Page 67 of A Montana Secret Admirer
“The perfect pair.”
“Hey, Reese! Glad I caught you.”Bo jogged toward him with a wide smile on his face.
Reese grinned back for no other reason than the anticipation of what Bo might say. After the quiet morning he’d spent with Serenity, the day was definitely looking up. He felt he could take on the world if given the chance.
“You’re never going to believe what happened. I asked Caleb to pull some strings because he knew someone involved in that training program you had your eye on!”
“You’re kidding!”
“I’m not!” Bo laughed. “I didn’t want to tell you about it until I had all the information. But I just heard back, and it looks like we’re going to be sending you to Georgia in a couple of months.”
The smile fell from Reese’s face. His cousin didn’t have to utter another word for everything to become perfectly clear.
And Reese knew he wasn’t going to like what Bo had to say, even though a few weeks ago, it would have made him the happiest person alive.
His throat tightened, and a seed of dread was shoved down into the pit of his stomach.
Bo didn’t seem to notice. He clapped Reese on the back and let out a laugh. “Normally, they have a waiting list for that program—unless you sign up at the beginning of the year. But Caleb’s friend is in admissions. Not only that, but there’s a decent financial aid program, too. Since your work will mainly be witha charitable organization, they offer a scholarship of sorts. Of course we’ll be paying for a portion of it as well. And Jane said that her funding will pay for a portion, too.”
The more Bo spoke, the more shocked Reese became. Sounded like funding wasn’t going to be an issue. But that didn’t mean housing and food would?—
“I’m talking about afull-ride. Well, technically for you, that’s what it would be. After talking to everyone, we think we can handle everything. Food. Housing. The works.” Bo’s bright, excited expression should have at least stirred something in Reese. He should be just as excited as his cousin at the prospect being offered to him.
But all he could think about was Serenity.
Even if she moved back to the city and they were a couple hours away, he’d be able to see her frequently enough. But Georgia? Reese wouldn’t be able to see her for at least a year, if not more.
“What do you say?” Bo asked.
Reese opened his mouth, not sure of how he was going to respond, and was thankfully saved from doing so when Bo’s brother called out to him.
Bo’s head snapped in that direction, and he clapped Reese on the shoulder. “We’ll talk details later, okay?”
Reese nodded his head numbly.
Bo backed away. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s finally in reach.”
It was the opportunity of a lifetime.
But so was having the love of the girl of his dreams.
What was he going to do?
He didn’t know where Serenity stood in their relationship. He didn’t know if she wanted him enough to be willing to work on a relationship—especially long distance.
Would she ask him to stay?
Biggest question of all: would he do that for her?
The sickening feeling in his stomach only got worse the more he thought about it. Bo was right, how could he even think about turning down an adventure like this? He’d be able to get the education and training to work with children in the capacity that he longed for. But at what cost?
Reese realized he was still standing aimlessly between the houses and the barn when he forced himself to move forward. He still felt like he was in a daze. Maybe he was too close to the situation. If he could talk this out with someone who was familiar with what he was going through…
As if an answer to his prayers, he entered the barn to find Leo and Noah deep in a discussion. Reese had been vaguely aware of Jane leaving the building a few minutes before he arrived.
His brother and his cousin stopped mid-discussion and glanced in his direction with curiosity. Leo was the first to speak.
“What’s wrong?”
