Dare You To--A Life Changing Teen Love Story

by Katie McGarry

  I grab my car keys, the red rose wrist corsage, and head out to the garage. From the corner of my eye, I see Dad sitting behind his desk in his office. We haven’t talked since that day in my bedroom and I guess today won’t be the day either of us breaks our silence.

  As I open the door to my Jeep, I hear the squeak of his chair and footsteps against the cement floor. Dad walks to his tool bench and sifts through the boxes of bolts and nuts. “Your mom told me you signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the University of Louisville.”

  My muscles tense in preparation for a fight. The letter required a parent to sign with me and I asked Mom for help. “Yes, sir.”

  “She said that you’re planning on playing with the team for a year, then reassessing whether or not you’re ready to go pro.”

  Feeling naked without my cap, I rub the back of my head. I could go the easy route and give him a simple yes, but I’m done saying or doing whatever it takes to appease him. “At the end of my freshman year, I’ll decide if I’m good enough to go pro. I’m also going to major in creative writing. I love writing and baseball and I want to give them both a shot.”

  Dad slides a drawer full of nails closed and nods his head. “Did you get her a corsage? Girls like flowers.”

  I hold the clear box in my hand. “Yeah,” I say, and lift it up so he can see. “You taught me that.”

  BETH

  Scott and Allison’s bedroom is too gaudy for my taste. The curtains are blue silk and frilly things like flowers and paintings of flowers decorate every available space. The bed is beyond massive. Scott and Allison don’t have to go to separate rooms if they fight; they can roll over a couple times and be in different zip codes.

  I sit on the overly cushioned chair in front of Allison’s vanity and watch as she pins the hair onto my head. I hate the updo, but I can’t complain. An hour ago, she dyed six stripes of temporary black color in my hair. Now my hair is an inch and a half of golden-blond at the roots, black flows over my shoulders, and black stripes even it out. “Scott is going to be pissed.”

  “Yes,” she says. “He is, but I’ll deal with that.”

  My lips curve and when Allison catches it in the mirror she smiles too. We’ve had an uneasy truce since I came home from the hospital and sometimes I’m scared I’m going to say the wrong thing and send her over the edge. “Why are you being nice to me?”

  Allison lifts the curling iron again and shoots me a glare when I fidget. She twists a few strands that refuse to be a part of her plan. “Because Scott loves you.”

  He loved me before, but that didn’t keep her from hating every cell in my body. Not like I helped. “I’m sorry I accused you of trapping him.”

  The curling rod pulls at the roots of my hair and I bite my lip. She releases the hair and little ringlets dance on the back of my neck. Okay, I deserve the pulling—and the ringlets. Maybe now we’ll be even.

  Allison sets the iron back on her vanity. “I’m sorry…well, I’m sorry. I didn’t want you here.”

  I blink. That was blunt, yet honest.

  “Scott told me about his past, but it was easy to pretend it was a story until you came into the picture. I prefer life clean and simple. You made Scott complicated.”

  “Scott was always complicated.”

  Allison spritzes hair spray on me. “I know that now.”

  Scott clears his throat and both Allison and I turn to see him entering the room. I stand and Scott grins when he sees me in the black strapless dress with a skirt that ends at the knees. He frowns again when he sees my hair.

  “I did it,” says Allison without a hint of guilt.

  Scott’s eyes widen. “You did that?”

  “You told her last weekend she could wear those God-awful shoes with her dress and I told you that you’d regret it.”

  I fidget in my official Chuck Taylors. “I’m wearing panty hose.” That was a major concession on my part.

  “You should put on a sweater,” Scott says.

  “She’s not wearing a sweater.” Allison swats at him. “That would look wretched.”

  “I don’t care how she looks. I care how much skin is showing.”

  Allison leans forward and Scott kisses her lips. I glance away. They do this more since I came home from the hospital. Not just kissing, but kissing like they mean it. Kissing because they truly love each other. She steps out of the room and Scott shoves his hands in his pockets.

  I resist the urge to scratch my healing temple. “She covered the cut with the makeup.”

  “I noticed.” He gestures to my left hand. “How’s it feeling?”

  I shrug. “Fine.” The black cast is temporary. Trent shattered lots of the bones in my hand, wrist, and arm. I’ll have to have another surgery in two weeks. My nondamaged fingers drum against my leg. I thought I could go without asking, but I can’t. “How did Mom’s court appearance go?”

  Mom and Trent had preliminary hearings yesterday. I told Scott that I didn’t want to know what happened, but the curiosity is eating me alive.

  “It’s okay to want to know.” He meets my eyes while I wrestle with the millions of emotions tugging me in different directions.

  I nod and he continues, “She accepted the plea bargain and will be serving six years. Trent pleaded not guilty against his lawyer’s recommendation. The D.A. thinks they can get him to serve fifteen years.”

  A ball of dread forms in my stomach and I sink back into the chair. “Then there will be a trial.”

  Scott lowers his head. All of us had hoped to avoid this. “Yes.”

  Ryan and I will have to face Trent again when we testify. I take a deep breath to calm myself.

  “Did you talk to Mom?” I ask.

  He shakes his head and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m not sure how I feel about my mom at all. Six years. My mom is going to prison for six years and I’m the one who put her there.

  “You did the right thing, kid.”

  “I know,” I say softly. I do know, but it doesn’t mean that it sucks any less. The doorbell rings and the dread starts to fade. Ryan’s here.

  A good-natured smile settles on Scott’s face. “And Prince Charming awaits.”

  “Hey, Scott?”

  He motions for me to continue.

  “How could you keep the heroin to yourself? I mean, that’s a pretty big secret. I know that you wanted something to blackmail me with, but it was heroin.”

  Scott scratches behind his ear. “I was in the process of hiring private detectives to find you when your aunt called. When I got to the police station, there was no way you were going home with anyone but me. One look at your mom and I knew things were bad.”

  He sighs. “She was so jumpy around the cops that I figured she was hiding something. I would have said anything I had to in order to keep you. But I never used the word heroin with you or your mom and I never went into your mom’s apartment. I guessed that she had a secret and I bluffed.”

  And I sort of feel like an idiot. A happy idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. “Well played.”

  He smirks. “I think so.”

  * * *

  At the two-minute warning, my hands begin to sweat, including the one in the cast. Indian summer in Kentucky has a strange way of making November feel like July. As we walk to the open field behind the scoreboard, Ryan holds my hand and he doesn’t seem to care it’s cold and wet. People yell and scream from the bleachers and the announcer informs the crowd that our team is at the first and ten—whatever the hell that means.

  The other couples nominated for homecoming court stand closer to the lamppost, but I hesitate farther back and Ryan plays along.

  “Gwen won’t bother you,” he says.

  “I know.” He’s right. She won’t. Since Ryan and I returned to school, she’
s been less than her normal stuck-up self, quiet and withdrawn. She apologized to both me and Ryan. I accepted it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like her or be near her. Perfectly groomed, Gwen stands off to the side of the group. I sort of feel bad for her. Guilt is a horrible emotion. I should know.

  “We could go talk to Carly and Brent,” Ryan teases. “She’s a big fan of yours.”

  I roll my eyes. “Carly and I were paired as lab partners today.”

  “See, best friends already. Lacy will be pissed someone is encroaching on her territory.”

  “That’s exactly what’s going to happen,” I say sarcastically.

  “Carly’s nice.”

  “She’s chipper.”

  “Same thing.”

  “Nice is nice. Chipper is annoying.”

  “We should double-date with them.”

  My eyes almost pop out of my head. “Are you kidding me? I’m about to walk out onto that football field and make a fool out of myself and you want me to consider double-dating with Mr. and Mrs. Chipper? Have you lost your mind?”

  Ryan chuckles, then winks. “I just wanted to see you get aggravated.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “You’re annoying.”

  He lets go of my hand, slips his arms around my waist, and pulls me close to his strong body. “You’re beautiful.”

  The corners of my lips turn up and I slide my right arm around his neck. “I miss touching you with both hands.”

  “It’s weird seeing the ribbon on your other wrist,” he says.

  I shiver when Ryan caresses the sensitive skin above my cast and rubs the small of my back. Joyous and devious warmth spreads throughout my body. “I never take it off.”

  “I miss you in my bed,” he murmurs so only I can hear.

  My smile grows and Ryan’s face reddens. “That’s not what I meant. I meant I miss sleeping with you.”

  I know what he means. “It’s a little hard to slip out with a broken hand.”

  He lowers his head to mine and his hold on me tightens. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better.”

  “Ryan, no. I would have died if it wasn’t for you.”

  “It’s over now,” he whispers against my mouth.

  I expectantly part my lips for his kiss. “It is.”

  “Mr. Stone. Ms. Risk,” calls the assistant principal. “A little more space between you and a lot more paying attention. It’s time for you to get onto the field.”

  I deflate and wrap my hand on Ryan’s bent arm so he can escort me out underneath the glaring lights. I wanted Ryan to kiss me. I needed him to kiss me.

  Over the PA system, our names are announced and Ryan leads me to the fifty-yard line. People yell and scream, the loudest cheers coming from the section where we left Lacy, Chris, and Logan.

  “When you win,” says Ryan, “don’t forget you said you’d keep that tiara on your pretty little head all night.”

  My eyes widen as I realize how I can get exactly what I want. We stop in the middle of the field and I turn to him. “Kiss me. Not just a peck. The real deal.”

  Ryan glances around at the bleachers full of hundreds of people. “Excuse me?”

  “I, Beth Risk, do double dog dare you to kiss me in front of all these people.”

  Ryan’s eyes brighten and the arrogant smile that makes my heart trip over itself spreads across his face. “Are you forgetting dare etiquette? You have to dare before you can double dog dare.”

  I roll my eyes. “Fine. I dare you to kiss me.”

  “And if I do?”

  “If I win homecoming, which I won’t, I’ll wear that damn tiara for a week straight.”

  He cradles my face with both his hands. His lips whisper against mine and I ache for him to kiss me. My mind whines that he won’t do it, but then he nibbles on my lower lip. His mouth parts and the two of us move our lips hungrily in time with one another.

  In between gasps of air our names are called as the winners. I feel Ryan’s lips tug into a smile before he says one word: “Can.”

  * * * * *

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To God—Isaiah 61:1

  For Dave—Because I still own the first baseball cap I ever saw you in.

  Thank you to…

  Kevan Lyon—Everybody should have someone like you in their corner. Your advice and guidance have been extremely valuable to me. Thank you. I will never forget that this all began with you.

  Margo Lipschultz—Thank you for caring as much about my characters as I do. You are absolutely brilliant and I’m a better writer because of you.

  Everyone who has touched my books at Harlequin Teen, especially Natashya Wilson. You guys have made this experience fantastically memorable!

  Matt Baldwin and Mike Baldwin with Future Pro: Thank you for welcoming me into your indoor training facility and for taking the time to answer my questions on baseball.

  Angela Annalaro-Murphy—Thank you for loving Beth first. It was your faith and friendship that kept me writing.

  Shannon Michael—How many times did I end up on your back porch with my head in my hands wondering if I was headed in the right direction with the story? Thanks for the laughs and friendship.

  Kristen Simmons—I couldn’t have done this without you. It’s amazing when I think of the laughter and tears we’ve shared since we met. This book is for you.

  Colette Ballard, Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, Kurt Hampe, and Bill Wolfe—You guys are more than a critique group. You’ve become family. Kelly and Bethany, thank you for holding my hand through my debut year. Kurt and Bill, thank you for pointing out when “a guy wouldn’t do that.” Colette, thank you for the endless hours of laughter, support, and extra reads.

  Louisville Romance Writers: It was you guys who first put me on the path toward publication. Thank you for continuing to light the way.

  Again, to my parents, my sister, my Mt. Washington family, and my in-laws…I love you.

  My biggest thank-you is to the fantastic authors I’ve met, the booksellers, the librarians, the teachers, the book bloggers, and my readers. Thank you for taking the time to spread the word and for the messages, tweets, and emails you’ve sent to me. You remind me why I write.

  To A, N, and P. You know who you are and you know that I love you more than my own life.

  PLAYLIST

  Overall theme:

  “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean

  “F**kin’ Perfect” by P!nk

  Taco Bell dare:

  “Summertime” by Kenny Chesney

  “U + Ur Hand” by P!nk

  Beth’s mother in the bar:

  “Farmer’s Daughter” by Crystal Bowersox

  Beth wakes in Scott’s house:

  “Heart Like Mine” by Miranda Lambert

  Ryan in town:

  “Back Where I Come From” by Kenny Chesney

  Isaiah offers to run away with Beth:

  “Somewhere with You” by Kenny Chesney

  Isaiah betrays Beth by taking her away from her mother:

  “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails

  Ryan takes Beth to a field party:

  “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean

  Ryan dances with Beth:

  “Just a Dream” by Nelly

  Beth stays the night with Ryan:

  “Don’t You Wanna Stay” by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson

  Beth sings her mother to sleep:

  “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

  Beth tries to scare Ryan away with the truth:

  “Don’t Let Me Get Me” by P!nk

  Ryan teaches Beth to float:

  “Broken Arrow” by Rod Stewart

  Beth and Ryan are briefly happy:

  “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry

  Beth’s final showd
own with her mother:

  “25 to Life” by Eminem

  This song perfectly describes Beth and Ryan’s relationship:

  “How Country Feels” by Randy Houser

  Songs written for Dare You To by Angela McGarry:

  “Ribbons and Bows”

  “We Weren’t Meant to Be”

  Check out the songs at:

  www.reverbnation.com/AngelaMcGarryMusic

  Q&A WITH KATIE MCGARRY

  What inspired you to write Dare You To?

  In high school, my best friend and I would spend our evenings riding around in her car with the windows rolled down and music turned up. At some point, we would always find ourselves at a late-night fast-food restaurant.

  Some of the most interesting things in my life happened between bites of greasy food.

  Those memories pushed me to write the opening scene of Dare You To and, from there, Beth and Ryan became full-fledged characters who demanded their story be told.

  Your first book, Pushing the Limits, takes place in an urban/suburban setting. What made you decide to set a majority of Dare You To in a rural environment?

  I grew up in a fringe neighborhood south of a large city. While we had a city zip code and all the conveniences of a larger population area, we would run into farmland if we traveled a few miles south. Because of that, I grew up with a mixture of friends. I knew people who owned lowrider cars with hydraulics along with guys whose tires on their four-wheel-drive trucks were almost as tall as me.

  Beth was definitely a city girl and I liked the idea of shaking up her world by placing her somewhere different. Ryan was then born!

  What type of research did you do while writing Dare You To?

  Ever since I’ve known my husband, I’ve spent a good majority of my Friday nights during the summer up at the ballfield watching him play. It’s amazing to see how a group of guys work, and sometimes don’t work, together on the field.