Page 37 of A Montana Secret Admirer
“You’re right. I don’t understand. Not only did you have the perfect husband and father to your children. You now have two more guys who are interested in you. Soundsreal tough.”
“Sounds like someone might be jealous.” The voice was low and teasing, and both Serenity and Jane jumped when Noah entered the kitchen.
To her credit, Jane blushed. Serenity grinned. She’d had it coming.
Noah glanced from Serenity to the note she still had pressed to her chest. “Another letter, huh?”
She nodded.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I agree with Jane.”
Serenity rolled her eyes. “Of course you do.”
He shrugged as he passed by her and moved to the refrigerator. “Whoever is writing those letters isn’t ready to tell you to your face how they feel. That means one of two things. They’re trying to protect you, or they’re a coward.”
“Protect me?”
He paused, his back facing her as he peered into the fridge. “Yeah.”
“Noah,” Jane warned, but Noah didn’t seem to get the clue that this was a tricky subject.
He turned to face her. “You were with Finn for most of your life. You went from being taken care of by your parents, to beingtaken care of by your husband, to being taken care of by your family. Maybe this person is worried that you’ll either jump into something too soon, or you’re too scared to take the leap.”
“Well, which is it?” Jane had her hands on her hips. “Is she too scared to fall in love, or is it bad for her to risk catching feelings?”
Noah and Jane exchanged a look—one that showed just how much they were in love and how easy it was for them to communicate without actually saying anything. Jane’s demeanor shifted, and she relaxed slightly. Noah glanced to Serenity. “That’s up to you to decide. Would you want someone expressing their love for you at this moment? Would it be a crutch or would it scare you off?”
“Are those the only options?” Serenity asked weakly.
“No,” Noah said simply, surprising her. “You could be a well-adjusted adult who doesn’t have any hang-ups whatsoever.” He flashed her a grin then a wink, and she wanted to throw something at him.
Jane moved closer and placed a hand on her forearm. “He’s right. You have to decide if it’s something you want.”
“With my secret admirer?” she asked incredulously.
“No, with Reese. He seems to be the one who’s being upfront and honest about everything. Is that something you want?”
Serenity stared down at the flower and the note. Noah grabbed what he seemed to be looking for and left the kitchen. In a low voice, Serenity whispered, “Would you try to help me find out who it is?”
Jane looked surprised and maybe a little disappointed. “You still want to figure out who he is? Instead of developing something more with Reese?”
She shrugged. There was something… less scary about the admirer. Reese was—a lot. He was there, and available. She had to look him in the eye when she told him she wasn’t ready.
For some reason, the abstract idea of the man who might have written this letter was… safer.
Jane sucked in a deep breath and exhaled thoughtfully.
“Will you?” Serenity asked again.
“You know I’d do anything for you, right?” Jane was her older sister. She might have been the last to get married, but she’d always known what she wanted to do in her life. Now that she was married to one of the wealthiest people in the state, she had the resources to be able to help her.
Serenity’s nerves got the better of her. “Am I crazy? This could be a really bad idea. What if he’s some weird guy who’s stalking me?”
Jane laughed. “That’s literally what a secret admirer does. They watch, observe, and fall in love with you from a distance. They just don’t go about it by making you feel scared and trapped. No threats. No demands. Just promises of love, right?”
Serenity gaped at her sister. There was no way she hadn’t read this letter. That was what the guy was doing. He’d wanted to make her promises she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
Jane nodded. “I’ll help you figure it out. And when we find out that he’s not nearly as attractive as Reese Chambers is, then you can sleep easier knowing that you already hit the jackpot.” Shesnickered. “Don’t tell Noah I said that. He’ll get all bent out of shape, and I won’t hear the end of it for weeks.”
