Page 65 of A Montana Secret Admirer
“Serenity? What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she insisted with a sad-sounding laugh.
He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, and his thumb swiped across her flushed skin. Then he arched a brow. “You want to try that again?”
She groaned and pulled away from him. “I’m fine?—”
“I know.”
Her eyes cut to meet his again.
“You say that all the time. I didn’t ask if you were okay. I wanted to know what was bothering you so I…” He crossed his arms and glanced away. “Vent to me, Serenity. Tell me what’s bothering you. I’ll listen.” Those last two words were spoken so quietly that they nearly ripped her heart out.
He was too good for her.
Serenity’s shoulders slumped. “It’s nothing.”
“If it were nothing, then you wouldn’t be crying.” He stepped closer and reached out to her again. “I don’t care if it’s because of spilled milk or you accidently saw the sunrise?—”
At that, she let out a surprised laugh.
A smile tugged at his lips, and he cocked his head to the side. “Whatever it is, just get it off your chest. I promise I won’t try to solve any problems for you. I’ll just listen. And maybe I’ll even toss in a few, ‘you’re so rights.’”
She couldn’t help the small smile that threatened to explode into something so much bigger. “I got in a little argument with Jane. It… wasn’tbad.”
He frowned, and at some point, he’d placed his hands on her hips. She let him guide her toward him, and she rested her cheek against his chest.
“I don’t want to go into any detail. It’s really not a big deal—not one I want you worrying about.”
Reese seemed to stiffen despite the way his hands ran over her back in a reassuring way. True to his word, he didn’t try to tell her that everything was going to be okay or that she needed to do anything about what she’d said. He wasn’t going to fix her problems for her. And knowing that was all she needed.
She could sense he didn’t like being in this position, though. Reese was nothing if not caring. He was a fixer. The frustration was practically coming off him like the steam from a lake in the fall.
Serenity closed her eyes, allowing herself to be selfish in this one instance. She’d allow herself to continue to bottle up the worries and concerns she had with her sons. She’d swallow down the guilt of not confiding in Reese the way she knew he wanted her to. And she’d ignore the vile stomachache she’d gotten the second she’d left Jane’s home.
Losing Finn had taught Serenity one thing. She was the only one she would forever be able to count on. While it was nice to lean on others for support, she was growing weary of their unsolicited advice. All they had given her was a complex where she was unsure if she was actually capable of making good decisions.
They stood there for so long that she lost track of time. His hands stopped tracing lines on her back, and his voice rumbled through his chest. “I wish I could do something for you.”
Serenity squeezed her eyes shut. She exhaled, then pulled back from him. “I’m going to go.”
“What? Why?”
She shook her head. “Because if I stick around, I might fight with you, too. And I’m just…” Serenity covered her face with her hands. “I’m tired.”
“Serenity—”
“It’s fine, Reese.”
But was it?
“I don’t need you to come swooping in and trying to fix everything for me. It’s sweet. But it’s not what I need right now, and no one seems to understand that.” Her tone was biting, and it made her grimace. Without waiting for his response, she charged away from him.
Maybe there was something in the water.
First Tegan.
Now her.
