Read The Rebel's Return (Red River) for Free Online

jogging alone in the dark?”
    She rolled her eyes theatrically enough so he’d be sure to see. “Are you having me followed?”
    He held out a cup for her. “I don’t need to. Dad called me. That’s what happens when you live down the street from them and walk by their kitchen window at six a.m. You know Dad’s drinking his espresso.”
    She took a sip of hot coffee. “True, but you didn’t have to come out here.”
    Her brother turned in her direction, his dark eyes serious. “Truth is, I was wondering if you’d heard Aiden was back in town.”
    She took a sip of coffee, knowing that Dominic had his own past with Aiden, which had nothing to do with her. “He is. I saw him.”
    “And?”
    She fluttered her eyelashes and gave a fake giggle. “He’s as cute as I remembered, Dommy.”
    Her brother scowled. “That’s not funny. Not what I was asking.”
    “So what are you asking?”
    “Fine. Let me rephrase everything: don’t go getting your heart broken all over again. People don’t change. Once a badass, always a badass.”
    She would never admit out loud that even the mention of the word badass in relation to Aiden sent a secret thrill through her body. So pathetic. “I don’t think he did anything so bad…I mean, besides cheat on me.”
    Her brother choked on his coffee and then swiped the droplets from his chin. “Are you kidding? He was a stoner.”
    “Marijuana is legal now, you know.” She pretended her running shoes were very interesting and kept her head downturned.
    “I’m not even going to answer that. And at the time, he was a minor. And he was also perpetually drunk. He dropped out of school. Was constantly in fights. Oh, and his grand finale was driving through John’s Diner while drunk.”
    She faked a cough. “So he doesn’t deserve a second chance from either of us?”
    “Guys don’t give each other second chances,” he said, taking a long drink of coffee.
    “He was your best friend.”
    “He acted like an idiot, and he hurt my little sister. He doesn’t get a second chance,” he said, standing straight and taking a step back. “I’d better get to work.”
    “Sabrina thinks I should ask him to go to F&F’s wedding with me.”
    He ran has hand over his chin and had that same look he always wore when it came to discussing her BFF. “Don’t take advice from Sabrina.”
    She eyed him carefully. “Why? She’s a great advisor.”
    He let out a sound that suggested otherwise. Her poor friend. She’d had a thing for Dominic for years, only to have him go out of his way to ignore her. “Stay away from him, Nat. You’re only going to get hurt. Besides, with the wedding next month, you don’t need any more crap to deal with.”
    Her brother was coming from a good place, and she did agree with him, but there was that tiny twinge, somewhere deep inside, that she didn’t even know why she was acknowledging, that made her want to defend Aiden. Oh God, she was in trouble. Maybe it was the fact that he was back in town to care for his father. Or the glimpse of vulnerability he’d shown at his father’s house…or maybe it was what he’d said to her at the bakery. That deep, husky voice, demanding to know who’d hurt her. She closed her eyes with a sigh. She would not cave.
    …
    Aiden shifted on the waiting room chair in Evan Manning’s doctor’s office and tried to avoid eye contact with his father, who was currently trying to charm Grace Manning. He had to give Evan’s wife credit—the man didn’t repulse her. Instead, she seemed fond of him, in a pitying kind of way. She laughed at his stupid jokes and gave him sympathetic smiles when his attempt at leaning against her receptionist’s desk almost caused his back to spasm.
    Aiden sighed roughly. “Dad, why don’t you sit down?”
    “Now why would I want to sit down? You’re just going to stare at your phone and ignore me. Grace here is a breath of fresh air, and I hope Evan knows how lucky a man he is.”
    Aiden