Page 71 of A Montana Secret Admirer
“Well, it’s true.” Serenity looked at her hands as she laced her fingers together and fidgeted with them.
Jane huffed back and picked up her coffee again. “Don’t think that way. It’s going to work out. He’s crazy about you.”
Serenity nibbed on her lower lip and peeked up at her sister from beneath her lashes. “He sorta is, isn’t he?”
“Totally. I don’t think there is anything he wouldn’t do to make you happy. If you told him you wanted to get married tomorrow, he’d jump at it.”
More laughter between the two of them ensued. The idea was ridiculous. Serenity wasn’t nearly ready for something like that. But she was interested in taking the next step. She just needed her ducks in a row before she told him.
She blew out a nervous breath. “There are a few rentals I want to look at, too.”
Jane’s eyes narrowed. “Serenity?—”
“Before you try to convince me to move into whatever McMansion you and your hubby are building, I need you to know that I need my own space. This summer has been… nice. Really, it has. But I need to get out there on my own. It’s something I have to do… to…” She pursed her lips as she tried to come up with the words that wouldn’t make her sound like a crazy person. “It’s like I need to do it to find myself again. I was Finn’s wife. Now I’m Tegan and Jessi’s mom. I need to be me. I need to be Serenity before I can give another piece of myself to someone else.”
“Are you going to break up with Reese?” The tight tone of Jane’s voice surprised Serenity, and she shot her a curious look.
“Well, no. But I do think it would be a good idea to putsomedistance between us, even if it is just a relocation. I’d like to keep dating him as I discover more of myself.”
Jane nodded absently, but Serenity couldn’t tell if her sister understood what she was trying to say.
“Jane…” Serenity drawled.
“Yeah?”
“What’s that look for?”
Jane frowned. “What look? There is no look.”
She pointed at Jane’s face. “That look. Right there. What are you thinking about?”
This time, Jane hesitated. She glanced away. “It’s just that… I heard something the other day. But nothing has been set in stone. I just want to make sure you’re keeping the lines ofcommunication open with Reese. Even if you’re not ready to pull the trigger on something, it’s probably a good idea to tell him what your plans are.”
She was right. Reese had been so patient the last several weeks. He’d let her hang them out in a sort of limbo while she made plans without telling him. Technically, she had good reason. She was making these plans without him because he wasn’t going to influence them one way or the other. Serenity wanted to move here regardless.
“I’ll tell him after I get a job. If I don’t have an income, I won’t be moving here. I need something stable before making it official.”
“Makes sense.”
Later that week, Serenity got a call back from one of the places where she’d left her resumé. Cliff’s Market needed a cashier, and while it wasn’t exactly a dream job, they were willing to be flexible with her schedule so she could arrange work around Tegan’s school schedule. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t hold out just a little longer; there was also an opening at the local antique store, and it would be a better fit.
Serenity got off the phone and nearly danced around her room with excitement. The boys were out doing their riding lesson. When she got them ready for bed, she’d tell them her plans.
A nervous sort of energy zapped through her body—both for the prospect of starting her new job and for telling her boys. They’d have to move back home to pack up their things and prepare to sell the house that she’d bought with Finn. Then they’d find a temporary place in Rocky Ridge until she could find a more permanent home.
She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her excited squeal. For the first time in a long while, she had a plan she could be excited about. She was making choices based on what she wanted and what she felt was best for her sons.
It felt like the start of something new and exciting for which she was fully in charge.
And it felt great.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Despite how unsettledeverything felt right now, Reese knew he needed to help Serenity through whatever it was that was on her mind. She was just as stressed as he was, and he had a feeling it had more to do with him than anything else.
He didn’t want to look too closely at the fact that he’d pushed her into something she wasn’t ready for. He wouldn’t be surprised if she felt cornered by him.
And the last thing that she would want to hear right now was that he had an opportunity across the country that would split them up for one year—an opportunity that he wished he didn’t have to consider.
