Read Online River's Return (River's End Series, #3) by Leanne Davis - Free Book Online
Authors: Leanne Davis
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he could almost feel her accelerated pulse. He was crowding her, and she didn’t like it; but she’d be damned before allowing him to see her discomfiture.
He finally smiled a crooked grin and said, “No, I don’t. So quit judging me.”
“If I did that, you’d stop coming over here. Did it ever occur to you, that my challenges to your status quo are what you want from me? Your ethics suck. You know it and you seem to like it. That’s what offends me so much. I’m not sure if it’s because you enjoy being so freaking ornery, or you feel the need to rebel against everything and everyone, or if it’s just to shock and outrage me.”
He blinked in surprise. She really never backed down from him. Even when he gave her his most lecherous stare and got right in her space. He could not intimidate her so he finally backed off. He could have sworn he saw her shoulders bend just a smidgeon as if in relief. And she might have been right. When was the last time anyone asked him to account for his actions? Jack used to, but even he gave up trying to make Shane into anything other than what Shane wanted to be. No one commented or questioned anything he did anymore. He had complete freedom. It was awesome. Who wouldn’t want to live his life? Even women gladly let him get away with the crap he did. He didn’t commit to them, or call, or even take them out on dates, and still, he had a full stable of tail that he could tap any moment he wanted it. Including Allison Gray’s neighbor. He tilted his head. “Challenge. I’m always up for any new challenge.”
He wondered if she’d catch his double meaning. She shook her head as a small smile crossed her big, pink lips. “Goodbye, Shane.”
He grinned and saluted as he turned to leave. “See ya, teacher.”
When he returned to Celia’s house, he noticed Allison still sat there on the deck. She was not staring at him, or watching him leave, but gazing out towards the river and ranch that filled the horizon. Something dark and contemplative occupied her mind. He was surprised when she so quickly dismissed him. She was kind of an enigma.
He shook his head and entered Celia’s kitchen, deciding it was time to go home. He gunned his bike, despite Celia’s pleas and pathetic bribes to make him stay longer. He had an overwhelming urge to get out of there. Too much clinging and neediness. He wasn’t into that from anybody, for any reason. Even sitting for his nephews, who needed him this past week, almost made him bolt south on the highway and never look back.
Was teacher right? Had he… grown bored with his predictable patterns? Sure, he planned to take off as soon as Jack and Erin returned, although that didn’t excite him too much. It seemed… almost like drudgery. Like the same old-same old. Sure, another bike trip with more adventure and no destination, no plan, and no timeline. Great. Right?
Why then wasn’t the open road calling to him? Home wasn’t calling either. He felt ambivalent about the ranch. It represented everything he could never be. It was a physical representation of all the disappointment he doled out to his old man. And later, to Jack, who took the place in his heart of his old man. Jack was more than an older brother, no doubt, but not quite his father. It confused him.
The questions that Allison posed about his life, his attitude, and ethics, (or lack thereof) kind of stuck in his head. Why did he ever start Rydell Rides, if not to build it up and make it a profitable business? Why couldn’t he just keep doing it as he had been? Now that she pointed it out to him, he saw how ridiculous it was; it didn’t totally make sense.
He shook his head. Nothing about his discussions with Allison ever made sense.
****
Allison stayed on her deck, automatically lifting the wine glass to her lips as she stared out towards the backside of Rydell River Ranch. She observed the boiling rapids of the river and felt awkward. She wanted to run inside, but
He finally smiled a crooked grin and said, “No, I don’t. So quit judging me.”
“If I did that, you’d stop coming over here. Did it ever occur to you, that my challenges to your status quo are what you want from me? Your ethics suck. You know it and you seem to like it. That’s what offends me so much. I’m not sure if it’s because you enjoy being so freaking ornery, or you feel the need to rebel against everything and everyone, or if it’s just to shock and outrage me.”
He blinked in surprise. She really never backed down from him. Even when he gave her his most lecherous stare and got right in her space. He could not intimidate her so he finally backed off. He could have sworn he saw her shoulders bend just a smidgeon as if in relief. And she might have been right. When was the last time anyone asked him to account for his actions? Jack used to, but even he gave up trying to make Shane into anything other than what Shane wanted to be. No one commented or questioned anything he did anymore. He had complete freedom. It was awesome. Who wouldn’t want to live his life? Even women gladly let him get away with the crap he did. He didn’t commit to them, or call, or even take them out on dates, and still, he had a full stable of tail that he could tap any moment he wanted it. Including Allison Gray’s neighbor. He tilted his head. “Challenge. I’m always up for any new challenge.”
He wondered if she’d catch his double meaning. She shook her head as a small smile crossed her big, pink lips. “Goodbye, Shane.”
He grinned and saluted as he turned to leave. “See ya, teacher.”
When he returned to Celia’s house, he noticed Allison still sat there on the deck. She was not staring at him, or watching him leave, but gazing out towards the river and ranch that filled the horizon. Something dark and contemplative occupied her mind. He was surprised when she so quickly dismissed him. She was kind of an enigma.
He shook his head and entered Celia’s kitchen, deciding it was time to go home. He gunned his bike, despite Celia’s pleas and pathetic bribes to make him stay longer. He had an overwhelming urge to get out of there. Too much clinging and neediness. He wasn’t into that from anybody, for any reason. Even sitting for his nephews, who needed him this past week, almost made him bolt south on the highway and never look back.
Was teacher right? Had he… grown bored with his predictable patterns? Sure, he planned to take off as soon as Jack and Erin returned, although that didn’t excite him too much. It seemed… almost like drudgery. Like the same old-same old. Sure, another bike trip with more adventure and no destination, no plan, and no timeline. Great. Right?
Why then wasn’t the open road calling to him? Home wasn’t calling either. He felt ambivalent about the ranch. It represented everything he could never be. It was a physical representation of all the disappointment he doled out to his old man. And later, to Jack, who took the place in his heart of his old man. Jack was more than an older brother, no doubt, but not quite his father. It confused him.
The questions that Allison posed about his life, his attitude, and ethics, (or lack thereof) kind of stuck in his head. Why did he ever start Rydell Rides, if not to build it up and make it a profitable business? Why couldn’t he just keep doing it as he had been? Now that she pointed it out to him, he saw how ridiculous it was; it didn’t totally make sense.
He shook his head. Nothing about his discussions with Allison ever made sense.
****
Allison stayed on her deck, automatically lifting the wine glass to her lips as she stared out towards the backside of Rydell River Ranch. She observed the boiling rapids of the river and felt awkward. She wanted to run inside, but
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