A Little Dare (22 page)

“Come
on,
let’s
sit
at
the
table.
I
think
it’s
time
for
us
to
have
a
long
talk.”

AJ
hung
his
head
thoughtfully
then
glanced
back
at
her.
His
eyes
were
wary.
“About
him?”

“Yes
about
him.
There
are
things
I
think
you
need
to
know,
so
come
on.”

He
followed
her
over
to
the
table
and
they
sat
down.
Her
gaze
was
steady
as
she
met
his.
“Now
then,
just
to
set
the
record
straight,
everything
I’ve
ever
told
you
about
your

father
was
true.
He
was
someone
I
dated
through
high

school
and
college
while
I
lived
here
in
College
Park.

Everyone
in
town
thought
we
would
marry,
and
I
guess
that
had
been
my
thought
too,
but
your
father
had
a
dream.”

“A
dream?”

“Yes,
a
dream
of
one
day
becoming
an
FBI
agent.
You

have
your
dream
to
grow
up
and
become
an
astronaut
one
day
don’t
you?”

“Yes.”

“Well,
your
father
had
a
similar
dream,
but
his
was
one
day
to
become
an
FBI
agent,
and
I
knew
if
I
had
told
him
that
I
was
pregnant
with
you,
he
would
have
turned
his
back
on
his
dream
for
us.
I
didn’t
want
him
to
do
that.
I
loved
him
too
much.
So,
without
telling
him
I
was
pregnant
with
you,
I
left

town.
So
he
never
knew
about
you,
AJ.”

Shelly
sighed.
Everything
she’d
just
told
AJ
was
basically
true.
However,
this
next
part
would
be
a
lie;
a
lie
Dare
was
convinced
AJ
needed
to
believe.
“Your
father
still
doesn’t
know
about
you,
and
this
is
where
I
need
your
help.”

AJ
looked
confused.
“My
help
about
what?”

“About
what
I
should
do.”
When
his
confusion
didn’t
clear
she
said,
“Since
we
moved
back,
I
found
out
your
father
is
still
living
here
in
College
Park.”

She
could
tell
AJ
was
momentarily
taken
aback
by
what
she’d
said.
He
stared
at
her
with
wide,
expressive
eyes.
“He’s
here?
In
this
town?”
he
asked
in
a
somewhat
shaky
yet
excited
voice.

“Yes.
It
seems
that
he
moved
back
a
few
years
ago
after
he
stopped
working
for
the
FBI
in
Washington,
D.C.”
Shelly

leaned
back
in
her
chair.
“I
want
to
be
fair
to
the
both
of
you.
You’re
getting
older
and
so
is
he.
I
think
it’s
time
that
I
finally
tell
him
about
you,
just
like
I’m
telling
you
about
him.”

AJ
nodded
and
looked
her
and
she
saw
uncertainty
in
his
eyes.
“But
what
if
he
doesn’t
want
me?”

Shelly
smiled
and
then
chuckled.
“Trust
me,
when
he
finds
out
about
you
he
will
definitely
want
you.
In
fact
I’m
a
little

concerned
about
what
his
reaction
will
be
when
he
realizes

that
I’ve
kept
your
existence
from
him.
He
is
a
man
who
strongly
believes
in
family
and
he
won’t
be
a
happy

camper.”

“Had
he
known
about
me,
he
would
have
married
you?”

Shelly’s
smiled
widened,
knowing
that
was
true.
“Yes,
in
a
heartbeat,
which
is
the
reason
I
didn’t
tell
him.
And
although
it’s
too
late
for
either
of
us
to
think
of
ever
having
a
life

together
again,
because
we’ve
lived
separate
lives
for
so
long,
there’s
no
doubt
in
my
mind
that
once
I
tell
him
about
you
he’ll
want
to
become
a
part
of
your
life.
But
I
need
to

know
how
you
feel
about
that.”

AJ
shrugged.
“I’m
okay
with
it,
but
how
do
you
feel
about
it.
Mom?”

“I’m
okay
with
it,
too.”

AJ
nodded.
He
then
lowered
his
head
as
his
finger
made
designs
across
the
tablecloth.
Moments
later
he
lifted
his
eyes
and
met
her
gaze.
“So
when
can
I
get
to
meet
him?”

Shelly
took
a
deep
breath
and
hoped
that
her
next
words
sounded
normal.
“You’ve
already
met
your
father,
AJ.
You
met
him
yesterday.”

She
inhaled
deeply
then
broke
it
down
further
by
saying,
“Sheriff
Dare
Westmoreland
is
your
father.”

Five

“S
heriff
Westmoreland!”
AJ
shouted
as
he
jumped
out
of
his
seat.
He
stood
in
front
of
his
mother
and
lifted
his
chin
angrily,
defiantly.
“It
can’t
be
him.
No
way.”

Shelly
smiled
slightly.
“Trust
me,
it
is
him.
I
of
all
people
should
know.”

“But—but,
I
don’t
want
him
to
be
my
father,”
he
huffed
loudly.

Shelly
looked
directly
at
AJ,
at
how
badly
he
was
taking
the
news,
which
really
wasn’t
unexpected,
considering
the
way
he
and
Dare
had
clashed.
“I’m
sorry
you
feel
that
way

because
he
is
and
there’s
nothing
you
can
do
about
it.

Alisdare
Julian
Westmoreland
is
your
father.”

When
she
saw
the
look
that
crossed
his
face,
she
added.
“And
I
didn’t
make
up
that
part
either.
You
really
were

named
after
him,
AJ.
He
merely
shortens
the
Alisdare
to
Dare.”

She
felt
AJ’s
need
to
deny
what
she’d
just
told
him,
but

there
was
no
way
she
could
let
him
do
that.
“The
question
is,
now
that
you
know
he’s
your
father,
what
are
we
going
to
do
about
it?”

She
watched
his
forehead
scrunch
into
a
frown,
then
he
said.
“We
don’t
have
to
do
anything
about
it
since
he