Fulfillment (Book 3 in The Temptation Series) by K.M. Golland Page B

course. “I choose
dare,” I huffed.
    “Fart,” Nate
blurted out, my typical nine-year-old son seeming quite pleased
with his suggestion.
    “No. I can’t,”
I shrieked, embarrassed and honestly telling the truth. Suddenly a
bottom rumble sounded within the room. Nate and Bryce looked at me,
their eyes widening. “That wasn’t me,” I exclaimed, hands in the
air in surrender. Bryce chuckled so loudly that I had to playfully
punch him in the arm. “It wasn’t me, I promise.”
    “No, it was
me,” Charli chimed in. “I took Mum’s dare.”
    “What?” I
asked astounded and now laughing as hard as Bryce. “This game is
stupid.”
    “No it’s not.
If you can’t do a dare or tell a truth, someone else can do it for
you. So, I did it for you, Mum, us girls have to stick together.”
Charli was the only one deadly serious and not laughing.
    “Oh...thanks
Sweetheart,” I choked out, trying to be as serious as she.
“So...what happens next?”
    Quite proudly,
she answered. “You get another turn.”
    “Oh, okay.” I
breathed in and looked at her purposely. “Fire away.” And I mean
from your mouth, not your rear-end.
    “You have to
pick truth or dare, Mum.”
    “Oh, sorry.
Truth then.”
    Charli smiled.
“Are you going to marry Bryce?”
    Charli-Bear, we’ve been over this. I looked at Bryce who had
placed both his hands behind his head, a smug smile protruding from
his face. “He has to ask me to marry him first.”
    “Bryce, are
you going to ask—”
    “Hey, hey,” I
interrupted. “That’s cheating. It’s not his turn yet, it’s yours.
Truth or dare, which one?” I successfully diverted her pending
question.
    “Dare,” she
answered excitedly.
    Nate quickly
jumped in again. “Fart.”
    “Nate!” I
exclaimed. Charli let off another one. “Geezus, Charli!” How
does she freakin’ do that?
    Bryce was
laughing hysterically while looking between me and the kids. I
placed my head in my hands, amazed at Charli’s now apparent talent
for breaking wind on cue.
    “My turn.”
Nate shuffled on the spot. I had the urge to demand he fart, but
that would only detriment us all in the long run.
    “Alright,
truth or dare?” I asked him.
    “Truth,” he
replied confidently.
    Excellent,
I may just like this game yet. “Did you eat that Brussels
sprout, or did you give it to Bryce when I wasn’t looking?”
    He quickly
glanced at Bryce and answered “Noooooo,” in a very drawn out, slow
voice. I turned in Bryce’s direction, catching him frantically
moving his head from side to side and telling Nate to say ‘no.’
    “Liar!” Charli
shouted and pointed to Nate. “You have to do it again.”
    Nate
huffed.
    “Okay.” I
looked at Bryce and squinted my eyes with a silent message that he
was about to get found out, then I looked back at Nate, opening my
eyes wide with warning that he better not lie. “Did Bryce say that
Danny could drive you to school in the limo?”
    Nate’s open
eyes broadened then he screwed up his face.
    “Nate?” I
probed.
    He closed his
eyes then nodded twice.
    I pointed to
Bryce. “Ha, I knew it. I knew it.”
    He tried to
grab my finger in an attempt to bite it then winked at Nate. “My
turn and I choose truth this time.” He looked directly at Charli
with a knowing smile.
    She didn’t
hesitate and quickly jumped in, asking the question she attempted
moments ago. “Are you going to ask Mummy to marry you?”
    “Yes,” he
snapped out before I even had a moment to break their alliance.
    “When?” she
blurted out quickly.
    “Soon,” he
answered, just as fast.
    “How
soon?”
    “Charli!” I
interrupted. Nate laughed.
    “Soon, soon,”
Bryce continued.
    “Bryce!” I
poked him. He is just as bad as both of my kids.
    “Are you going
to have a baby?” Charli continued. Whoa! Okay, game
over.
    “I think
that’s enough of truth or dare for tonight.” I switched my tone of
voice to the game’s-up-I’m-now-serious one.
    “Awww,” they
all