Dare to Kiss (The Maxwell Series Book 1) Read Online Free

making the high school baseball team.
    “I know, Dad. It’s just…” I’d thought I’d gotten better, but Kade somehow set me off.
    “Just what?”
    My stomach became a ball of knots. The Froot Loops threatened to rise. I blew out a few quiet breaths, squinting at the bright sun glaring through the windows.
    “I’m nervous. It’s a new school. What if the kids are just as rude as they were at Crestview?”
    “We talked about this. The kids at school don’t know what you’ve been through, and I know you don’t trust easily anymore, but you have to learn to make friends again.”
    He was right, of course, and I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to trust again. The thought of even allowing someone to get close to me made my stomach ache. It was bad enough that after the funeral my longtime boyfriend, Brad, decided to break the news to me that he’d been cheating on me with my best friend, Danny. So many issues with that one. I wasn’t ready to share that story with anyone.
    “I’ve made a friend in Tyler,” I said, flexing my hand, trying to keep it loose.
    “Lacey, you need to make friends with girls. All the friends you ever make are boys.”
    “Not true. What about Melissa? She was a girl.”
    He laughed as we stopped at the red light at the corner of Main Street and First. A barbershop sat on one corner and a real estate office on another. The parking spaces along the curbs were empty, except for two cars parked in front of a coffee shop up on the right. “Melissa was your sister’s friend.”
    Okay, she was Julie’s friend. But I used to hang out with them. They would drag me to the mall every chance they had. Julie was a total girl, and would love to get me to try on clothes other than jeans. “So? It still counts.”
    “Lacey, please, for me, make some female friends at this school. I like Tyler, and he’s been great helping you with your pitching, but you need to shed some of that tomboy you have in you.”
    “Dad. I’m playing baseball. I’m going to be surrounded by boys.”
    The light turned green, and Dad gave the car gas as we rolled through Main Street. The school was on the other side of town. “I know that. And I’m not saying stop being a tomboy. That’s who you are. But off the field, I would like to see my little girl wear a dress or a skirt every now and then.”
    I rolled my eyes. I had only worn dresses when Mom had made me. She’d been in charge of the rotary club in LA and every year they put on a benefit for some local charity. And every year I had to attend. It was always a big to-do with gowns and tuxedos. I hated playing dress-up. Worrying about what to wear was a waste of time. Give me a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and I was just as happy as any girl who loved to wear dresses.
    My mother always told me that I would make any guy happy. When I’d asked her why, she’d said, “Because, dear, you don’t worry about what you’re going to wear. You’re beautiful without make-up, and you’re confident in your own skin.” God, I missed her. She’d always known what to say to people. She was a calming presence.
    I was deep in thought when Dad’s rough knuckles scraped across my cheek. “Hey, Sweet Pea, everything okay?”
    “Yeah, why?”
    “You’re crying. Were you thinking about…” He had a hard time saying Mom’s name or even Julie’s. He always stopped midsentence or changed the subject. While it irritated me more now than in the beginning, I still didn’t push. I didn’t like when I was forced to talk about my feelings.
    “Sorry, I…yeah, I was thinking of Mom.” I hadn’t realized I was crying.
    “Don’t be sorry. I know it’s still hard.” He turned into the school lot. “Now, let me see what the problem is with your car. Then we can go meet with the principal.”
    We still had an hour before school. We both got out of his restored 1964 Chevy Impala. According to Dad, they just didn’t make cars the way they used to.
    I agreed with him.