Page 91 of A Montana Secret Admirer
She tilted her head and gave him a nervous smile. “How about we pay him a visit, instead?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The time togive Serenity space was over.
And perhaps that was where most of Reese’s problems had begun. He’d been so worried about Serenity’s needs that he’d refused to acknowledge his own.
Not only that, but he had started to see how detrimental some of Serenity’s behaviors had been. She was the kind of person who needed a little push every once in a while.
It was true. They hadn’t known each other long, but he’d gotten to know her well over the last several months. And now, more than, ever he wanted to claim her as his own. Reese needed her in his life like he needed air to breathe.
The duffle bag he’d brought with him rested untouched on the edge of his bed. A vase of lotus flowers was on his dresser. They weren’t the ones from the pond, since it was iced over, but thankfully, the floral shop had them in stock. He fully intended to make sure he looked every bit the part of a man in love.
His fingers shook slightly as he knotted the tie at his throat. There were moments in life when one had to stand back and let the cards fall where they may.
And there were moments in life like this one where one had to charge forward and take what he wanted without letting go.
Reese studied his reflection, his eyes sweeping over the dark, double-breasted suit. The tie was a pattern of soft creams and greens, which seemed to accentuate the flecks of green in his eyes. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was making a mistake in his decision.
What if Serenity pulled away from him even more?
No. He wasn’t going to think that way. She needed to know he was all in. She needed that little push so she could take the leap of faith.
Reese gave himself a sharp nod, whether to give himself a boost of confidence or to remind himself he’d made his decision and there was no backing out, he didn’t know.
Turning, he grabbed the flowers off the dresser and headed for the door.
Serenity hadn’t given him her address, and while he’d messaged Jane about it, he hadn’t heard back from her, either. She’d have a harder time ignoring him when she was standing in front of him.
Reese could hear his mother speaking with Leo in the kitchen when he came down the stairs, but he wasn’t ready to have a conversation with them at the moment. If he got caught there, he might never get out to see Serenity.
Inching toward the front door, Reese could only hear the pulse roaring in his ears as he made his escape. He’d only gotten in afew hours ago, and he’d told his mother he planned on taking a nap.
It was the only excuse he could come up with to ensure he was left alone.
With the front door closed quietly behind him, Reese traipsed through the snow toward his aunt and uncle’s house. Noah and Jane would be moving out in the spring when their house was complete. Until then, Reese would be able to corner Jane and get her to spill the information he needed.
His shoes crunched against the snow path that had already been worn between the homes where his cousins had lived for the last couple of years. When he reached Noah’s house, he kicked off the snow from his shoes, took a deep breath, and knocked.
A couple minutes later, Noah answered the door. He frowned initially, then smiled. “Hey… Reese. I didn’t know you were back yet.” Noah’s eyes dipped to the flowers, and something crossed his expression that Reese couldn’t decipher. He shifted then leaned against the doorjamb. “You expecting to see someone?”
Reese gave his cousin a flat look. “Are you trying to tell me something? Is she here?”
“Who?”
“Don’t give me that. You and Jane have both avoided answering me when I’ve asked for her address. If I had her mom’s number, I would have asked her.”
“You might want to go straight to the source, have you considered that?” Noah smirked, and if Reese wasn’t so nervous, he would have been furious with his cousin for stringing him along.
“I need to see her. You can understand that, right? Besides, you out of everyone should be willing to help me because you’re the one who ensured I don’t have to go back.”
Noah’s grin broadened.
“What?” a voice nearly shrieked from inside the house. Moments later, Jane materialized in the doorway. “You’re not going back? Why? What happened? Did Serenity say something?” Then she gave her husband a half-hearted shove. “Did you know about this?”
Noah grimaced.
“You did! Didn’t you? Noah! You should have told me.” Her bright brown eyes landed on Reese again. “Well? Answer the questions.”
