A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [44]
Shelly shook her head. Her son had years to learn about human sexuality and how it worked. She was just finding out herself what ten years of abstinence could do to a person. “AJ, don’t you think I can get lonely sometimes?” she asked him softly.
He didn’t say anything for a little while. Then he said. “But you never got lonely before.”
“Yes, and I worked a lot before. That’s how you got into all that trouble. I was putting in extra hours at the hospital when the cost of living got high. I needed additional money so the two of us could afford to live in the better part of town. I didn’t have time to get lonely. Now with my new job, I can basically make my own hours so I can spend more time with you. But you’re away in school a lot during the days, and pretty soon you’ll have friends you’ll want to spend time with, won’t you?”
AJ thought of Morris and Cornelius and the fun they’d had on the playground that day at school. “Yes.”
“Well, don’t you think I need friends, too?”
“Yes, but what’s wrong with having girlfriends?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it, but most of the girls I went to school with have moved away, and although I’m sure I’ll meet others, right now I feel comfortable associating with people I already know, like Dare and his brothers.”
“But it’s the sheriff who wants you as his girlfriend. He likes you.”
She smiled. Dare must have laid it on rather thick. “You think so?”
“Yes. He said you used to be his special girl. His brothers and parents said so, too. And I’ve got a feeling he wants you to be his special girl again. But if you let him, he’ll find out about me.”
“And you still see that as a bad thing, AJ?”
He remained silent for a long time, then he hunched his shoulders. “I’m still not sure he would want me.”
Shelly felt a knot forming in her stomach. She wondered if he was using his supposed dislike of Dare as an excuse to shield himself from getting hurt. “And why wouldn’t he want you?”
“I told you that he didn’t like me.”
And you also said you didn’t like him, she wanted to remind him, but decided to keep quiet about that. “Well, I know Dare, and I know that he likes you. He wouldn’t have invited you to dinner with him and his family if he didn’t. He would have taken you straight to Ms. Kate’s house knowing she would have fed you.”
She watched AJ’s shoulders relax. “You think so?”
If you only knew, she thought. “Yes, I think so. I believe you remind Dare of himself when he was your age. I heard he was a handful for his parents. All the brothers were.”
AJ nodded. “Yes, he said that once. He has a nice family.”
She smiled. “Yes, he has.”
AJ stuck his hands inside his pockets. “So, he’s back now?”
“Who?”
“The sheriff. He left town to help another sheriff catch a guy who escaped from jail. Deputy McKade said so.”
“Oh.” Shelly had wondered why she hadn’t heard from him since the luncheon on Thursday. Not that she had been looking for him, mind you. “Well, in that case, yes, I would say that he’s back, since he ordered these flowers.”
“Then our lessons for tomorrow morning are still on.”
“Your lessons?”
“Yeah, remember, I told you he had said he would teach me, Morris and Cornelius how to protect ourselves at the police station in the morning.”
“Oh, I’d almost forgotten about that.” She wanted to meet her son’s new playmates and ask Dare about them. “Will they need a ride or will their parents bring them?”
“Their parents will be bringing them. They have to go to the barbershop in the morning.”
Shelly nodded, looking at the long hair on her son’s head. She’d allowed him to wear it in twists, as long as they were neat-looking. Maybe in time she would suggest that he pay a visit to the barbershop as well.
“And after our class they have to go to church for choir practice.”
AJ’s words recaptured Shelly’s attention. Morris and Cornelius were active in church? The two were sounding better and better every minute. “All right then. Go get cleaned up for dinner.”
He nodded. “Do you think the sheriff will call tonight or come by?” AJ asked as he trotted up the stairs.