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No! That was impossible. She’d specifically kept that part of her past a secret. Besides, they were together only for outward appearances.
“You’re really good on your feet,” she whispered.
“So are you.”
She looked away but couldn’t keep her gaze averted for long. “How are things coming with getting your family up here?”
Ethan practically oozed charm. His crooked smile grew even more. “I think I found a lot I want to build on.”
“Really? That’s great. What does your family think?”
“I haven’t shown them yet, but I think they’ve finally decided they’re going to come up for the wedding. I’ll show them if they come.”
“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”
Before he could say anything else, the music stopped and a member of the band announced that everyone was going to participate in an old-fashioned square dance. He directed the crowd to line up with their partners.
As Ethan grabbed her hand once again and dragged her to the center of the dance floor, Becca allowed herself to finally let go, her laughter bubbling from her lips.
CHAPTER TEN
Ethan couldn’t takehis eyes off her even if he tried. Becca had arrived in a pretty yellow sundress that came just above her knees, making her brown hair look as if it was streaked with gold. She wore a pair of cowboy boots that were probably Katrina’s, and it pulled the whole outfit together.
He guided her to a spot in front of him and backed away as the new song started playing. Becca looked completely lost, but she laughed at every misstep until she finally found her footing. They danced in circles, turning to take another partner then returning to one another.
It was a dance he’d learned as a teen when he’d come up to Rocky Ridge to visit his cousins. Simple enough for newcomers to learn, and even more fun when he could do it with someone as beautiful as Becca.
The only unfortunate part of the whole dance was how frequently his partner change ended up being Tina. He didn’t know how she managed it, but at every turn, there she was.
She smirked every time, as if she’d planned this all along. “Hey, stud.” Her pet name for him made his cheeks burn. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, but we haven’t had a chance to talk alone since I got here.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” Ethan muttered, shifting his gaze to follow Becca as Tina’s partner whisked her away.
“Oh, come on. Just because I didn’t tell you that I was engaged? Are you really that upset?”
Ethan stopped in the middle of the dance floor and glowered at her. “You can’t be serious. Of course I’m upset. You led me on. And on top of that you clearly don’t take commitments seriously.”
She let out a light, flirtatious laugh and reached for his hand to pull him back into the fray, but he jerked away from her and stepped back.
“Don’t touch me. I’m not dancing with you.” He stormed off in search of Becca. Just one smile from her would be enough to wash away the dirt he felt covering him by simply being near Tina.
When he caught sight of her, he pulled her away from Tina’s partner. The guy had likely agreed to sabotage their dance for reasons Ethan couldn’t be sure of. He refused to dwell on all of it and spun Becca into a dip that had several people nearby suddenly watching them.
She flitted around him like a dancing bird. The woman was light on her feet, and it didn’t take much for her to steal the focus from everyone around them.
Closer and closer they became as they danced faster and faster until they collided with one another. She was a breath away from him, mere inches from his face. They both breathed heavily, the exertion of the dance stealing all their energy.
Their eyes locked, her gaze asking questions he didn’t have the answers to. She blinked and that was when he realized that the music had stopped. Not only that, he couldn’t recall how long ago the room had fallen silent.
Ethan glanced around the room, an embarrassed smile tugging at his lips as those who surrounded them burst into applause. His gaze returned to Becca, and he took her hand in his before allowing her to take a bow.
“You’d think these two were the ones getting married. Don’t they know they’re not supposed to steal the spotlight? It’s not their special day,” Tina muttered to a guest standing beside her.
Ethan made eye contact with her, unsurprised that she didn’t seem the least bit put out by her judgmental comment. Of course not. This was Tina—a woman he was quickly discovering had no interest in any one else’s well-being.
Oh well.
Even her snide comment couldn’t destroy the moment he’d shared with Becca at his side. The way her glances continued to dart in his direction made him feel like she had experienced the same thing, which gave him hope.
