A Little Dare (43 page)

“You
used
to
be
in
the
marines?”
AJ
asked.

Dare
smiled.
The
look
of
total
surprise
and
awe
on
his

son’s
face
was
priceless.
“Yes,
I
served
in
the
marines
for
four
years,
right
after
college.”

AJ
smiled.
“Wow!”

“My
daddy
says
the
marines
only
picks
the
most
bravest
and
the
best
men,”
Morris
said,
also
impressed.

Dare
smiled.
“I
think
all
the
branches
of
the
military
selects
good
men,
but
I
do
admit
that
marines
are
a
very
special
breed.”
He
glanced
at
his
watch.
“It’s
a
little
over
an
hour,
guys.
Do
I
need
to
call
any
of
your
parents
to
let
them
know
that
you’re
on
your
way
home?”

All
three
boys
shook
their
heads,
indicating
that
Dare
didn’t
have
to.
“All
right.”

“Sheriff,
do
you
think
you
can
teach
us
some
simple
martial
arts
moves?”
Cornelius
asked.

“Yeah,
sheriff,
with
bad
people
kidnapping
kids
we
need
to
know
how
to
protect
ourselves,
don’t
we?”
Morris
chimed
in.

Dare
grinned
when
he
saw
AJ
vigorously
nodding
his
head,
agreeing
with
Morris.
“Yes,
I
guess
that’s
something
all
of

you
should
know,
some
real
simple
moves.
Just
as
long
as
you
don’t
use
it
on
your
classmates
for
fun
or
to
try
to
show
off.”

“We
wouldn’t
do
that,”
Morris
said
eagerly.

Dare
nodded.
“All
right
then.
I’ll
try
to
map
out
some
time
this
Saturday
morning.
How
about
checking
with
your

parents,
and
if
they
say
it’s
all
right,
then
the
three
of
you
can
meet
me
here.”

He
glanced
at
his
watch
again.
Shelly
didn’t
know
it
yet,
but
he
intended
to
see
her
again
tonight,
no
matter
what

excuse
he
had
to
make
to
do
so.
He
smiled,
pleased
with
the
progress
he
felt
he’d
made
with
AJ
today.
“Okay
guys,
let’s
get
things
moving
so
we
can
call
it
a
day.
The
three
of
you
did
an
outstanding
job
and
I
appreciate
it.”

“Mom,
did
you
know
that
the
sheriff
used
to
be
in
the
marines?”

Shelly
glanced
up
from
her
book
and
met
AJ’s
excited

gaze.
He
was
stretched
out
on
the
floor
by
the
sofa
doing
his
homework.
“Yes,
I
knew
that.
We
dated
during
that

time.”

“Wow!”

She
lifted
a
brow.
“What’s
so
fantastic
about
him
being
a
marine?”

AJ
rolled
his
eyes
to
the
ceiling.
“Mom,
everyone
knows
that
marines
are
tough.
They
adapt,
improvise
and

overcome!”

Shelly
smiled
at
her
son’s
Clint
Eastwood
imitation
from
one
of
his
favorite
movies.
“Oh.”
She
went
back
to
reading
her
book.

“And
Mom,
he
told
us
about
the
time
he
caught
two
men

trying
to
rob
a
convenience
store
and
taking
a
hostage
with
them.
It
was
real
cool
how
he
captured
the
bad
guys.”

“Yeah,
I’m
sure
it
was.”

“And
he
offered
to
teach
us
martial
arts
moves
on
Saturday
morning
at
the
police
station
so
we’ll
know
how
to
protect
ourselves,”
he
added
excitedly
in
a
forward
rush.

Shelly
lifted
her
head
from
her
book
again.
“Who?”

“The
sheriff.”

She
nodded.
“Oh,
your
father?”

Their
gazes
locked
and
Shelly
waited
for
AJ’s
comeback,
expecting
a
denial
that
he
did
not
consider
Dare
his
father.
After
a
few
minutes
he
shrugged
his
shoulders
and
said

softly,
“Yes.”
He
then
quickly
looked
away
and
went
back
to
doing
his
homework.

Shelly
inhaled
deeply.
AJ
admitting
Dare
was
his
father

was
a
start.
It
seemed
the
ice
surrounding
his
heart
was

slowly
beginning
to
melt,
and
he
was
beginning
to
see
Dare
in
a
whole
new
light.

Nine

D
are
walked
into
Coleman’s
Florist
knowing
that
within
ten
minutes
of
the
time
he
walked
out,
everyone
in
College

Park
would
know
he
had
sent
flowers
to
Shelly.
Luanne

Coleman
was
one
of
the
town’s
biggest
gossips,
but
then
he
couldn’t
worry
about
that,
especially
since
for
once
her
penchant
to
gab
would
work
in
his
favor.
Before
nightfall
he
wanted
everyone
to
know
that
he
was
in
hot
pursuit
of

Shelly
Brockman.

Due
to
the
escape
of
a
convict
in
another
county,
he
had

spent
the
last
day
and
a
half
helping
the
sheriff
of
Stone

Mountain
track
down
the
man.
Now,
thirty-six
hours
after
the
man
had
been
recaptured,
Dare
was
bone
tired
and

regretted
he
had
missed
the
opportunity
to
see
Shelly
two
nights
ago
as
he’d
planned.
The
best
he
could
do
was
go
home
and
get
some
sleep
to
be
ready
for
the
martial
arts
training
he
had
promised
the
boys
in
the
morning.

He
also
regretted
that
he
had
not
been
there
when
AJ
had
arrived
after
school
yesterday.
It
had
officially
been
the
last
time
he
was
to
report
to
him.
According
to
McKade,
AJ
had
come
alone
and
had
been
on
time.
He
had
also
done
the

assignment
Dare
had
left
for
him
to
do
without
having
much
to
say.
However,
McKade
had
said
AJ
questioned
him
a

couple
of
times
as
to
why
he
wasn’t
there.