Dare to Love (Young Adult Romance) (2 page)

I knew just how big a deal when
Lieutenant Hudson steered the car into the station parking lot.  I gasped when
I saw several kids from my high school milling around.

“Looks like the other explorers are
here,” he commented.  “It appears we’ve had a good turnout today.  Okay, then,”
he continued, “Dare, why don’t you take Laura inside and I’ll go collect the
rest of the kids.”

Dare.  What an odd name, I thought,
as I watched him round the front of the car and open the door beside me.  “Come
on,” he urged.

I glanced up at him.  “Can we please
go in the back way?  I really don’t want…”

“Laura!” 

I heard my name, and then a chorus of
my name as the group of explorers gathered around the car. 

“Is she under arrest?” someone asked
incredulously.

“This is too much,” I groaned.

Then I heard Courtney Hansen’s smug,
silken voice.  “You’ll never guess who I just saw in the back of a…”  She must
have spotted me then because her words trailed off.

I shook my head, defeated, and hugged
myself miserably.  It figured Courtney would be an explorer.  Not only was she
a gossip, she was bossy to boot.  She’d make a great deputy, I decided.

“Come on,” the boy said, this time more
softly.

I climbed out of the car and
attempted to hold my head high as he led me into the station.  As we entered,
he whispered, “I’m sorry about that.”

Suddenly, I felt like crying, and I
hastily looked away.  He led me to a chair.  “Why don’t you sit down?”

I accepted the chair.  Lieutenant
Hudson walked into the room with the explorers in tow.  “Your dad will see you
in a minute, Laura,” he said.

I nodded.  I knew the worst was yet
to come.

“What were you thinking?” Dad’s deep
voice boomed.  “You’re trying to get yourself killed!”  He shook his head
fiercely.  “Pulled over three times in three months…  Heck, Laura, you’re a
habitual offender.”

“Dad, I’m really sorry.  I promise
I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Oh, right!” he shouted, waving his
hands expressively.  “Isn’t that what you told me last week when you were
pulled over for speeding?”

“Dad,” I said sincerely, “I really am
sorry.”

He laughed without humor.  “I know
you are, Laura.  Or at least you will be,” he said menacingly.  “I’ll tell you
now, young lady, that a kiss on your old dad’s cheek won’t cut it this time.”

I watched him closely.  He was angry,
really angry.  I noted that the large vein in his temple was protruding.  He
stomped around the room like a grizzly bear that’d just awakened from a long
winter’s nap.  Then he was silent for several moments.  He took a deep,
steadying breath.  I knew he was trying to regain his composure.

“Okay, Laura,” he finally said in
measured tones, “what are we going to do about this?”

I shrugged.

“I’m waiting.”  He sat down at the
corner of his desk.

“I don’t know,” I replied.  I mean,
what did he expect me to say?  I knew I was wrong.  I had been speeding.  And I
was sorry.  What more could I do?

“Oh, come on, Laura.  I’m sure you can
come up with something.”

I took a stab at humor.  “Well, you
could give me a patrol car for my personal use, then no one would know if I was
speeding or not.”

Dad watched me, a shocked expression
on his face.  “Do you think this is funny?” he asked incredulously.

“What do you want me to say?  You’re
probably going to put my car up on blocks until I’m eighteen, anyway.  You may
as well do what you’re going to do.”

Dad watched me sadly.  “Honey, I just
don’t know what to do with you.  Ever since your mother…”  He stopped abruptly
and took a deep breath.  It was still hard for him to talk about Mom, since it
had only been a year since her death.  “Honey, is there anything you want to
talk to me about?  If you don’t want to talk to me, we can find someone you’re
comfortable talking with.  Maybe you’d like to talk to a counselor…”

“Dad, I’m fine.  I don’t need to talk
to anyone.”

“Then what is it?” he demanded as he
stood from the desk and began pacing the room.  “When did my quiet,
level-headed daughter become so reckless?”

I shook my head, confused.  “I’m not
reckless.”

“Oh, no?” he shouted. “You’re not
reckless?  Let’s see…  Speeding isn’t reckless?  Diving off of Devil’s Rock
isn’t reckless?  Bungee jumping from a hot air balloon isn’t...?”

“I didn’t bungee jump,” I
interrupted.

“But you were going to if Deputy
Collins hadn’t spotted you.”

I sighed, defeated.  Obviously, he
was still angry about my near brush with destiny in the form of a hundred foot
fall from the basket of a hot air balloon.

A month before, I’d gone with several
friends to a neighboring county’s fair.  I was minutes from my turn at jumping
when one of Dad’s
enforcers
spotted me.  He wasted no time in telling
the operator of the ride that I wasn’t eighteen, so I wasn’t allowed to jump. 
When Dad found out, he grounded me for two weeks anyway.

It seemed as if lately, I just
couldn’t do anything right.  Dad considered me reckless, but I was simply
living life to the fullest.

“Laura, what am I going to do with
you?”

He rounded his desk and sat down in
his chair, shoulders slumped.  He was quiet for a moment but then he sprang
from his chair again.  “And Laura, have you given any thought to how all this
is making me look in our community?  My daughter the speed demon.”

“Dad, I’m sorry,” I said mechanically,
for the umpteenth time.

He was unimpressed, for the umpteenth
time.  “Laura, I have a tough job to do.  You seem to have no regard for that
fact.  How can I retain any credibility when my own child is allowed to speed
around town?  Honey, you’re not above the law because your old dad happens to
be the sheriff.”

“I know that, Dad, and believe me, I
know how important your job is to you.  Do I ever,” I added for good measure. 
And so did Mom, I thought.

He watched me quizzically, and I
watched him right back.  I wished he’d just dole out my punishment and get it
over with.

Raking his hand through his hair, he
muttered again, “I just don’t know what to do with you.”

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.”