A Little Dare (23 page)

doesn’t
have
to
know.
We
can
continue
with
things
the
way
they
are.”

She
lifted
a
brow.
“Don’t
you
think
he
has
every
right
to
know
about
you?”

“Not
if
I
don’t
want
him
to
know.”

Shelly
shook
her
head.
“Dare
will
be
very
hurt
if
he
ever

learns
the
truth.”
She
studied
her
son.
“Can
you
give
me
a
good
reason
why
he
shouldn’t
be
told?”

“Yes,
because
he
doesn’t
like
me
and
I
don’t
like
him.”

Shelly
met
his
gaze.
“With
your
disrespectful
attitude,
you

probably
didn’t
make
a
good
impression
on
him
yesterday,
AJ.
However,
Dare
loves
kids.
And
as
far
as
you
not
liking
him,
you
really
don’t
know
him,
and
I
think
you
should
get
to
know
him.
He’s
really
a
nice
guy,
otherwise
I
would
not
have
fallen
in
love
with
him
all
those
years
ago.”
A
small
voice

whispered
that
that
part
was
true.
Dare
had
always
been
a
caring
and
loving
person.
“How
did
things
go
between
the
two
of
you
today?”

AJ
shrugged.
“We
still
don’t
like
each
other,
and
I
don’t

want
to
get
to
know
him.
So
please
don’t
tell
him,
Mom.
You
can’t.”

She
paused
for
a
moment
knowing
what
she
would
say,
knowing
she
would
not
press
him
anymore.
“All
right,
AJ,

since
you
feel
so
strongly
about
it,
I
won’t
tell
him.
But
I’m
hoping
that
one
day
you
will
be
the
one
to
tell
him.
I’m

hoping
that
one
day
you’ll
see
the
importance
of
him

knowing
the
truth.”

She
stood
and
walked
over
to
AJ
and
placed
her
hand
on
his
shoulder.
“There’s
something
else
you
need
to
think

about.”

“What?”

“Dare
is
a
very
smart
man.
Chances
are
he’ll
figure
things
out
without
either
one
of
us
telling
him
anything.”

He
frowned
and
his
eyes
grew
round.
“How?”

Shelly
smiled.
“You
favor
him
and
his
four
brothers.

Although
he
hasn’t
noticed
it
yet,
there’s
a
good
chance
that
he
will.
And
then
there’s
the
question
of
your
age.
He
knows
I
left
town
ten
years
ago,
the
same
year
you
were
born.”

AJ
nodded.
“Did
he
ask
you
anything
when
you
saw
him
yesterday?”

“No.
I
think
he
assumes
your
father
is
someone
I
met
after
leaving
here,
but
as
I
said,
there’s
a
chance
he
might
start
putting
two
and
two
together.”

AJ’s
features
drew
in
a
deeper
frown
at
the
thought
of
that
happening.
“But
we
can’t
let
him
figure
it
out.”

She
shook
her
head.
Shelly
hated
lying
to
AJ
although
she
knew
it
was
for
a
good
reason.
She
had
to
remember
that.
“Whoa.
Don’t
include
me
in
this,
AJ.
It’s
strictly
your

decision
not
to
let
Dare
know
about
you,
it
isn’t
mine.
I’m
already
in
hot
water
for
not
having
told
him
that
you
exist
at
all.
But
I’ll
keep
my
word
and
not
tell
him
anything
if
that’s
the
way
you
want
it.”

“Yes,
that’s
the
way
I
want
it,”
AJ
said,
not
hiding
the
relief
on
his
face.

His
lips
were
quivering,
and
Shelly
knew
he
was
fighting
hard
to
keep
his
tears
at
bay.
Right
now
he
was
feeling

torn.
A
part
of
him
wanted
to
be
elated
that
his
father
did
exist,
but
another
part
refused
to
accept
the
man
who
he’d
discovered
his
father
was,
all
because
of
that

Westmoreland
pride
and
stubbornness.

Shelly
shook
her
head
when
she
felt
tears
in
the
back
of
her
own
eyes.
Dare’s
mission
to
win
his
son’s
love
would
not

be
easy.

Later
that
night,
after
AJ
had
gone
to
bed
Shelly
received
a
phone
call
from
Dare.

“Did
you
tell
him?”

She
leaned
against
her
kitchen
sink.
“Yes,
I
told
him.”

There
was
a
pause.
“And
how
did
he
take
it?”

Shelly
released
a
deep
sigh.
“Just
as
we
expected.
He

doesn’t
want
you
to
know
that
he’s
your
son.”
When
Dare
didn’t
respond,
she
said.
“Don’t
take
it
personally,
Dare.
I
think
he’s
more
confused
than
anything
right
now.
Tonight
I
discovered
why
he
had
stopped
asking
me
about
you.”

“Why?”

“Because
he
didn’t
really
believe
you
existed,
at
least
not
the
way
I’d
told
him.
It
seems
that
a
friend
of
his
had
shared
with
him
the
fact
that
his
mother
had
told
him
his
father
had
died
in
a
car
accident
when
he
was
a
baby,
and
then
he’d
discovered
that
his
father
was
alive
and
well
and
living

somewhere
with
another
family.
So
AJ
assumed
what
I
had
told
him
about
you
wasn’t
true
and
that
I
really
didn’t
know
how
to
contact
you
if
he
ever
asked
me
to.
And
since
he

never
wanted
to
place
me
in
a
position
that
showed
me
up
as
a
liar,
he
just
never
bothered.”

Again
she
released
a
sigh
as
she
fought
back
the
tears
that
threaten
to
fall.
“And
to
think
that
he
probably
did
want
to

know
you
all
this
time
but
refrained
from
asking
to
save
me
embarrassment
in
being
caught
in
a
lie.”

A
sob
caught
in
her
throat
as
she
blinked
back
a
tear.
“Oh,
Dare
I
feel
so
bad
for
him,
and
what
he’s
going
through
is