A Little Dare

take long for AJ to take the bait. She heard him draw in a long breath behind her and knew he was right on her heels.

“Why did you mention him?”

She looked back over her shoulder at AJ when she reached the kitchen. “Why did I mention who?”

“My father.”

She leaned against the kitchen cabinet and raised a curious brow. “I’m not supposed to mention him?”

“You haven’t in a long time.”

Shelly nodded. “Only because you haven’t asked about him in a long time. Tonight when you said something about

being a pushover, I immediately thought of him because

you’re so much like him and he’s one of the bravest men I know.”

AJ smiled. He was glad to know his father was brave. “What does he do, fly planes or something?”

Shelly smiled knowing of her son’s fixation with airplanes and spaceships. “No.” She inhaled deeply. “I think it’s time we had a talk about your father. I’ve been doing a lot of

thinking since moving back and I need you to help me

make a decision about something.”

AJ lifted a brow. “A decision about what?”

“About whether to tell your father about you.”

Surprised widened AJ’s eyes. “You know where he is?”

Shelly shook her head. “AJ, I’ve always known where he is. I’ve always told you that. And I’ve always told you if you ever wanted me to contact him to just say the word.”

Uncertainty narrowed his eyes, then he glanced down as if to study his sneakers. “Yeah, but I wasn’t sure if you really meant it or not,” he said quietly.

Shelly smiled weakly and reached out and gently gripped his chin to bring his gaze back to hers. “Is that why you

stopped asking me about him? You thought I was lying to you about him?”

He shrugged. “I just figured you were saying what you

wanted me to believe. Nick Banner’s mom did that to him. She told him that his dad had died in a car accident when he was a baby, then one day he heard his grandpa tell

somebody that his dad was alive and had another family someplace and that he didn’t want Nick.”

Shelly’s breath caught in her throat. She felt an urgent need to take her son into her arms and assure him that unlike

Nick’s father, his father did want him. But she knew he was now at an age where mothers’ hugs were no longer cool. Her heart felt heavy knowing that AJ had denied himself

knowledge of his father in an attempt to save her from what he thought was embarrassment.

“Come on, let’s sit at the table. I think it’s time for us to have a long talk.”

AJ hung his head thoughtfully then glanced back at her. His eyes were wary. “About him?”

“Yes about him. There are things I think you need to know, so come on.”

He followed her over to the table and they sat down. Her gaze was steady as she met his. “Now then, just to set the record straight, everything I’ve ever told you about your

father was true. He was someone I dated through high

school and college while I lived here in College Park.

Everyone in town thought we would marry, and I guess that had been my thought too, but your father had a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yes, a dream of one day becoming an FBI agent. You

have your dream to grow up and become an astronaut one day don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, your father had a similar dream, but his was one day to become an FBI agent, and I knew if I had told him that I was pregnant with you, he would have turned his back on his dream for us. I didn’t want him to do that. I loved him too much. So, without telling him I was pregnant with you, I left

town. So he never knew about you, AJ.”

Shelly sighed. Everything she’d just told AJ was basically true. However, this next part would be a lie; a lie Dare was convinced AJ needed to believe. “Your father still doesn’t know about you, and this is where I need your help.”

AJ looked confused. “My help about what?”

“About what I should do.” When his confusion didn’t clear she said, “Since we moved back, I found out your father is still living here in College Park.”

She could tell AJ was momentarily taken aback by what she’d said. He stared at her with wide, expressive eyes. “He’s here? In this town?” he asked in a somewhat shaky yet excited voice.

“Yes. It seems that he moved back a few years ago after he stopped working for the FBI in Washington, D.C.” Shelly

leaned back in her chair. “I want to be fair to the both of you. You’re getting older and so is he. I think it’s time that I finally tell him about you, just like I’m telling you about him.”

AJ nodded and looked her and she saw uncertainty in his eyes. “But what if he doesn’t want me?”

Shelly smiled and then chuckled. “Trust me, when he finds out about you he will definitely want you. In fact I’m a little

concerned about what his reaction will be when he realizes

that I’ve kept your existence from him. He is a man who strongly believes in family and he won’t be a happy

camper.”

“Had he known about me, he would have married you?”

Shelly’s smiled widened, knowing that was true. “Yes, in a heartbeat, which is the reason I didn’t tell him. And although it’s too late for either of us to think of ever having a life

together again, because we’ve lived separate lives for so long, there’s no doubt in my mind that once I tell him about you he’ll want to become a part of your life. But I need to

know how you feel about that.”

AJ shrugged. “I’m okay with it, but how do you feel about it. Mom?”

“I’m okay with it, too.”

AJ nodded. He then lowered his head as his finger made designs across the tablecloth. Moments later he lifted his eyes and met her gaze. “So when can I get to meet him?”

Shelly took a deep breath and hoped that her next words sounded normal. “You’ve already met your father, AJ. You met him yesterday.”

She inhaled deeply then broke it down further by saying, “Sheriff Dare Westmoreland is your father.”

Five

“S heriff Westmoreland!” AJ shouted as he jumped out of his seat. He stood in front of his mother and lifted his chin angrily, defiantly. “It can’t be him. No way.”

Shelly smiled slightly. “Trust me, it is him. I of all people should know.”

“But—but, I don’t want him to be my father,” he huffed loudly.

Shelly looked directly at AJ, at how badly he was taking the news, which really wasn’t unexpected, considering the way he and Dare had clashed. “I’m sorry you feel that way

because he is and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Alisdare Julian Westmoreland is your father.”

When she saw the look that crossed his face, she added. “And I didn’t make up that part either. You really were

named after him, AJ. He merely shortens the Alisdare to Dare.”

She felt AJ’s need to deny what she’d just told him, but

there was no way she could let him do that. “The question is, now that you know he’s your father, what are we going to do about it?”

She watched his forehead scrunch into a frown, then he said. “We don’t have to do anything about it since he

doesn’t have to know. We can continue with things the way they are.”

She lifted a brow. “Don’t you think he has every right to know about you?”

“Not if I don’t want him to know.”

Shelly shook her head. “Dare will be very hurt if he ever

learns the truth.” She studied her son. “Can you give me a good reason why he shouldn’t be told?”

“Yes, because he doesn’t like me and I don’t like him.”

Shelly met his gaze. “With your disrespectful attitude, you

probably didn’t make a good impression on him yesterday, AJ. However, Dare loves kids. And as far as you not liking him, you really don’t know him, and I think you should get to know him. He’s really a nice guy, otherwise I would not have fallen in love with him all those years ago.” A small voice

whispered that that part was true. Dare had always been a caring and loving person. “How did things go between the two of you today?”

AJ shrugged. “We still don’t like each other, and I don’t

want to get to know him. So please don’t tell him, Mom. You can’t.”

She paused for a moment knowing what she would say, knowing she would not press him anymore. “All right, AJ,

since you feel so strongly about it, I won’t tell him. But I’m hoping that one day you will be the one to tell him. I’m

hoping that one day you’ll see the importance of him

knowing the truth.”

She stood and walked over to AJ and placed her hand on his shoulder. “There’s something else you need to think

about.”

“What?”

“Dare is a very smart man. Chances are he’ll figure things out without either one of us telling him anything.”

He frowned and his eyes grew round. “How?”

Shelly smiled. “You favor him and his four brothers.

Although he hasn’t noticed it yet, there’s a good chance that he will. And then there’s the question of your age. He knows I left town ten years ago, the same year you were born.”