by Pat Simmons
What was it with these Jamiesons and their inclinations to invite themselves to places no one had extended an invite to?
“I know you’re moving to St. Louis, Gabrielle. You’re not going to get rid of me … yet.”
That big mouth Talise. Although Gabrielle was swaying toward St. Louis, she hadn’t committed and could change her mind at the midnight hour.
“It’s not set in stone, yet.”
“If this will help you make up your mind, I’ll drive and let you talk about Jesus all the way.”
Gabrielle smirked. Was he serious? Then the man must really like her.
“I’ll be good company. I promise.”
“Cameron, why all the trouble, really?”
“Because you’re worth every moment of torture you’re putting me through.”
Lord, I am in way over my head with this one.
Chapter Sixteen
If Gabrielle moved to St. Louis, the possibilities to woo her would be endless. Cameron thought he had struck out at dinner the other night, but when she texted him, his heart rebounded with more determination to work at smoothing out the rough edges.
The hour-and-a-half drive to Hartford was twofold. He would meet other Jamiesons and be with Gabrielle. Cameron planned to let her say anything she wanted to say about a burial in Jesus’ Name or Holy Ghost fire. She could quote numerous Scriptures about Jesus. He would politely listen, but wouldn’t comment. That’s how a man stayed out of the doghouse.
Earlier, he had phoned his older brother and alerted Parke about his pending trip to Hartford to meet Ace and Kidd’s half siblings. As the family’s most aggressive genealogist, Cameron’s former priority was to connect the dots to all the descendants from his tenth generation grandparents’ five sons. Now his focus was on getting Gabrielle to see the true him that otherwise she might not see.
“If Kidd really had this Nicodemus conversion, it seems to me that he would forgive and forget about what Samuel did. After all, neither he, nor Ace, nor any of his half siblings played a part in their father’s misconduct,” Cameron told Parke, as he grappled with his own personal relationship with the Lord.
“God does require us to forgive others as He forgives us. Only He, according to Micah 7:19, can throw our sins in the sea of forgetfulness. In other words, He doesn’t remember them anymore. Although He gives us the power to forgive, sometimes we hold on to things that we need to let go of. The Lord removed the raw anger, but Kidd’s wound is still tender concerning his dad’s abandonment.” Parke then advised, “It takes time. It was a battle getting him to the altar. Like so many, he struggled before surrendering to Jesus for complete salvation.”
Parke always detoured to Jesus as if Cameron didn’t know Scripture. But, at the moment, he wasn’t up to a sermon. He had simply made a courtesy call to let Parke know that he was about to meet more kinfolks. Cameron redirected the conversation. “Ace doesn’t have any issues meeting them. But, as long as Kidd is the holdout, Ace probably won’t budge.”
“Stubborn Jamiesons,” Parke said snidely.
Chuckling, Cameron shook his head. “Yeah, I’ve heard that’s the rumor. We come from the same tree.” They talked for a few more minutes before disconnecting. Honestly, Cameron couldn’t relate to his cousin’s pain. Oh, he understood about family drama, but Kidd had supposedly embraced God’s complete plan of salvation, yet he was still battling issues. So how was Kidd’s salvation walk any different from his?
Before he jumped into the shower, Cameron packed his laptop. It contained every file, photo, and miscellaneous document he had researched over the years.
While showering, Cameron reflected on the status of his family. His father, Parke V, and Charlotte Jamieson had been happily married for almost forty years. There were no other Parke Jamieson V rugrats running around to be discovered.
When he moved to Boston to attend MIT, he tracked Kidd and Ace down. At first, Kidd didn’t trust his motives, nor did he want anything to do with Cameron. With his free spirit, Ace was the opposite. The two cousins connected instantly and were almost inseparable on the weekends until Cameron introduced Ace to Talise.
From a distance, he had watched the couple’s relationship blossom then disintegrate over a misunderstanding. Basically, the breakup was Ace’s doing when he couldn’t come to terms with Talise’s pregnancy. First Kidd, and then Ace, moved to St. Louis. When their mother, Sandra, packed up and followed them to be closer to her granddaughters, Cameron decided it was time to go back home too.
Little did he know that, once he made the decision, he would meet a woman who had the potential of wrapping him around her finger. Was it fate? And now, was it destiny that the same woman would be relocating to St. Louis? There were too many coincidences to ignore.
Gabrielle was waiting for God to send her a godly man. Cameron snickered as he splashed aftershave on his face and neck. Because of fate, God set him right in front of her.
Mentally, Cameron took inventory of his qualifications. He had read enough of his Bible to quote a good amount of Scripture. Next, he attended Sunday services whenever the mood hit him. He was just in church a few weeks ago for Ace’s renewal ceremony, so there. He had justified himself. “What else do you want, baby?” he asked his reflection.
By the time he finished dressing, his mood had become somber. One week to the date, he’d load all his belongings into a U-Haul, severing ties with Beantown and all the things he enjoyed there. Parke and Malcolm would fly up the night before. Bright and early next Saturday morning, the brothers would begin the long drive to the Gateway City and away from Gabrielle Dupree.
“Make the best of your time left with her, Jamieson,” he ordered himself, as he snatched up his keys and an envelope, then headed for the front door.
It was ten o’clock on a lovely Saturday morning. The springtime weather beckoned to shoppers, who were sprinkled everywhere along Cambridge Square. Using his hands-free phone, Cameron eagerly called Gabrielle.
“Good morning, lady. Have you had your cup of java? Do you want me to stop and grab anything for the ride?”
“That’s sweet of you,” she said, as he imagined her smile. “I prepared a snack for us. How close are you?”
“About twenty minutes away. Thanks for letting me tag along. I really am looking forward to meeting another side of the family.”
“Thanks for driving. I’m a fly girl.”
“That you are, Miss Dupree. You are fly at that. See you soon.”
Twenty-five minutes later, he arrived at her Mission Hill apartment building. The Boston cabbies commandeering the road were to blame for his slight delay.
Gabrielle sat outside on the steps, watching for him. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, but a breeze loosened a few strands. If he had been a professional photographer, he would have snapped away at her beauty.
Casually dressed, she was nothing less than gorgeous. As he got out and walked to her, the only thing on his mind was a good morning kiss—then he remembered her Mace. Plus, he wanted them to get through the day without causing her to pull away from him. Still, the closer he got, he couldn’t resist. “You are beautiful,” he said in awe. “I have a request, a kiss or a hug, which would you grant me?”
Tilting her head to look in his eyes, she said softly, “A kiss.”
“Ah, yeah.” Cameron puckered up and closed his eyes. The next thing he felt against his lips was Gabrielle’s hands.
He obliged and she giggled. “I’ll get you for that one,” Cameron warned and laughed. “Ready?”
Nodding, she slipped on her sunglasses and handed him a large tote. It was stuffed with bottled waters, apples, and other wrapped items.
Cameron also eyed some books. “You aren’t planning on reading while I’m driving, are you? As the copilot, you’re supposed to make sure I’m alert and don’t doze off.”
“It’s mid-morning. I doubt if you’ll catnap,” she said over her shoulder. He opened her door and waited for her to get settled.
Once Cameron was behind the wheel and had clicked his seat belt, he checked his rearview mirror and pulled away from the curb. Glancing over at Gabrielle, he saw that her eyes were closed and her head bowed.
He didn’t interrupt her as he exited on I-90 westbound. When she mumbled an Amen, she opened her eyes and looked out the window.
“Did you just pray?”
“Yep.”
“Do you always pray when you get in a car? I don’t recall seeing you do that when I took you out to dinner.” The woman knew how to kill the mood, but he agreed to let her have church. If she wasn’t verbally talking about Jesus, she was acknowledging Him in some other way.
“Whenever I take a trip, regardless if it’s in a car, on a boat, or in the air, I’ve made it a habit. I take nothing for granted, whether it’s waking up in the morning or returning home in the evening. My life is in God’s hand.”
Cameron nodded and then reached for a knob on his console, selecting a jazz station.
Angling her body, Gabrielle squinted at his GPS monitor. “Denise is ecstatic that you’re coming. Are you excited?”
“About?”
“About meeting your relatives, silly.”
“Hmm. If you weren’t with me—yes. Right now, all I can think about is you.”
Gabrielle blushed and lowered her lashes. She was trapped in the car with him for the next hundred miles. As far as he was concerned, this road trip was mostly about convincing Gabrielle to take whichever job offer that would bring her to St. Louis. His main desire was for her to give them a real chance.
“Gabrielle, distance won’t keep me from you—” he began, keeping his eyes on the road. Just then, her cell phone chimed.
Pulling her phone out of her purse, she laughed at the caller’s ID. Leaning over to read his GPS, Cameron breathed a whiff of her perfume. Sweet, he thought.
“We’re about to get on I-84.” She paused. “We’re less than an hour away. Yes, your cousin is driving.” She faced Cameron and mouthed, Denise. He winked.
She ended the call and reached in the backseat for the tote bag. When poised to twist the cap off a bottle of water, her phone chimed again.
“You think Denise is excited?” he joked, as Gabrielle answered.
Turning toward her window, she mumbled into the phone.
“I’m not by myself …” He strained to eavesdrop.
Rage was building within him. So another man was vying for her attention. Cameron gripped the wheel. If he wasn’t trying to pass a semi, he would swipe the phone from her ear and talk to his competition himself.
“Yes, I know you don’t like Cameron … We’re driving to see Denise …”
When the man roared back over the phone, Cameron identified the caller. He smirked as Gabrielle continued to cajole her brother and persuade him that her riding companion was harmless.
“I will, as soon as I get back. I’ll tell him.” She eyed him. “Love you too. Bye.” Gabrielle ended the call with a deep sigh.
“Are you going to tell me what Drexel said?”
“Maybe, one day.”
Forty-five minutes later, the GPS guided Cameron to Bloomfield, Connecticut, on the outskirts of Hartford. Cameron whistled as he made a right on Jerome Street. “It appears my family is doing quite well,” he said proudly, nodding his head. He couldn’t help but boast, considering not only that they were Black, they were members of his family.
Earlier in the week, he and Gabrielle had a short conversation—her choice of topic. And, of course, it became a battle of wills when he pointed out that having possessions proved that God had blessed a person.
The comment put Gabrielle on a Bible bandwagon. “Material things alone don’t define a man’s true worth. Think of it this way. It’s fine for health professionals to promote a balanced diet with plenty of exercise. But that’s not enough. God tells us through 3 John 1:2 to have a balanced diet of physical and spiritual prosperity.
“Yes, you give God thanks for the things He’s allowed you to accumulate, but what about totally submitting to God’s will? I can’t separate the two. The man I commit my heart to has to be spiritually grounded. I won’t compromise.” She had scolded him before giving him an excuse to get off the phone.
Her resolve left Cameron considering his own successful means. When it comes to prosperity, Gabrielle preferred spirituality overall. Not only did she want him to thank God for the tangible things he possessed, she expected him to show God his appreciation by devoting his precious time. Well, he had that covered too. He put time into his foundation work, which contributed to several charities.
Besides, didn’t Scripture say God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good? And that He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous? Well, as far as he was concerned, an impressive two-story home with a two-car garage proved God could bless whomever He wants.
As soon as he parked behind the line of cars in the driveway, Denise opened the front door and raced out.
Denise took them by surprise when she passed Gabrielle and ran straight into Cameron’s arms. He matched her enthusiasm and returned her hug, while Gabrielle pouted and stomped her heel on the ground.
“So it’s going to be like that, huh?” Gabrielle positioned her fists on her hips.
“He’s my cousin. You’re just an old friend,” Denise taunted, then released Cameron and gave her friend a tight hug. Looking toward the front door, he eyed a group of men, who reminded him of linebackers. He grunted. Jamieson men were built steady like a Ram truck.
The two friends linked arms and strolled up the pathway. Reaching into the backseat, Cameron retrieved his laptop. With long strides, he easily caught up with them and heard Gabrielle comment, “I see my boyfriend is here.”
“Yes, he is. I drove, remember?” Cameron said. Strolling alongside them, they were both startled. “Sorry, there’s an ‘only one Jamieson per woman’ rule. And I’ve got you, babe,” he whispered.
She exchanged a glance with Denise. Almost in unison, they whispered, “Wow, wow moment.”
Chapter Seventeen
Gabrielle tried to ignore Cameron, but she shivered anyway. Only when coming face-to-face with Denise’s brothers did she recover.
Denise had been right. The resemblance to Talise’s husband was striking. They were definitely handsome—tall and buff, with rich, dark skin.
Denise scooted everybody into her house and made the introductions. She regretfully added that one brother couldn’t rearrange his work schedule but looked forward to meeting them at another time.
Almost immediately, Cameron commanded an audience, receiving accolades for his research on the family tree. In spite of all the attention, his manner remained low-key.
Gabrielle didn’t even try to keep the names and faces straight. She noted the twins had graying at their temples. Neither was married. Gabrielle guessed they had to be close to forty. As a matter of fact, out of seven siblings, Denise was the only one who was currently married.
“Hey, stranger.” Denise’s husband, Jacob, welcomed Gabrielle and they exchanged a hug and kiss.
“Lacey? You’re here?” Gabrielle turned to Denise’s older sister, smiling; she embraced her. Gabrielle got to know Lacey when she visited Denise a few times at Howard. Lacey had dated her childhood sweetheart, married, and then divorced him. Gabrielle never asked Denise for the details.
Denise instructed everyone to make themselves comfortable. While the family got acquainted with Cameron, Gabrielle strolled around the living room admiring her friend’s latest decorating flair. She recalled the home was almost perfect when Denise purchased it three years earlier. Only the upstairs bathrooms needed an immediate makeover.
“So what do you do, Cameron?” asked Denise’s youngest brother, Zaki, who seemed indifferent from the moment the door closed.
“Until this week, I was a consultant for two engin
eering firms and an instructor at MIT. At the end of the week, I’m heading back home to St. Louis. I’ll be the first African-American chairperson at Washington University.”
He glanced at Gabrielle. “I’m humbled by being the first and readily accept the huge responsibility placed on me.”
His subdued admission earned a soft spot in her heart. Perhaps, one day his tenderness would blot out his irksomeness that had also settled there.
“I’m so glad Gabrielle invited me to come along so I could get a chance to meet more family members.”
“How are we related again?” one of Denise’s twin brothers inquired.
“We’re all cousins by being descendants of brothers’ children.” Gabrielle heard Cameron say before she wandered into the kitchen where Denise was unwrapping trays of food.
“This is just like being at Talise’s wedding. I’m surrounded by Jamiesons, ggrhh,” Gabrielle joked and lifted the foil covering a platter of veggies and hot chicken wings. Mmm. Junk food. She shook her head, intending to indulge without a conscience before she and Cameron left later that evening.
“You could be a Jamieson,” Denise suggested off-handedly.
“No kidding. I’m surrounded by enough of them.”
“But only one of them has a jump start.” Cameron’s booming response surprised her, as he swaggered up next to her. As though he hadn’t uttered a word, he spoke to Denise. “Cuz, your brother says you’ve already set up Skype time with your sister in Oklahoma City.”
“Yeah, give me a sec. Queen wished she could be here too. Since her only sister passed away, she’s eager to become part of a bigger family. She’s already called twice.”
Quickly changing subjects, Denise dried her hands on a cloth towel. “Everything’s ready. I thought you might be hungry,” she said with a warm smile.