At that instant, we heard a soft knock at the door. Lieutenant Hudson stepped into the room. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he said with a grin, “but the walls are pretty thin. Anyway, Sheriff, I think I have a pretty good idea what to do with Laura.”
Dad watched him, perplexed.
“I was thinking,” the lieutenant began, “maybe Laura would like to join the Explorers Club. It would sure keep her busy and might give her an appreciation for the job you do.”
Not that, I thought. I wasn’t the least bit interested in law enforcement. It was a terrible idea.
Dad folded his arms across his chest and appeared to be mulling over the idea.
“I really don’t…”
Dad silenced me with a warning glance. He nodded his head vigorously. “Mmmmm, yes, I think you just might have something there, Hudson.”
“Um, I don’t have any interest in law enforcement whatsoever,” I said, but Dad simply ignored me.
“Yes, I think that’s a great idea.” He was becoming more animated as he spoke and I feared that my fate was sealed—but I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“What are my other options?” I asked timidly.
Dad smiled crookedly. “Other options? I’m not so sure you’re in any position to be asking for options, but okay, Laura, I’ll give you one. No car. For the remainder of the summer. Hello bus! Hello bike!” He grinned triumphantly, certain he had me where he wanted me.
I knew I couldn’t lose my car. Since we lived several miles outside of town on acreage, I really would be stranded. And Jennifer relied on me for rides, too, since she didn’t have a car.
But join the explorers! No way! I decided to try to beat Dad at his own game. “Okay,” I said agreeably, “it’s looks like I’ll be wearing a uniform. Do I get to carry a gun? Do we shoot to kill? Will I be allowed to drive the patrol cars? How often can I turn on the sirens? You know,” I said eagerly, “I may just find I like being a cop. Heck, Dad, maybe it’ll fit right in with my reckless nature. Hey, I’m gonna go home right now and watch your old Dirty Harry video. Make my day,” I finished in my best Clint Eastwood voice.
I watched my father’s horrified face and found it hard to suppress a giggle. Dad was staring at Lieutenant Hudson, a look of pure terror on his face. The lieutenant was watching me. I thought I saw a sparkle of humor in his eyes. And, too, he seemed to be sizing me up.
“Well, good then,” he declared, “it’s settled. Laura, our next meeting is Monday night, here, at seven o’clock. Be on time.”
He cast my dad a reassuring glance before striding from the room.
I decided I should get while the getting was good. “Can I call Jen to pick me up, Dad?”
He nodded numbly and I placed a quick call to my friend. I slipped out of the office, and dashed out the back door of the station to wait for her.
I sat down against the back wall of the building. Seconds later, the door opened. Out stepped the lieutenant and my arresting ... adolescent.
Lieutenant Hudson smiled at me and I stood up. “Thought you might like to be formally introduced to your new explorer captain,” the lieutenant said with a smile. “Laura, I’d like you to meet Dare Landers.”
Dare. So I had heard his name correctly before. He extended his hand and I grudgingly accepted it. He smiled down at me, a mocking glint in his eyes.
“Pleasure,” he said.
I doubted it.
“Why don’t you wait for me in the car, Dare,” the lieutenant said. “I’d like to have a word with Laura.”
Dare’s sky blue eyes held mine briefly, before he turned and strode to the patrol car.
The lieutenant stood silently for a moment, and then a broad smile creased his face. “Laura,” he began slowly, choosing his words carefully, “I want you to know I know what you were doing in there earlier. It’s a wonder your poor dad didn’t have a heart attack. But Laura, I have five daughters, all older than you, so don’t even think of pulling that stuff on me.” He ruffled my hair as if I were a small child and walked off, whistling a happy tune.
Suddenly, I was ashamed of myself for my earlier behavior. I felt like crying and probably would have had Jennifer not pulled up. Her smile was a reassuring sight. It was good to have one friend left in the world.
***
“You think I’m reckless, too!” I shrieked. “Jen, how can you say that? You’re my best friend.”
“You’re right,” she said seriously, “and that’s why I can tell you this. Laura, you do seem to be living on the edge. I mean, you don’t see me diving from boulders into tiny pools of water or ... or ... driving over the speed limit.”
“You don’t even have a car,” I reminded her.
“True,” she acknowledged, “but if I did, I’d stay to the posted speeds. And Laura,” she continued in a motherly tone, “we can’t forget the bungee jumping episode.”
“Would you chill, please? I didn’t even jump!”
“But you would have.” After a brief pause, she said in a surprised voice, “Hey, you’re driving.”
“You noticed,” I quipped sarcastically.
“I thought for sure your dad would have taken away your driving privileges.”
“He came close,” I acknowledged ruefully. “You’ll never guess my punishment.”
“What?”
“I have to join the Explorers Club.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of them,” Jennifer said. “Might be interesting.”
“It’ll be awful!” I cried.
“I don’t know, Laura,” she said somewhat tentatively, “it sounds like you might be getting off pretty easy.”
“I’ll hate it! I’ll have to wear a stupid uniform, and I’ll look like a geek.”
“I still think it could have been worse,” Jen insisted.
How? So much for my best friend, I thought. Now everyone was on my case.
I pouted as I continued driving. I didn’t speak, nor did Jennifer, until we pulled into her driveway.
“I’m sorry, Laura,” Jennifer said finally, always the peacemaker. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but well, I don’t want to see you hurt, that’s all. I mean the broken bones kind of hurt. And I do think things could have turned out worse.”
Sighing heavily, I turned toward her. “I know you’re probably right. I’ll take it easy.”
Satisfied that our friendship was still intact, she grinned suddenly. “Was he a hottie or what?”
“Who?”
“That cop,” she said, swooning dreamily.
“Lieutenant Hudson?” I cried, disbelieving.
“No, not him.” She wrinkled her nose. “I mean that other cop—the good-looking one who took you to the patrol car. He can arrest me any day.”
“Oh, Jen,” I said with a shudder, “in the first place, he’s not a cop. He’s an explorer. And in the second place, he might be good looking, but he’s a real jerk.”
“Really? Why is he a jerk?”
“Well, he ... he ... he just is, that’s all,” I finished lamely.
Jennifer watched me, a knowing look in her eyes. “Laura, he was just doing his job. You can’t blame him for that.”
“Why not?” I demanded, but knew she was right. But I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Well, I’d better get going.”
Jennifer watched me briefly before climbing out of the car. She leaned back in. “Call me later?”
I nodded and she closed the door. I waved at her, backed out of her driveway, and then drove home, mindful of every roadside sign—particularly those that mandated speed.
Chapter Three
I stood poised atop the huge rock and watched the crystalline mountain water below. I inhaled deeply, and then leapt forward and executed a swan dive.
When I emerged from the icy depths of the pool and broke the surface, I expelled a startled breath. The frigid water was always a shock to my system, but soon enough, I grew accustomed to the cold.
As I cut through the water, my strokes were strong and purp
oseful. And with each measured stroke, a bit of my frustration was lessened. A dip in the icy water always helped to clear my head.
I hadn’t slept much the night before. All night, I’d thought about Dad—about how angry he was with me. He’d practically ignored me at dinner last night, and he’d left for work this morning without so much as a ‘hello’ or ‘good-bye’.
I also thought a lot about Lieutenant Hudson, who no doubt considered me a spoiled brat. And disturbingly, I thought most of Dare. I was sure he held the same opinion of me as the lieutenant did, and I found this unsettling for reasons I couldn’t fathom.
When my muscles began to protest from the exertion of swimming in the freezing water, I swam to a huge, flat boulder where I’d deposited my things earlier, and hoisted myself onto it. Although it was about eleven o’clock in the morning, the sun shone brightly and the day held promise of becoming very warm.
I decided to lay down on the smooth rock and bask in the heat of the sun. I considered applying sunscreen, but dismissed the idea. It wasn’t long before the soft sounds of nature lulled me into a deep and untroubled sleep.
***
“Laura.”
The deep voice penetrated my slumber and I stirred slightly. My elbow came into contact with a rock hard surface. I abruptly opened my eyes and examined my elbow. My soft mattress didn’t leave bruises!
Suddenly wide awake, I sat up and found myself face to face with ... Dare?
Startled, I propelled myself backward and my hand struck a sharp rock. “Ouch!” I cried, and clutched the injury. Dare, who was kneeling in front of me, reached for my hand. I pulled away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Let me see your hand.”
“No, it’s all right,” I insisted as I stood up.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice edged with concern.
I nodded my head and watched him curiously. I wondered what he was doing here. Suddenly, I noticed his uniform. “Are you on duty?”
“I guess you could call it that,” he said, now standing himself. “We’re patrolling the area with Lieutenant Hudson.”
“Patrolling for what?” I asked, surprised.
“Stranded motorists. Rowdy kids. Lawbreakers.”
I digested this bit of information. “Where’s your gun?”
Dare smiled sheepishly. “Explorers don’t carry guns. If we see anything, we call dispatch.” He nodded toward the portable radio mounted on his police belt.
An awkward silence followed, and I shifted uncomfortably. I remembered I was wearing a swimming suit, and suddenly I felt very self-conscious. I glanced down at my towel and he must have followed my gaze since he reached down and picked it up off the rock. Handing it to me, his eyes sought mine. Hastily, I looked away as I wrapped the towel around me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“No, problem,” he responded, and then glanced around the area. “Are you here with friends?”
“No. I came by myself.”
“You what?” he asked, his voice sounding both astonished and disapproving.
I was surprised by his reaction. “What’s the big deal?”
“You’re a girl,” he replied, as if that pretty much summed it all up.
“And what has that got to do with anything? I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
Dare searched my face for a brief moment and then expelled a harsh breath. “Yeah, right.”
I watched him as he walked several feet away from me to a grassy area. His back was to me and he appeared to be studying something. “Come over here,” he called.
Curious, I walked toward him. When I reached him, he knelt down and pointed to something. “What?” I asked as I knelt down beside him.
“Over there.”
I followed his gaze, but still couldn’t see what he was pointing at. “What are...?”
My words trailed as he flung his body around and grabbed my shoulders. He threw me to the ground and moved so that he was sitting on top of me. Grabbing my wrists in one swift motion, he pinned my arms above my head. It happened so quickly that I could only gasp in surprise.
“You can take care of yourself,” he mocked. “Okay, prove it.”
Terrified, I began struggling, but I was no match for him. “Get off, please,” I begged.
“Show me how strong you are, Laura. You come up here all alone and insist you can take care of yourself. Did it ever occur to you something bad could happen to you?”
“Let me up,” I insisted.
When he made no move to release me, I began screaming. He just shook his head and laughed without humor. “Who’s going to hear you, Laura?”
Finally, he released me and stood up. I sprung to my feet and was about to run away, but he reached out and grabbed my arm. He easily spun me around. “I guess you really showed me,” he mocked.
“Leave me alone,” I shouted and hurried toward my stuff. Quickly, I collected my gear and was about to dash to my car when Dare dangled my keys behind me. “Give them to me,” I said through clinched teeth, “or I’ll....”
“You’ll what?” he asked. “There’s not a whole lot you can do—way up here all by yourself. And that’s my point.” He tossed me my keys and then sat down on a rock.
I simply stood there in stunned silence. I couldn’t believe what he’d done to me. And what’s more, I couldn’t believe I wasn’t capable of stopping him. To that point, I really believed I could handle anything.
“I can’t believe this,” I said finally, shaking my head.
“What?” he asked, eyeing me curiously. “That you, at what?—one hundred pounds, couldn’t handle me at one hundred sixty. Come on, Laura, even I would be stupid to come up here by myself.”
Sighing heavily, I sat down on the ground. Dare was right. I knew he was right. And my dad was right. I was reckless at times.
I watched the water, intrigued by the play of sunlight on the rippling pool. A million thoughts were running through my mind. I thought about my mom and I wished she was near. I felt hot tears sting my eyes, and I hastily wiped them away.
“Are you all right?”
Dare had sat down beside me on the rock. I turned toward him and saw he was watching me, a concerned expression on his face.
“Yes,” I told him, averting my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Laura. I really didn’t mean to...”
“You didn’t,” I interrupted him.
“I just wanted to show you how dangerous...”
“I know,” I said softly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have come up here alone.”
He nodded and watched me curiously. Then he stretched out his hand and gently touched my cheek. The action startled me, and I pulled back as if I’d been scorched.
“You have a pretty bad sunburn,” he commented.
“I guess I fell asleep.”
He sighed heavily and shook his head slowly.
I shot him a withering glance, but didn’t bother responding. He’d made his point earlier, for Pete’s sakes.
We sat quietly, neither speaking for awhile. It was strange to be sitting so close to him. I turned slightly and as I’d done the day before, studied his handsome profile. He really was gorgeous. He turned and just like the day before, caught me staring.
He broke into an easy grin. “Well, do I pass inspection?”
“I...”
I knew I was blushing, and I wasn’t about to answer his question. With his dark, wavy hair and piercing blue eyes, he definitely passed inspection. I noted that his lashes were even darker and thicker than my friend, Jennifer’s.
“How long have you been an explorer?” I asked suddenly.
“Changing the subject,” he noted perceptively.
I smiled slightly and glanced away. He laughed softly. “I’ve been an explorer since I was a sophomore. I moved here a few months ago, but I was an explorer in my old town, too. I’ll be a senior this year.”
I nodded.
“How ‘bout you?” he ask
ed.
I shook my head, confused.
“How old are you?” he asked, grinning.
“Sixteen.”
Dare nodded. “Do you go to Stevenson High?”
“Yeah. I’ll be a junior.”
An awkward silence followed, and I resumed staring at the icy pool of water.
Dare surprised me when he spoke again. “Was your dad pretty angry?”
I glanced up at him and our eyes locked. I knew he was referring to my speeding the day before and my subsequent arrest. I nodded slowly. “Yes, he was furious. I, um, I’ve been stopped for speeding a few times before...”
“So I’ve heard,” he interrupted, smiling crookedly.
I felt my cheeks go red beneath my sunburn. “But I’ve never been arrested before.”
Dare chuckled and I glanced at him sharply.
“It’s not very funny,” I mumbled.
“You’re right. Speeding isn’t funny.”
I shook my head and glanced away. I’d already been lectured by my father. I sure didn’t need it from him, too.
“I have to admit, though, you’re the cutest criminal I’ve ever seen.”
Hesitantly, I lifted my eyes and noted he was watching me, a lazy smile on his face.
My eyes widened in amazement. He’d called me cute! Were it not for the sunburn I already had, he would have noticed my face had become as bright as a shiny, red apple. I searched my mind for something to say—anything to say.
“Have you...arrested...many people?” I finally managed. I almost groaned aloud. What a lame question.
“Well, no,” he admitted. “I’ve been on quite a few ride-alongs though.”
“What’s a ride-along?”
“As explorers, we can actually ride along with real officers on their shifts—like yesterday. It’s really cool. You learn a lot about police work. It’s really a lot different from what you see in the movies,” he said.
“How?” I asked him. Although my father was the sheriff, we really didn’t talk much about his work.
“Well, in reality, police work can be pretty mundane. Not many car chases or bank robberies,” he said with a laugh. “But it can be pretty exciting sometimes. Mostly, though, it’s a lot of routine traffic stops and paperwork.”
Dare to Love (Young Adult Romance) Page 2
