A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [42]
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.
Dare walked around the shop, wondering just what kind of flowers Shelly would like, then decided on roses. According to Storm, roses, especially red ones, said everything. And everyone knew that Storm was an ace when it came to wooing women.
“Have you decided on what you want, Sheriff?”
He turned toward Mrs. Coleman. A woman in her early sixties, she attended the same church as his parents and he’d known her all of his life. “Yes, I’d like a dozen roses.”
“All right. What color?”
“Red.”
She smiled and nodded as if his selection was a good one, so evidently Storm was right. “Any particular type vase you have in mind?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t thought about that.”
“Well, you might want to. The flowers say one thing and the vase says another. You want to make sure you select something worthy of holding your flowers.”
Dare frowned. He hadn’t thought ordering flowers would be so much trouble. “Do you have a selection I can take a look at?”
“Certainly. There’s an entire group over on that back wall. If you see something that catches your fancy, bring it to me.”
Dare nodded again. Knowing she was watching him with those keen eyes of hers, he crossed the room to stand in front of a shelf containing different vases. As far as he was concerned one vase was just as good as any, but he decided to try and look at them from a woman’s point of view.
A woman like Shelly would like something that looked special, soft yet colorful. His gaze immediately went to a white ceramic vase that had flowers of different colors painted at the top. For some reason he immediately liked it and could see the dozen roses arranged really prettily in it. Without dallying any further, he picked up his choice and walked back over to the counter.
“This is the one I want.”
Luanne Coleman nodded. “This is beautiful, and I’m sure she’ll love it. Now, to whom will this be delivered?”
Dare inwardly smiled, knowing she was just itching to bits to know that piece of information. “Shelly Brockman.”
Her brows lifted. “Shelly? Yes, I heard she was back in town, and it doesn’t surprise me any that you would be hot on her heels, Dare Westmoreland. I hope you know that I was really upset with you when you broke things off with her all those years ago.”
You and everybody else in this town, Dare thought, leaning against the counter.
“And she was such nice girl,” Luanne continued. “And everyone knew she was so much in love with you. Poor thing had to leave town after that and her parents left not long after she did.”
As Luanne accepted his charge card she glanced at him and said, “I understand she has a son.”
Dare pretended not to find her subject of conversation much to his interest. He began fidgeting with several key rings she had on display. “Yes, she does.”
“Someone said he’s about eight or nine.”
Dare knew nobody had said any such thing. The woman was fishing, and he knew it. He might as well set himself up to get caught.