Page 3 of A Montana Secret Admirer (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #4)

CHAPTER TWO

Serenity watched as Caleb, Mack, and Noah carried in the suitcases she’d brought with her and leaned against the wall of what was Caleb’s old room. “You guys really didn’t have to?—”

“It’s fine, sis. They wanted to help,” Noah smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes. “The ink isn’t even dry on that marriage license, Noah. You’re hardly my brother.”

Mack chuckled. “Just let him have this. He’s been dying to tell me, ‘I told you so’ after he won your sister over.

” He squeezed her upper arm as he moved past her to get the boxes they’d left in the truck.

Her sons were going to be at Sagebrush all summer, and she might have gone overboard on the number of toys they would need.

Caleb didn’t say much, but she’d not interacted with him much when they were younger. Mack had been Jane’s friend first. And Noah had been the crush. Serenity offered him a grateful smile as she watched him leave the room, too. Then she stepped closer to Noah, blocking his way out of the room.

“Are you sure this is going to be okay? Your parents?—”

“My parents are thrilled that you agreed to stay. Your kids might not be their grandchildren, but they’ll treat them as if they were.

” There was a concern in Noah’s gaze that Serenity had gotten used to seeing.

Everyone around her still treated her with kid gloves.

It was like they expected her to break down at any given second.

Finn had been gone for eight months. She might not be ready to try dating again, but she was coping better than she had been a few months ago. She wrapped her arms around herself and nodded, her nerves still fried.

Everyone had practically pushed her to accept Noah and Jane’s offer to stay at the ranch for the summer. She couldn’t tell if they were all that worried or if they simply wanted her to get over losing him.

What they didn’t understand was that she would never get over Finn. He had been the boy who’d first stolen her heart. He’d turned into the man who had given her a family. He’d been her everything.

The other men in her life—both single and taken—had steered clear of her.

Well, except for Reese.

Her cheeks warmed at the mere thought of the man who had openly flirted with her at Jane’s wedding. She hadn’t had the guts to ask Jane about Reese as much as she wanted to. She’d been curious about him, to say the least.

If she were completely honest, he’d been the first man to make her laugh like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Of course, reality came crashing back into her the second he asked her out on a date. She had been honest with him, which was all she could offer. Her heart wasn’t in the best place, and she had so much to think about.

She’d been living off Finn’s life insurance policy, but the funds in her account were starting to dip into a dangerous place. She needed to find a job. On top of those concerns, she had her two boys to worry about.

Tegan and Jessi still had bad days; days when they cried themselves to sleep because they missed their father so much. Finn had left a huge hole in their lives, and she simply didn’t think it would be wise to consider bringing in another man for them to cling to if it wasn’t going to work out.

There were no sure things in life, a truth that losing Finn had taught her the harsh reality of.

It was fine. She was a survivor. Serenity might not be happy like she’d once been, but she could look at what still remained of her shattered life and be grateful.

Her boys were alive and well. Both of her parents were still alive. And she’d be able to survive the summer before needing to get a job.

“You okay?”

Serenity jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice. Jane had her shoulder leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded. That same concern Serenity had seen in Noah’s eyes was ever present in Jane’s, too.

“Yeah,” Serenity sighed. “I just don’t… want to put anyone out. Tana seems so nice, but she’s your mother-in-law, not mine.”

Jane scoffed. “You know Tana. This whole thing was probably her idea to begin with, and she just incepted it into our heads.”

Serenity released a half-hearted chuckle. “She’s such a nice lady.”

Jane pushed away from the door and pulled Serenity into a hug. “I’m glad you’re here. This place? It’s going to be so good for you. The boys, too. There’s just something about being out in the middle of nowhere that makes you take stock of what you have and?—”

“I’m fine, Jane.” At her sister’s furrowed brows, Serenity sighed. “I don’t want you to think I’m some child who needs looking after. I’m doing okay. I might not be thriving, but I can appreciate the good in my life.”

Jane pursed her lips. “I know. We just… I want to see that light in your eyes again.”

The guilt Serenity felt over her sister’s words had a nasty habit of poisoning her stomach. She hated feeling like she was a burden, whether because of her own failures or because people were worried about her.

“Does that mean you’ll come out and see the sunrise with me on Saturdays like you?—”

“No,” Serenity cut her off.

Jane frowned. The question she didn’t want to voice was written clearly in her eyes.

Serenity folded her arms. “That was our thing. Finn and me. I’m not ready to watch the sunrise without him, Jane. Sorry.”

Jane nodded. The hurt was present in her eyes.

When they were younger, after Serenity had started dating Finn, the three of them would watch the sunrise together occasionally.

Serenity hadn’t known if Jane had continued with the habit after she’d moved away.

Apparently so, if she was asking Serenity to join her.

“Maybe toward the end of the summer?” Serenity asked.

Her sister nodded again. “I’ll look forward to it.” She hesitated before leaving the room. “You need anything?”

Serenity shook her head. “The boys are already drooling over the bunk beds that Will dragged out of storage. Dad’s not going to be happy to hear he’s at risk of being replaced as the best grandpa ever.”

At that, Jane laughed. “Let’s just not tell him.

” She left, and Serenity moved to the window.

The neighbors were some of Noah’s cousins.

Serenity had heard all about how the ranch had become a family compound of sorts.

There were five families living on the property.

Two of those families had married off all their children.

She looked at the simple ranch-style home out her window, and her thoughts drifted back to the wedding.

Did Reese live in that house? Or was he in one of the others that surrounded the little circular road leading to these residences? It didn’t matter. She wasn’t interested in dating him.

Nope.

Reese was off limits, just like everyone else.

“This lasagna is delicious,” Serenity insisted.

Tana gushed with pride. “Thank you, dear. It’s been a while since I’ve had to feed little ones, though.” Her eyes drifted to the boys. Jessi had a face covered in sauce that nearly reached his hair. Tegan seemed less than thrilled about the meal and had only picked at it.

“Something less messy next time?”

Serenity gave Tegan a look that told him to be grateful and eat some more. He’d been moodier lately. Out of her two boys, the seven-year-old wasn’t nearly as thrilled about leaving his friends for the summer.

Tegan frowned but picked up his fork anyway and took another bite.

“Whatever you like to fix will always be appreciated,” Serenity insisted. “Don’t go out of your way for us.”

“Oh, nonsense. You’re just as much part of our family as Jane. We are thrilled to have you here.”

Jane caught Serenity’s attention then mouthed the words, ‘I told you so.’ If Serenity hadn’t been concerned about offending her hosts, she might have stuck her tongue out at her sister for good measure.

“What are your plans this summer?” Noah asked, drawing Serenity’s attention.

Serenity glanced at her two boys. “We’re not sure,” she hedged. “I’d like to spend a lot of time outside.”

Tegan groaned, drawing a smile from the men in the room.

“Come on, kid. It’s not so bad being outside. There are loads of animals and trails to discover.”

Her seven-year-old rolled his eyes. He’d been forced to grow up so much over the last year, and one thing she’d noticed was his disinterest in the simple things. She frowned as she watched him. Then she turned to Noah. “What would you suggest to keep them busy?”

Noah glanced at Jane briefly and shrugged. “You could start them on riding lessons. It’s never too early to start. I sorta wish I got to start earlier than I did.”

Jane nodded. “There are some really good riders here. I’m sure we could find one who would be good to work with.”

“When Reese was a scout, he did some work in the community. Pretty sure he helped out at local ranches.”

Serenity’s attention piqued at the mention of Reese’s name. It took a great deal of effort to act nonchalant. “Oh? Do you think he could get me any references?”

Jane snickered. “At this point, the fact that he’d likely do it for free and he’s available should be enough. Noah can vouch for him.”

Serenity took a sip of her water if only to block them from seeing the smile that tugged at her lips. She wouldn’t hate spending additional time with the man.

“Riding?” Tegan straightened. “Like a real cowboy?”

Noah nodded. “Like a real cowboy. I could even teach you a little bit about how to use a lasso, if you’d like.”

There was a flicker of interest in that offering, and Serenity mouthed the words, ‘thank you’ to her new brother-in-law.

He gave her a smile and got back to eating his meal.

Later that evening, after she’d gotten the boys tucked into bed, Serenity headed outside. The sun set at the front of the property. Framed by trees, hills, and mountains cast in shadow, the sky was lit with purple, pink, orange, and a sunburst of yellow. There were no clouds to speak of.

Critters shuffled in bushes around the premises, and bugs could be heard singing their lullabies. Taking a seat on the steps, Serenity leaned over, folding her arms around her knees as she stared up at the magic before her.

Emotionally, she couldn’t handle watching the sunrise. That was something she’d shared with Finn, and it still hurt too much to witness one without him by her side. But at night, when everything got quiet and she could finally breathe, she enjoyed watching the day say goodnight.

“I miss you,” she whispered into the air. “The boys miss you.” A single tear tracked down her cheek, dragging until it dripped off her chin. She brushed at it with the back of her hand.

Boots crunching against gravel were all it took to shake her from her thoughts, and she jumped. The boots stopped, and a figure emerged from the side of the house—from the structure she’d been looking at through her window earlier.

A lopsided grin flooded Reese’s face, and recognition sparked in his eyes. “It’s you.”

Thankful it was getting a little too dark for anyone to see evidence of her tears, Serenity offered him a smile right back. “It’s me.”

He didn’t wait for an invitation. Instead, he closed the distance between them and took a seat beside her on the steps. His attention remained on the sunset before them for several minutes, which offered her the chance to observe him out of the corner of her eye.

Boy, did he fill out jeans and a t-shirt well. Reese looked good in a suit, but there was something about seeing just how strong a guy like him was. He rested his forearms on his knees and sighed. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Serenity nodded. “It really is.”

“You get here today?” He continued to watch her.

Another nod.

“I hope you’re settling in well.”

“Thank you. I am.” She bit back a smile. Their back and forth during Jane’s wedding was so different from the way he was acting with her right now. Was it because she told him she only needed friendship? Probably.

She hadn’t regretted saying as much. But now that she was here, she couldn’t help wondering if she’d jumped the gun.

Nope. She wasn’t going there.

Friends. That was all she needed.

Serenity cleared her throat. “Noah said something about you being good with kids.”

He chuckled. “I don’t know what he bases that opinion on…”

“Something about helping out with kids on ranches when you were in the scouting program.”

This time, he eyed her with an arch of his brow. “Huh. I can’t believe he remembered that.”

She smiled. “It’s nice to know that there are still male role models for kids these days.”

The way he was watching her—it unnerved her more than she wanted to admit.

She squirmed in her seat, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

“Anyway, the reason I wanted to bring it up is…” She blew out a breath.

“My boys need something to do this summer, and Noah thought you might be willing to give them riding lessons.” There.

She’d said it. She’d asked the man who had flirted mercilessly with her at Jane’s wedding if he’d help her with her children.

Why was she so nervous? If he said no, there were plenty of other options.

“If you don’t want to?—”

“I’d love to.”

She exhaled with a laugh. “What? Really?”

“I love kids.”

That confession gave her a surge of warmth. She didn’t know what it was about this guy that made her feel so at ease. “Well, good. Because Tegan can be… a bit much.”

“Is Tegan the little guy? Or your wedding date?”

She released a laugh. “I totally forgot about that.” Then she relaxed her shoulders a little. “He’s seven. He’s… been struggling lately.”

Reese nodded thoughtfully. “Well, getting out into nature might do him some good.”

“That’s what we were thinking.”

They sat there for a little while longer, and she wasn’t sure what else she should say. Stars were starting to dot the sky, and she was exhausted.

“Well, thank you—for being willing to help my boys. I’ll come by tomorrow, and we can set something up around your schedule.”

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but when she waited expectantly, all he did was nod. “Goodnight, Serenity.”

“Goodnight, Reese.”