Dare to Love (Young Adult Romance) (6 page)

“Yep.  We’re low on coverage. 
Madson’s out sick.  So, I thought I’d pick up the slack and take my daughter
with me.  I thought it only fitting that your first ride-along be with your old
dad.”

I watched my father, who was bursting
with enthusiasm.  “This will be fun,” he said.  “It’s always nice to have a
partner.”

“I thought deputies always have
partners,” I commented.

“Nope.  Our guys ride alone.  Some
departments have two officers per car, but unfortunately, we just don’t have
the funding.  Most small towns don’t....”

Dad’s words trailed as he steered the
patrol car into the station parking lot.  “Come on in for a minute,” he said. 

I followed him into the station.  He
headed for his office.  “I’ll be just a minute,” he said.  “Why don’t you have
a look around?”

I glanced around.  Apparently, all
the deputies were out on the road so I had the place to myself.  I strolled
around the main room.  Periodically, I stopped to listen to the police radio,
curious about the police ten-codes both the officers and dispatch used. 

I made a mental note to ask Dad about
them when we got back into the patrol car.  I moved to study a ‘wanted’ poster
on the wall, and I was surprised to hear my name from behind me.

“Laura, what are you doing here?”

 I spun around.  Dare grinned at me. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked
him.

“I asked you first,” he reminded me.

I smiled.  “Oh, yeah.  I’m on a
ride-along with my dad.”

“That’s great.  What do you think so
far?”

“It’s kind of cool.  It’s been a long
time since I’ve ridden in a patrol car with my dad.”

“It hasn’t been long since you rode
in the back of one with Dare and Lieutenant Hudson,” a voice said from behind
Dare.

I glanced up and met Courtney’s cold,
emerald eyes.  I wondered what she and Dare were doing at the station—together.

Courtney moved to stand beside Dare. 
She linked her arm possessively through his.  “Dare and I are doing a little
research,” she told me smugly.  “I spoke with Lieutenant Hudson this evening
about the D.A.R.E. program, and he said we could find plenty of information
about it here at the station.  So....” She smiled widely. “Dare and I decided
to get started right away.  Didn’t we, Dare?”

“Uh, yeah, right.  Hey, Laura,” he
said, “if you have some time, you could help us....”

My dad stepped into the room at that
instant.  Relief washed over me.  It had been a surprise to see Dare at the
station, but it had been downright shocking to see him and Courtney together. 
Just the sight of Courtney, touching Dare, caused my heart to lurch.

Silently, I scolded myself for my
reaction.  I mean, I hardly knew him.  I certainly held no claim to him.  And I
suspected now that Courtney and Dare were dating.  If that was the case, I had
no right falling for him.

“Come on, hon,” Dad called to me,
interrupting my thoughts.  “We’d better get moving.”

I did my best to smile at Dare and
Courtney, but I could only manage a tight, little, sad smile.  As I walked away
from them, almost of their own volition, my eyes turned back toward the pair
for a split second.

It was long enough to note that they
made a beautiful couple.  Both were tall and gorgeous.  And both were
interested in law enforcement. 

“See you tomorrow night, Laura,” Dare
called to me just as the door shut behind me. 

“See you,” I muttered, as I followed
my dad to the patrol car.

I slid into the seat and fastened the
seat belt.  My dad climbed in and did the same.  He picked up the radio and
indicated to dispatch that he was back in service.  “Tom-3, 10-8,” he said.

I watched him as he replaced the
radio.  “Dad, why do you use ten-codes?  What are they exactly?”

“Well, they’re sort of our very own
police language.  Most departments have their own unique dispatching systems.  
For example, if one of my deputies is taking a lunch break, he’ll radio to
dispatch that he’s ‘Code-7.’  If control needs an officer to return to the
station, they’ll request a ‘10-19.’  The ten codes are effective in keeping
talk on the radio to a minimum.”

“Why do you need to keep talk to a
minimum?”

“We need to keep the channels open in
case of an emergency.  If an officer needs to radio dispatch, we always want
him to be able to do so.  We just can’t have the channels jammed up.”

I nodded.  That made sense. 

I turned to stare out the window.
Suddenly, a picture of Dare and Courtney popped into my mind.  I didn’t know
why it bothered me so much to see them together.  I mean, I knew I was being
ridiculous.  I’d only just met Dare anyway.  And we hadn’t gotten off to a very
good start either. 

I shuddered as I recalled our initial
meeting.  He’d arrested me!  And then, our next meeting was at the river, where
I’d foolishly gone by myself.  He had made it abundantly clear that he thought
I was downright reckless, just as my dad and Jennifer did. 

But then I felt a glimmer of hope.  He
had asked me to pizza, and we had gotten along pretty well, all things
considered. 

I wondered where Courtney fit into
the picture.  I shuddered at the memory of her linking her arm possessively
around Dare’s muscular arm.  They had to be more than friends.  Didn’t they?

“Control to Tom-3.” 

The voice from the radio startled
me.  I turned back to my father, who was reaching for the radio.  “Tom-3.  Go
ahead,” he said.

The voice from the radio said,
“Injury accident at the corner of Bridge Creek Road and Claxton.”

“Ten-4.”

Dad glanced at me and grimaced.  “I
think you’re about to see one of the more disturbing aspects of police work.”

He reached for a switch on the
console, between the two front seats.  He flipped the switch and immediately, I
saw the reflection of the blue dash light on the windshield.  Dad then turned a
knob beside the light switch and the wail of the siren sounded in my ears. 
Oddly, my heart began to pound faster, and I felt myself inching forward in my
seat. 

I watched as my dad expertly steered
the patrol car northbound along the roadway, careful to avoid both north and
southbound traffic.  I watched as cars fanned out, to the edge of the road, to
allow us to pass. 

Soon, Dad rounded a corner.  I knew
we were nearing the intersection of Bridgecreek and Claxton.   “Here we are,”
Dad told me, slowing the car to a crawl.

He steered the patrol car past
several cars, then eased to a stop.  I was surprised that rescue personnel were
already at the scene.  Quickly, Dad unbuckled his seat belt, then glanced at
me.  “Wait here, hon.”

Dad left the car.  My eyes followed
him as he walked briskly toward the scene.  I gasped when I saw a tiny car
plied against a tree not far from where we were parked.  I watched as my dad
moved to take a look at the car.  Then he walked over to a fire truck. 
Paramedics were tending to an injured boy nearby.

The boy was lying on a stretcher.  He
couldn’t have been more than sixteen or seventeen.  Even from my vantage point
in the car, I could see the nasty, red gash on his forehead.  The paramedics
had put a collar around his neck to immobilize it. 

I swallowed over a lump in my throat,
and silently hoped that he was okay.  Nervously, I watched the paramedics work
on him.  I felt so helpless just sitting in the car. 

I made a quick decision to get out. 
I intended to stay right by the patrol car, but I felt as if I needed to be
closer to the scene.  My eyes sought my father again.  I spotted him as he
spoke to the paramedics.  Then he hurried to talk to a man who was standing
alongside the roadway. 

I watched as my father pulled a
notepad from his pocket.  He began writing on the pad.  I figured that the man
must have witnessed the accident.  Soon, a paramedic approached my father, said
a few words, and my dad practically ran back over to the injured boy.

It was then that I saw the little
boy, no older than three or four, carried by a paramedic.  The paramedic sat
him on the bumper of the fire truck.  My father approached him, and said
something to him.  Next thing I knew, Dad was jogging toward me.  When he
reached me, he didn’t seem upset to find me out of the car.

“Hon,” he said, passing me his car
keys, “would you mind getting a Teddy Bear out of the back of my car?”

“Teddy Bear?” I repeated.

He nodded.  “It’s probably under a
blanket.  Bring it over, okay?”  He ran back to the little boy then.

I nodded and hurried to the back of
the car.  I opened the trunk.  I quickly found the blanket and moved it aside. 
Sure enough, there was a large, brown Teddy Bear beneath it.  I scooped it up,
slammed the trunk closed, then dashed over to my father.  “Here, Dad.”

I passed Dad his keys first, and then
the Teddy Bear.  He handed it to the little boy.  “Joey, I’d like you to meet
Mr. Bear,” he said.

The little boy took the bear, but
didn’t say anything.  Hesitantly, he watched my father, then turned to look at
me.  His dark eyes were wide and frightened.

Joey hugged the bear tightly to his
chest.  He watched me warily.  “Are you a policeman?” he asked.

I almost smiled, but stopped myself. 
“Nope.”  I nodded at my father.  “But my dad is.  I’m Laura.”

“I was wearin’ my seatbelt,” he said
suddenly.  “Ben wasn’t.  Is Ben hurt real bad?”

“I’m glad you were wearing your
seatbelt, Joey.  And try not to worry about Ben.  The paramedics are taking
really good care of him.”  

“Sheriff!” 

Another deputy had arrived at the
scene, and was calling to my father from across the roadway.

“Laura, will you stay with Joey?” my
father asked me. 

“Sure, Dad.”

“Is this bear for me, for keeps?”
Joey asked softly.

I glanced at my father, and raised my
eyebrows questioningly. 

“You bet, Joey.  Mr. Bear belongs to
you now,” Dad assured him.

Dad stepped a few feet away and
motioned for me to follow.  “See if you can find out his last name.  He either
can’t or won’t tell.”  Dad shook his head.  “We can’t find the registration for
the car, and apparently his brother doesn’t have his driver’s license with
him.”

“Can’t you run the plate to find out
the owner’s name?”

“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.