Page 61 of A Montana Secret Admirer
“You’re not taking anything from that kid. Seriously, he’d be lucky to have a dad like you.”
“But that’s just it, isn’t it? I’m not his dad. And at this point, I wouldn’t want him to think I was replacing him, either. The kid is still young. What do you remember of your childhood, hmm? Can you honestly say you remember anything about being seven?”
“I broke my arm when I fell off my bike,” Leo offered.
“That’s because it was a traumatic experience.”
“And losing a parent isn’t? Seriously, Reese. Don’t hold back because some kid might not like you for a while. Do what makes you happy—what makesherhappy. Everything will fall into place later.” He smirked. “Besides, it’s not like the kid is a teenager who could do anything.”
“Have you already forgotten all those movies where the kid outsmarts the adults? I can name five off the top of my head.”
Leo’s smirk didn’t leave his face for a few minutes. And when it did, his voice had softened. “It’s admirable that you are worried about him. But really think about your reasons for waiting. The kid could use someone to push him. We don’t grow without a little bit of discomfort.”
“Is that why you’re dragging your feet with Jane’s project?”
His brother rolled his eyes. “That’s different, and you know it.”
“Maybe I don’t. From what I can tell, Kat makes you all kinds of uncomfortable.” He didn’t get to finish off his statement before Leo dug his boots into his horse’s sides and took off. Reese chuckled, doing the same. Leo would win the race. He had a decent jump start, and they were already close.
Maybe he’d been right. Maybe what Tegan needed was an adult to tell him the way things were going to go without treating him like he was breakable. But how would Serenity feel about that? Would she agree? Or would she insist on shielding her son from the reality that she was finally allowing herself to move on?
Did it make him a bad person for hating that idea?
Selfish, even?
Reese hated to even think about the possibility that Serenity would forfeit anything she might have found with him if she thought it would hurt her kids.
He might not understand completely what she was going through because he didn’t have children of his own, but he could understand in theory, and it made him sick to his stomach to want her to choose him.
By the time he caught up with Leo, his brother was already removing the saddle from his horse. They didn’t bring upSerenity or Kat or the kids. It was for the best. If they had, Reese got the feeling that Leo would tell him it wasn’t worth it to go chasing a woman who clearly wasn’t ready for something serious.
And that truth alone terrified Reese more than he would ever want to admit.
Reese wason the front porch of Noah’s place before Serenity came out to join him. He heard the storm door creak open then pause before it shut, and Serenity’s footsteps approached. She settled onto the step beside him and let out a sigh.
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked frazzled.
And absolutely beautiful.
“You okay?” he murmured, his own worries floating to the surface.
She nodded, not looking at him.
“Really? Because you look like you’ve been through it.”
A small smile tugged at her lips. It was a tired one—and one that showed just how much strain she was under. The summer was coming to an end in a few weeks. They were running out of time, and the only thing he wanted to talk to her about was what their plans would be for the future.
But he couldn’t. Not when she was clearly struggling with something. That would be selfish.
Right?
Of course it would. Serenity needed someone in her corner—someone who would do whatever it took to make sure she was cared for and that her needs were met before their own.
He could be that person. He just needed her to tell him what she wanted.
Serenity blew out a breath, closed her eyes, and rested her cheek against his shoulder. “Just…”
The silence that hung in the air after that one word made a cold weight settle in his chest.
