Page 17 of A Montana Secret Admirer
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. Whilethis 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.”
CHAPTER SIX
Serenity twirled the pale,yellow lotus flower stem between her fingers. The longer she stared at it, the more torn she became. The previous flowers had only had a card with her name on it. This one had come with an actual note.
Serenity,
If there’s one thing in life that I’ve learned, it’s that nothing is promised. The future. Our dreams. Not even the people we care for. That’s why I want you to live your life to the fullest. Continue to dream. Don’t forget to love. Seek joy in every breath you take, because you deserve that happiness.
It wasn’t signed.It was simple enough, with no indication of who might have left it. For all she knew, it could have come from Noah. Or Jane. But neither one of them had confessed to the flowers showing up every night.
She’d been intent on watching the front porch after Reese had left, but then Jessi had a nightmare, and she’d had to help himfall back asleep. When she’d returned, the flower and the note had been waiting for her.
Serenity sighed as she brought the flower to her nose and inhaled. She was growing accustomed to receiving these flowers. Up until recently, her favorite flower had been a rose. Yeah, it was boring and unpredictable.
But now, she couldn’t say that. The American lotus flower was her favorite now.
Her thoughts drifted from the short note to the man who had stayed with her during the sunset. For a moment, she’d thought he might cross the line she’d drawn in the sand and kiss her. She hated herself for just how much she wanted it, too.
She closed her eyes against the memory, her body warming with the truth of it all. What would she have done if he had? Would she have given in and kissed him like her life depended on it? Or would she have pushed him away and escaped into the house?
There was no indication of where her heart was on the matter.
Then there was the reality that if she’d kissed him, then she could have very well messed everything up. They’d found a camaraderie between the two of them. Reese had become her friend.
She should’ve been surprised, but she couldn’t even bring that reaction to the surface of her mind. Hadn’t she told him she only wanted friendship? The surprising thing was definitely the regret she was feeling over wanting him to be more while at the same time being terrified of that happening.
“I’m a mess,” she mumbled to herself as she put the flower in the small vase with the others. The first one she’d received haddefinitely seen better days. It was on its last leg, and she plucked it from the vase to toss into the garbage.
“What was that?”
