A Little Dare (20 page)

mother
or
to
some
adult
at
school?”

AJ’s
glare
deepened
even
more.
“I’m
not
a
baby.
I
don’t
need
my
mother
or
some
teacher
fighting
my
battles
for
me.”

Dare
met
his
son’s
glare
with
one
of
his
own.
“Maybe
not,
but
in
the
future
I
expect
you
not
to
take
matters
into
your
own
hands.
If
I
hear
about
it,
I
will
haul
both
you
and
that

Martin
kid
in
here
and
the
two
of
you
will
be
sorry.
Not
only
will
I
assign
after-school
duties
but
I’ll
give
weekend
work
duties
as
well.
I
won’t
tolerate
that
kind
of
foolishness.”

Especially
when
it
involved
his
son,
Dare
decided
not
to
add.
“Now
go
into
that
bathroom
and
get
cleaned
up
then
meet
me
out
back.”

AJ
shifted
his
book
bag
to
his
other
shoulder.
“What
am
I
supposed
to
do
today?”

“My
police
car
needs
washing
and
I
can
use
the
help.”

AJ
nodded
and
rushed
off
toward
the
bathroom.
Dare

couldn’t
hide
the
smile
that
lit
his
face.
Although
AJ
had

grumbled
last
night
about
having
to
show
up
at
the
police

station
after
school,
Dare
could
tell
from
his
expression
that
he
enjoyed
having
something
to
do.

“Sheriff?”

Dare
glanced
up
and
met
McKade’s
gaze.
“Yes?”

“There’s
something
about
that
kid
that’s
oddly
familiar.”

Dare
knew
what
McKade
was
getting
at.
His
deputy
had

seen
the
paperwork
he’d
completed
last
night
and
had

probably
put
two
and
two
together;
especially
since
Rick

McKade
knew
his
first
and
middle
names.
The
two
of
them
were
good
friends
and
had
been
since
joining
the
FBI
at

the
same
time
years
back.
When
Dare
had
decided
to

leave
the
Bureau,
so
had
McKade.
Rick
had
followed
Dare
to
Atlanta,
where
he’d
met
and
fallen
in
love
with
a

schoolteacher
who
lived
in
the
area.

“The
reason
he
seems
oddly
familiar,
McKade,
is
because
you
just
saw
him
yesterday,”
Dare
said,
hoping
that
was
the
end
of
it.

He
found
out
it
wasn’t
when
McKade
chuckled
and
said.
“That’s
not
what
I
mean
and
you
know
it,
Dare.
There’s
something
else.”

“What?”

McKade
paused
a
moment
before
answering.
“He
looks
a
lot
like
you
and
your
brothers,
but
especially
like
you.”
He

again
paused
a
few
moments
then
asked.
“Is
there
anything
you
want
to
tell
me?”

Dare’s
lips
curved
into
a
smile.
He
didn’t
have
to
tell
McKade
anything
since
it
was
obvious
he
had
figured

things
out
for
himself.
“No,
there’s
nothing
I
want
to
tell
you.”

McKade
chuckled
again.
“Then
maybe
I
better
tell
you,
or
rather
I
should
remind
you
that
the
people
in
this
town
don’t
know
how
to
keep
a
secret
if
that’s
what
you
plan
to
do.
It
won’t
be
long
before
everyone
figures
things
out,
and
when
they
do,
someone
will
tell
the
kid.”

Dare’s
smile
widened
when
he
thought
of
that
happening.
“Yes,
and
that’s
what
his
mother
and
I
are
counting
on.”

Knowing
what
he’d
said
had
probably
confused
the
hell
out
of
McKade,
Dare
turned
and
walked
through
the
door
that
led
out
back.

The
kid
was
a
hard
worker
and
a
darn
good
one
at
that,

Dare
decided
as
he
watched
AJ
dry
off
the
police
cruiser.
He
had
only
intended
the
job
to
last
an
hour,
but
he
could

tell
that
AJ
was
actually
enjoying
having
something
to
do.
He
made
a
mental
note
to
ask
Shelly
if
AJ
did
any
chores
at
home,
and
if
not,
maybe
it
wouldn’t
be
a
bad
idea
for
her
to
assign
him
a
few.
That
would
be
another
way
to
keep

him
out
of
trouble.

“Is
this
it
for
the
day?”

AJ’s
statement
jerked
Dare
from
his
thoughts.
AJ
had
placed
the
cloth
he’d
used
to
dry
off
the
car
back
in
the
bucket.
“Yes,
that’s
it,
but
make
sure
you
come
back

tomorrow—and
I
expect
you
to
be
on
time.”

A
scowl
appeared
on
AJ’s
face
but
he
didn’t
say
anything
as
he
picked
up
his
book
bag
and
placed
it
on
his

shoulder.
“I
don’t
like
coming
here
after
school.”

Dare
shook
his
head
and
inwardly
smiled,
wondering
who
the
kid
was
trying
to
convince.
“Well,
you
should
have

thought
of
that
before
you
got
into
trouble.”

Their
gazes
locked
for
a
brief
moment
and
Dare
detected
a
storm
of
defiance
brewing
within
his
son.
“How
much
longer
do
I
have
to
come
here?”
AJ
asked
in
an
agitated
voice.

“Until
I
think
you’ve
learned
your
lesson.”

AJ’s
glare
deepened.
“Well,
I
don’t
like
it.”

Dare
raised
his
gaze
upward
to
the
sky
then
looked
back
to
AJ.
“You’ve
said
that
already
kid,
but
in
this
case
what
you
like
doesn’t
really
matter.
When
you
break
the
law
you
have
to
be
punished.
That’s
something
I
suggest
you
remember.
I
also
suggest
that
you
get
home
before
your
mother
starts
worrying
about
you,”
he
said,
following
AJ
inside
the

building.

“She’s
going
to
do
that
anyway.”

Dare
smiled.
“Yeah,
I
wouldn’t
put
it
past
her,
since
mothers
are
that
way.
I’m
sure
my
four
brothers
and
I
worried
my