When Katy blinked her eyes open to the sight of sun peeking through her shades, it took her a full minute to figure out where she was. All she knew at first was that this was not her lovely villa apartment in Los Angeles.

She sat up quickly, her eyes wildly taking in the quaint cottage surroundings for a moment before it all came back to her.

Falling back on her pillow, she let out a loud groan, shoving a pillow over her head as if that could block out the sad truth. “I’m in Montana.”

Land of cows, horses, and irritating cowboys. None of which she was familiar with and all of which made her distinctly uneasy. She pulled the pillow away as the events of the previous night came back to her. A pair of warm brown eyes filled with laughter as she’d shooed him out of her temporary home.

He’d insisted on carrying her luggage and showing her where the light switches were, how to adjust the heat…He’d been so darn considerate.

Not a bad trait, she supposed, but she wasn’t familiar with it and it put her at a disadvantage. The nicer he was, the more keenly aware she was of just how distinctly not gracious she’d been from the moment they’d met.

But today was a new day, she told herself as she pushed off the pretty patchwork quilt and sat up in bed.

She took in her surroundings with fresh eyes and in the bright light of day. It was still cozy, but in the daylight it was cheerful. Homey, even. The bed had been comfortable—not Egyptian cotton sheets, but she’d slept like the dead, so that had to count for something.

Of course, the fact that it was deathly silent outside was a negative. She’d lain in bed for a solid ten minutes listening to the sound of her heartbeat as her mind replayed Dax’s goodnight like some sort of infatuated teen.

It wasn’t like he’d kissed her goodnight, he’d just stopped in the doorway, holding his hat in his hands like some old-fashioned cowboy from the past. Like Gary Cooper in High Noon or something. He’d given her a long, searching look and for a minute she’d thought he’d say something meaningful, maybe try to apologize again for so obviously not wanting her here.

She’d said a fervent prayer that he would do no such thing. Her tired self couldn’t have handled another blow to her pride or the subtle art of deflection.

In the end all he’d said was, “Goodnight, Katy,” in that rich, low baritone of his that made her shiver even all these hours later.

She’d heard that voice as she’d lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering how on earth anyone could sleep without the gentle cacophony of city noise to lull her into slumber. City traffic with the occasional siren…it always put her at ease.

Of course, she’d managed just fine once she’d turned on the white noise app on her phone. As soon as the white noise kicked on, she’d conked out and this morning she was refreshed. Ready to take on the world.

Or, at the very least, grab some breakfast.

She padded into the little home’s walk-in kitchen and opened the pantry and the fridge, frowning at the meager contents. Then she groaned and let her head drop to her chest as it came back to her, one of the many fun facts Dax had passed along as he’d gotten her settled in.

Alice had gotten groceries to stock her fridge...in the city. So those lovely groceries, which she’d bought based on the list Katy had sent her of her preferences, were now being held hostage by whatever cruel trick of fate had kept Alice stranded in Bozeman.

Ugh. Would nothing about this trip go, right?

Three days, she reminded herself. She would be in and out, long enough to give Hannah a full report on why a wedding at this hillbilly, wannabe-high-end retreat in the middle of nowhere was a terrible idea.

Her stomach’s growl of displeasure interrupted her pep talk. She couldn’t go without food for three days, or even three more minutes. She hadn’t eaten since her layover in Seattle and she was starving, which meant she was either doomed to wither away in agony in this cozy den of hominess or she could take Dax up on his offer of breakfast. He’d said he’d leave something out for her.

She paused at the thought. Could she really face Dax Deckland again this morning? They may have made nice for the remainder of that interminably long ride to the ranch, but everything about him put her on edge.

Except his voice. That was soothing, actually. And his eyes. They were rather lovely. And his smile when he wasn’t laughing at her. And—

Enough already!

That right there—that ridiculous trip down swoony lane. That was why she couldn’t face him this morning and that was what put her on edge. He affected her. For some reason, he got to her when no other guy had been able to pierce the wall she’d been living behind since she’d left her ex and moved to California. Why him? Why Dax? What was it about him that got through to her when no one else had?

She had no idea. It wasn’t like she liked him-liked him. Heck, she wasn’t even sure she liked him, period. They were obviously not compatible. But try telling that to the butterflies in her stomach.

No, she definitely did not want to face him right now.

Her stomach grumbled again.

But did she really have a choice?

Besides, he was a cowboy. Didn’t they rise at the crack of dawn? He’d probably be long gone by the time she showed up.

She threw open her luggage and tossed on a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted T-shirt. Tossing her bedhead hair up into a ponytail that made her look half her age she called it good. She hesitated over the shoes, finally opting for slingback sandals with only a kitten heel.

There. She studied her reflection critically. Not the prettiest she’d ever been, but she looked the part. She eyed the shoes again. Sort of.

Whatever, it was good enough.

She headed toward the door as her empty stomach urged her on. The moment she stepped foot on the path outside her house, she stopped. Then she blinked. As she gasped for air, she nearly lost her footing, and it had nothing to do with the kitten heels.

The view…the view was incredible! She’d missed it last night because it was dark when they’d arrived. All she’d been aware of was the dirt path at her feet, which was just barely visible in the moonlight.

But now…she couldn’t budge as her eyes devoured the scenery, trying to make sense of it. It was like she’d just been thrust into a scene from Sound of Music. Everywhere she looked there were rolling green hills and in the distance there were snow-capped mountains that looked too perfectly peaked to be real.

This was a soundstage. She’d knocked her head in her LA apartment and had woken on the set of a movie, complete with a terribly realistic green screen.

That made more sense in her mind that the fact that this was real. She turned around slowly, noting distantly that she was, in fact, reenacting a very Maria moment by twirling on the mountainside. But really, she had to try and take it all in, the epic gloriousness of it all.

She felt lightheaded, but not due to hunger. Well, maybe partially due to hunger, and maybe a little oxygen deprivation too. But no, this lightheadedness wasn’t just in her head, it was in her whole body. She felt…light. Free.

Happy.

It was ridiculous that a nice setting could have such a visceral effect, but there it was. She was deliriously happy…giddy even. When on earth had she been giddy last, if ever?

So this was the appeal. Huh. Now she got it…sort of. This was what Hannah was going on about, the kind of magical experience she wanted for her guests.

Some of her happiness deflated slightly as she realized what this meant.

She was starting to come around to this ridiculous plan of hosting the wedding here. At a ranch.

She sighed. Well, this was an unexpected turn of events.

Turning once more, she now faced the path leading to the main house. The little cottage she was in seemed to be part of a little village, of sorts, nestled in the valley of two tree-covered hills with the rest of the ranch sprawled out below them. One main dirt path connected the houses and some other barn-like structures, and at the bottom of the path was a sprawling, clapboard home that was very clearly the main residence.

She followed the path and when it came around a slight bend she saw that in the opposite direction were some more stables and sheds, or whatever. She wasn’t exactly an expert on these things. All she knew for certain was that they seemed to be animal-related judging by the whiffs of manure and hay coming from that direction.

The back door to the house was open and she let herself in, ignoring the brief surge of nerves and reminding herself once again that Dax was likely already out at work, whatever that entailed.

She nearly ran into a man wearing a cowboy hat who’d turned the corner into the little mud room just inside the door. His eyes widened at the sight of her before tipping his hat—yes, that’s right he tipped his hat. “Morning, ma’am.”

Oh boy. While he was no Dax, this guy was handsome in a classic movie star way, all sharp features and piercing blue eyes. She found herself blinking rapidly in shocked admiration. She murmured something in reply that she sincerely hoped made sense, but honestly she was too stricken to know. She may not have spoken English at all. As he walked past her out the door, she turned the corner where he’d just come from.

Did hot cowboys grow on trees around here? Also, why did everyone insist on calling her ma’am?

Dax’s voice stopped her in the doorway. His back was to her and he clearly wasn’t speaking to her as he flipped some eggs on the stove. “Oh, and James, don’t forget to check the fence on the eastern border today.”

She dropped her voice low. “I won’t forget.”

He whirled around so quickly she started to laugh, and then her laughter grew exponentially at the sight before her.

Dax Deckland, Mr. Manly Man himself, was wearing an apron and wielding a spatula like a sword. He lowered his weapon at the sight of her and his lips hitched up in a rueful grin. He looked down at his getup and then back at her with an arched brow. “Like it?”

Her breath caught in her throat for the second time that morning and her laughter tapered off. Did she like what she saw? Yes. Yes, she did. Sure, his outfit was ridiculous, but that mischievous twinkle in his eyes was devastatingly sexy. And the fact that he could laugh at himself made him that much more likeable.

Dang. He wasn’t supposed to be likeable, he was an alpha male, the kind she avoided like the plague. It was bad enough he was so appealing to her senses, she absolutely did not need to be developing any warm and fuzzy feelings around him.

He gestured to the table. “Breakfast?”

Her gasp sounded funny even to her. Breakfast should not be so surprising, but still… “You did this?”

His expression was filled with amusement at her disbelief. “Believe it or not, I know my way around a kitchen.”

She eyed the array of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and muffins. “I believe it.”

He pulled out a chair for her and she was so excited to delve into breakfast she forgot to be annoyed by his old-fashioned ways.

“You must have been working all morning,” she said, already digging in. She looked up to see him shrug as he headed back to the stove.

“I always get up early for chores, and I figured you’d be hungry this morning because you didn’t take me up on my offer of a late-night meal last night.”

She grinned at her fully loaded plate. “You were right, I was starving. I was hungry last night, too, but I needed sleep more than anything.”

“It was a long day, I’d imagine.” His voice held more to it and she wondered what he was thinking. Before she could ask, he was all business, putting down his utensils and wiping his hands off on his apron as he turned to face her. “So, Alice called to say that she’s still stuck in Bozeman—”

She stopped herself before she could groan. He was going to such lengths to be a gracious host, the least she could do was be gracious in return.

“She asked that I send along her apologies and, uh…” He looked so uncomfortable she arched her brows in question as she shoveled more food in her mouth.

“She asked that I act as your tour guide for the day.”

She almost choked on her pancake but managed to swallow it. “That’s not necessary, I can find my own way and—”

“No offense, Katy, but this ranch is bigger than all of Manhattan and it’s grizzly season. I’m guessing you may not want to be wandering the range on your own.”

She opened her mouth to protest out of habit. Her father and her ex had instilled a sense of the ornery in her. The need to rebel whenever anyone of the masculine persuasion tried to tell her what was best.

It’s for your protection. She could practically hear Rick’s voice in her head and it made her cringe.

But then, Rick had been talking about investing her money in a mutual fund of his choosing, not protecting her from bears.

She clamped her mouth shut. Financial decisions she would make on her own, but going up against bears? She supposed she could accept a little protection just this once. So instead of protesting she gave a short nod. “All right then. What did you have in mind?”

He poured a hot mug of coffee, the smell of which made her salivate as he set it in front of her. “I thought we’d start in the immediate vicinity—I could show you all the guest houses where the wedding party would be staying, and then after that we could pack a lunch and I’ll show you some of the spots Alice had in mind for the actual wedding. What do you say?”

She stared at him, sipping at her coffee to hide the fact that she was temporarily speechless. What did she say? Picnicking at wedding venues, one would assume the most romantic locations on this romantic property.

She swallowed and sputtered a bit at the piping hot liquid scalded her throat.

“Sounds…” Romantic. “Perfect.”

Once she was done with her meal she made an attempt to clear her plate and load it in the dishwasher, but Dax gripped her by her shoulders, took the plate from her hands, and ordered her back out the way she’d come in.

She was about to protest further, but he cut her off by frowning down at her shoes. “You don’t have anything slightly more practical in that luggage of yours, do you?”

She pursed her lips. “Of course I do.”

He nodded toward the door. “I’ll clean up here and pick you up at your place in a minute.”

She was waiting outside with a brand-new, not-at-all-comfortable pair of hiking boots on her feet. They felt bulky and clumsy compared to the dainty heels she loved so much, but she supposed she could bear it if it meant not having to worry about snake bites or insects touching her bare skin.

Dax greeted her with a smile that made her warm despite the steady breeze. Man, he had a beautiful smile. Beautiful wasn’t a word she’d use for Dax—that cowboy she’d run into earlier, maybe, but not Dax. He was too manly, too rugged. But his smile? It was a thing of beauty.

They started with the guest homes, as he’d suggested, and Katy pestered him with questions, her focus entirely on the logistics of what Hannah’s wedding party would need. Hannah and her fiancé, another Hollywood star who everyone on the planet had heard of except for Dax, were planning on keeping the wedding small. Very small, in fact. But, despite that, neither she nor her fiancé came from humble beginnings. She was from a finance family and he came from a family of directors, producers, and actors.

So while they may not need a lot of rooms, they would certainly require all the amenities of home. Katy had brought along a little notepad and jotted down questions and comments as she went so she could pass it all along to Hannah next time they spoke.

Dax was knowledgeable and helpful, answering questions and offering solutions when need be.

By the time they left the last house, Katy was far more relaxed than she had been since waking. Having business to focus on helped her to let down the last of her guard around this man. As long as the conversation remained on wedding logistics, she would be just fine.

“So, have you ever been married?” Dax asked as they headed back down the path toward the main house.

She stumbled over a rock. Those were not the wedding logistics she’d meant. And man, these boots were clunky. “What? Um…no. Not quite.”

Not quite? She rolled her eyes at her own spastic response. Dumb answer.

He grinned down at her. “Not quite?”

She shrugged. “I was engaged for a while. For a long time, actually. But we never actually pulled the trigger.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment as they headed toward the main house. To her surprise, they turned toward the stables rather than the house. “Let me guess,” he said. “Fear of commitment?”

“Him or me?” she asked. Why it mattered, she had no idea, but for some reason she wanted to know. She was ready to be offended, even as she knew without a doubt that fear of commitment was absolutely one of her flaws.

“Him,” he said. He flashed her a quick smile. “Aren’t men always the ones accused of commitment issues?”

She shrugged. “That’s a pretty sexist view.”

He didn’t respond and she mentally chided herself for her sharp tongue. He’d been nothing but kind this morning—a bit too chivalrous again, perhaps—but not presumptuous or cocky. So, she added, “But true, I suppose. Men do have the worse reputation on that front.”

“But that wasn’t the case for you.” His tone was probing, the statement leading. But how to answer? They reached the entrance to the stalls and she hesitated.

“I guess I was the one with a case of cold feet.”

“Afraid of the commitment?” he asked.

“Afraid of making a mistake,” she said. “Still am. I haven’t really dated since then because I’m not sure I trust myself to make the right choice.”

Her mouth went dry as she realized how much she’d said. When she glanced up she saw that he was watching her closely, and she had the feeling he was seeing too much. That he’d heard more than she’d meant to say.

Why had she opened up like that? This wasn’t his business but something about him made her too comfortable even as his physical presence made her nervous like a teenager.

The sound of horses whinnying filled the air as they entered. “You don’t expect me to ride one of these, do you?”

His laughter was low and soft. “Not if you don’t want to. And definitely not today. We’re heading too far for a novice rider. But if you ever want to try—”

“No, thanks.” She’d said it too quickly and she saw his narrowed eyed look in response.

“Katy?”

“Yes?”

“Are you afraid of horses?”

She let out a little snort but she also didn’t budge from the doorway of the stables. “What? No. Of course not.”

He didn’t look as though he believed her.

She cleared her throat and pushed herself away from the door, eyeing the first gigantic horse warily. It eyed her back with those big, all-seeing eyes of his. Or hers. Whatever. Dax seemed to be waiting for her to speak.

“I just have a healthy sense of respect for their size,” she said.

“Well, that’s smart,” he said. Was that laughter in his voice?

She snuck a peek at him over her shoulder and saw that he was absently rubbing one of the horses as he watched her, waiting.

She let out a long exhale. “And maybe I was thrown from a horse once,” she said quickly. “As a kid.”

She heard him walk up behind her, his boots crunching on the dirt and hay at their feet. “And you didn’t get back on? You know that’s the best way to conquer a fear of horses.”

“And everything else, from what I hear,” she quipped. The joke fell flat. “You know, everyone uses that analogy for everything and…”

He was watching her far too intently and her voice faded off in response.

“I think you should try again.”

She bristled. There he went again, acting as if he knew what was best for her. “I suppose you expect me to trust you,” she said. “You expect me to believe I’d be safe as long as you’re by my side?”

“Yes.”

She’d been teasing, mocking even, but his answer was deadly serious.

“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

She stared at him, not because the words were so meaningful, but because his tone was. There was a depth there, a meaning to the words, as if he was telling her so much more. He’d made the words sound like a vow and they spoke to her, slipping through the cracks in her defenses and making her feel achey…and tired.

She felt oddly weary like it took the weight of the world to keep up the defenses she typically wore without even thinking, without even trying.

But around him? It was exhausting.

She couldn’t even come up with a retort so she turned around and found herself face to gigantic face with one of the silent, creepy beasts. With a gasp, she stumbled back but the stupid, clunky boots tripped her up and she fell on her backside—hard.

She winced as pain lanced through her and by the time she opened her eyes, Dax was before her, kneeling in front of her as if he was about to propose. Before she could say what are you doing? he was feeling her ankles and running a hand over her legs.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

She couldn’t answer. She also couldn’t breathe. His touches weren’t inappropriate, but the contact felt electric. He was so close; she was temporarily stunned by his heavenly scent and the warmth coming off him.

His gaze moved up from her ankle and met hers. “Did you hurt anything?”

The honest concern in his eyes finally jarred her out of her stupor and she managed a short laugh. “Just my pride.”

His lips twitched up at the corners as he came to a stand and reached down to help her. “What happened? Did you trip over something?”

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “Yes. My feet.”

His lips pressed together in what was clearly a valiant attempt to not laugh at her. She rolled her eyes and let out a rueful laugh of her own. “Go ahead. You can laugh. It’s ridiculous.” She looked down at her now dusty, dirty jeans and boots. “I blame the boots.”

“The boots, huh?” Dax hitched his thumbs in his jeans’ pockets as he assessed the footwear in question. “Don’t they fit?”

“No, they fit,” she said, kicking one of the offensive shoes in question into the dirt. “But they feel weird. I don’t normally wear boots.”

“I’ve noticed,” he said.

When she glanced up and met his warm gaze, filled with laughter, her insides turned to putty. It was hard to suck in air as the oxygen between them seemed to ignite and catch on fire.

What on earth was he doing to her? Was this some sort of side effect of not having a boyfriend for so long? The first guy she’s attracted to suddenly becomes irresistible.

Yes, that must be it.

She dragged her gaze away, settling on the horse next to her, the one she’d thoroughly spooked with her clumsy fall. “Sorry to startle you…” She spotted a carved sign next to the stall. “Edward.”

She turned to Dax. “What sort of name is that for a horse? Is it a nod to Mr. Ed or something?”

He grinned and some of the tension between them eased further but the butterflies in her stomach responded to the smile by bursting into flight.

“Not quite,” he said. “This one here belongs to Alice. She went through a bit of a vampire phase as a teen-ager and because our ranch is called Twilight...” He shrugged. “It seemed fitting, I suppose.”

She bit her lip. She would not laugh. She would not laugh. She would not—

A snort-laugh escaped and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Luckily Dax responded with a good-natured grin.

“I’m sorry,” she said, dropping her hand. “It’s just…you don’t seem like someone who’s read the Twilight series.”

He arched an eyebrow. “When my parents died, my brother and I had a moody teen-age girl on our hands and it was our responsibility to raise her.” One side of his mouth hitched up in a little smile. “I would have read just about anything if it meant getting some insight into a teen girl’s mind.”

The mention of his deceased parents stole the laughter from her. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, even though she knew he hadn’t told her to win her sympathy.

“Me too,” he said simply. Before the mood could grow too heavy, his eyes flashed with humor. “But hey, now I’m an expert on boy bands too so…there’s that.”

She pretended to shudder. “I’m so sorry for that too.”

His head fell back with a low laugh that made her feel shy and confident all at once. She wanted to make him laugh again, the sound was heady.

That heart-melting smile lingered. “So, why didn’t you get back on the horse?”

It felt like he was talking about more. Not just horses. She shifted warily. “The literal horse that threw me or the dating horse?”

His eyes danced with laughter. “Both, I guess.”

Because I’m a scaredy-cat. Because I don’t trust my own judgment. Because…oh mercy, she could spend all day listing her insecurities and hangups, but that’s what she paid a psychiatrist for. So instead, she shrugged. And then she deflected. She knew that’s what she was doing because her psychiatrist pointed it out to her whenever she tried to do that in therapy.

“What about you?” she asked. “How come you’re not married?”

His smile turned to a smirk and she held back an exasperated sigh. Yes, yes, she was so very transparent. But he still hadn’t answered. “Well?”

“I did marry,” he said.

“Oh.” Something inside her crashed and she had no idea why. “I just assumed you weren’t married,” she said as she looked down at her feet. The tangle of emotions made it impossible to face him.

She focused on the emotion that was easiest to untangle from the knot.

Guilt.

Had she actually flirted with him or was she just thinking flirty thoughts? Because thinking flirty thoughts about a married man wasn’t a crime, but flirting with one? That was a no-no.

And had he flirted back or was that all just part of his aw-shucks, cowboy charm?

She was about to work herself into a rage on his wife’s behalf, but then he spoke again.

“I’m not anymore.”

“Oh.” This oh sounded far breathier and came out in a weird, strangled tone. She swallowed and tried again. “I see. When did you, um…”

“Divorce?” he offered. He sounded amused at her inability to say the word, but it wasn’t that. She was the child of divorce. Divorce talk didn’t make her uncomfortable. She’d just had a moment where she’d feared that she’d put her foot in it. What if he’d been a widower?

But he wasn’t. He’d divorced. She tilted her head to the side. Funny, but he didn’t strike her as the type. He seemed so family-oriented that he’d do anything to make a marriage work. “Yeah,” she finally said. “When did you divorce?”

“Shannon and I split up ages ago,” he said. “But the divorce became official yesterday.”

“Yesterday!” She spit out the word too loudly and it made him laugh. This time she definitely hadn’t been trying to amuse. She was honestly gobsmacked. “You don’t…I mean…yesterday?”

He nodded.

“But you look…” She made herself stop and think before opening her mouth again. “What I mean to say is, are you all right?”

He nodded and headed over to another horse to give it some love. “It’s been years coming. I’m not heartbroken or anything.”

She watched him as he watched the horse. She had a feeling it was easier for him to talk to the horse than to her. That she could understand. It was why she had a psychiatrist, after all. Maybe if she lived in the country she’d trade her therapist for a horse.

Live in the country? A voice mocked. Are you crazy?

Clearly, because for a second there it actually sounded appealing.

“That’s what I was doing in Seattle,” Dax said, still focusing on the horse. “Signing the papers.”

She studied his profile. Well, she’d gotten her answer about why he’d been traveling. But it didn’t make sense. “You know, you don’t actually have to sign those in person. You could have just mailed it in.”

He shrugged. When he looked in her direction her blood turned hot in her veins. “It seemed like the kind of thing a man should do in person.” His grin was rueful. “I was there in person when I said the vows, it seemed right to be there when we ended them.”

Despite his words she saw the pain in his eyes and it touched her. She forgot to worry about how he made her feel and worried instead about him. Placing a hand on his arm, she said, “I’m sorry.”

He looked down at her hand but she didn’t pull it away. When his gaze lifted she knew without a doubt that he felt it too, this crazy electric connection between them. The heat that seemed to fill the air whenever they were close.

“I’m not.” He leaned forward slowly, so slowly she could have backed away. But she didn’t. She couldn’t have if her life depended on it.

When his lips met hers, everything disappeared. Every thought, every fear, every anxiety—everything except for this man.

His lips were warm and firm as he kissed her gently, softly. Almost like he was afraid she would break.

The moment was too sweet—the kiss made her heart ache and tears inexplicably sting the back of her eyes. It was a delicious moment in time that made her aware that she was living. Her heart pounded in her ears as magic seemed to weave its way through her veins, making her feel light and heavy all at once.

She could have kissed him forever.

The sound of someone entering the stables had them breaking apart. She stumbled backward and caught herself just in time before she could fall on her bottom for a second time. Reality hit her hard.

Oh my goodness, what was she doing? She clapped a hand over mouth and stared at Dax with wide eyes. His expression was impossible to read but then the intruder scuffed his feet and they both spun to face the man in the doorway, who was frozen in place, a clear giveaway that he had caught them kissing and felt just as uncomfortable as she did.

Not possible.

It was the handsome cowboy she’d seen earlier leaving the house and he gave them a head tilt in greeting even as he tried to back away. “I’m heading to the east ridge, boss. I’ll just, uh…” His voice trailed off as he headed toward one of the stables and set to work readying a horse.

“Great,” Dax said, recuperating faster than her it seemed. He reached out a hand and gripped her elbow gently. “We’re heading out to check out those locations Alice picked out.”

The cowboy nodded, his attention fixed on the horse, for which she was grateful. It meant he couldn’t see how red her cheeks were, though Dax certainly could. His eyes hadn’t left her since they’d broken apart, but his gaze was inscrutable.

“Any idea when Alice will be back?” James asked.

Something about the way he asked made her curious. The casualness in his voice was a little too casual.

“Hopefully before nightfall,” Dax said.

Hopefully. Then he wouldn’t have her on his hands anymore. She bit back that surge of bitterness. She was being ridiculous. Of course he’d be happy to hand her over to Alice and she’d be happy to be rid of him too.

He was a distraction, plain and simple. Yes they shared a connection but that didn’t mean anything.

Her heart begged to differ. She felt a pang as her mind tried to insist that what this was between them was meaningless.

She huffed a sigh as she let Dax lead her out toward a large truck that was parked nearby. Even if it wasn’t meaningless, it didn’t matter. They lived in two different worlds.

There was no future here, not for her.

Funny, but knowing that didn’t make her feel any better.