Page 40 of A Montana Secret Admirer
“I told them that you’re the teacher, and you know best.” She smiled as if recalling the conversation she undoubtedly had with her sons. “I told them that you’re going to be teaching other kids how to ride soon, and that I was certain you had a plan for them to get out on the harder terrain.”
Apparently, she’d figured him out. He shifted, sitting up straighter as he faced her slightly. “That’s not going to happen for quite some time. And honestly? I’m beginning to wonder if it’s going to happen at all.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Why?”
Reese released a dry chuckle. “Leo isn’t exactly playing nice with the lady who’s in charge of the finances when it comes to building the facility. They… don’t quite get along.”
Serenity’s expression was a combination of worry and adjacent embarrassment. “How’s Jane taking it?”
“She hasn’t told you?”
She ducked her head and laughed. “Jane doesn’t exactly like to talk about work stuff with me.” Under her breath, she muttered, “There are more pressing topics of conversation she wants to deal with.”
“Hmm?” He wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. What other pressing issues could Jane be concerned with? What was more important than the project she’d put her heart into?
“What? Nothing. It’s just sister stuff. We don’t talk about work because… well, we just don’t. We’d rather enjoy the time we have together.” She laughed, and at least this one was a little more genuine.
He nodded thoughtfully. If he understood Serenity correctly, she was referring to the usual stuff he’d heard his female cousins chatting about. Or perhaps giggling about.
Boys. Dates. Crushes.
Reese glanced at Serenity and couldn’t help wondering how often his name had come up in conversation. Based on Noah’s reaction to finding out he was the secret admirer, he had to believe that Jane had some degree of knowledge on the subject.
“So…” Serenity drawled. “Leo and… what’s this woman’s name?”
“Kat.”
“Kat,” she murmured carefully, as if trying it out for herself. “And thisKat. Is she… abhorrent or something?”
Reese laughed. “I wouldn’t say that at all. She’s…” He turned his head up to the sky and let out another chuckle. “Honestly? She’s fine. She’s a typical city girl who is good at running a business and won’t let anyone walk all over her. She doesn’t put up with anything. And Leo?” He blew out a breath. “Well, Leo doesn’t like to be told what to do. And he definitely has no interest in being knocked down a peg by someone who wouldn’t understand what it’s like to work a ranch.”
“Sounds like the start of a war,” she mused.
“It might very well be.” He turned a humored gaze onto her.
The air between them had shifted. Getting off the topic of what had been bothering her had undoubtedly changed it.
He couldn’t tell if he was relieved or disappointed that they weren’t getting to the bottom of what might really be on her mind. Maybe it was selfish—wanting the peace that came from just talking with her like this. It was friendly and exactly what he needed. At least in this moment.
A breeze tickled his skin. The sound of the bugs playing in their orchestra filled the air. It was peaceful at night. He could appreciate how much Serenity enjoyed these tranquil moments.
Her issue with sunrises had been understandable, and he was glad she’d found another way to seek the peace she needed to get through the day.
In the stillness of the night, a comfortable silence continued to grow. It wasn’t pulling them apart or putting a wedge between them. If anything, she seemed to be more comfortable with him.
Reese would take the win.
He rolled his shoulders, his head accompanying the movement so he could glance in her direction. She caught his eye and smiled with a soft laugh. “What?”
Reese shrugged. He wanted to talk to her, to sit with her and get to know her even more. He wanted to know what made her tick and why she was so skittish when it came to the feelings he knew only continued to grow between them.
But he’d been honest with Jane and Noah when he’d said that he was going to play it slow. He would be careful. No one was going to get a broken heart on his watch.
“You know how you told me to look into programs related to working with kids and horses?”
Her eyes brightened with interest. Boy, what he wouldn’t give to see her light up like that every day of his life. Serenity nodded. “Did you find something?”
“Oh, I found a whole lot of somethings.” He tore his gaze away from her as he continued. “The best one is back east. It’s this program that would covereverything. It’d give me certifications to work as a counselor, a teacher, a trainer… and even a therapist if I took some additional courses at an accredited university. There are some jobs that I could get that wouldn’t necessarily need those certifications, but they’d go a long way in making what I do legitimate.”
