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

CHAPTER THREE

“That’s it, Tegan! Don’t squeeze your legs too tight. Easy! She’s a real, live animal, not a bike.”

Behind him, he heard Serenity snort.

Reese shot her a glance over his shoulder, noting just how carefree she looked in this moment. Today was the first day he’d gotten Tegan on a horse. The boy was quiet. He didn’t speak much. But his moodiness was warranted. The kid didn’t want to be here, that much was certain.

It hadn’t been hard to lose track of how many times the seven-year-old had mentioned that fact. Surprisingly, he hadn’t complained about learning how to ride, though. He might not like being away from a bustling city or his friends, but he was definitely interested in the horse he was riding.

Then Reese saw it.

It was a flicker, one that Serenity wouldn’t have been able to catch—a hint of a smile.

They were riding around in circles within the corral nearest the barn so the kids didn’t get any crazy ideas and let the horses take off down a trail. There were other dangers out there that Reese wanted no part of. Critters and ravines, to name a few.

Jessi stood beside his mother, holding her hand with wide, curious eyes. They remained fixed on the horse. He hadn’t been ready to get in the saddle today, but Reese had a feeling he’d be up for the challenge the next time they headed out to the corral.

“Look, Mom! I’m doing it!” Tegan called out to Serenity.

If Reese wasn’t mistaken, it appeared that she was about to get teary-eyed over the whole thing. She might not have seen the smile on the kid’s face, but she could hear it in his voice. Even Reese could hear it.

“You’re a natural, kid. Keep going.” Reese trudged around the corral’s perimeter, heading for Serenity. He kept his eyes trained on Tegan just in case the kid got into some trouble and needed rescuing. By the looks of it, he wouldn’t need any such thing.

Up until this point, he’d had a few discussions with the boys about how to treat the horses with respect. There were rules that needed to be followed not just for their safety, but to keep the horses at ease as well.

Reese wasn’t sure how much was landing with Jessi. The kid was only three, but he had the enthusiasm of a boy much older. Only time would tell how much sank in.

Tegan, on the other hand? It was clear that boy was made for this life. He might not be thrilled with some of the more mundane stuff when it came to living on a ranch, but man, did he take to being in the saddle.

Reese sidled up beside Serenity. She shot him an appreciative glance before gluing her focus to her son once more. Tension sizzled in the air between them.

Or it might just be Reese imagining things.

Conversation wasn’t coming as easy right now for some reason. Maybe it was the look in her eyes as she watched her son try out this new experience that put a small wedge between them. Someone was missing—a father figure who should be cheering the kid on from the sidelines, too.

Pain.

That was it.

Longing, too.

It had been less than a year and that didn’t seem like nearly long enough for someone to get over the loss of losing the love of one’s life.

And yet, it seemed like it should be.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and willed those thoughts to cease. He’d already told himself he wouldn’t push her into anything. If something were to start between them, he’d want it to be organic, easy.

Reese snagged her focus for another moment, and the small smile she offered him was like a grain of sunlight. He’d asked himself if he would be content this summer just being her friend and showing her the support she probably desperately needed.

The answer had been yes.

But he was quickly realizing that had been a dumb thing to tell himself. It took all of twenty minutes in her presence for him to want nothing more than to ask her out again. Over and over in his head, he came up with ways to convince her that they could be good together.

But Serenity? She wasn’t ready for that. He could see it plain as day. He understood where she was, though, as much as he wished it wasn’t so.

“Mister Reese?”

He startled and glanced down at the boy with the most cherubic face he’d ever seen. The kid had his mother’s blue eyes, but his dark, wavy hair must have come from his father. Long lashes framed those angelic eyes, full of wonder and curiosity.

“Yeah, kid?” Reese glanced once more at Tegan to ensure everything was still going well before turning his full attention to his younger brother.

“Can I have a turn?”

Before he could respond, Serenity’s hand visibly tightened around Jessi’s, and she murmured, “I’m not sure you’re quite ready for that yet, sweetheart.”

Reese shifted his attention to Serenity. There was an older horse they used for situations just like this. His cousins who owned the ranch had children who were in the saddle from the moment they could walk.

The disappointment in the kid’s eyes made Reese want to mention Tabitha to Serenity right here in this moment, but he thought better of it. The last thing she needed right now was for him to contradict her parenting.

He pulled at his jeans as he crouched down in front of the boy.

“You know, moms are really smart. They see things we can’t sometimes.

Today, she wants you to watch. But how about when we get back to the barn, you try out one of the saddles and tell me what you think?

Then we can see if there’s a horse that would be a good fit for you for next time. ”

The disappointment still came off the boy in waves, but he didn’t throw a fit as anticipated.

He nodded and turned his interest back to his brother.

Reese glanced up at Serenity, finding her staring at him in a way that set his skin on fire.

He couldn’t explain what it was about the way she appraised him that had him more antsy than ever.

Perhaps it was the intensity of her eyes.

Thank you , she mouthed.

He rose and gave her a short nod.

Serenity might not be ready for someone to be openly romantic with her, asking her out, and showering her with affection. But she still needed to feel supported and loved.

And he knew the exact way he could provide both of those things without making her feel caged in. The first bit was already in development with the way he’d befriended her.

And the second?

She’d see that the world had so much more to offer her if she’d just open up her heart to someone new. Reese would never dream of erasing what she’d had. He simply wanted her to love him, too.

Was that crazy?

Probably. But there were crazier things than falling head over heels for someone he barely knew.

Later that night, after darkness had fallen, Reese slipped toward his cousin’s home. Out of his three cousins, only Noah still lived here, and only until his home could be completed. Serenity and her sons took up the space left behind by Caleb and Mack.

No light shone through the windows. Everyone would likely be asleep. He’d seen Serenity watching the sunset a few hours ago, but now she was nowhere to be seen.

He padded toward the front porch with the single yellow flower in hand and a white scrap of cardstock with a single word on it.

Serenity .

Stupid.

So stupid.

Reese couldn’t shake the nerves he felt.

He couldn’t sleep at all last night. His thoughts whirred with every possible outcome that might come from his brash decision.

There were plenty of men—single men—who lived at Sagebrush.

Most were family. Some were hired help. And any one of them could be blamed for the flower that had been left on that doorstep.

Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d left it for her too soon.

Dang it all! What if she got that flower, and it made her shut down completely? What had he been thinking?

Tossing and turning all night long over his poor decision making, he’d finally chosen to get up early and just see what the new day would bring. He’d promised Jessi that they’d attempt to ride a horse today, and that meant he’d be seeing Serenity.

And he was downright nervous.

“You look… off,” Leo mused from his place at the kitchen table.

Reese gave his brother a dirty look. “Yeah, well, you don’t look much better.”

Leo ran a hand through his mussed hair. “Yeah, well, I have an excuse.”

“What? You stay up late with another girl?”

The annoyed look he shot Reese’s way made it clear he didn’t appreciate the jab.

Much like himself, Leo preferred to find someone to be serious with.

Neither one of them had any fears of commitment.

The problem was finding said girl to feel the same way, and Leo hadn’t ventured out to do that since Noah’s wedding last month.

“No,” he muttered. “I had a meeting with Bo, Noah, and Jane yesterday. Seeing as I’m not much of a necessary cog in the day to day of stuff around here, they wanted to know if I was interested in being a liaison for Jane’s pet project.

Stayed up late going over the papers they wanted me to read up on. ”

Reese pulled a coffee mug from the cabinet. “Her pet project?” He snapped his fingers. “Are you talking about that therapy thing she wants to do? Is that starting?”

“Yeah,” Leo grunted. “And apparently, before they break ground, the CEO wants to take a tour.”

“I thought Noah was CEO.”

“The CEO of the company who agreed to pay for the cost of building the facilities. They partnered with Jane on the project. And since it’s gonna be on Sagebrush property, Bo wants someone on our side to handle the day-to-day. I dunno. It sounds like a lot of work with no reward.”

Reese arched a brow. “You realize that this sort of thing is going to change the area for the better, right? Equine therapy is known to help more than just veterans with PTSD. It helps?—”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. But this is Jane’s project.

Why do they need one of us to help out? Sounds more like they need a babysitter.

And I’m not interested in babysitting some hotshot from New York.

I bet you anything they’re just going to come out here in their fancy suit and turn up their nose at everything that makes this place great. ”

“When do they arrive?”

Leo shrugged. “Beats me. Sometime this summer.”

“How long do you think they’ll stay?”

“If they know what’s good for them, they’ll take one look at this place and decide it will suit them better to stay behind a desk and delegate to the people who know what they’re doing.” Leo nodded toward Reese as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “You wanna top me off?”

Reese obliged.

“So why do you look like you didn’t get any sleep?” Leo lifted his mug to his lips.

“Couldn’t get comfortable,” Reese lied. There was no way he was going to tell his brother the truth about what he was planning, nor what he’d done.

Leo wouldn’t understand. He’d probably tell Reese to cut his losses.

They were men who weren’t built for the world today.

They wanted to find a love like the one their parents had possessed.

If Leo noticed Reese’s lie, he didn’t say anything about it.

Reese glanced at his brother briefly then shifted to stare out the window. “Do you think Dad would have liked moving here?”

Leo grunted. “What’s not to like? We grew up on the other side of town. Just because we were close already doesn’t mean Dad would have turned Uncle Eli down.”

Nodding, Reese allowed his thoughts to shift again to something that had been bothering him more and more lately. “Why do you think Mom never remarried?”

The room seemed to grow still. It had already been quiet, but now it felt cooler somehow. He kept his eyes fixed to the window.

“Mom said that she was older, and she’d been content with her life. But I wonder if it’s more than that.” Reese finally glanced at Leo, who was staring hard at his coffee. Reese wouldn’t have minded if their mother moved on, but he’d never asked Leo outright if he’d felt the same.

Leo fiddled with his coffee mug and shrugged. “I dunno. But if she said that she wasn’t interested, then I’d leave it at that.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Reese took another sip from his drink.

The words came easily, but believing them?

That was a whole other issue. If their mother had held back from finding love again because of her sons, then who was to say that Serenity wouldn’t do the same?

That thought terrified him more than being caught as her secret admirer.

Any further conversation on the matter was knocked down the second their mother entered the room. She smiled brightly at the two of them and got herself a cup of coffee. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’,” they both mumbled.

“I’m going to the store today. Do either of you need anything?”

Reese shook his head. “I’m good, Mom.” Then he moved across the room to place his mug in the sink and give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m heading out to work. See you at lunch.”