A Little Dare (31 page)

experienced
pleasure,
but
not
the
kind
that
made
you

pound
your
chest
with
your
fists
and
holler
out
for
more.
Not
the
kind
that
compelled
you
to
go
ahead
and
remain
inside
her
body
since
another
orgasm
was
there
on
the
horizon.
And
not
the
kind
you
could
still
shudder
from
days
later,
just
thinking
about
it.

He
could
only
get
those
feelings
with
Shelly.

Closing
his
eyes,
Dare
remembered
how
she
had
broken
off
their
kiss
and
the
words
she’d
said
before
he’d
left
her
house.
“You’re
AJ’s
father,
but
what
was
between
us
is
over
and
has
been
for
years.
To
me
you’re
just
another
man.”

He
sighed
deeply
and
reopened
his
eyes.
If
Shelly
believed
that
then
she
was
wrong.
Granted,
AJ
was
their
main

concern,
but
what
she
didn’t
know
and
what
he
wouldn’t
tell
her
just
yet
was
that
his
mission
also
included
her.
He

hadn’t
realized
until
she
had
walked
into
his
office
two
days
ago
that
his
life
had
been
without
direction
for
ten
years.

Seeing
her,
finding
out
about
AJ
and
knowing
that
he
and
Shelly
were
still
attracted
to
each
other
made
him
want

something
he
thought
he
would
never
have
again.

Peace
and
happiness.

The
buzzer
interrupted
his
thoughts.
Leaning
forwarding
he
pushed
the
button
for
the
speaker-phone.
“Yeah,
Holly,
what
is
it?”

“That
Brockman
kid
is
here,
Sheriff.
Do
you
want
me
to
send
him
in?”

Dare
again
sighed
deeply.
“Yes,
send
him
in.”

Dare
felt
AJ
watching
him.
The
kid
had
been
doing
so
off
and
on
since
he’d
finished
the
chores
he’d
been
assigned
and
had
come
into
his
office
to
sit
at
a
table
in
the
corner
and
finish
his
homework.

Dare
had
sat
behind
his
desk,
reading
over
various

reports.
The
only
sound
in
the
room
was
AJ
turning
the

pages
of
his
science
book
and
Dare
shuffling
the
pages
of
the
report.
More
than
once
Dare
had
glanced
up
and

caught
the
kid
looking
at
him,
as
if
he
were
a
puzzle
he
was
trying
to
figure
out.
As
soon
as
he’d
been
caught
staring,

the
kid
had
quickly
lowered
his
eyes.

Dare
wondered
what
was
going
through
AJ’s
mind
now
that
he
knew
he
was
his
father?
The
only
reason
Dare
could

come
up
with
as
to
why
he’d
been
studying
him
so
intently
was
that
he
was
trying
to
find
similarities
in
their
features.

They
were
there.
Even
Holly
had
noticed
them,
although
she
hadn’t
said
anything,
merely
moving
her
gaze
between

Dare
and
AJ
several
times
before
comprehension

appeared
on
her
face.

Dare
glanced
up
and
caught
AJ
staring
again
and
decided

to
address
the
issue.
“Is
something
wrong?”
he
asked.

AJ
glanced
up
from
his
science
book
and
glared
at
him.
“What
makes
you
think
something
is
wrong?”

Dare
shrugged.
“Because
I’ve
caught
you
staring
several
times
today
like
I’ve
suddenly
grown
two
heads
or

something.”

He
saw
the
corners
of
AJ
lips
being
forced
not
to
smile.
“I
hate
being
here.
Why
couldn’t
I
just
go
home
after
I
finished
everything
I
had
to
do
instead
of
hanging
around
here?”

“Because
your
punishment
was
to
come
here
for
an
hour
after
school
and
I
intend
to
get
my
hour.
Besides,
if
I
let
you
leave
earlier,
you
might
think
I’m
turning
soft.”

“That
will
be
the
day,”
AJ
mumbled.

Dare
chuckled
and
went
back
to
reading
his
reports.

“Is
Thorn
Westmoreland
really
your
brother?”

Dare
lifted
his
head
and
gazed
back
across
the
room
at

AJ.
My
brother
and
your
uncle,
he
wanted
to
say.
Instead
he
responded
by
asking.
“Who
told
you
that?”

AJ
shrugged.
“Morris
and
Cornelius.”

Dare
nodded.
He
knew
Morris
and
Cornelius.
The
two

youngsters
usually
hung
together
and
were
the
same
age
and
went
to
the
same
school
as
AJ.
“So
you
know
Morris
and
Cornelius?”

AJ
turned
the
page
on
his
book
before
answering,

pretending
the
response
was
being
forced
from
him.
“Yeah,
I
know
them.
We
met
today
after
school.”

Dare
nodded
again.
Morris
and
Cornelius
were
good
kids.
He
knew
their
parents
well
and
was
glad
the
pair
were

developing
a
friendship
with
AJ,
since
he
considered
them
a
good
influence.
Both
got
good
grades
in
school,
sung
in
the
youth
choir
at
church
and
were
active
in
a
number
of

sports
he
and
his
brothers
coached.

“Well,
is
he?”

Dare
heard
the
anxiousness
in
AJ’s
voice,
although
the
kid
was
trying
to
downplay
it.
“Yes,
Thorn’s
my
brother.”

“And
Rock
Mason
is,
too?”

“Yes.
I
told
you
the
other
day
I
had
four
brothers
and
all
of
them
live
in
this
area.”

AJ
nodded.
“And
they
help
you
coach
your
baseball
team?”

Dare
leaned
back
in
his
chair.
“Yes,
pretty
much,
although
Thorn
contributes
to
the
youth
of
the
community
by
teaching
a
special
class
at
the
high
school
on
motorcycle
safety
and