A Little Dare (32 page)

Stone
is
involved
with
the
Teach
People
to
Read
program
for
both
the
young
and
old.”

AJ
nodded
again.
“What
about
the
other
two?”

Dare
wondered
at
what
point
AJ
would
discover
they
were
holding
a
conversation
and
revert
back
to
his,
I-don’t-like-
cops
syndrome?
Well,
until
he
did,
Dare
planned
to
milk
the
situation
for
all
it
was
worth.
“Chase
owns
a
restaurant
and
coaches
a
youth
basketball
team
during
basketball
season.
His
team
won
the
state
championship
two
years
in
a
row.”

Dare
smiled
when
he
thought
of
his
younger
brother
Storm.
“My
youngest
brother
Storm
hasn’t
found
his
niche
yet.”

Other
than
with
women,
Dare
decided
not
to
add.
“So
he
helps
me
coach
my
baseball
team
and
he
also
helps

Chase
with
his
basketball
team.”

“And
your
sister
married
a
prince?”

Dare’s
smile
widened
when
he
thought
of
the
baby
sister
he
and
his
brothers
simply
adored.
“Yes,
although
at
the
time
we
weren’t
ready
to
give
her
up.”

AJ’s
eyes
grew
wider.
“Why?
Girls
don’t
marry
princes
every
day?”

Dare
chuckled.
“Yes,
that
may
be
true,
but
the

Westmorelands
have
this
unspoken
code
when
it
comes
to
family.
We
stick
together
and
claim
what’s
ours.
Since

Delaney
was
the
only
girl,
we
claimed
her
when
she
was

born
and
weren’t
ready
to
give
her
up
to
anyone,
including
a
prince.”

AJ
turned
a
few
pages
again,
pretending
further
disinterest.
A
few
moments
later
he
asked.
“What
about
your
parents?”

Dare
met
AJ’s
stare.
“What
about
them?”

“Do
they
live
around
here?”

“Yes,
they
live
within
walking
distance.
Their
only
complaint
is
that
none
of
us,
other
than
Delaney,
have
gotten
married.
They’re
anxious
for
grandkids
and
since
they
don’t
see

Delaney’s
baby
that
often,
they
would
like
one
of
us
to
settle
down
and
have
a
family.”

Dare
knew
that
what
he’d
just
shared
with
AJ
would
get
the
kid
to
thinking.
He
was
about
to
say
something
else
when
the
buzzer
on
his
desk
sounded.

“Yes,
McKade,
what
is
it?”

“Ms.
Brockman
is
here
to
see
you.”

Dare
was
surprised.
He
hadn’t
expected
Shelly
to
drop
by,
since
AJ
had
ridden
his
bike
over
from
school.
A
quick

glance
across
the
room
and
he
could
tell
by
AJ’s
features
that
he
was
surprised
by
his
mother’s
unexpected
visit
as
well.
“Send
her
in,
McKade.”

Dare
stood
as
Shelly
breezed
into
his
office,
dressed
in
a
skirt
and
a
printed
blouse.
“I
hate
to
drop
in
like
this,
but
I

received
an
emergency
call
from
one
of
my
patients
living
in
Stone
Mountain
and
need
to
go
out
on
a
call.
Ms.
Kate
has
agreed
to
take
care
of
AJ,
and
I
have
to
drop
him
off
at
her
place
on
my
way
out.
I
thought
coming
to
pick
him
up

would
be
okay
since
his
hour
is
over.”

Dare
glanced
at
the
clock
on
the
wall
which
indicated
AJ’s
hour
had
been
over
ten
minutes
ago.
At
some
point
the
kid
had
stopped
watching
the
clock
and
so
had
he.

“Since
you’re
in
a
rush,
I
can
save
you
the
time
by
dropping
him
off
at
Ms.
Kate’s
myself.
I
was
getting
ready
to
leave

anyway.”

Dare
then
remembered
that
since
tonight
was
Wednesday
night,
his
parents’
usual
routine
was
to
have
dinner
with

their
five
sons
at
Chase’s
restaurant
before
going
to
prayer
meeting
at
church.
He
knew
his
family
would
love
meeting
AJ,
and
since
they’d
been
told
of
his
and
Shelly’s
strategy
about
AJ
knowing
Dare
was
his
father,
there
was
no
risk
of
someone
giving
anything
away.

“And
I
have
another
idea,”
he
said,
meeting
Shelly’s
gaze,
trying
not
to
notice
how
beautiful
her
eyes
were,
how

beautiful
she
was,
period.
Just
being
in
the
same
room
with
her
had
his
mouth
watering.
She
stood
in
the
middle
of
his
office
silhouetted
by
the
light
coming
in
through
his
window

and
he
thought
he
hadn’t
seen
anything
that
looked
this
good
in
a
long
time.

“What?”
she
asked,
interrupting
his
thoughts.

“AJ
is
probably
hungry
and
I
was
on
my
way
to
Chase’s

restaurant
where
my
family
is
dining
tonight.
He’s
welcome
to
join
us,
and
I
can
drop
him
off
at
Ms.
Kate’s
later.”

Shelly
nodded.
Evidently
Dare
felt
he’d
made
some

headway
with
AJ
for
him
to
suggest
such
a
thing.
She

glanced
across
the
room
at
AJ
who
had
his
eyes
glued
to
his
book,
pretending
not
have
heard
Dare’s
comment,

although
she
knew
that
he
had.

“AJ,
Dare
has
invited
you
to
dine
with
his
family
before
dropping
you
off
at
Ms.
Kate’s.
All
right?”

It
seemed
AJ
stared
at
her
for
an
endless
moment,
as
if

weighing
her
words.
He
then
shifted
his
gaze
to
Dare,
and
Shelly
felt
the
sudden
clash
of
two
very
strong
personalities,
two
strong-willed
individuals,
two
people
who
were
outright
stubborn.
But
then
she
saw
something
else,
something
that
met
her
breath
catch
and
her
heart
do
a
flip—two

individuals
who,
for
whatever
reason,
were
silently
agreeing
to
a
give
a
little,
at
least
for
this
one
particular
time.

AJ
then
shifted
his
gaze
back
to
her.
He
shrugged.
“Whatever.”