they
pretended
they
were
surprised
to
see
AJ,
and
no
one
gave
anything
away
about
knowing
he
was
Dare’s
son.
When
they
all
sat
down
to
eat,
with
AJ
sitting
between
Thorn
and
Dare,
it
was
obvious
to
anyone
who
cared
to
notice
that
the
boy
was
definitely
a
Westmoreland.
Shelly
put
aside
the
novel
she’d
been
reading
when
she
heard
the
doorbell
ring.
A
glance
out
the
peephole
confirmed
it
was
AJ,
but
he
wasn’t
alone.
Dare
had
walked
him
to
the
door,
and
with
good
reason.
AJ
was
half
asleep
and
barely
standing
on
his
feet.
She
quickly
opened
the
door
to
AJ’s
mumblings.
“I
told
you
I
could
walk
to
the
door
myself
without
your
help,”
he
was
saying
none
too
happily.
“Yeah,
and
I
would
have
watched
you
fall
on
your
face,
too,”
was
Dare’s
response
Shelly
stepped
aside
and
let
them
both
enter.
“How
was
dinner?”
she
asked,
closing
the
door
behind
them.
AJ
didn’t
answer,
instead
he
continued
walking
and
headed
for
the
stairs.
She
gave
a
quick
glance
to
Dare,
who
was
watching
AJ
as
he
tried
maneuvering
the
stairs.
“That
kid
is
so
sleepy
he
can’t
think
straight,”
he
said.
“You
might
want
to
help
him
before
he
falls
and
breaks
his
neck.
I
would
do
it,
but
I
think
he’s
had
enough
of
me
for
one
| 
