Pulling on her coat and sliding her feet into her boots, Addison hesitated at the front door. Upstairs, Reid’s voice still echoed out from his room as he got a progress report from back home, making sure his business hadn’t gone under in the day he had spent away from it.

She hadn’t really talked to him after that tense dinner last night, nor had she had a chance to speak with Gage. Having heard the door open and close at around seven in the morning, she figured he was outside, doing whatever it was ranchers did.

Looking down at herself, Addison sighed. Her boots were beige suede, and it had rained during the night. Was she really about to go stomping around out there, looking for Gage on the sprawling estate she knew nothing of?

He had promised her a tour, though, and she wanted to collect on that promise. And see how he was feeling, if she were completely honest. It was clear there wasn’t just anger between him and Reid, there was a lot of hurt, too. Gage’s mention of a funeral only added to the mystery of it all, and while Addison didn’t want to pry, she did want to make sure he was okay.

All right, so maybe there was some curiosity involved as well. But it was her job to be curious, and to dig into every detail. And Gage Atherton was an interesting case, to say the least.

So, she opened the door and stepped outside into a relatively warm fall day. The leaves had barely started to turn color, and the huge oaks spread out around the land stood still in the weak breeze.

The grass was recently mowed, but it was still wet, and the earth sank beneath her steps as she walked, heading for the narrow stone path leading to the back of the house. Head on a swivel, she looked for signs of where Gage might be, while also taking in the beautiful scenery.

Clearly Gage kept his property well-maintained. The trees were trimmed, all the different buildings and sheds freshly painted and even the flat, gray stones she was walking on were smooth and polished.

Gage had mentioned that he had hosted a wedding not long ago, but something about the man made Addison think that had little bearing on how tidy and well-kept everything was.

She surveyed the back of the house, finding a garage and a small workshop there. But there was no sign of Gage. Not one to give up easily, she continued along, setting her sights on what looked like a small barn.

The closer she got, the more she could hear rustling from inside, along with soothing murmurs. Intrigued, she crept closer, as the sound of a horse neighing caught her ear. She stilled for a moment. Having never been a big animal person, and not wanting to disturb Gage as he was in the middle of something, she contemplated whether she should just wait outside until he was finished with whatever he was doing, or maybe go back inside altogether.

“I can hear you sneaking around out there, you know,” Gage called out from inside the building not a moment later.

Hearing his voice put a smile on her face and she carefully stepped closer to the entrance.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she called back. “I’m just taking a walk.”

“Then you must be one slow walker,” Gage teased, popping his head out from behind the barn door.

His cheeks flushed and hair mussed, his flannel shirt clinging to his broad shoulders, he looked even better than she remembered. He threw her a grin that made her forget all about how her boots were being ruined, and filled her gut with giddy anticipation.

“I believe I was promised a tour,” she reminded him.

“Ah, right you are,” he replied. “But it’s a lot of ground to cover and while you look great,” he added, eyeing her up and down, “you’re not exactly dressed for a hike. But don’t worry, I have the solution.”

He gestured her inside and she followed, tentatively. The barn had high ceilings and exposed beams, with brushes, saddles and other things she couldn’t even name hanging on the walls. Stalls lined the space on either side, with most of them filled with hay.

Only two stalls had horses in them, one brown and shiny, the other gray with dark spots. Both looked huge and intimidating to Addison, as the brown one snorted and shook its mane, stomping its front hoof against the ground.

Majestic and sinewy, the horse looked restless as it moved forward and backward in the stall, arching its neck.

Gage flattened his palm against the horse’s nose, rubbing it in a downward motion.

“Is it… angry?” Addison asked.

“No,” he laughed. “Just eager. His name is Ace. That sweet old girl over there is Abby,” he gestured to the gray horse.

She blinked at Addison with dark, calm eyes. Despite her fear, Addison slowly walked closer, tempted to reach out and touch the horse. Abby brought her head lower, tilting it from side to side.

“Go on,” Gage encouraged.

Slowly, Addison reached out, brushing the tips of her fingers against Abby’s neck. Abby nickered, nudging at Addison with her large nose. Stepping closer, Addison pressed her palm against the horse’s smooth coat, sliding it down Abby’s long neck.

“She likes you,” Gage commented. “Then again, she likes most people.”

“I’ll still take it as a compliment,” Addison laughed. “Wait, is this the solution you were talking about? You want me to get on a horse?”

“What, big-shot Chicago lawyer afraid to go on a little ride?” Gage arched a brow at her.

“I’m good at success assessment,” she replied. “And given my lack of experience…” she trailed off, giving Abby a pat before stepping away from the stall.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way,” he assured her, turning to face her. “Abby is the perfect horse for a beginner, and I promise – you’ll be having fun before you know it.”

He was now only a foot away, his face close to hers as he spoke. In a foolish daydream, Addison imagined him reaching out and touching her, maybe a hand on her shoulder, or perhaps even on her hip…

She didn’t want to admit it, but if Gage were to grab her in his arms and kiss her, she wouldn’t pull away. No, she would lean into his touch, find out exactly how his lips felt against hers. If only he would make that first move…

“Uh,” Addison stammered, trying to clear her head. “Fun. Yes. Fun is good.”

“Great, then let’s get our friends here saddled up,” Gage beamed at her, as she groaned internally.

This wasn’t her. She didn’t lose her mind at the sight of a hot guy. In her life, every pro and con was carefully weighed, every decision made with care and thought. Yet when it came to Gage, it seemed her hormones had taken over, and her ability to form full sentences became unreliable.

And now she was going horseback riding. Her. The woman who just touched a horse for the first time a minute ago.

Yet the opportunity for some alone time with Gage was too tempting for her to back out now.

Here’s hoping my headstone won’t read ‘died trying to impress a hot cowboy’, she sighed to herself.