Page 32 of A Montana Secret Admirer (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #4)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Reese heard his phone chime, and he darted across the small apartment to snatch it from the kitchen table. Disappointment crashed into him when he read his brother’s name. It had been a week. One week and nothing.

Classes had started the other day, and he was now settled into his place. He had a roommate who was rarely home. And while he was enjoying the change of scenery and staying busy with an exorbitant amount of coursework, it was moments like this one when he couldn’t stop thinking about Serenity.

The certification he was earning from this training was usually spread out over the course of two years. It was the equivalent of an associate’s degree, but it had been crammed into half the time for people like him.

His days were so filled to the brim with classes, labs, and hands-on training that by the time he got home in the evenings, he was beat.

Reese opened the message from his brother.

Leo : Kat shows up Monday. Kill me now.

Reese smirked. They’d thought that Kat would show up during the summer, but there were other issues that came up. Plans had changed, and she’d be hanging around for the next couple of months now that they’d broken ground.

It was still a little strange that she needed to be present at all. Why would a city girl need to appreciate the work that went into training horses for a charity like Jane’s?

He shook his head and typed out a response.

Reese : Why would I do that when torturing you is so much fun?

He tossed his phone on the table and headed for the microwave where he’d put his frozen dinner to cook.

It dinged when the timer was up, and he pulled it out gingerly.

After the first day of eating the bland food that came prepackaged, Reese knew he was going to have to learn how to cook something worthwhile. Otherwise, he might starve.

His nose wrinkled as he lifted the plastic container closer and sniffed at the meatloaf concoction. Yep, he definitely wasn’t going to continue eating this stuff if he had anything to say about it.

The phone remained silent, and he shot a glance toward it again.

It had taken a lot of effort to keep himself from sending Serenity a message.

He’d almost called her half a dozen times, too.

He’d wanted to ask her if she’d gotten the letter.

Leo had said she had, but just because it was taken from the porch didn’t mean she’d read it.

He needed to know if she loved him like he loved her.

But he’d resigned himself to giving her space. If there was one thing he’d learned about her, it was that she needed to come to terms with things on her own. She couldn’t be pushed.

He sighed as he pushed the plastic container away from him on the counter and turned to the cupboard that held his cereal. That would be better than the meal he’d just cooked.

The phone buzzed again as Reese was returning the milk to the fridge, and he glanced over his shoulder at it.

Besides losing out on spending time with Serenity, Reese was going to miss Leo—not only for his company, but to witness the destruction that would follow when he and Kat butted heads this winter.

Just the thought brought another smile to his face. Leo was as hard-headed as they came. He didn’t trust easy. And when anyone pushed, he pushed back even harder.

Kat seemed to have a similar disposition.

He chuckled to himself as he swiped the phone from the counter and headed for the kitchen table and chairs. Pulling out his seat, he placed his bowl of cereal on the table then sat down. When he swiped open his phone, his heart stuttered.

Leo hadn’t been the one to message him.

Serenity’s name populated the screen.

His hands shook as he stared at the name he’d longed to see for several days now.

The preview of the text was minimal. A simple hey sat by itself at the top followed by space below.

There would be more beneath that second line, and he wasn’t certain he was ready to tap the message to find out what she had to say.

He seemed to recall there was some sort of science-y explanation for what he was currently experiencing.

Right now, two possibilities existed. Serenity had messaged him.

And in that message, she could be telling him that she was no longer interested, but she could also be telling him that she was in love with him, too.

Reese dropped the phone to the table, not willing to risk his own reality. He’d poured his heart into the letter he’d written her. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to the truths he hadn’t been brave enough to say to her face—though she hadn’t exactly given him a chance to speak them out loud.

The phone stared right back at him like a python ready to strike. Hadn’t he wanted this? To hear from her?

He blew out a breath and reached for the phone again before swiping open the message.

Serenity : Hey.

I got your letter.

Reese couldn’t move. That was it? Nothing? Where was the reaction? She needed to tell him how she felt about it before he knew what to do next. His hands raked through his hair as he pushed himself to standing. The more his thoughts spiraled, the faster his steps became as he paced the kitchen.

There was zero indication about whether or not she’d liked the letter. What did she want? Should he call her?

No. Everyone knew not to call when someone sent a message.

And yet, he didn’t think he’d be able to keep his words to a minimum in a text.

Swallowing hard, he stopped and typed out the one thing he could think of that wouldn’t make him sound like a love-sick lunatic.

Even though that was exactly what he was.

Reese : Leo followed through, then.

He stared at the phone, waiting for the three dots to pop up, indicating she was writing him back. When they appeared, he blew out another breath, this one out of pure, utter relief.

Serenity : Yeah. He did.

Reese frowned. Why did this conversation feel like pulling teeth? Why did he suddenly feel like he was a teenage boy, talking to his crush for the first time?

Because in a way, that was exactly what he was.

He resumed his pacing, chewing on his lip as he attempted to come up with something witty to say.

It was later here than it was in Rocky Ridge.

He’d be heading to bed soon enough, so a conversation on the phone would likely be out of the question, as much as he wanted to hear her voice.

He’d have to keep the conversation short.

Before he could come up with something else to say, she sent another message.

Serenity : Sorry I didn’t reach out sooner. I misplaced my phone in the move.

A searing, beautiful warmth flooded his entire being. She hadn’t been avoiding him. Or if she had, she didn’t want him to know. Either way, the relief at knowing that she’d intended on speaking to him was immense. His lips quirked upward as his response came easier.

Reese : You sure you weren’t just waiting for another flower and handwritten note?

Serenity : I suppose you’re not wrong. I’ve missed having fresh lotus flowers delivered to me.

He considered coming up with a plan to get her flowers, but then he squashed that idea.

Just because Serenity had reached out didn’t mean she wanted anything more than a friendship.

She’d been insistent that long distance relationships didn’t work.

But she hadn’t experienced how it could be with him.

Reese stared at her message, not wanting to end the conversation, but also not wanting to push her into anything. She’d opened the door, and he was bound and determined to walk through it. Without overthinking it too much, he sent out a final message.

Reese : Can I call you tomorrow?

The next several minutes lasted for an eternity. He nearly thought he’d blown the whole thing until the device in his hand buzzed, and he saw her message on the screen.

Serenity : I’d like that.

It was a surprise that the grin that spread across his face didn’t do muscle damage.

This was all he wanted—a chance to win her over, to keep her close, and make her realize that his love was worth having.

He didn’t care if they had to wait for a year or five years.

He wasn’t going anywhere. He’d love her enough for both of them until she was ready to open her heart and love him back.