Last Chance Rebel Read Free Page B

course, I haven’t had dinner.”
    â€œThis is dinner,” Cassie said, advancing on the pie.
    â€œI need a drink,” Lane said, going back behind the counter and rummaging until she produced the wine glasses that Rebecca kept back there for these occasions. “You, Rebecca?”
    â€œI’ll just make some coffee. I have to drive back home after this, and I don’t think I can stay long enough to wait for the buzz to wear off.”
    â€œRough day?” This question came from Alison.
    â€œJust tired.” She was a liar. A cagey liar.
    Her friends knew about her accident. She found that until she divulged the source of her scars it was just a weird eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room. But nobody knew who was responsible. In fact, she kept the details as private as possible.
    She kept it simple. She had been in a bad car accident when she was eleven, and it had left permanent scarring. The end.
    â€œAre you sure?” Cassie asked, busying herself starting to brew coffee.
    â€œYes,” she said, “I’m sure. Also, Cassie, you don’t need to make me coffee. That’s what you do all day.”
    â€œI’m well aware of what I do all day, Rebecca. But I don’t want to drink the swill that you call coffee. I’m a connoisseur. An artisan.”
    â€œI’m not going to argue,” Alison said. “Mostly because I just want you to make the coffee.”
    â€œWell, you spent all day making pie. So I suppose I’ll allow it,” Rebecca said.
    â€œNobody allows me to do anything,” Cassie said. “I’m independent and free. I do what I want.”
    â€œRight,” Lane said. “I imagine if Jake gave you some orders you might take them.”
    Cassie wiggled her eyebrows. “Depends on the orders.”
    Rebecca always felt a little bit uneasy when the conversation took this kind of turn. Lane and Alison were currently single, but Alison had been married before, and Rebecca couldn’t imagine Lane was as pathetic as she was. Rebecca had no experience with men. And it wasn’t something she ever felt like discussing.
    That meant a lot of smiling and nodding was required of her at moments like these.
    Right now, she was all out of smile and nod. She just felt depleted. Alison seemed to notice.
    â€œOkay, Rebecca. What’s really going on? You’re being supernaturally quiet.”
    â€œI’m contemplative,” Rebecca said.
    â€œNo. You really aren’t,” Lane said.
    She let out a long slow breath, using the opportunity to try and think of a very vague way to disclose what had happened today without giving too much away. “I just had kind of an unexpected brush with the past.”
    Lane snorted. “There’s small towns for you. Your past is basically your present because nobody ever leaves.”
    â€œThank God my past left town to keep Sheriff Garrett from breathing down his neck,” Alison said, referencing her hideous ex.
    â€œNot that kind of past.” Though Rebecca thought as soon as she spoke those words that she probably should have let the group think it was an ex.
    Alison arched a brow. “Intriguing.”
    â€œNo, it isn’t. I... I had an encounter with the man who caused my accident when I was a kid.” There, that wasn’t so bad. She’d said it.
    Then she began to reevaluate her “not so bad” assessment. Her three friends were looking at her with very wide eyes.
    â€œHe came into the store.”
    â€œYou actually know who caused your accident?” Alison asked.
    â€œYes,” she responded.
    All her friends knew was that she had been in a bad accident that had left scars. And of course, that was bad enough. But there was more to it. More that she had never really wanted to talk about with anyone else. And, now was no exception.
    â€œWhat did you do?” Lane asked.
    â€œI kicked his ass out,” Rebecca