The Rebel's Return (Red River) (7 page)

“Why are you breathing like you’re in labor?”

“How do you know what a woman in labor breathes like?”

“I watch TV. I also watch you.”

“Well, you didn’t watch me for ten years. Why are you here, Aiden?”

“Because of the other night.”

She tapped her finger against her chin. “Did something happen?”

He grinned. “Almost happened,” he said in a deep voice, lifting his arm. His hand gently clutched a fistful of her hair, and she thought she might die. It was as though everything were happening in slow motion as he slowly lowered his face to hers, his lips hovering so close. Omigod, she couldn’t. She couldn’t kiss him again after all these years.

“I thought about you every single day I was gone.”

Her breath hitched, and she cursed herself, knowing she was going to let him kiss her.

“Aiden McCann!”

Aiden cursed under his breath before he was yanked out by the collar. Eunice Jacobs stood at the door, tugging at his shirt and looking like an enraged peacock. “I don’t know if you’ve been getting advice from Evan Manning, but this is not what these changing rooms are for! Now get to the front of the store and wait until Natalia is properly clothed.”

Natalia closed the changing room curtain, but couldn’t help peeking out to watch as Aiden left.

Chapter Seven

Rain drummed on cars, and puddles quickly formed on the downtown street ahead. It caught the leaves on the old oak trees, whipping them to the ground in a windy bundle. Aiden had forgotten how much he loved the rain in Red River. It was different here. In Red River, you could smell the earthiness as the rain soaked the grass, the dirt. You could see the gray sky, the clouds, you could slow down for a minute and watch it transform the small town. He stood on the lift bridge and just took it all in, the view of his childhood town from here. God, he was a different man. He’d been a kid back then, in so many ways. Angry, hurt, afraid. He and Dylan had run, really. They wanted out of here, away from the place and people that they’d made fools of themselves in front of. Away from the town that held their best and worst memories.

He rolled his shoulders. In some ways he was glad his morning run was done, in others, mad because he didn’t feel as though he’d released any of the tension that was slowly consuming him. He’d avoided Red River because of his stupid past. He’d avoided it because of the dysfunctional relationship he had with his father, and he dreaded being back here because of Natalia.

In their run-ins these last few weeks, the growing need to make amends with everyone here had shaken him. Every time he saw her, he wanted her more. He’d almost lost it in the changing room. If it hadn’t been for Eunice, he would have kissed her. He wanted so many things. He wasn’t a guy to wish for things. He knew if you wanted anything in life, you had to work damn hard for it. Natalia included. He wasn’t so cocky as to assume he could just walk back into her life, kiss her, and they could start over. No, getting her back would involve coming clean…about everything. It would also involve the idea of coming back to Red River for good…

His eyes narrowed on a familiar, curvy silhouette coming his way. Said person was alternating between a jog and a walk, looking like she was struggling on the tough hill that led to the lift bridge. He wasn’t going to smile at his luck, or maybe his misfortune, because as she approached he made out the deep frown on her otherwise gorgeous face. She had on a black hoodie that was tightly molded to her curves and a pair of black leggings. Her hair was pulled back and hidden under a bright pink baseball cap. All in all, Nat managed to make boring, concealing workout clothes sexier than the most revealing lingerie.

Her feet splashed into a massive puddle, and he smiled as she cursed out loud as water sprayed up her legs. He quickly stopped smiling when she made eye contact with him. “What are you doing here?”

He leaned against the cold, wet iron railing of the bridge. “I’m everywhere, Nat.”

She clutched her sides, trying to look nonchalant even though he could tell she’d struggled with the hill. “That sounds creepy.”

He grinned. “Fine. In a non-stalkerish way, then.”

“I avoided the river trail, and now I find you here!”

“That’s disappointing,” he said. “My feelings are hurt, especially after yesterday.”

For a second, it looked as though guilt flooded her eyes. She always was a softy. He’d destroyed that. The fact that she actually looked sympathetic even for a moment made him feel like a bigger ass.

Then she pointed at him, and if he’d been standing closer, he would bet she’d be jabbing him. “Don’t try and guilt me. You should try being publicly humiliated when your boyfriend cheats on you and then leaves town. That is what hurt feels like.”

He looked down at his wet shoes. “Touché. You’re right.”

“Great. So move out of the way, I’m not done with my jog.”

“It kind of looks like you are.”

Crap. Obviously not the right thing to say.

She placed her hands on her hips and started tapping her right foot. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He ran a hand over his jaw. “Nothing. Just that you looked like you were struggling a bit.”

Her chin went up five notches too high to be natural. “I don’t
struggle
with jogging. I’m…having a rough morning.”

He frowned. “Oh. Everything okay?”

She folded her arms under her breasts, and some damn fine cleavage came into view, straining against the zip of her hoodie. He forced himself to look away and reminded himself that it was his own fault he’d given all that up. “Everything is fine. Now, if you’ll get out of my way,” she said, trying to sidestep him on the sidewalk. He didn’t move until he had to grab her arm before she landed on the road.

“Are you trying to get me killed?” she yelled.

He didn’t let go of her arm. “I’m trying to
prevent
you from getting killed. You would rather walk onto a two-lane bridge than stand here with me?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m busy. I have to get home and shower and then do the almost-bride’s bidding.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Wait. Why were you looking for me yesterday, anyway?”

Oh. That. Obviously the highlight of his day, but he didn’t want to ask her anymore. He shrugged. “Can’t remember.”

Her eyes became squinty. “Spill it.”

He knew her to be even more stubborn than he was. “I was going to ask you a favor.”

She straightened up, looking guarded. “Well, what is it?”

He shook his head. “I’ll ask someone else.”

“Who? You have no friends.”

Nice. “I have friends. Jake. Quinn. Evan.”

She rolled her eyes. “But there’s a reason you were going to ask me.”

He cursed his father. “It’s my dad. He requested you.”

Everything changed when he mentioned his father. Her eyes became softer, her posture relaxed, and she looked sympathetic. “Oh, tell me, then. I’ll help him.”

“I have to be in Toronto tomorrow for an investor’s meeting that was booked months ago. It’s for the day, but that means I won’t be able to drive him to the hospital tomorrow morning. He insisted he could drive himself, but—”

“No, no,” she said, shaking her head. “Of course I can take him. Just text me all the details, and I’ll pick him up…oh wait,” she said, frowning. “What time do you have to be in Toronto?”

“Noon.”

“What time do I have to leave Red River to get him to the hospital?”

“Eight.”

“There’s a delivery I have to make. It should be fast, but it’s for nine o’clock. It’s a bunch of cupcakes to the ballet academy…” Her voice trailed off, and he found himself lost for a moment. God, he’d have done anything for Nat.

He cleared his throat. “I can do it.”

She smiled at him, and his heart swelled. God, he was cracking. “Thank you so much. All you need to do is enter the bakery from the back door tomorrow morning. The lady who runs the front of the shop will know you’re coming. They will be in pink boxes, lined up on the back counter. Load them in my SUV and drive them over to the academy.”

He was smiling like an idiot, because she was smiling. That must have been why he had a delayed reaction to what she was suggesting. The image of her bubble-gum pink Volkswagen popped into his head. “I, uh, I can take my dad’s car.”

She was shaking her head, ponytail flopping. “No, it’ll have to be mine. Branding. Company image, etc. Also, I don’t trust them in the back of a car. I have the back of the SUV divided properly to fit deliveries. I’ll leave the keys on the counter, as well. Thanks, Aiden.”

God, he was actually going to drive that thing. For her. “Thank you. I know you don’t owe me anything, but I appreciate it. I’m not the same guy anymore, Nat.”

She sighed. “Some things never change. People don’t change, that’s what I figured out. They don’t change, and it’s a waste of my time trying to make them change. I only end up getting hurt in the process.”

She stared into his eyes and guilt swam through him, but he didn’t look away. “Maybe some people can’t change. Maybe some people are capable of change for the right person,” he said, resisting the urge to pull her to him, to whisper the truth. To make her realize she didn’t need to change him anymore, it wasn’t her burden, he’d already changed for her.

“That sounds like wishful thinking. Naive thinking. I’m not that girl anymore. Excuse me, I gotta go.”

He didn’t move. “I don’t want us to be like this. I’m here for a few more weeks.”

“Great. I think it’s nice that you’re here to support your father. You’ve been gone for years. We didn’t part on the best of terms, if you recall.” She sighed. “What is it you expect of me? Aiden McCann is back in town, let’s roll out the red carpet. Seriously? You being here for eight weeks in no way impacts my life.”

Ouch. “What if I stayed longer?”

“Then that would be nice for your father.”

“For you. What if I stayed for you? What if I told you I’d be willing to leave it all behind me? I’d give it all up in a second if it meant you’d give me a second chance.”

She didn’t say anything for a long moment, the rain touching and bouncing off her pink baseball cap. And then her eyes welled, and she rolled her eyes. “Why are you even saying this?”

“Because I never got over you. No woman I’ve ever met has come close to being anything like you, Nat.”

She winced. “You mean gullible and naive and stupid?”

That’s what she thought of herself? That was on him, because of what he’d done. He took a step closer to her. “I mean, sweet, idealistic, smart. I mean, beautiful, caring, compassionate. Hot.”

Her mouth parted slightly, and he fought the urge to tip up her baseball cap and kiss her.

“Don’t lie to me,” she whispered, her voice sounding as though she were being tortured, as though it had just happened yesterday. He got that. Sometimes it felt like that for him, too.

“I’m not lying.”

“Then why did you cheat on me in the first place?” She held up her hand before he could speak. “You know what? I don’t want to know the answer to that. It was so long ago. I was over you. You can’t come back here and suddenly claim you’d be willing to give everything up for me. It doesn’t work that way. I realized after you left that we were children. Eighteen and twenty-two. What did either of us know about love or relationships? All those plans we had were silly and stupid, and we never would have worked.” The tears streaming down her face made it very clear that she didn’t believe what she was saying.

“We would have worked if I didn’t screw it up. Everything I felt for you was real. Everything we were together was real and so damn good that I regret not being the man you needed back then.” He wanted so badly to tell her the rest, to tell her the real reason he left, and the truth about what she believed about him.

She looked away. He wondered if she was remembering how many nights they’d walked across this bridge. He’d walk her home and kiss her on the front porch until her dad would flick the porch lights and then open the door a minute later. He had always appreciated the man’s warning, had always wanted to be a part of that family. For some reason, her father had trusted him. Like he saw something in him even his own father didn’t. But that was before he’d broken his daughter’s heart.

“None of it matters anymore. We’re different people now, with our own lives.”

“You haven’t changed, Nat. I still know you. I bet I can still make you laugh. I bet I can still make you—”

“Don’t you dare say it,” she said, slapping her hand across his mouth.

He grinned, pulling it off his lips but holding on. “I was going to say, I bet I can still make you smile. What were you thinking?”

He enjoyed watching the flush creep up her face. The glower was kind of cute, too. He noticed she had either not realized he was holding her hand, or she’d left it there intentionally.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, Aiden,” she whispered.

Hell, he didn’t know, either. “I know that I can’t lose you a second time.”

“We’re adults now. You have a business with Dylan.”

“We can run our business out of Red River, no problem.”

“I made a promise to myself—never trust a cheater. And I trusted you. Then I trusted Franco, and he cheated on me as well. How stupid would I be to give you another chance?”

God, he wanted to tell her the truth, so badly. He wanted to see the surprise, the trust reenter her eyes. But then he’d have to be prepared to make promises he wasn’t ready to make. He’d been a lot of things, he still was a lot of things, but cheater…

“I gotta go,” she said, slipping her hand from his.

“I want to take you out on a date. I want to know the woman you’ve become.”

She shook her head. “What would be the point? You and I can never be anything again.”

“One date. Then you never have to see me again if you don’t want.”

She was eyeing him like she didn’t believe a word of it. Finally, she sighed and shook her head.

Well, he might as well be an ass. It would be worth it in the end. “Fine, then I won’t deliver the cupcakes.”

She frowned. “Then I won’t drive your dad.”

He shrugged, bluffing. “No problem. I’ll tell him you said no, and he can take a cab.”

Her eyes widened comically. “You’re blackmailing me!”

He shrugged. “I told you, I want one date. You have no idea how far I’d go to have a night with you.”

She looked away for a moment. “Fine. One date—evening. That’s it.”

“Fine. Saturday.”

She lifted her chin. “How do you know I don’t already have plans?”

“I’m sure Sabrina won’t mind if you reschedule.”

This time she did poke him. “You always were too cocky for your own good.”

She mumbled something about a dimple before she marched off.

He watched her go, pissed at himself. What was he doing? He’d made a promise to Dominic, but he wasn’t the same kid anymore. So what were his options? He looked at her then back out at the river, his past floating by. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the wet railing, trying to push the images away. God, it was so bleak when he looked back. Every memory he had was dark, miserable. He couldn’t even remember his mother, and that pissed him off. Dylan remembered. He didn’t. He only remembered the after.

He glanced back in the direction of Natalia’s retreating figure and vowed he wasn’t going to lose her or hurt her a second time. He was going to find a way to do this. He needed to face his past, get her back in his life. He wouldn’t fail her a second time.