God, she wanted to disappear.
“They’re heading over.” Amber’s frowned deepened. “Damn, Kelsey, I think he’s with someone. I’m so sorry.”
And that just made the moment all the more fantastic. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself then turned with a bright, forced smile.
The first thing she saw was Mac walking beside a guy she’d never seen before. The ease between the two said they’d known each other for a while. Lance was lagging behind, and sure enough, there was a stunning, auburn-haired woman all but bouncing beside him—all smiles, energy, and chatter.
The complete opposite of Ella. If that didn’t say a lot…
“Hey guys,” Mac said as he stopped in front of them. “Enjoying yourselves?”
“Yeah, getting ready to ride some rides. Aren’t we, Kelsey?”
She didn’t want to be a part of this conversation. All she was aware of was the woman Lance was with, and how damn riveted he seemed to be by what she was saying. He hadn’t glanced at Ella once. If anything, he seemed to be pointedly ignoring her. Guess she couldn’t blame him. This was a seriously awkward moment.
“Yeah.” Mac nodded. “We’re about to hit the Ferris wheel ourselves. You guys want to join us?”
The idea of being trapped on a Ferris wheel with Amber while Lance was sharing a bucket with that woman didn’t hold one ounce of appeal.
“Sure,” Amber said, with way more excitement than was warranted.
A sharp poke stabbed Ella in the small of the back. Annoyed, she shot a glare at her friend, which didn’t seem to faze Amber at all. She simply tilted her head to the guy standing beside Mac with a classic “what are you waiting for” expression.
Flirt with a strange man? Should she? Hell, could she? She flicked a glance back at Lance, who was still ignoring her, completely engrossed with that other woman. His behavior hurt like hell, but it was sending a clear message. At least Amber’s method would save her a little face.
“And who’s your friend?” Ella forced herself to ask. It wasn’t that the guy was unattractive. With a red baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes, a stocky build, and relaxed posture, he was actually quite attractive. He just wasn’t Lance.
“Ah. Sorry,” Mac said. “This is Rick.”
“It’s really nice to meet you.”
Amber huffed behind her then inserted herself between Ella and Rick. “Why don’t you and Kelsey ride together on the Ferris wheel?”
The comment instantly brought Lance’s head snapping up. Flutters attacked her stomach at his reaction, not to mention the fierce scowl now on his face.
“Umm,” the guy hedged, clearly uncomfortable with Amber’s matchmaking. “Yeah. Sure.”
Lance stepped forward, but the woman grabbed him by the arm, still chattering a mile a minute, and he returned his attention to her, albeit reluctantly. So, he didn’t like the idea of Ella being with another man, but not enough to dismiss the woman he was with. Ella turned her full attention onto Rick.
“Shall we then?” he asked, as he gestured for her to walk ahead of him. Nodding, she turned and started toward the ride a few feet away.
“So…what do you do, Rick?” she asked when he fell into step beside her.
“I’m Gayle’s chasing partner, and in the off season I paint.”
“Gayle?”
He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Blabbermouth back there with Lance. She hasn’t stopped talking since we got here.”
Now that she knew her name, Ella had to force herself not to turn around and assess the woman again. Even from a distance the woman radiated life. As much as she hated admitting it, she could understand the appeal. Who wouldn’t rather be with someone fun over someone who constantly barricaded herself behind walls?
“What do you mean by chasing partner?”
“Storm chasing.”
“Wow.” She didn’t have to feign being impressed. “I’ve watched some documentaries. The weather you go through is no joke.”
Color crept into his face as they stopped to stand in line. “It’s no big deal.”
“Modest. I like that.”
A hard body pressed into her back, and she glanced behind her. Lance was pretty much standing on top of her, that glower firmly directed at her. A little thrill shot through her, but it diminished as she registered the faded bruises lingering on his face—a reminder that the last time she’d seen him he’d just had three hellish fights.
“I enjoy it. It helps with my paintings,” Rick said, snagging her attention again.
“What kind of paintings?”
“Weather scenes.”
“That’s really cool.” Even she could hear the awe in her voice.