Page 82 of A Montana Secret Admirer
Reese opened the message from his brother.
Leo:Kat shows up Monday. Kill me now.
Reese smirked.They’d thought that Kat would show up during the summer, but there were other issues that came up. Plans had changed, and she’d be hanging around for the next couple of months now that they’d broken ground.
It was still a little strange that she needed to be present at all. Why would a city girl need to appreciate the work that went into training horses for a charity like Jane’s?
He shook his head and typed out a response.
Reese:Why would I do that when torturing you is so much fun?
He tossedhis phone on the table and headed for the microwave where he’d put his frozen dinner to cook. It dinged when the timer was up, and he pulled it out gingerly. After the first day of eating the bland food that came prepackaged, Reese knew he was going to have to learn how to cook something worthwhile. Otherwise, he might starve.
His nose wrinkled as he lifted the plastic container closer and sniffed at the meatloaf concoction. Yep, he definitely wasn’t going to continue eating this stuff if he had anything to say about it.
The phone remained silent, and he shot a glance toward it again. It had taken a lot of effort to keep himself from sending Serenity a message. He’d almost called her half a dozen times, too. He’d wanted to ask her if she’d gotten the letter. Leo had said she had,but just because it was taken from the porch didn’t mean she’d read it. He needed to know if she loved him like he loved her.
But he’d resigned himself to giving her space. If there was one thing he’d learned about her, it was that she needed to come to terms with things on her own. She couldn’t be pushed.
He sighed as he pushed the plastic container away from him on the counter and turned to the cupboard that held his cereal. That would be better than the meal he’d just cooked.
The phone buzzed again as Reese was returning the milk to the fridge, and he glanced over his shoulder at it. Besides losing out on spending time with Serenity, Reese was going to miss Leo—not only for his company, but to witness the destruction that would follow when he and Kat butted heads this winter.
Just the thought brought another smile to his face. Leo was as hard-headed as they came. He didn’t trust easy. And when anyone pushed, he pushed back even harder.
Kat seemed to have a similar disposition.
He chuckled to himself as he swiped the phone from the counter and headed for the kitchen table and chairs. Pulling out his seat, he placed his bowl of cereal on the table then sat down. When he swiped open his phone, his heart stuttered.
Leo hadn’t been the one to message him.
Serenity’s name populated the screen.
His hands shook as he stared at the name he’d longed to see for several days now. The preview of the text was minimal. A simpleheysat by itself at the top followed by space below. There would be more beneath that second line, and he wasn’t certain he was ready to tap the message to find out what she had to say.
He seemed to recall there was some sort of science-y explanation for what he was currently experiencing. Right now, two possibilities existed. Serenity had messaged him. And in that message, she could be telling him that she was no longer interested, but she could also be telling him that she was in love with him, too.
Reese dropped the phone to the table, not willing to risk his own reality. He’d poured his heart into the letter he’d written her. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to the truths he hadn’t been brave enough to say to her face—though she hadn’t exactly given him a chance to speak them out loud.
The phone stared right back at him like a python ready to strike. Hadn’t he wanted this? To hear from her?
He blew out a breath and reached for the phone again before swiping open the message.
Serenity:Hey.
I got your letter.
Reese couldn’t move.That was it? Nothing? Where was the reaction? She needed to tell him how she felt about it before he knew what to do next. His hands raked through his hair as he pushed himself to standing. The more his thoughts spiraled, the faster his steps became as he paced the kitchen.
There was zero indication about whether or not she’d liked the letter. What did she want? Should he call her?
No. Everyone knew not to call when someone sent a message.
And yet, he didn’t think he’d be able to keep his words to a minimum in a text.
Swallowing hard, he stopped and typed out the one thing he could think of that wouldn’t make him sound like a love-sick lunatic.
Even though that was exactly what he was.
