A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [60]
Moments later, Dare sighed, thinking his mission should have been completed, but it wasn’t. Now that he had his son, he realized more than ever just how much he wanted, loved and needed his son’s mother. His mission wouldn’t be accomplished until he had her permanently in his life as well.
Later that night Dare placed calls to his parents and siblings and told them the good news. They took turns talking with AJ, each welcoming him to the family. After dinner Dare and AJ had talked while they cleaned up the kitchen. Already plans were made for them to return to the cabin in a few months, and Dare suggested that they invite Shelly to come with them.
“She won’t come,” AJ said, drying the dish his father had handed him.
Dare raised a brow. “Why wouldn’t she?”
“Because she’s not going to be your girlfriend,” he said softly. “Although now I wish that she would.”
Dare turned and folded his arms across his chest and looked at his son. “And what makes you think your mother won’t be my girlfriend, AJ?” he asked, although the title of wife was more in line with what he was aiming for.
“She told me,” he said wryly. “That same night we had a cookout at Grandma and Grandpa Westmoreland’s house. “After we got home we talked for a long time, and I told her that I had come close to telling you that night that I was your son. I asked if the three of us would be a family after I told you and she said no.”
Dare remembered that night well. Shelly had been late coming to the backyard and had mentioned she and AJ had had a long talk. He sighed deeply as he tilted his head to the side to think about what AJ had said, then asked. “Did she happen to say why?”
AJ shook his head. “Yes. She said that although the two of you had been in love when you made me, that now you weren’t in love anymore and were just friends. She also said that chances were that one day you would marry someone nice and I’d have a second mother who would treat me like her son.”
Dare frowned. He and Shelly not being in love was a crock. How could she fix her lips to say such a thing, let along think it? And what gave her the right to try and marry him off to some other woman? Didn’t she know how he felt about her? That he loved her?
Then it suddenly hit him, right in the gut that, no, Shelly had no idea how he felt, because at no time had he told her. For the past month they had spent most of their time alone together, at night in her backyard under the stars making love. Did she think all they’d been doing was having sex? But then why would she think otherwise? He sucked in a breath, thinking that he sure had missed the mark.
“Is that true, Dad? Will you marry someone else and give me a second mother?”
Dare shook his head. “No, son. Your mother is the only mother you’ll have, and she’s the only woman I ever plan to marry.”
Mimicking his father, AJ placed his arms across his chest and leaned against the sink. “Well, I don’t think she knows that.”
Dare smiled. “Then I guess I’m just the person to convince her.” He leaned closer to his son and with a conspiratorial tone, he said. “Listen up. I have a plan.”
Fourteen
T he first thing Shelly noticed as she entered the subdivision where Dare’s home was located was that all the houses were stately and huge and sat on beautiful acreages. This was a newly developed section of town that had several shopping outlets and grocery stores. She could vividly remember it being a thickly wooded area when she had left town ten years ago.
She glanced at her watch. Dare had called and said that he and AJ had decided to return a day early and asked that she come over to his place and pick up AJ because Dare needed to stay at home and wait for the arrival of some important package. All of it sounded rather secretive, and the only thing she could come up with was that it pertained to some police business.
After reading the number posted on the front of the mailbox, she knew the regal-looking house that sat on a hill with a long, circular driveway belonged to Dare. She and Delaney had