The Sheriff's Daughter, The Archer's Girl

Before It Went to Shit

            It was 2 weeks after my high school graduation. For the last 3 summers I've been going to stay with my Aunt Jane and Uncle Jack in Dalton County. 

                      "Honey, do you have everything you need?" My mom yelled up the stairs to me. 

                    "Yes, mom. It's already in the car. Just waiting on you guys," I answered. 

                        It's about 2 hours before we finally got all loaded up and headed up to Dalton. I have the biggest secret I've been hiding from my parents, I'm dating my dad's best friend, Shane Walsh. We'd been together for about 3 years. 

                        "Before we leave we need to stop by Shane's house. He's got the money he borrowed. Jamie, you wanna run in and grab it for me?" Dad asked looking at me in the mirror.

                         "Jamie, are you listening?" Mom asked once I didn't answer. 

                     "Oh, yeah, sorry. Got lost in my own head. I got it," I said and quickly pulled out my phone to text Shane. 

                      *Text*

J: Hey, I'm coming in to get the money

S: Just you?

J: Yeah, but I have to hurry. We're getting ready to leave for Dalton.

S: I wish you didn't have to go so you could stay here with me. 

J: You could drive up and get a hotel room one weekend and I could stay with 'Lisa'

S:Okay, I'll see you in a minute babe

          *END OF TEXT*

                     I don't usually have Shane come up to Dalton when I'm there because Summer is when he works more, but we'd decided we were going to tell my parents about us before the Summer was completely up. 

                We pulled up in front of Shane's place, dad turned around and looked at me, "hurry it up in there."

      I glared at him then he laughed. I ran up the stairs almost falling down. Just before I could knock the door was open and I was met by Shane, "how'd you even know I was here?" I asked. 

                    "I watched you about fall running up the stairs, plus you're panting a bit louder then usual," he smirked, "money's in the kitchen. Come on in," he stepped back and into the kitchen. I walked in and shut the door behind me. I'd just walked into the kitchen when Shane locked his lips onto mine, "I didn't know if I was going to get to see you before you left."

                  "I didn't either. It was a last minute stop. I do have to go or their going to find out before we get the chance to tell them," I smiled and kissed him again. 

                 "I love you," he smiled. 

               "I love you," I smiled back. I grabbed dad's money then walked out the door.

                             When I got back in the car dad turned around and looked at me, "what the heck took so long?" 

                       "He just kept talking. I ended up just walking out," I chuckled. 

                     He rolled his eyes and turned back around in his seat to drive off, "I swear you 2 talk more than we do. Same old Shane," he chuckled. 

                              When we started to head to Dalton my phone started blowing up, between Lisa and Shane I don't know who was worse. I'd met Lisa at the Dalton town fair the first year that I'd went to stay with Jane and Jack. 

                                 When we got into town I had dad and them drop me off at Lisa's house. I didn't knock, I just walked in, they were all sitting at the table waiting on me, it was to late to turn back and run for the door now, everyone had seen me. I walked the rest of the way inside and said, "hey guys, what's up?"

                              When Lisa looked up at me she looked me straight in the eyes tear filled and said, "Jamie, I'm having a baby."

                  "Whose?" I asked. 

                                  Lisa was crying to hard to answer me, so her brother, Nick, did, "the guy who owns the bar, it's his son, Chris."

                       I didn't know what to say or do, so we just went up to her room and laid on her bed. She told me the whole story between her and Chris and she listened to me while I told her about Shane and I's problems. When Lisa fell asleep I had Nick drop me off at Jane and Jack's it was a weird ride, we both just sat there, neither one saying a word. 

                          "Hey, thanks for the ride," I said once we got to the ranch. 

                  "No problem. Hey, it was nice seeing you, Jamie," Nick said. 

                     "You too," I smiled and hugged him before getting out of the car. 

                                   I walked inside and straight up the stairs to the room I was staying in to wash up for supper.  The next morning dad, mom, and Carl headed back to King county. 

                     *A few weeks later*

                              I hadn't really heard from dad or Shane the last few days. Jack and I just finished up the truck they bought me when my cell phone rang, I looked at the caller I.D. to see it was Shane, he should be working. 

                   *CALL*
J: hello?

S: Jamie, you need to come home as fast as you can. 

J: why?

S: Your dad's been shot. 

J: I'm on my way. 

S: Okay, I love you. 

J: Not really the time, but I love you too. Tell dad that I love him. 

S: I will, but you know he loves you too. Now hurry up!

         *END OF CALL*

                       What none of us knew, I wasn't making it home before it all went to shit.