Page 83 of A Montana Secret Admirer
Reese:Leo followed through, then.
He stared at the phone,waiting for the three dots to pop up, indicating she was writing him back. When they appeared, he blew out another breath, this one out of pure, utter relief.
Serenity:Yeah. He did.
Reese frowned.Why did this conversation feel like pulling teeth? Why did he suddenly feel like he was a teenage boy, talking to his crush for the first time?
Because in a way, that was exactly what he was. He resumed his pacing, chewing on his lip as he attempted to come up with something witty to say. It was later here than it was in Rocky Ridge. He’d be heading to bed soon enough, so a conversation on the phone would likely be out of the question, as much as he wanted to hear her voice. He’d have to keep the conversation short.
Before he could come up with something else to say, she sent another message.
Serenity:Sorry I didn’t reach out sooner. I misplaced my phone in the move.
A searing,beautiful warmth flooded his entire being. She hadn’t been avoiding him. Or if she had, she didn’t want him to know. Either way, the relief at knowing that she’d intended on speaking to him was immense. His lips quirked upward as his response came easier.
Reese:You sure you weren’t just waiting for another flower and handwritten note?
Serenity:I suppose you’re not wrong. I’ve missed having fresh lotus flowers delivered to me.
He considered comingup with a plan to get her flowers, but then he squashed that idea. Just because Serenity had reached out didn’t mean she wanted anything more than a friendship. She’d been insistent that long distance relationships didn’t work. But she hadn’t experienced how it could be with him.
Reese stared at her message, not wanting to end the conversation, but also not wanting to push her into anything. She’d opened the door, and he was bound and determined to walk through it. Without overthinking it too much, he sent out a final message.
Reese:Can I call you tomorrow?
The next severalminutes lasted for an eternity. He nearly thought he’d blown the whole thing until the device in his hand buzzed, and he saw her message on the screen.
Serenity:I’d like that.
It wasa surprise that the grin that spread across his face didn’t do muscle damage. This was all he wanted—a chance to win her over, to keep her close, and make her realize that his love was worth having. He didn’t care if they had to wait for a year or five years. He wasn’t going anywhere. He’d love her enough for both of them until she was ready to open her heart and love him back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“There’s my favorite pretty lady.”
Serenity glanced up as she entered Horseshoe Antiques and smiled at Wendy. The girl was young and vibrant. She had a southern accent that put all southern belles to shame and at the same time made everyone feel welcome.
Wendy Scott was a ray of sunshine, and she’d become one of Serenity’s favorite people since they’d started working together.
Serenity moved around the back of the counter in the shop and put her purse on a shelf. Wendy leaned against the countertop and grinned. “So… you gonna tell me how it’s going?”
Tilting her head, Serenity bit back her smile and pretended to act like she didn’t know what Wendy was referring to. “I’m good. How are you doing?”
Wendy rolled her eyes then scrunched up her freckled nose. “Come on, you know what I’m talking about. It’s the only thing we discuss when you come into work.”
The laugh that threatened to be released almost hurt as Serenity forced it to remain in her chest. “I haven’t the slightest clue what you are referring to.”
“Serenity, you’re killing me. I don’t have any cute boys to talk about. I have to live vicariously through you and your not-so-secret secret admirer. It’s been three months. Give mesomething.”
Three months.
Sheesh, it really had been that long. While Serenity had refused to accept that she was in a sort of long-term relationship with Reese, that was kind of what had happened. He called her every day to talk to her about… everything. They’d exhausted topics like his coursework, her new job—though she hadn’t told him where her job was located—her children, and anything else they could think up.
Except the future.
Somehow, they’d managed to avoid speaking about what would happen when he came back. She wasn’t sure where she would be or if his feelings would change. It was her biggest fear. She didn’t like the idea of losing him because their chemistry had fizzled out.
So, they kept that side of things hidden in the back of their minds. Well, at least she did.
