Page 3 of Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage 3)

William leaned closer. “Instead of the carousel, why don’t we walk on the beach?”

Just what she didn’t need to do with William. Things could get ... romantic. More personal. More awkward. “It’ll be too dark for that.”

Disappointment surfaced in his gaze. Oh no. She’d hurt him.

Fortunately, it was their turn at the counter and William stepped forward. “What’ll you have?” He didn’t even look at her.

“Dr Pepper.”

Someone bumped into her.

“Hey!” a kid yelled.

She turned to see the boy in line behind her glowering at the man in the dark-green jacket who cut through another line and disappeared in the crowd.

Julian? She had to know.

“Hey!” she said, echoing the kid as she left the line and followed the guy’s path in hopes she would catch sight of him again weaving back and forth, dodging bodies left and right. She had to see for herself. Though finding Julian would prove that she hadn’t hallucinated earlier on the ride, she really hoped that she’d been seeing things.

The crowd thickened as she kept her focus on the back of his head twenty or so yards ahead. He glanced over his shoulder, then turned around to walk backward and look at her. To hold her gaze.

Julian Abel.

Also known to her as 4PP3R1710N.

Or rather, Apparition.

He had one of those boyish faces that never seemed to age.

She hadn’t imagined him, after all. He’d been watching her while she was on the ride. Her stomach dropped as if she were being tossed and turned all over again.

He couldn’t be here. And yet there he was, staring at her. Why was he here? He had that knowing look in his eyes, and it stopped her in her tracks. Right in front of a young boy who barreled forward, smashing sticky caramel-covered ice cream all over her rarely used date-night blouse. Okay, her brand-new blouse.

The boy was around six, and his eyes filled with tears. His mother crouched to console him. “It’s alright, sweetie. We’ll get another one.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Mackenzie hated that she’d made a child cry. She could have avoided this mishap, but she’d been too focused on finding Julian instead of watching where she was going.

The mother glared at her and dragged her son away.

William approached in a huff, somehow managing to hold two sodas and two bags of cotton candy in his large hands. She immediately relieved him of one of each item and took a few sips of the Dr Pepper while she searched the crowd for Julian.

His gaze froze on her caramelized shirt. “Mackenzie, what’s going on? Besides being covered in sticky syrup.” He lifted his dark eyes to her face. “You ... you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Julian had taken off. She’d seen a ghost, alright. A ghost that was very much living and breathing. And here, of all places. Here in Michigan at this carnival, and that look in his gaze left no doubt he’d deliberately tracked her down.

“Let’s get out of here.” Without waiting for agreement, she headed through the growing crowd toward the exit, wariness creeping into her bones. While she rushed forward, she scanned ahead, searching for the man who’d ruined her life. Correction. She’d ruined her own life. And that past had been sealed, so it was no longer in the public record.

It had essentially ceased to exist.

But Julian’s appearance tonight was a reminder that her mistakes were right behind her.

She felt like she was on the ride again. Couldn’t escape fast enough.

“Wait. Hold up.” William tossed his drink and cotton candy in the garbage and gripped her arm, stopping her. “Please, what’s going on?”

“Not here.” She ground out the words. And with them, she’d said too much.

She shrugged free, pitched her cotton candy and soda as well, then took off running. She had to get away from the carnival and the feeling that Julian was watching her. He was everywhere, watching her.