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Once they were in position, he pulled her close and allowed himself this one final moment with her. As soon as the dance was over, he’d pull her outside and tell her how much he’d appreciated what she’d done for him.
Until then, she belonged to him, and he was going to cherish every moment of it.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Becca’s senseswere inundated with Ethan’s cologne. It mingled with the scent of his body wash and that of the outdoors around him. She loved every nuance, hating how much she knew she would miss it when she returned home.
If they weren’t being watched by Tina and a few of the other guests, she might have been tempted to pull away from him and run back to the house. There was a big problem with being so close to him. Her heart reacted in the same way a magnet did with its partner.
Every breath she took had to be measured and forcibly kept even. She couldn’t let him catch on to the fact that she was considering a move to Rocky Ridge permanently. This was a new revelation for her—that she might prefer Montana over Utah. She knew this was a crazy idea though.
She definitely couldn’t make a move like that. What kind of person just uprooted their life like that? It wasn’t a good idea no matter how she tried to spin it. And what if it was a true disaster? Then she’d be stuck in a small town where she’d see the man who’d only pretended to love her all the time.
Becca rested her cheek against his shoulder and her grip on him tightened. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend this was the ending of a good book. The characters in this story would end up together in their own little version of happily ever after.
Then she’d move on to the next story. That’s how this always worked in her world.
Couples swayed around them, and the music lifted her mood. Her imagination ran wild with various thoughts of a future between these two characters until it all came to a screeching halt.
They weren’t characters in a book. They were real people with real feelings and she was allowing her heart to take her hostage.
Becca pulled back abruptly and darted from his grasp, running until she made it to an area that wasn’t bathed in the glow of the lights. Her heart hammered and her breaths came out in sharp puffs. Her happily ever after wasn’t going to be with Ethan. They might be able to remain friends, but that was the extent of it.
“Hey.”
His quiet voice broke into her thoughts, and she gasped sharply as she turned around.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded, her emotions preventing her from speaking.
“You sure? You look really pale.”
Becca let out a soft laugh, surprised her voice didn’t crack. “I’m fine. It just got a bit claustrophobic in there. I needed some fresh air.”
He glanced over to the dance area that had no walls or a roof and turned back to her with a confused look. Becca flushed and took another step back. She didn’t know how to bring herself to say what needed to be said.
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, thankfully not coming closer. “I, um, I’m really grateful for what you did when you got here.”
She froze.
“Coming to my rescue like that. Then helping Katrina. You’re a good friend.”
Becca suddenly wished she’d grabbed a bottle of water as she escaped the dance floor. Her throat was as dry as the Sahara.
“I hope we can still be friends.”
There it was. The confirmation of what Ethan wanted. There was no future for the two of them. He was laying it all out right here, right now. All her assumptions had been correct.
So why did she feel so utterly helpless and broken? This was what she’d planned for. This was what she’d expected.
Becca nodded stiffly. “Of course.”
His impish grin tugged at her heart even more than it had before.
“I mean, I’m impressed you were willing to help Katrina, too. She doesn’t understand it now, but she will one day.” Becca’s gaze drifted to the dance floor but she couldn’t see Tina anywhere. “Maybe I could come up and visit sometime.”
Ethan nodded. “That’d nice.”
