A Little Dare (21 page)

mother
a
lot
when
we
were
growing
up.”

AJ
raised
a
brow.
“You
have
four
brothers?”

Dare’s
smile
widened.
“Yes,
I
have
four
brothers
and
one
sister.
I’m
the
oldest
of
the
group.

AJ
nodded.
“It’s
just
me
and
my
mom.”

Dare
nodded
as
well.
He
then
stood
in
front
of
the
door
with
A.
J.
“To
answer
your
question
of
how
long
you’ll
have
to

come
here
after
school,
I
think
a
full
week
of
this
should

make
you
think
twice
about
throwing
rocks
at
passing
cars
the
next
time.”
Dare
rubbed
his
chin
thoughtfully
then

added.
“Unless
I
hear
about
you
getting
involved
in
a
fight
again.
Like
I
said,
that’s
something
I
won’t
tolerate.”

AJ
glared
at
him.
“Then
I’ll
make
sure
you
don’t
hear
about
it.”

Not
giving
Dare
a
chance
to
respond,
AJ
raced
out
of
the
door,
got
his
bike
and
took
off.

“Ouch,
that
hurts!”

“Well,
this
should
teach
you
a
lesson,”
Shelly
said
angrily,
leaning
over
AJ
as
she
applied
antiseptic
to
his
bruised
lip.
“And
if
I
hear
of
you
fighting
again,
I
will
put
you
on
a

punishment
like
you
wouldn’t
believe.”

“He
started
it!”

Shelly
straightened
and
met
her
son’s
dark
scowl.
“Then
next
time
walk
away,”
she
said
firmly.

“People
are
going
to
think
I’m
a
coward
if
I
do
that.
I
told
you
I
was
going
to
hate
it
here.
Nobody
likes
me.
At
least
I
had
friends
in
L.A.”

“I
don’t
consider
those
guys
you
hung
around
with
back
in

L.A.
your
friends.
A
true
friend
wouldn’t
talk
you
into
doing
bad
things,
AJ,
and
as
far
as
anyone
thinking
you’re
a

coward,
then
let
them.
I
know
for
a
fact
that
you’re
one
of
the
bravest
persons
I
know.
Look
how
long
you’ve
had
to
be
the
man
of
the
house
for
me.”

AJ
shrugged
and
glanced
up
at
his
mother.
“But
it’s
different
with
you,
Mom.
I
don’t
want
any
of
the
guys
at
school
thinking
I’m
a
pushover.”

“Trust
me,
you’re
not
a
pushover.
You’re
too
much
like
your
father.”
She
then
turned
to
walk
toward
the
kitchen.

Shelly
knew
she
had
thrown
out
the
hook
and
it
wouldn’t

take
long
for
AJ
to
take
the
bait.
She
heard
him
draw
in
a
long
breath
behind
her
and
knew
he
was
right
on
her
heels.

“Why
did
you
mention
him?”

She
looked
back
over
her
shoulder
at
AJ
when
she
reached
the
kitchen.
“Why
did
I
mention
who?”

“My
father.”

She
leaned
against
the
kitchen
cabinet
and
raised
a
curious
brow.
“I’m
not
supposed
to
mention
him?”

“You
haven’t
in
a
long
time.”

Shelly
nodded.
“Only
because
you
haven’t
asked
about
him
in
a
long
time.
Tonight
when
you
said
something
about

being
a
pushover,
I
immediately
thought
of
him
because

you’re
so
much
like
him
and
he’s
one
of
the
bravest
men
I
know.”

AJ
smiled.
He
was
glad
to
know
his
father
was
brave.
“What
does
he
do,
fly
planes
or
something?”

Shelly
smiled
knowing
of
her
son’s
fixation
with
airplanes
and
spaceships.
“No.”
She
inhaled
deeply.
“I
think
it’s
time
we
had
a
talk
about
your
father.
I’ve
been
doing
a
lot
of

thinking
since
moving
back
and
I
need
you
to
help
me

make
a
decision
about
something.”

AJ
lifted
a
brow.
“A
decision
about
what?”

“About
whether
to
tell
your
father
about
you.”

Surprised
widened
AJ’s
eyes.
“You
know
where
he
is?”

Shelly
shook
her
head.
“AJ,
I’ve
always
known
where
he
is.
I’ve
always
told
you
that.
And
I’ve
always
told
you
if
you
ever
wanted
me
to
contact
him
to
just
say
the
word.”

Uncertainty
narrowed
his
eyes,
then
he
glanced
down
as
if
to
study
his
sneakers.
“Yeah,
but
I
wasn’t
sure
if
you
really
meant
it
or
not,”
he
said
quietly.

Shelly
smiled
weakly
and
reached
out
and
gently
gripped
his
chin
to
bring
his
gaze
back
to
hers.
“Is
that
why
you

stopped
asking
me
about
him?
You
thought
I
was
lying
to
you
about
him?”

He
shrugged.
“I
just
figured
you
were
saying
what
you

wanted
me
to
believe.
Nick
Banner’s
mom
did
that
to
him.
She
told
him
that
his
dad
had
died
in
a
car
accident
when
he
was
a
baby,
then
one
day
he
heard
his
grandpa
tell

somebody
that
his
dad
was
alive
and
had
another
family
someplace
and
that
he
didn’t
want
Nick.”

Shelly’s
breath
caught
in
her
throat.
She
felt
an
urgent
need
to
take
her
son
into
her
arms
and
assure
him
that
unlike

Nick’s
father,
his
father
did
want
him.
But
she
knew
he
was
now
at
an
age
where
mothers’
hugs
were
no
longer
cool.
Her
heart
felt
heavy
knowing
that
AJ
had
denied
himself

knowledge
of
his
father
in
an
attempt
to
save
her
from
what
he
thought
was
embarrassment.