A Little Dare (33 page)

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Authors: Brenda Jackson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Arts&Photography

BOOK: A Little Dare
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Shelly
let
out
a
deep
sigh.
“Okay,
then,
I’ll
see
you
later.”

She
walked
across
the
room
to
place
a
kiss
on
AJ’s

forehead;
ignoring
the
frown
he
gave
her.
“Behave
yourself
tonight,”
she
admonished.

She
turned
and
smiled
at
Dare
before
walking
out
of
his
office.

“The
only
reason
I
decided
to
come
with
you
is
because
I
want
to
meet
Thorn
Westmoreland.
I
think
he
is
so
cool.”
AJ
said,
and
then
turned
his
attention
back
to
the
scenery

outside
the
vehicle’s
window.

Instead
of
using
the
police
cruiser,
Dare
had
decided
to
drive
his
truck
instead,
the
Chevy
Avalanche
he’d

purchased
a
month
ago.
He
glanced
over
at
AJ
when
he
brought
the
vehicle
to
a
stop
at
a
traffic
light.
He
couldn’t
help
but
chuckle.
“I
figured
as
much,
but
you
won’t
be
the
first
kid
who
tried
getting
on
my
good
side
just
to
meet
Thorn.”

AJ
scowled.
“I’m
not
trying
to
get
on
your
good
side,”
he
mumbled.”

Dare
chuckled
again.
“Oh,
sorry.
My
mistake.”

For
the
next
couple
of
miles
the
inside
of
the
vehicle
was
quiet
as
Dare
navigated
through
evening
traffic
with

complete
ease.

“So,
how
was
your
day
at
school?”
Dare
decided
to
ask

when
the
vehicle
finally
came
to
a
complete
standstill
as
he
attempted
to
get
on
the
interstate.

AJ
glanced
over
at
him.
“It
had
its
moments.”

Dare
smiled.
“What
kind
of
moments?”

AJ
glared.
“Why
are
you
asking
me
all
these
questions?”

Dare
met
his
gaze.
“Because
I’m
interested.”

AJ’s
glare
deepened.
“Are
you
interested
in
me
or
in
my
mother?
I
saw
the
way
you
were
looking
at
her.”

Dare
decided
the
kid
was
too
observant,
although
he
was
falling
in
nicely
with
their
plans.
“And
what
way
was
I
looking
at
her?”

“One
of
those
man-like-woman
looks.”

Dare
chuckled,
never
having
heard
it
phased
quite
that
way
before.
“What
do
you
know
about
a
man-like-woman
look?”

“I
wasn’t
born
yesterday.”

“Not
for
one
minute
did
I
think
you
had
been.”
After
a
few
moments
he
glanced
back
at
AJ.
“Did
you
know
your
mom

used
to
be
my
girlfriend
some
years
back?”

“So?”

“So,
I
thought
you
should
know.”

“Why?”

“Because
she
was
very
special
to
me
then.”

When
Dare
exited
off
the
interstate,
AJ
spoke.
“That
was
back
then.
My
mother
doesn’t
need
a
boyfriend,
if
that’s
what
you’re
thinking.”

Dare
gave
his
son
a
smile
when
he
brought
the
vehicle
to
a
stop
at
a
traffic
light.
“What
I
think,
AJ,
is
that
you
should
let
your
mom
make
her
own
decisions
about
those
kinds
of

things.”

AJ
glared
at
him.
“I
don’t
like
you.”

Dare
shrugged
and
gave
his
son
a
smile.
“Then
I
guess
that
means
nothing
has
changed.”
But
he
knew
something
had
changed.
As
far
as
he
was
concerned,
AJ
consenting
to
go
to
dinner
with
him
to
meet
his
family
was
a
major

breakthrough.
And
although
the
kid
claimed
that
Thorn
was
the
only
reason
he
was
going,
Dare
had
no
problem
using
his
brother
to
his
advantage
if
that’s
what
it
took.
Besides,
AJ
would
soon
discover
that
of
all
the
Westmorelands,

Thorn
was
the
one
who
was
biggest
on
family
ties
and

devotion,
and
if
you
accepted
one
Westmoreland,
you

basically
accepted
them
all,
since
they
were
just
that
thick.

At
that
moment
Dare’s
cell
phone
rang
and
he
answered
it.
After
a
few
remarks
and
nods
of
his
head,
he
said.
“You’re
welcome
to
join
us
for
dinner
if
you’d
like.
I
know
for
a
fact
that
everyone
would
love
to
see
you.”
He
nodded
again
and
said,
“All
right.
I’ll
see
you
later.

Moments
later
he
glanced
over
at
AJ
when
they
came
to
a
stop
in
front
of
Chase’s
restaurant.
“That
was
your
mother.
The
emergency
wasn’t
as
bad
as
she’d
thought,
and
she
is
on
her
way
back
home.
I’m
to
take
you
there
after
dinner

instead
of
to
Ms.
Kate’s
house.

AJ
narrowed
his
eyes
at
Dare.
“Why
did
you
do
that?”

“Do
what?”
Dare
asked,
lifting
a
brow.

“Invite
her
to
dinner?”

“Because
I
figured
that
like
you,
she
has
to
eat
sometime,
and
I
know
that
my
family
would
have
love
seeing
her

again.”
He
hesitated
for
a
few
moments,
then
added.
“And
I
would
have
liked
seeing
her
again
myself.
Like
I
said,
your
mom
used
to
mean
a
lot
to
me
a
long
time
ago.”

Their
gazes
locked
for
a
brief
moment,
then
AJ
glared
at
him
and
said
angrily.
“Get
over
it.”

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