A Little Dare (60 page)

the
family
over.

His
gaze
softened
as
he
thought
how
easy
it
was
to
want
to
include
Shelly
in
his
daily
activities.
He
suppressed
a
groan
thinking
of
all
their
nighttime
activities
and
smiled
as
it

occurred
to
him
they
had
yet
to
make
love
in
a
bed.
He
had
to
think
of
a
way
to
get
her
over
to
his
place
for
the
entire

night.
Sneaking
off
to
make
love
in
her
backyard
under
the
stars
had
started
off
being
romantic,
but
now
he
wanted

more
than
romance,
he
wanted
permanence…forever.
He
wanted
them
to
talk
and
plan
their
future,
and
he
wanted
her
to
know
just
how
greatly
she
had
enriched
his
life
since
she
had
returned.

He
shifted
his
thoughts
to
AJ.
So
far
they’d
been
together
over
twenty-four
hours
and
he
hadn’t
brought
up
the
topic
of
their
relationship.
They
had
spent
a
quiet,
leisurely
day
at

the
lake
talking
mostly
about
school
and
the
Williams

sisters.
It
seemed
his
son
had
a
crush
on
the
two
tennis

players
in
a
big
way,
especially
Serena
Williams.
Dare
was
glad
he’d
let
Chase
talk
him
into
taking
tennis
lessons
with
him
last
summer;
at
least
he
knew
a
little
something
about
the
game
and
had
been
able
to
contribute
to
AJ’s

conversation.

Dare
sighed,
anxious
to
get
things
out
in
the
open
with
AJ,
but
as
Shelly
had
said,
AJ
would
have
to
be
the
one
to

bring
it
up.
He
glanced
over
his
shoulder
when
he
heard
his
son
enter
the
kitchen.
He
had
been
outside
putting
away

their
fishing
gear.

“You
did
a
good
job
today
with
that
fishing
rod,
AJ,”
Dare

said
smiling
over
his
shoulder.
“I
can’t
wait
to
tell
Stone.
The
rod
and
reel
you
used
belongs
to
him.
He
swears
only
a

Westmoreland
can
have
that
kind
of
luck
with
it,”
he
added
absently.

“Then
that
explains
things.”

Dare
turned
around.
“That
explains
what?”

“That
explains
why
I
did
so
good
today—I
am
a
Westmoreland.”

Dare’s
breath
caught
and
he
swallowed
deeply.
He
leaned
back
against
the
sink
and
stared
at
AJ
long
and
hard,

waiting
for
him
to
stop
studying
his
sneakers
and
look
at
him.
Moments
later,
AJ
finally
lifted
his
head
and
met
his

gaze.

“And
how
are
you
a
Westmoreland,
AJ?”
Dare
asked
quietly,
already
knowing
the
answer
but
desperately
wanting
to
hear
his
son
say
it
anyway.

AJ
cleared
this
throat.
“I—I
really
don’t
know
how
to
tell
you
this,
but
I
have
to
tell
you.
And
I
have
to
first
say
that
my

mom
wanted
to
tell
you
sooner,
but
I
asked
her
not
to,
so

it’s
not
her
fault
so
please
don’t
be
mad
at
her
about
it.
You
have
to
promise
that
you
won’t
be
mad
at
my
mom.”

Dare
nodded.
At
that
moment
he
would
promise
almost

anything.
“All
right.
I
won’t
be
mad
at
your
mom.
Now
tell
me
what
you
meant
about
being
a
Westmoreland.”

AJ
put
his
hands
into
his
pockets.
“You
may
want
to
sit
down
for
this.”

Dare
watched
AJ’s
face
and
noticed
how
nervous
he’d

become.
He
didn’t
want
to
make
him
any
more
nervous

than
he
already
was,
so
he
sat
at
the
kitchen
table.
“Now
tell
me,”
he
coaxed
gently.

AJ
hesitated,
then
met
Dare’s
gaze,
and
said.
“Although
my
last
name
is
Brockman,
I’m
really
a
Westmoreland…

because
I’m
your
son.”

Dare’s
breath
got
lodged
in
his
throat.
He
blinked.
Of

course,
the
news
AJ
was
delivering
to
him
didn’t
surprise
him,
but
the
uncertainty
and
the
caution
he
saw
in
his
son’s
gaze
did.
Shelly
had
been
right.
AJ
wasn’t
sure
if
he
would
accept
him
as
his
son,
and
Dare
knew
he
had
to
tread

lightly
here.

“You’re
my
son?”
He
asked
quietly,
as
if
for
clarification.

“Yes.
That’s
why
I’m
ten
and
that’s
why
we
have
the
same
name.”
He
looked
down
at
his
sneakers
again
as
he

added,
“And
that’s
why
I
look
like
you
a
little,
although
you
haven’t
seem
to
notice
but
I’ll
understand
if
you
don’t
want