A Little Dare (63 page)

“Yes,
and
you
don’t
have
to
worry
about
AJ.
He’ll
be
in
good
hands.”

With
a
slight
shrug,
she
said.
“I
know
that,
Dare.
Your
parents
are
the
greatest.”

Dare
smiled.
“Well,
right
now
they
think
their
oldest

grandson
is
the
greatest.
Now
that
the
secret
is
out,
you
should
have
seen
my
mom.
She
can’t
wait
to
go
around
bragging
to
everyone
about
him
since
it’s
safe
to
do
so.”

Shelly’s
stomach
tightened.
Now
that
the
secret
was
out,
things
would
be
changing…especially
her
relationship
with
Dare.
He
wouldn’t
have
to
pretend
interest
in
her
any

longer.
Even
now,
she
knew
that
probably
the
only
reason
he
was
inviting
her
to
the
movies
and
to
dinner
was
out
of
kindness.

“Well,
what
about
the
movies
and
dinner?”
Dare
asked,
reclaiming
her
attention.

She
met
his
gaze.
This
would
probably
be
the
last
time
they
would
be
together,
at
least
out
in
public.
There
was
no

doubt
in
her
mind
that
until
they
got
their
sexual
needs

under
control
they
would
still
find
the
time
to
see
each
other
at
night
in
private.

“Yes,
Dare.
I’ll
go
out
to
the
movies
and
to
dinner
with
you.”

“Thanks
for
going
out
with
me
tonight,
Shelly.”

“Thanks
for
inviting
me,
Dare.
I
really
enjoyed
myself.”
And
she
had.
They
had
seen
a
comedy
featuring
Eddie
Murphy
at
the
Magic
Johnson
Movie
Theater
near
the
Greenbriar

Mall.
Afterwards,
they
had
gone
to
a
restaurant
that
had

served
the
best-tasting
seafood
she’d
ever
eaten.
Now
they
were
walking
around
the
huge
shopping
mall
that
brought

back
memories
of
when
they
had
dated
all
those
years
ago
and
had
spent
a
lot
of
their
time
there
on
the
weekends.

Dare
claimed
the
reason
he
was
in
no
hurry
to
end
their

evening
was
because
he
wanted
to
give
his
parents
and
siblings
a
chance
to
bond
with
AJ,
and
he
thought
the
stroll
through
Greenbriar
Mall
would
kill
some
time.

“How
do
you
like
the
type
of
work
you’re
doing
now,
working
outside
the
hospital
versus
working
inside?”

This
was
the
first
time
he
had
ever
asked
her
anything

about
her
job
since
she’d
moved
back.
“It
took
some

getting
used
to,
but
I’m
enjoying
it.
I
get
to
meet
a
lot
of
nice
people
and
because
of
the
hours
I
work,
I’m
home
with
AJ
more.”

Dare
nodded.
“I
never
did
tell
you
why
I
stopped
being
an
agent
for
the
Bureau,
did
I?”

Shelly
shook
her
head.
“No,
you
didn’t.”

Dare
nodded
again.
He
then
told
her
all
the
things
he
had
liked
about
working
for
the
FBI
and
those
things
he
had
begun
to
dislike.
Finally
he
told
her
the
reason
he
had

returned
home.

“And
do
you
like
what
you’re
doing
now,
Dare?”
she

couldn’t
help
but
ask
him,
since
she
of
all
people
knew
what
a
career
with
the
FBI
had
meant
to
him.

“Yes,
I
like
what
I’m
doing
now.
I
feel
I’m
making
more
of
a
difference
here
than
I
was
making
with
the
Bureau.
It’s
like
I’m
giving
back
to
a
community
that
gave
so
much
to
my
brothers
and
me
while
we
were
growing
up.
It’s
a
good

feeling
to
live
in
a
place
where
you
have
history.”

Shelly
had
to
agree.
She
enjoyed
being
back
home
and
couldn’t
bear
the
thought
of
ever
leaving
again.
Although
she
had
lived
in
L.A.
for
ten
years,
deep
down
she
had
never
considered
it
as
her
home.

She
sighed
and
glanced
down
at
her
watch.
“It’s
getting
late.
Don’t
you
think
it’s
time
for
us
to
pickup
AJ?
I
don’t
want
him
to
wear
out
his
welcome
with
your
folks.”

Dare
laughed,
and
the
sound
sent
sensations
up
Shelly’s

body,
making
her
shiver
slightly.
He
thought
she
had

shivered
for
a
totally
different
reason
and
placed
his
arm

around
her
shoulders,
pulling
her
closer
to
him
for
warmth.
“He’ll
never
be
able
to
wear
out
his
welcome
with
my
family,