A Little Dare (54 page)

parents
think
it’s
time
for
him
to
settle
down
and
marry,
and
I
can
tell
that
he
really
likes
you,
Mom.
He
always
treats
you
special
and
I
like
that.”

Shelly
inhaled
deeply.
She
liked
it,
too,
but
she
knew
a
lot

more
about
why
Dare
was
spending
time
with
her
than
AJ
did.
It
was
all
part
of
his
plan
to
gain
his
son’s
love
and
trust.
She
refused
to
put
too
much
stock
into
anything
else,
not

even
the
many
times
they
had
slept
together.
She
knew
it

had
to
do
with
their
raging
hormones
and
nothing
more.

“So,
when
are
you
going
to
tell
him?”
she
asked
quietly.

AJ
shrugged.
“I
still
don’t
know
that
yet.
But
I
wanted
to
let
you
know
that
I
would
be
telling
him.”

She
nodded.
“Don’t
take
too
long.
Like
I
said,
Dare
won’t
be
a
happy
camper
knowing
we
kept
it
from
him,
but
I

believe
he’ll
be
so
happy
about
you
that
he’ll
quickly
come
around.”

AJ’s
eyes
lit
up.
“You
think
so?”

“Yes,
sweetheart,
I
do.”

He
nodded.
“Then
I
might
tell
him
today.
He
asked
if
I’d
like
to
go
with
him
to
meet
his
sister
and
her
family
at
the

airport.
I
might
tell
him
then.”

Shelly
nodded
again,
knowing
that
if
he
did,
it
would
certainly
make
Dare’s
day.

AJ
thought
Dare’s
truck
was
really
cool.
He
had
ridden
in
it
a
couple
of
times
before,
and
just
like
the
other
times,
he

thought
it
was
a
nice
vehicle
for
a
sheriff
to
have
when
you
wanted
to
stop
being
sheriff
for
a
little
while.
But
as
he

looked
at
Dare
out
of
the
corner
of
his
eyes,
he
knew
that

the
sheriff
was
always
the
sheriff.
There
was
probably
never
a
time
he
when
he
wasn’t
on
the
job,
and
that
included

times
like
now
when
he
wasn’t
wearing
his
uniform.

“So
are
you
looking
forward
to
that
day
out
of
school
next
Friday
for
teachers’
planning
day?”
Dare
asked
the

moment
he’d
made
sure
AJ
had
snapped
his
seatbelt
in
place.
Once
that
was
done,
he
started
the
engine.

“Yes,
although
Mom
will
probably
find
a
lot
of
work
for
me
to
do
that
day.”
He
didn’t
say
anything
else
for
a
little
while,

then
he
asked
quickly,
“Do
you
like
kids?”

Dare
glanced
over
at
him
and
smiled.
“Yes,
I
like
kids.”

“Do
you
ever
plan
to
have
any?”

Dare
lifted
his
brow.
“Yeah,
one
day.
Why
do
you
ask?”

AJ
shrugged.
“No
reason.”

Dare
checked
the
rearview
mirror
as
he
began
backing
out

of
Shelly’s
driveway.
He
was
headed
for
the
airport
like
the
rest
of
his
family
to
welcome
his
sister
home.
He
couldn’t
help
wondering
if
AJ
had
started
quizzing
him
for
some

reason
and
inwardly
smiled,
ready
for
any
questions
that
his
son
felt
he
needed
to
ask.

Princess
Delaney
Westmoreland
Yasir
clutched
her
son
to
her
breast
and
inhaled
sharply.
She
leaned
against
her

husband’s
side
for
support.
Her
mother
had
said
Shelly’s
son
favored
Dare,
but
what
she
was
seeing
was
uncanny.
There
was
no
way
anyone
could
take
a
look
at
the
boy

standing
next
to
Dare
and
not
immediately
know
they
were
father
and
son.
They
had
the
same
coffee
coloring,
the

same
dark
intense
eyes
and
the
same
shape
mouth
and
nose.
AJ
Brockman
was
a
little
Dare;
a
small
replica
of
his
father,
there
was
no
doubt
of
that.

“And
who
do
we
have
here?”
She
asked
after
regaining
her
composure
and
giving
her
parents
and
brothers
hugs.

“This
is
AJ,”
Dare
said
meeting
his
sister’s
astonished
gaze.
“Shelly
Brockman’s
son.
I
think
Mom
mentioned
to
you
that
she
had
returned
to
town.”

Delaney
nodded.
“Yes,
that’s
what
I
heard.”
She
smiled

down
at
AJ
and
immediately
fell
in
love.
He
was
a

Westmoreland,
and
she
was
happy
to
claim
him.
“And
how

are
you,
AJ?”
she
asked
her
nephew,
offering
him
her
hand.

“I’m
fine,
thank
you,”
he
said
somewhat
shyly.

“And
how
is
your
mother?”

“She’s
doing
fine.
She
said
she
couldn’t
wait
to
see
you
later
today.”

Delaney
smiled.
“And
I
can’t
wait
to
see
her.
She
was
like
a
big
sister
to
me.”

With
love
shining
in
her
eyes,
Delaney
then
glanced
at
the
imposing
figure
at
her
side
and
smiled.
“AJ,
this
is
my

husband,
Jamal
Ari
Yasir.”

AJ
switched
his
gaze
from
Delaney
to
the
tall
man
standing
next
to
her.
He
wasn’t
sure
what
he
should
do.
Was
he

supposed
to
bow
or
something?
He
let
out
a
deep
sigh
of
relief
when
the
man
stooped
down
to
his
level
and
met
his
gaze.
“And
how
are
you,
AJ?”
he
asked
in
a
deep
voice,

smiling.

AJ
couldn’t
help
but
return
the
man’s
smile,
suddenly
feeling
at
ease.
“I’m
fine,
sir.”

When
the
man
straightened
back
up,
AJ
switched
his
gaze
to
the
baby
Delaney
held
in
her
arms.
“May
I
see
him?”