A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [52]
“Most of the kids at school thinks he’s the bomb and feel that I’m lucky because you’re his girlfriend.”
Shelly made a surprised face. “The kids at your school think I’m his girlfriend?”
AJ nodded. “Well, aren’t you?”
Shelly smiled slightly. She didn’t want to give him hope that things would work out between her and Dare, and that once he admitted to being Dare’s son they would miraculously become a loving family. “No, AJ, although we’re close, Dare and I are nothing more than good friends. We always have been and always will be.”
“But he wants you for his girlfriend, I can tell. Everyone can tell and they’re all talking about it, as well as the fact they think I’m his son, although they don’t want me to hear that part, but I do. The sheriff spends a lot of time with us and takes us places with him. The kids at school say their parents think it’s time for him to settle down and marry, and I can tell that he really likes you, Mom. He always treats you special and I like that.”
Shelly inhaled deeply. She liked it, too, but she knew a lot more about why Dare was spending time with her than AJ did. It was all part of his plan to gain his son’s love and trust. She refused to put too much stock into anything else, not even the many times they had slept together. She knew it had to do with their raging hormones and nothing more. “So, when are you going to tell him?” she asked quietly.
AJ shrugged. “I still don’t know that yet. But I wanted to let you know that I would be telling him.”
She nodded. “Don’t take too long. Like I said, Dare won’t be a happy camper knowing we kept it from him, but I believe he’ll be so happy about you that he’ll quickly come around.”
AJ’s eyes lit up. “You think so?”
“Yes, sweetheart, I do.”
He nodded. “Then I might tell him today. He asked if I’d like to go with him to meet his sister and her family at the airport. I might tell him then.”
Shelly nodded again, knowing that if he did, it would certainly make Dare’s day.
AJ thought Dare’s truck was really cool. He had ridden in it a couple of times before, and just like the other times, he thought it was a nice vehicle for a sheriff to have when you wanted to stop being sheriff for a little while. But as he looked at Dare out of the corner of his eyes, he knew that the sheriff was always the sheriff. There was probably never a time he when he wasn’t on the job, and that included times like now when he wasn’t wearing his uniform.
“So are you looking forward to that day out of school next Friday for teachers’ planning day?” Dare asked the moment he’d made sure AJ had snapped his seatbelt in place. Once that was done, he started the engine.
“Yes, although Mom will probably find a lot of work for me to do that day.” He didn’t say anything else for a little while, then he asked quickly, “Do you like kids?”
Dare glanced over at him and smiled. “Yes, I like kids.”
“Do you ever plan to have any?”
Dare lifted his brow. “Yeah, one day. Why do you ask?”
AJ shrugged. “No reason.”
Dare checked the rearview mirror as he began backing out of Shelly’s driveway. He was headed for the airport like the rest of his family to welcome his sister home. He couldn’t help wondering if AJ had started quizzing him for some reason and inwardly smiled, ready for any questions that his son felt he needed to ask.
Princess Delaney Westmoreland Yasir clutched her son to her breast and inhaled sharply. She leaned against her husband’s side for support. Her mother had said Shelly’s son favored Dare, but what she was seeing was uncanny. There was no way anyone could take a look at the boy standing next to Dare and not immediately know they were father and son. They had the same coffee coloring, the same dark intense eyes and the same shape mouth and nose. AJ Brockman was a little Dare; a small replica of his father, there was no doubt of that.
“And who do we have here?” She asked after regaining her composure and giving her parents