“We did, and unfortunately, a check through Department of Licensing reveals no computer record. It’s probably a new plate that hasn’t been entered yet.”
I nodded and my dad hurried to talk to the deputy. I moved to stand beside Joey again. “Do you like Mr. Bear, Joey?” I asked him. “He’s awfully cute, isn’t he?”
He nodded solemnly.
“Well, he’s all yours. Dad got him just for you.”
He smiled shyly.
I sat beside him on the bumper of the fire truck. “Do you live around here, Joey?”
He nodded. “Not too far away, I think.”
“Can you tell me where?”
He frowned, then glanced around. “That way,” he said, pointing. I followed his gaze.
“Do you know the name of the street?”
He shook his head.
“Hey, Joey, I wonder if we’re neighbors!” I said excitedly. “What’s your last name?”
“Eterno,” he said softly, and then perked up. “Are we neighbors?”
“I’ll find out real soon,” I told him. “I’ll be right back.”
“No!”he cried. “I’ll go with you.”
I smiled as I took his little hand in mine, and began walking toward my father. Joey clutched the bear to his chest.
My dad spotted us walking toward him and he hurried to me. “Find out anything?” he asked softly.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Joey Eterno.”
He nodded and patted me on the back. “Thanks, hon.”
It wasn’t too long before the boys’ parents arrived at the scene. Dad had easily found their number in the phone book once he had their last name. They told my dad the car had been a gift for their son’s sixteenth birthday the day before. The car’s title hadn’t been transferred yet, which explained why the car wasn’t on the Department of Licencing’s computer record.
Joey’s parents were pretty distraught to see their older boy injured, but were relieved Joey was unharmed. The injured boy was taken by ground ambulance to the hospital. His parents followed in their car. Fortunately, Joey’s grandparent’s lived nearby and they picked him up at the scene. I watched as he was driven away, still hugging the Teddy Bear.
Soon after, the emergency personnel left the scene. My father and the other deputy remained to conduct their investigation.
I knew that anytime a deputy responded to a serious injury or fatality accident, he had to conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. I couldn’t recall the countless times my father had been called out to an accident scene in the middle of the night to conduct just such an investigation.
I didn’t want to risk getting in the way, so I headed back to the patrol car. I leaned against the front of it and watched my father and the other deputy. Dad hurried back to the patrol car and opened the trunk. He pulled out a metal box with a handle on it. He closed the trunk, smiled sadly at me, then hurried back to the other deputy.
I watched as both men kneeled down on the roadway. At first, I couldn’t figure out what they were looking at, but then I realized they were studying the skid mark the car had left on the road. Dad pulled a tape measure from the box, and they began measuring certain sites at the scene. I was so absorbed in watching my father, I didn’t hear the car pull up behind the patrol car. I was surprised when Dare appeared at my side.
“Hi, Laura.”
“Oh, hi.”
“How bad was it?” he asked, nodding toward the scene.
I pointed toward the car, still plied against the tree. Dare winced, and shook his head. “I heard over the radio he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. I guess he may have been drinking, too.”
My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn’t heard that.
“He had his little brother in the car,” I told Dare. “Luckily, the little guy was wearing a seatbelt. Thank goodness he’s okay.”
I couldn’t believe that the boy might have been drinking—and with his little brother in the car! Just thinking about it made me shiver.
“Are you cold, Laura?”
Dare surprised me when he quickly slipped out of his light jacket and draped it over my shoulders.
“Oh, I’m fine,” I assured him. “You need your coat. Now you’ll be cold.”
“No, I don’t need it,” he said, as he moved to stand beside me. He leaned against the hood and nodded toward my father and the other deputy. “They have to take measurements, then later, they’ll use specific mathematical formulas to determine how fast the kid was going. They’ll also photograph everything they can.”
As if on cue, my father pulled a camera from the box and began snapping pictures.
“How do you know so much about this?” I asked Dare.
He shrugged. “I’ve picked it up on my ride-alongs. It’s really interesting. Once I become a police officer or deputy, I think I might like to be in a traffic unit. It’s a lot more interesting than people realize. Oftentimes, there are a lot of factors involved in accidents, such as speed, road conditions, any number of influences, and the traffic cop has to be sort of a detective to put everything together.”
Dad walked up to us then. “Hello, Dare.”
“Hello, sir. I thought I’d come by to see if you need any help. I waited to be sure the emergency personnel had left.”
“Thanks, son. I appreciate the offer. Actually, we’re nearly finished with the scene investigation,” Dad said. “But you could do me a favor…”
“Sure,” Dare said eagerly.
“Would you mind giving Laura a ride home? Deputy Lane and I will be tied up for several hours with paperwork.”
“No problem,” Dare said.
Dad turned to me then. “No need for you to hang around for that, hon.”
“Okay, Dad.”
“See you at home,” he told me, before kissing me lightly on the cheek.
As I climbed into Dare’s car, I watched my dad walk slowly back to the scene of the accident. I realized how difficult it must be for him to investigate such scenes—especially since my mother had been killed in a car accident.
I shook my head and pressed my eyes together. I forced the horrible thought from my mind.
“Hey, are you all right?” Dare asked me.
I shook myself. “I’m fine.”
He watched me for a brief moment and then started the car. Carefully, he turned the car around. “Where do you live?”
I gave him directions and then subsided into the seat. I suddenly realized that I was exhausted. The evening had taken a toll on me, as well.
Every once in a while, Dare turned to watch me. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.”
We didn’t speak for awhile. Finally, he broke the silence. “Gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“That boy—drinking and driving with his little brother in the car.”
“I know,” I said, shaking my head. “How irresponsible.”
He watched me speculatively, before turning to stare straight ahead. “Has it...uh...given you cause to think about your own driving....?”
“What?” I asked, stunned. “I don’t even drink.”
“But you do drive fast,” he said levelly.
My mouth dropped open. “I... I...”
What could I say? My record spoke for itself. I’d been pulled over three times in three months for speeding. As disturbed as I was by Dare’s statement, I couldn’t deny the accuracy.
I turned to stare out the window at the passing scenery. Dare’s words left me little doubt. He thought I was as reckless and irresponsible as the boy who’d driven drunk with his little brother in the car. The realization hurt.
I was relieved when he pulled his car into my driveway. The instant the car stopped, I reached for the door handle. I was almost out of the car when Dare said, “Laura, I didn’t mean to...”
“Forget it,” I said tiredly.
I felt his strong, warm hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, Laura.
I didn’t mean to upset you. I’d just hate to see something happen to you.”
I glanced back at him and our eyes met. I sighed heavily. Though there was darkness all around us, the car’s ceiling light illuminated his concerned features. His eyes were riveted on my face.
“Are you mad at me, Laura?”
I looked away from him and stared into the darkness outside the car. Did I have cause to be angry? He was just warning me to watch my driving. After what I’d seen tonight, and taking into account that Dare had probably seen such scenes before, I knew he probably felt compelled to warn me.
Suddenly, I thought of my father. He had probably responded to dozens and dozens of such accidents during his law enforcement career. And my mother had been killed in a car accident. Considering all this, it was a wonder Dad even allowed me to ride in a car, let alone drive one. No wonder he was so terribly upset by my speeding.
I shook my head. “It’s okay, Dare. You’re...right. I need to drive slower. Besides, I’m reformed now,” I added softly.
He sighed with relief. “I’m going to walk you to your door, okay? It’s pretty dark outside.”
When we stepped onto the front porch, Dare watched as I unlocked the front door. “Lock it the minute you get inside,” he told me.
I nodded, and then stepped inside. I turned. “Bye, Dare.”
He surprised me by reaching for my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the meeting.”
I nodded and closed the door behind me. I heard Dare’s deep, muffled voice through the closed door. “Don’t forget to lock it,” he reminded me again.
I couldn’t help smiling. It was sweet that he wanted to see me safely inside my house before leaving.
I immediately turned the dead bolt, and then headed up to my bedroom. I glanced at the clock beside my bed and realized that my favorite show was about to start. But I was too tired to watch it. Instead, I showered and readied for bed.
As I slid between the light covers, I reached for a stuffed bear that had been my favorite since I was a little girl. I remembered how little Joey had hugged the bear my father had given him at the accident scene. It had soothed him in a way that words couldn’t.
I hugged my bear as I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Six
The next evening, I drove to Jennifer’s house to pick her up, and we headed to the station for the explorers’ meeting. Earlier, I’d talked to her over the phone and told her about my ride-along with my father the evening before.
Now, as we drove along, I couldn’t stop thinking about Dare. He had been really sweet last night, but too, he had warned me about my driving. As much as I told myself he didn’t mean anything bad by it, I worried that he thought I was reckless and irresponsible.
I groaned aloud, and Jennifer glanced at me. “He likes you Laura,” Jennifer said tiredly.
“I don’t know, Jen,” I said shaking my head. “I’d like to believe that, but I just don’t know...”
She turned slightly in the seat to watch me. “He told you himself that he doesn’t want to see anything bad happen to you. Plus, you said he actually squeezed your hand, and ... he walked you to your door. I think his concern is really sweet—and genuine.”
I shook my head. Maybe Jennifer was right, but...
“He was at the station with Courtney,” I reminded her.
“So? He told you they were doing research.”
“Yeah, well, I wonder what they were researching.” I said. “Maybe how well their lips fit together.”
“Laura!” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Will you try to be positive, just for once, please!”
“I am positive,” I told her, “positive Dare likes Courtney.”
“Oh, Laura!”
***
Soon Jennifer and I were at the station. The conference room was alive with explorers, and Jennifer and I exchanged glances. I nodded toward a couple of empty chairs. We sat down and watched the activity around us.
We soon learned what explorers wore to their meetings. Uniforms!
Jennifer poked me in the side. “Nice color,” she joked, screwing her face distastefully at the avocado green. “It takes a real hottie to look good in one of those,” she commented, nudging me with her elbow as Dare walked into the room.
I had to agree with her. The uniform emphasized his broad shoulders, lean waist, and well-muscled legs. “Laura, he’s so cute,” she swooned.
“Explorers! May I have your attention?” Lieutenant Hudson shouted.
The room suddenly became quiet as everyone took a seat. The lieutenant scanned the room and his eyes found me. I knew then he was making sure I’d come. Smiling, he said, “Everyone, let’s welcome Laura Tyler and Jennifer....” He paused, his eyes questioning.
“Dillon. Jennifer Dillon,” Jennifer informed.
“Right. Laura Tyler and Jennifer Dillon.” The lieutenant smiled broadly. “Are you joining us, too, Jennifer?”
“Oh, no,” she said resolutely, “I’m just here with Laura.”
“Moral support,” he said knowingly. “Well, keep an open mind, Jennifer. We’d be glad to have you in the club. Okay, gang, before we begin, who still needs a uniform?” Scanning the room, he said, “Looks like only Laura.”
“Courtney,” Lieutenant Hudson said, “take Laura to the back room and see what you can find.”
Great, I thought. I was about to be outfitted by Courtney of all people!
I followed her into the backroom and watched her rummage through a cluttered closet. Turning around, she studied me briefly, then in a bored tone, said, “Small.”
She pulled a lone uniform from the closet that was anything but small. “Put this on. It’s all we have.”
“I can’t wear that,” I protested. “It’s huge!”
“The lieutenant insists that we all wear our uniforms. If you want to be an explorer, then I suggest you follow the rules.”
Without another word, she sauntered out of the room. Sighing resignedly, I locked the door behind her and changed into the uniform.
The shirt hung to my knees and the pants were much too long. I rolled up the legs, and fortunately, the pants came with a belt, but I knew I looked ridiculous.
I just couldn’t let everyone see me looking so awful. I was about to take the uniform off, when I heard a soft tapping at the door. Opening the door, I said, “Courtney, I can’t wear this thing...”
“Laura!”
The decidedly masculine voice did not belong to Courtney. Slowly, my eyes met Dare’s eyes and his were twinkling with humor. I began to back away, humiliated, but he reached toward me and grabbed a handful of the material. “Laura, are you in there?” he teased.
I tried to pull away but he only tightened his grip. “I need to get out of this thing,” I said, my face becoming more and more heated from embarrassment.
“You look cute,” he declared.
I averted my eyes. “Dare, Courtney says I have to wear this thing. I can’t.”
He smiled. “Go ahead and change. I’ll wait for you.”
I closed the door and hurriedly slipped out of the uniform. When I stepped into the hallway, wearing my own clothes, Dare whistled approvingly. “Much better,” he said.
I turned away, still embarrassed.
“There you go again,” Dare teased, “is that you or the sunburn?”
When I didn’t respond, he grabbed my hand. “Let’s get back out there,” he said.
Together, we walked to the conference room. Discreetly, I studied him. He was so handsome, my heart skipped a beat every time I looked at his face. I had to keep reminding myself that he was probably unavailable. Too, I forced myself to remember the evening before.
When he had asked me if the accident scene I’d seen had prompted me to think about my own driving, he really had hurt my feelings. It wasn’t as if I drove too fast on purpose—but on the other hand, I guess I didn’t consciously not speed either. Since I didn’t consciously make an effort to wat
ch my speedometer, was I as reckless as the boy who had driven drunk, without a seatbelt, and with his little brother in the car?
I was glad when we stepped into the conference room. My thoughts had taken a disturbing turn, and I was grateful for the distraction.
Lieutenant Hudson watched us speculatively as we walked in. “No luck?” he asked.
Dare shook his head. “Nope. Poor Laura was just too big for the last remaining uniform.”
I jerked my head around and stared at Dare. I could feel my face reddening again. “Thanks a lot,” I muttered under my breath.
“Just kidding,” he told the lieutenant. “Laura was swimming in the thing.”
Nodding, the lieutenant said, “Well, we’ll just have to order one for you, Laura. Okay, then, let’s get started.”
I headed back to my seat beside Jennifer, and was surprised when Dare followed me. He sat down beside me and I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
He turned and caught me watching him. As usual! He smiled and I found myself smiling back at him.
“Okay, gang,” Lieutenant Hudson said, “I know that last week I told you that we’d be discussing the final event of L.E.C., the target shoot, but we’ve had a change of plans.”
Jennifer and I exchanged confused glanced. “L.E.C.?” we repeated simultaneously.
Dare noticed our confusion. “Law Enforcement Challenge,” he informed. I shook my head, still unsure what he was talking about. “It’s kind of like the Explorers’ Olympics. I’ll tell you about it later.”
I nodded and turned my attention back to the lieutenant. “Instead,” he continued, “I think we’ll take the first half-hour of our meeting to discuss an idea that one of you had as to what we might do for our community project this year.”
“Some of you who are new may not know about our community project, so first, I’ll give you all a brief background.” The lieutenant clasped his hands together. “Each year, the various explorer clubs take part in a project of their choosing. It can be anything, provided it benefits the community. For example, Dare tells me that last year, his club sponsored a toy drive for needy kids at Christmas time. Kids, who might not otherwise have received any gifts, found toys under their trees Christmas morning. Dare said it was an extremely gratifying experience.
Dare to Love (Young Adult Romance) Page 5
