Page 7 of A Montana Secret Admirer (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #4)

Together, they stared out at the sunset. The colors were more muted today. He couldn’t tell if it was the clouds or if it was something else. Up until this moment, he hadn’t realized that such things could be so different when it came to nature.

“The boys missed you today,” Serenity whispered.

He stilled from where he leaned his elbows on his knees. His head swung around, and he stared at her beneath the darkening sky. “We didn’t have a lesson today.”

The corner of her mouth pulled upward, but she didn’t shift, so he continued to stare at her profile. “I know. But I think they expected it.”

That confession was enough to make his heart stumble. Her kids liked him. Or maybe they just liked being out on the horses, and he was fooling himself. “They’re good kids,” he finally murmured.

Her smile widened, and she ducked her head so she could look at him better. Her brown locks fell from her shoulder and hung, twirling in the slight breeze that picked up. “No. I think you’re just that good with children. Why is that? Do you have any nieces or nephews?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Just my cousin’s kids. But you can’t take two steps before you’re tripping over them.”

She laughed. “I’ve noticed.” Serenity turned her attention back to the sunset. “It must be nice to grow up in a place like this. It’s so… removed from the world, you know?”

Reese nodded. He’d grown up in the country.

It had been nice enough. At the time, he’d thought he was closed off from the world, but then he’d learned the truth of what the world could offer, and he’d been glad for the chance to be raised in a place like this.

Children didn’t need the pain or misery that came with higher crime rates and poverty.

Out here? Hard work and family values reigned.

“I had a meeting with your sister today,” he said quietly, not wanting their conversation to end.

Her surprised stare almost drew another chuckle from his lips.

“It had nothing to do with you, if you’re wondering. You know that charity she’s organizing? The one working on offering equine therapy services to folks in the area?”

Serenity’s surprise softened to curiosity. “Yeah. It sounds like an amazing program.”

“It does. There’s a lot of work that’s gonna go into it. Apparently, she’s wanting my brother and me to be the liaisons between Sagebrush Ranch and the actual business side of things.”

Her brows shot up. “Wow. That sounds exciting. Better than teaching a couple city kids how to ride a horse, right?”

This time, he did laugh. He threw back his head, and the sound echoed off the trees and other surfaces around them. She startled and stared at him with wide eyes before a small smile touched her lips.

“What?” she demanded. “Isn’t it?”

“Actually, that’s what I’d be doing. They want me to head up the department that would oversee the youth program.”

She gasped. “That sounds perfect for you.”

He wanted to gape at her, to dive into her pretty little head to discover what was in there.

Was it possible she knew him better than he gave her credit for?

They weren’t exactly close—not in that way.

And yet, she’d seen right to his soul and what made him tick.

“It is perfect for me,” he murmured softly.

Her excitement for him shifted into something of a frown. “Why do I get the feeling that this isn’t exactly what you want?”

There she went again with her all-knowing eyes and the way she could see right down to his very soul.

She wasn’t wrong. While this opportunity was one of the best he’d been offered in his lifetime, it wasn’t exactly where he’d seen himself, either.

That realization had hit him a little harder than he’d wanted to admit.

Reese rubbed the back of his neck then let his hand drop to his side, and he shrugged. He stared out at the skyline and sighed. “I guess I always thought I’d be some kind of counselor. Or some supervisor for a 4H program.”

She didn’t speak right away, and he was scared to meet her eyes. He probably sounded incredibly ungrateful for what he’d been offered. When he finally did meet her gaze, he found her looking more thoughtful than anything else.

“I could see you doing either.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded resolutely. “The question is, which one would make you happier?”

“That’s a loaded question,” he said with a huff.

Her smile returned. “I know. That’s the hardest part. Deciding what you want and actually chasing after what will make you happy.” There was a lilt to her tone that had him wondering if there was another meaning behind her words.

Without thinking, he reached out and turned her face toward him with a touch to her chin. He searched her eyes as if he’d be able to see the cause for the slightly melancholy tone of her voice. Her lips parted, and she exhaled, stealing his focus from her eyes and shifting it to her mouth.

They were surrounded by the quiet, cast in shadow, and being sung to by the crickets. It would take no effort at all to kiss those lips, to draw out the sadness they were hiding.

But he couldn’t, no matter how much he wanted to.

Because he could see the barely visible hesitation and worry she hid behind her wide, blue eyes.

Reese dropped his hand and settled back to turn his focus to the ever-darkening sky. “Gotta love those crossroads.”