Page 9 of A Montana Secret Admirer
They were riding around in circles within the corral nearest the barn so the kids didn’t get any crazy ideas and let the horses take off down a trail. There were other dangers out there that Reese wanted no part of. Critters and ravines, to name a few.
Jessi stood beside his mother, holding her hand with wide, curious eyes. They remained fixed on the horse. He hadn’t been ready to get in the saddle today, but Reese had a feeling he’d be up for the challenge the next time they headed out to the corral.
“Look, Mom! I’m doing it!” Tegan called out to Serenity.
If Reese wasn’t mistaken, it appeared that she was about to get teary-eyed over the whole thing. She might not have seen the smile on the kid’s face, but she could hear it in his voice. Even Reese could hear it.
“You’re a natural, kid. Keep going.” Reese trudged around the corral’s perimeter, heading for Serenity. He kept his eyes trained on Tegan just in case the kid got into some trouble and needed rescuing. By the looks of it, he wouldn’t need any such thing.
Up until this point, he’d had a few discussions with the boys about how to treat the horses with respect. There were rules that needed to be followed not just for their safety, but to keep the horses at ease as well.
Reese wasn’t sure how much was landing with Jessi. The kid was only three, but he had the enthusiasm of a boy much older. Only time would tell how much sank in.
Tegan, on the other hand? It was clear that boy was made for this life. He might not be thrilled with some of the more mundane stuff when it came to living on a ranch, but man, did he take to being in the saddle.
Reese sidled up beside Serenity. She shot him an appreciative glance before gluing her focus to her son once more. Tension sizzled in the air between them.
Or it might just be Reese imagining things.
Conversation wasn’t coming as easy right now for some reason. Maybe it was the look in her eyes as she watched her son try out this new experience that put a small wedge between them. Someone was missing—a father figure who should be cheering the kid on from the sidelines, too.
Pain.
That was it.
Longing, too.
It had been less than a year and that didn’t seem like nearly long enough for someone to get over the loss of losing the love of one’s life.
And yet, it seemed like it should be.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and willed those thoughts to cease. He’d already told himself he wouldn’t push her into anything. If something were to start between them, he’d want it to be organic, easy.
Reese snagged her focus for another moment, and the small smile she offered him was like a grain of sunlight. He’d asked himself if he would be content this summer just being her friend and showing her the support she probably desperately needed.
The answer had been yes.
But he was quickly realizing that had been a dumb thing to tell himself. It took all of twenty minutes in her presence for him towant nothing more than to ask her out again. Over and over in his head, he came up with ways to convince her that they could be good together.
But Serenity? She wasn’t ready for that. He could see it plain as day. He understood where she was, though, as much as he wished it wasn’t so.
“Mister Reese?”
He startled and glanced down at the boy with the most cherubic face he’d ever seen. The kid had his mother’s blue eyes, but his dark, wavy hair must have come from his father. Long lashes framed those angelic eyes, full of wonder and curiosity.
“Yeah, kid?” Reese glanced once more at Tegan to ensure everything was still going well before turning his full attention to his younger brother.
“Can I have a turn?”
Before he could respond, Serenity’s hand visibly tightened around Jessi’s, and she murmured, “I’m not sure you’re quite ready for that yet, sweetheart.”
Reese shifted his attention to Serenity. There was an older horse they used for situations just like this. His cousins who owned the ranch had children who were in the saddle from the moment they could walk.
The disappointment in the kid’s eyes made Reese want to mention Tabitha to Serenity right here in this moment, but he thought better of it. The last thing she needed right now was for him to contradict her parenting.
He pulled at his jeans as he crouched down in front of the boy. “You know, moms are really smart. They see things we can’tsometimes. Today, she wants you to watch. But how about when we get back to the barn, you try out one of the saddles and tell me what you think? Then we can see if there’s a horse that would be a good fit for you for next time.”
The disappointment still came off the boy in waves, but he didn’t throw a fit as anticipated. He nodded and turned his interest back to his brother. Reese glanced up at Serenity, finding her staring at him in a way that set his skin on fire. He couldn’t explain what it was about the way she appraised him that had him more antsy than ever. Perhaps it was the intensity of her eyes.
