
"Why not? You made me fall." Jamie said poking him.
They resumed walking, and as they reached Jamie's house, they turned to look at each other.
"Well, I guess you gotta go." Landon said
"Yeah, I guess." Jamie said and gave his hand a squeeze, "Later Carter." And walked up the stairs.
"Bye Jamie." He said as she closed the door.
AN: For those of you who want it, send me an e-mail (Luckyrangestar@aol.com) and I'll send you an excerpt from the next chapter.
