The Rebel's Return (Red River)

by Victoria James

  “That is the sound of a grown man crying.”

  “Stop. Seriously. I’m detecting I’ve somehow ruined the mood between us, and that’s really not necessary. This isn’t a big deal. I’m not a teenager. I know what I want. And what I want is you,” she said, running her index finger over his broad shoulders.

  “Oh God, hands off please,” he said in a choked voice and then moved away from her and snatched her dress up off the ground. “Quick, put that on,” he said, handing it to her.

  She shoved it out of the way. “What? No. I don’t take orders from you. If we’re actually getting married, you need to know that I don’t take orders from anyone.”

  He just let out a string of curses and ran his hands down his face, so she poked him in the shoulder repeatedly until he looked at her. He looked awful. She told him so.

  He took a step back from her then slowly unfolded her dress and sloppily tried putting it over her head. She swatted his hands away, put it on herself, and then frowned at him. “It doesn’t have to be like this. What’s your problem?”

  He sighed and then picked up his dress shirt. “We have to wait until we’re married.”

  She inhaled sharply and studied his taut features. “Pardon me?”

  He gave a short nod and squeezed his eyes shut momentarily. “I can’t.”

  She gasped. “Stop. You’re lying. You’re just afraid because Dominic is armed now.”

  He shook his head slowly. “I have principles too, Nat. You didn’t wait this long only to have sex against a wall.”

  She nodded frantically. “I did. I really did.”

  He let out a short laugh and then pulled her into his arms. “We wait. I messed up badly the first time. When I take you home tonight, I want to sit at your parents’ table with a clear conscience. But let’s shoot for a short engagement because I’m not a saint.”

  She held on to him tighter. “Like, how long?”

  “One week.”

  Epilogue

  “You realize you are getting married to the guy you were meant to marry, right?”

  Natalia clutched her bouquet of dark red and orange roses a little tighter as her gaze darted past her best friend to glance at the man who was currently the object of her friend’s question. Her focus wandered beyond the packed rows of gold Chiavari chairs, the couple hundred guests, and the white pumpkins overflowing with fall flowers. The entire property had been transformed into a magical fall wonderland.

  She had no idea how they’d managed to plan a wedding of two hundred people in only three weeks. Her family had tried to keep the guest list as tight as possible. Poor Aiden had remained true to his word about not sleeping together, but his mood had been rapidly deteriorating. She smiled at her friend and maid of honor. “You and I always knew, didn’t we? Sab, I couldn’t ask for a better best friend. I want this for you, and I know it’s out there.” Her voice cracked, and Sabrina flung her arms around her. The look that had flitted across her best friend’s face was one she couldn’t quite figure out. But when Sabrina finally pulled back, she had on a radiant smile.

  “Okay, let’s do this. Your parents and brother are coming,” she whispered.

  Her parents joined her, and she linked an arm through each of theirs. “Are you ready, bella?” her father asked.

  She nodded, taking a deep breath. Her mother gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

  Dominic went to stand beside Sabrina and offered her his arm. She didn’t catch their words, but it seemed there was a brief exchange of sorts, and seconds later she was watching them walk toward the altar where Aiden and his brother, Dylan, were standing.

  She looked down the aisle and moments later the chatter from the crowd died down, and the soft sound of the harpist playing Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” began. She looked past all the guests until her gaze landed on Aiden. Her stomach flipped over a few times as she read his expression, feeling the same hunger, the same love, and wanting so badly to be married to him.

  She and her parents walked down the aisle and stopped when they reached the top. Aiden was waiting for them, and then it was as though everyone else disappeared and it was just the two of them saying their vows. Aiden stood there in front of the crowd, looking so handsome as he declared his love for her, once again, in front of her family and friends.

  She knew everything they had been through had brought them here today, and all of this had happened exactly as it should. As he framed her face before kissing her, she knew she was marrying a man strong enough to weather the storms of their future, and the pain of their past. She also knew that Aiden had been worth the wait.

  …

  “I gotta tell you, that night at the Roadhouse, I thought that was it for you and Nat,” Jake said to him. His wife, Claire, swatted him on the arm.

  “Jake, what kind of a thing is that to say?”

  Natalia laughed, and the sound reminded him again of why they needed to hurry up and stop talking to what had to be the chattiest wedding guests in history. Everything she did was turning him on. Everything. Even talking about her stupid cousin, who didn’t bother showing up to their wedding. When she’d appeared at the top of the altar, he’d been taken aback by how stunning she’d been. Her dark hair had been shiny and fell in soft waves down her back. He’d thought she’d be wearing a giant, puffy white dress, but instead it had been more of a classic, ivory lace dress. He’d wanted her right then and there, and he actually had to try to remember a prayer because none of his thoughts had been pure. He’d also been thankful they hadn’t been married in a real church. The rest of the day and evening had followed a pattern of him being completely happy and in love, to him trying to control his desire.

  “It’s okay, Claire. I think they have that kind of a relationship. Thank you again for making this place look so spectacular. I know it was a rush, but you did such an amazing job,” Natalia said.

  Jake’s pretty wife smiled and reached out to touch her hand. “You are so welcome. Everything was wonderful. The ceremony, the dinner. You look beautiful. Congratulations again,” Claire said.

  Aiden hoped they’d stop talking now. He was pretty sure he’d spoken to all of the two hundred or something guests. Thankfully, Jake and his wife left, saying something about getting home to relieve the sitter. Great. He tugged on Natalia’s hand. He was eyeing a secluded spot where a cluster of maple trees stood. If they could get there, then a clear escape was possible.

  “Aiden, where are we going?” she asked, slowing down.

  “We need to leave,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. Not a good move. He pulled back.

  She was eyeing him skeptically. “We can’t leave yet.”

  “I thought I could do this, Nat. I’m dying.”

  She crossed her arms. Cleavage appeared, and he was going to cry. “Dying?”

  He nodded. “We need to get to the hotel I booked, ASAP.”

  She smiled, a sexy smile that had his blood roaring. “Ohhhhhh. Okay, well, I need to say good-bye to a few important people.”

  “How many?”

  She winced. “Just close family members.”

  Oh God. “So that means how many?”

  “Twenty? Thirty, tops.”

  “Why are you dragging my sister through the woods instead of saying a proper good-bye speech?” He was going to kill Dominic. It was great they had basically picked up their relationship where it left off, and all hard feelings were gone. Except, right now, it made it really difficult to have him as his best friend while marrying his sister. He needed him to go away.

  “Dominic, where is Sabrina?”

  His friend shifted from one foot to the other and looked around. “Don’t know.”

  Natalia’s eyes narrowed on Dominic. “What did you do?”

  Aiden relaxed his shoulders, momentarily enjoying not being the one in the hot seat for a change.

  Dom tugged at his tie. Classic guilty move. “Nothing. Why are you accusing me?”

  “There’s the best d
aughter-in-law in the entire world.” His father’s voice boomed from the distance. Aiden turned to find his father and brother walking toward them. Dylan looked bored out of his mind, and his father looked as though he were a new man. He looked years younger. He looked happy.

  Natalia laughed, and he noticed the three of them—his dad, his brother, and himself, all smiled at the sound. God, she’d hooked all of them. He noticed Dominic had darted back into the crowd and wondered what that was all about. He didn’t have time to dwell because he needed to save his wife from being pulled into an overzealous hug by his father for the tenth time today. “Dad, watch out, you’re going to ruin her dress.”

  Natalia smiled at his dad and gently extracted herself. “I’m so lucky to have you as a father-in-law, too.”

  Dylan made some sort of choking noise.

  “Great. Well, this is all nice and stuff but we’re going to get going,” he said, grabbing Natalia’s hand again. “We need to start saying good-bye to people. So good-bye.”

  “Wait,” his dad said, placing his hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Aiden.” He held his gaze, and his eyes got all misty. “You deserve good things. You keep this woman happy, and you’ll know love for the rest of your life.”

  Natalia sniffled beside him, and he found himself choked up. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Dylan slapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations. You already know how happy I am for you. And you,” he said, turning to Natalia. “I know you’ll take good care of him and keep him in line. You’re the best thing that ever happened to him, Natalia. To all of us.” His brother leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “Wow, aren’t we a bunch of pansies,” he said, blinking the moisture from his eyes.

  When he and Natalia were finally in their hotel suite, after saying all their good-byes, a mere three hours later, Aiden pulled her into his arms. He buried his head in her neck, inhaling what had to be the sweetest scent ever. Now that she was here, in his arms, for the beginning of forever, he didn’t want to rush anything. He slowly pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. He stared at the dark brown eyes he remembered from so long ago, and the trust that he remembered from before he’d broken her heart was there, shining back at him. For that he was so grateful. He was grateful for second chances. He was grateful for the good women he’d known in his life. Even though he didn’t remember his mother, somehow he felt that she was partly responsible for him ending up with the life he had today.

  “Nat,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  She smiled up at him. “Aiden.”

  “I want tonight to be the beginning of everything for us. You are everything to me, and I’m sorry for taking so long to find my way back to you. You were worth waiting a decade for,” he whispered.

  He lowered his head and kissed his wife with the knowledge that this time nothing had to end.

  This time, their kiss would lead to forever.

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  About the Author

  Victoria James is a romance writer living near Toronto. She is a mother to two young children, one very disorderly feline, and wife to her very own hero.

  Victoria attended Queen’s University and graduated with a degree in English Literature. She then earned a degree in Interior Design. After the birth of her first child she began pursuing her life-long passion of writing.

  Her dream of being a published romance author was realized by Entangled in 2012. Victoria is living her dream—staying home with her children and conjuring up happy endings for her characters.

  Victoria would love to hear from her readers! Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter and receive a FREE novella by Victoria James! You can visit her at www.victoriajames.ca or Twitter @vicjames101 or send her an email at Victoria@victoriajames.ca.

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