by Mignon Mykel
Needing to put as much distance as I can between myself and the house, I work Domino up to a gallop and head for the far end of the Addington’s property, reminding myself over and over again all the reasons why getting involved with Lindsey Addington, is a bad idea.
The tiny lake that meets the property line comes into view several long beats later, and I’m not any closer to feeling settled than when I left the barn. Hell, I think coming all the way out here was probably an even stupider idea as memories of a few hot summer nights roll through my mind.
How many times did Kevin and I go for a ride out here to cool off after working all day? And how many times did Lindsey show up in her tiny cut off jeans and string bikini top, taunting me and every one of the boys we used to hang out with?
I came all the way out here to clear my head the night before she left for college, and somehow she followed me then too. Pinned me up against the very same tree that I’m about to tie Domino to and kissed me senseless before hopping back on her horse and vanishing into the sunset.
That was the last time I truly saw Lindsey. And if there was one thing I learned tonight, it was that the woman she has become in the previous ten years is even hotter in person.
Jumping down off of Domino, I tie him off and take a few minutes for myself before walking along the fence line out here. Kevin and I make it a habit of checking on things every few days, and the cattle usually never come back this far, so I’m sure there is nothing to worry about. Again, it’s merely an excuse to get away from all the uncomfortable feelings that surround Lindsey.
I know what you’re thinking, I must be some kind of pathetic asshole who is so desperate and hung up on this girl that I can’t move on. That’s not it at all. I certainly haven’t saved myself for Lindsey, and I’ve dated plenty of other women in my lifetime, hell even in the last ten years. And I’ve been happy with said women most of the time until the relationship ran its course and we all went our separate ways.
Some were far too Goddamn prissy, which happens when you live in Central Valley. While others were more interested in getting to Kevin - the youngest heir to Addington’s farm, one of the West Coast’s biggest cattle ranches. Didn’t seem to matter to those women that Kevin has always, openly, batted for the other team. They always seemed to set their sites on somehow magically “straightening” Kevin out.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but the energy around me starts to shift, and in the distance, I can hear hooves clopping.
“I thought I’d find you back here.” Lindsey’s soft voice washes over me, and I hear her feet hit the ground after she jumps off her horse. Shadow and Domino softly neigh at each other.
Needing to calm myself, I count to ten in my head before turning around to meet her gorgeous face.
“Still the quietest place on the ranch,” I let out a sigh.
Lindsey
Watching the man in front of me, I do my best not to drool on myself. Time has certainly been kind to the cowboy.
“I guess not much has changed,” I say to Garrett with a gentle smile when he finally looks me in the eyes. “You always did hide out back here whenever you needed to get away.”
“And you always managed to follow me, too.” He gives me a playful wink, and I hope that means we’re making some progress from the cold nod he welcomed me home with.
Taking a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs surrounding the newly built fire pit with two beers in my hand, I wait for Garrett as he continues to pace along the fence line. “Yeah, well. It’s the only place where I felt like we didn’t have to worry about everyone else’s prying eyes.”
“Wasn’t really much to hide,” he shrugs, and that familiar sting of rejection reminds me of why I left in the first place.
Sure, Garrett Everleigh may have a good five years on me, but a part of me has always been in love with the dark hair, dark-eyed cowboy, even the eleven-year-old little girl with stars in her eyes couldn’t help but drool over the sixteen-year-old kid who came to work on my family’s ranch.
He never treated me like a kid, even back then. Probably because deep down, he was still a kid himself.
I looked forward to every single summer he spent on the ranch and may have even found myself watching out my bedroom window for his uncle to drop him off every weekend when we needed extra hands.
He is loyal. Trustworthy. Hardworking. Smart. And sexy as sin.
A deadly combination in cowboy boots and faded Levi’s.
Did I mention he also happened to be my brother’s best friend? Maybe that’s what always made me feel safe around Garrett - and made him the ever-alluring forbidden fruit.
Memories of that last night in town flood my head. My 18th birthday party. The sweet pony necklace he’d given me as a gift. The steamy kiss right against the trees out here. And how he hid the next day while everyone else said their goodbyes and saw me off.
Gramps said I could always come back home, but now I’m not so sure that was a good idea. I came home because I really had nowhere else to go. With the world shutting down around us and all the shows canceled - I had no choice but to load up Shadow and head back to the ranch that built me.
When Garrett finally gives in and takes a seat across from me, I hand him the cold beer and crack the top on mine.
“Tell me what’s new with you,” I say after a sip of liquid courage.
1
Garrett
“Garrett, this is Mason Taggert.” Kevin introduces me to Lindsey’s plus one the next morning before I’ve even had my first sip of coffee.
“Tag,” the guy holds out his hand.
I still want to punch him in his pretty-boy face. “Garrett,” I grit out.
“It’s Tag’s first day over at the stables. I told him he should grab breakfast with us first. It’s the least we could do since Gran sent him to pick up Lindsey and bring her home to us.”
The tension I’d been holding on to since the night before dissipates just a little. Funny that Lindsey didn’t bother to mention who Tag was while we talked, though.
Tag goes back to making his plate, and Kevin nudges my side. “If you’re still avoiding, you know who, she’s already awake. You might want to take that coffee and a plate to go.”
Her warm laugh rolls from the dining room into the kitchen. Fuck that. Two can play her little game.
“Ain’t avoiding nobody,” I grunt and fill a plate and my coffee cup.
The fact that Lindsey is beside what is usually my spot isn’t lost on me. I slide up beside her, tap her with my knee, and smirk when she rolls her eyes at me. Kevin takes his usual place across from me, and the pretty boy sits across from Linds. Harriet goes on and on about how excited she is to have Tag and his mile-long accolades while I try hard not to shoot death glares his way. On paper, he’d be a much better fit for Lindsey, and I can’t help but wonder if she got him the job. Maybe they really are secret lovers, but if that was the case, why did she try to kiss me last night?
“The hell is wrong with you, Garrett?” Neville barks when Harriet finally takes a breath.
“Headache. Nothing I can’t handle, Sir.”
“Quit with the Sir bullshit. I tell you about that at least twice a day, boy.” He glares at me over top of his coffee cup. “Too much drinking last night?”
Kevin chuckles, and Lindsey gasps softly. There goes the goddamn tent in my pants like I’m some horny teenager again. Her grandfather is ready to lay into my ass for being hungover, and I’m picturing what she’d look like gasping underneath me.
“God, no. Learned that lesson the hard way, plenty of years ago.”
“Hm,” he murmurs. “Must be a woman then. Good for you, boy. It’s been a while since you’ve had a lady friend. Have some decency and bring her over for dinner.”
I nearly spit my eggs out. What would he say if he knew the only lady I was interested in is sitting at the table already?
“Oooo. Has Garrett had lady callers? Please tell me you don’t kick them
out as soon as you’re finished with them.” Lindsey bats her eyes, and Kevin bursts into laughter.
“Christ. I’ve dated, but I’m not a pig.” I tell her with a pointed gaze. There’s so much more I want to say to her. Like how it’s her face I’ve imagined. How no one has ever sparked my interest the way she has.
I don’t know what it is about her. Deep down, I’m afraid my attraction to her is solely because I know she’s off-limits. Plus, it would really not look good if she was tangled up with one of her sponsors. Even if she doesn’t know about my affiliation to her sponsor or the fact that part of Addington Ranch’s sponsorship is paid for by me too.
“Oink. Oink.” Kevin teases, pulling back into the conversation.
“Well, you kids finish up. I’m headed to a meeting with one of our vendors. I’ll catch up with you later.” Neville takes his dishes into the kitchen and kisses Harriet on the cheek. “Love you.”
Like always, she blushes and swats at her husband. “Be safe, my love.”
Once he’s out the front door, Harriet takes Tag’s empty plate and hers to the kitchen. “We should get going too. I’ve got a few riders coming in early this morning.”
“I have an appointment in town this morning. You two behave.” Kevin makes his escape, leaving me alone with Lindsey and I curse under my breath. “Dad should be back today Linds, I know he’ll be excited to see you.” He pauses only for a minute to call out over his shoulder.
She nods. “I guess I’ll start on the dishes and you can go do whatever it is you do.”
Leaving her to it, I head for the barn to turn the family horses out and clean the stalls, except someone has already beat me to it. I check the feed buckets finding them good to go too. Moving on down my list, I head over to check on the pigs and chickens. While the ranch’s income comes from the cattle we breed, raise, and sell; The plot of land that the Addington’s private residence sits on is also set up so that they came mostly live off the land. The livestock and crops I manage help cut down the on the Addington’s grocery bill, that’s for sure.
I couldn’t do it all alone, though. That’s where Austin, my good friend and second in charge of the private farm, comes in. I haven’t spotted him yet, but he must have come in early today and beat me to some of the chores.
Once I’ve made my rounds, I make my way back to the barn office to look over the paperwork and check on supplies. Grain and feed are due to come in today, and I’m relieved that I’ll have some physical labor to burn off all of my frustrations.
Until it’s time for me to go pick up our order, I busy myself avoiding Lindsey as much as possible. Doing my best to disappear whenever she’s near. Her close proximity is distracting and frustrating all the same.
While I’m tinkering with an old tractor, I spot her out in the ring working on her jumps with Shadow. Hoping she can’t see me, I move around for a better view and watch as she moves seamlessly with her partner. It’s the first time since she came home that I’ve let myself breathe and really soak her in.
I’ve missed watching her in her element. The bond she has with her horse and how well they work together. On the very last jump, Shadow hesitates and nearly knocks Lindsey off. I gasp and hold my breath, but she regains her composure, and they try again. He still refuses and I can practically feel the frustration rolling off of her.
Wiping my greasy hands on my pants, I walk to the fence and watch closer. This time I see Lindsey tense and know that Shadow’s feeling it.
“Try to relax. You’re pulling and squeezing him. He can sense you’re unease.” I tell her as she circles around.”
“Since when did you become the expert?”
“Been here long enough. You learn a thing or two.”
“Yeah, well. I’m not tense, so you can just go away now.”
“What’s wrong, Pony Princess? Do I make you nervous?”
“No, Garrett. You get on my nerves,” she huffs, guiding Shadow to the side of the arena. “Open the gate. Please.”
Doing as she requested, I open the gate and watch as she trots off with Shadow.
“I’ll be back for lunch. I think Shadow and I need a little alone time.”
“See ya,” I call after her and get back to work.
Later that afternoon, I’m tossing hay from the back of the truck to the pile beside the barn when Lindsey damn near sneaks up on me.
“You look like you could use a cold drink and a bite to eat.”
My heart beats wildly in my chest. “Good Lord. Make a little noise next time and let a guy know you’re coming, would ya.”
“Oh, believe me, you’d have no problem knowing when I’m coming.”
Nearly swallowing my own damn tongue, I hop down and take the glass of sweet tea from her.
“I guess Neville and Kev aren’t back yet?”
“Nope.” She climbs up on the tailgate of the truck and sets a plate with two sandwiches next to her.
“Don’t get too comfortable; I’ve still got a lot to get done. But I appreciate you looking out for me.” I tap her nose because I know it will piss her off.
“Garrett,” she glares with fire in her eyes.
Mission accomplished. The sooner I can put space between us again, the better off we’ll both be.
2
Lindsey
“That’s great, just like that. Relax back into the saddle.” I walk alongside the horse and its rider.
Lord knows I need something to keep me busy and keep my mind off of the brooding cowboy who’s been avoiding me. The extra income wouldn’t exactly hurt either. I had sponsors and won prize money at nearly every show and I’d invested well, but that money wouldn’t last forever. And if there were no shows, there would be no more money coming in.
Addington Ranch and Stables may take up a little over 62 acres and house several different income streams for my family, but maintaining that kind of land, the cattle, horses, and any of the other farm animals took a lot of investment. If I ever wanted to get back to my dreams of running my own equine therapy center and add to my family’s legacy, I was going to need the money to do it.
Dad and Kevin both had their places at the ranch with Dad managing the small guided hunting retreat on the opposite end of the property, away from the stables. Kevin was the family’s marketing and financial genius, but when he wasn’t playing with numbers, he loved to work with horses that were hard to break.
Then there’s the incredible love story that is Gramps and Grams.
Gramps is a third-generation cattle rancher who also happens to love horses and my grandmother. Grams is a horse lover who grew up on what once Sullivan Stables, the 40-acre horse farm, and equestrian training center that backed up to the Addington Ranch. It was my great-grandfather Albert Sullivan who gifted the 40 acres to Gramps and Grams as a wedding present as long as Gramps vowed to keep the property as a horse stable but baring the Addington name.
Grams trained trick riders and showjumpers for years before stepping back and overseeing the day to day operations instead. Addington Stables is where my late mother got her love of the sport from - until that sport tragically took her life.
I was three when my mother died and Kevin was six. She was training another rider when the horse spooked, Mom tried to get the rider out of the way when and fell. The horse jumped and landed on her skull. It was all one of those completely freak things that no one could have ever predicted happening.
You’d think a tragedy like that would push us all away from such sports, but Dad always said - Mom would never want that. By the time I was old enough to jump, Grams was coaching me just like my mother would have. In a way, it was how we healed.
“You’re doing great, Jacob. Remember what we talked about when it’s time to jump,” I encourage as they come to the first hurdle. Hunter takes the hurdle with ease.
Jacob is a ten-year-old boy who really wants to get into show jumping one day and with options so narrow right now, I couldn’t possibly turn down the chance to provide th
is guy a place to practice at. His dad was a friend of Kevin’s and he told me how they were looking for a coach too, at least until the whole world wasn’t on lockdown.
I had a reputation as one of the fiercest and youngest on the team, but none of that really mattered with the postponement and nothing to fall back on.
Showjumping was just supposed to be a way for me to get my Occupational Therapy degree so I could work with kids and adults alike. Build their confidence and body awareness both on and off the back of a horse. The minute I knew that equine-assisted therapy existed, I knew I’d found my life’s work.
I’ll be the first to admit that it was hard juggling all the demands required to get my degree and maintain a fierce training and show schedule, but somehow, I did it and at the cost of nearly exhausting myself.
Working with Jacob was slowly renewing my passion for my real dream - to run my own equine therapy center. With a little luck, I could open it right here on Addington Ranch, expanding my family’s legacy. Maybe this whole thing was divine intervention. But the question remained, could I really give up Olympic Gold and refocus on this, right here?
Only time would tell. I loved show jumping and I knew what an opportunity had been given to me when I was just twenty-six. Bringing home my first gold medal meant that I’d hopefully have even more of a name to back myself up when I launched my own business.
In my peripheral vision, I spot Garrett standing alongside the fence, talking with Jacob’s dad and stealing glances my way. While he’s been busy avoiding me since the other night, I still feel the heat in his gaze anytime his eyes lock on me. It’s enough to drive me crazy.
Sooner or later, we’re going to have to talk about the elephant in the room. After all, Garrett can only run from me for so long.
“Do you want to ride Hunter back to the barn and give him a brush down?” I ask Jacob, who nods enthusiastically. “Alright, let’s do it.”
In the barn, we work together to untack the horse and gently brush him down. When we’re finished, I lead Jacob over to the hand sink and help him wash up before he runs off with his father.
