The Rebel's Return (Red River) by Victoria James Read Free Book Online

embarrassing?”
    His father’s pupils dilated, and had Aiden been a kid still, he’d probably have run in the other direction fearing his belt would be peeled off his pants. His father opened his mouth but stopped, his eyes going to the door. Aiden followed suit.
    Natalia was standing there, glaring at him. God, she was the most beautiful thing he’d seen all day. She’d always been like that, a balm healing his wounds at a crappy time in his life. Except now she looked like she was going to inflict wounds instead of healing them. He released his grip on the door, and Eunice burst into his arms. Jeezus.
    “Still up to your old tricks, Aiden?” Eunice said too loudly and too closely.
    “Aiden, people need to be able to come and go from the bakery. This isn’t the place to stage a protest,” Natalia said with a huff. She could pretty much say whatever she damn well pleased, because the sound of her voice, pissy but still holding a soft lilt, reminded him of what he’d been missing. Then there was her hair, dark, shiny, piled up on her head, looking totally out of control making him want to run his fingers through it and pull her close. Then there was her mouth—that was currently in a frowning position, but a delicious muted red, which made him want to kiss her until she moaned against his lips and whispered his name in a plea, begging him for more. She was standing behind the counter, packing up an order of cannoli. It seemed the entire town was able to get some except him.
    He cleared his throat and gripped Mrs. Jacobs’s shoulders, gently but firmly distancing himself from the woman, then looked at Nat. “Sorry. Not trying to impede business, just having a discussion with my father.”
    She ignored him and focused her gaze on his dad. “Mr. McCann, I was about to start on your cappuccino. Did you miss your walk?”
    His father swaggered over to the counter and then leaned against it as though he owned the place. “Apparently I had to go to the doctor.”
    “No cannoli for him today. Yes to the capp. I’ll eat the cannoli,” he called out.
    Her eyes narrowed on him. “That’s mean.”
    Mrs. Jacobs nodded while his father chuckled. He was going to kill his brother for leaving him to deal with this on his own. Fine. If his father was going to play that game, then he wasn’t going to hide anything. “We’re back from the doctor’s. He’s diabetic.”
    Mrs. Jacobs gasped as though this news was somehow earth-shattering for her.
    Natalia looked sympathetic and patted his hand. “Oh, Mr. McCann. Don’t you worry, my dad has it, too. Have a seat. I’ll make you a cappuccino and then let you try the new biscotti I made especially for diabetics, okay?”
    His father smiled like a child, and he was relieved.
    “Speaking of your father, is, uh, he around?” Aiden asked, his gaze darting around the place. He ignored his father’s snicker.
    Natalia’s eyes narrowed on him. “He’ll be here momentarily. Maybe Dominic, too.”
    Dammit. The two people he was avoiding. Well, he wasn’t a coward. He’d deal with them and be civil. It bothered him a little to think he didn’t belong in this town anymore. He’d come back knowing that, but being here, around Nat, made him wish things could be different. Hell, he hated wishing for things. Kids wished for things—not adults who’d made fools of themselves. Acting on his feelings for Nat would mean taking a serious look at his life. He’d vowed never to come back to Red River permanently, but starting up again with Natalia would force him to decide whether to break that promise. It would mean having to open old wounds with his dad again. He’d have to see him daily probably. He realized he functioned best when he was far away from his father.
    His phone rang, and he slipped it out of his pocket, checking the display. It was Dylan. He was probably wondering what the doctor had said. Speaking to his brother was a legitimate excuse for getting out of this