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things like that to my boss.
    That got a small laugh out of him. “Don’t worry. I don’t expect you’re the type to work for someone else for long. But I’m happy to get you back on your feet. And I plan on getting plenty of work out of you before you’re ready to strike out on your own again.” His brow rose. “And you never know. You just might learn something from me.”
    “Stranger things have happened.” I grinned. “You might just learn something from me too.”
    “Oh, I look forward to it.” He rose up from his chair, stretching his lean frame.
    I couldn’t help but take it in. I mean… come on. He was wearing a long-sleeved button-down blue shirt and tan cargo pants that were tucked into knee-high brown boots, and half chaps. There was a glint of silver on his heels where his spurs rested. I know most people think cowboys are hot and probably don’t give much thought to the formal style of English riding. It can be so much sexier than you think. Ethan was the perfect mix of professional plus comfort. The only bummer was that the sleeves of his shirt covered up the sleeves of his tattoos.
    “Are you ready to get started? My plan is to assign you a couple of horses to work each day, and then I have a list of projects to do around here through the winter months. We rarely have any clients come in during this season, so it’s a good time to get things done. I’ll leave it to you to decide how you want to divide your time. As long as it gets done, I don’t care.”
    “I’m game. But I haven’t ridden for a couple of months now. Go easy on me.”
    He spared me a sideways glance as he threw on his jacket. “Come on. You need to cowgirl up.”
    We spent the next half hour walking through the farm, discussing my tasks. Then I sat to fill out some paperwork, mainly liability forms, while Ethan went on about his day. I found that I really would be able to do my own thing here, and I liked that idea. I didn’t want to be hovered over.
    A while later, I was about to swing into the saddle for the first time in almost three months. I think that was a record for me. Ethan rounded the corner on a big bay gelding.
    “Nervous?” he asked, grinning at me.
    “Ha! Well, I wasn’t. But now I’m reconsidering. However, I don’t think old Bessie here is going to damage me like the last thing I rode.” I patted the chestnut mare’s neck affectionately.
    “That is Ginger.” He pointed to my ride. “And don’t let her fool you. Back in the day, she was something else.”
    “I’m sure she was.” I laughed. “I meant no offense, Ginger.” Her ears flicked back to me as I settled into the seat.
    “I figured for the next couple of weeks I’d let you stick with the quieter rides. We have some older horses that just need to stretch their legs. Shouldn’t be anything you can get into much trouble on. Right?”
    “In theory,” I mumbled under my breath.
    “I have a lot of work for you coming up, so don’t break anything at least.”
    I rolled my eyes and started to ride off. “Deal.”
    “Hey, do you wanna do dinner tonight to celebrate your first day?” he called out from behind me.
    “Oh, um, yeah. Sure!” My words fumbled in my restrained giddiness. I looped Ginger back around to face him. “Where and when?”
    “I’m in the mood for Mexican food. Meet me at my place at seven?”
    “Sure thing.”
    “All right. I’ll see you then.” He grinned, then looked at his watch. “I have some appointments this afternoon. Are you good on everything here?”
    “Yep. I’ve got it covered.”
    My first day back in the saddle plus dinner with Ethan? Best. Ever.

Chapter 4
    I rolled back onto Ethan’s property after leaving an hour before to go home and shower. I was right on time because I despised being late to anything. I wasn’t sure where we were going since there were no good Mexican restaurants that I was aware of in the area. But I was wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt and my favorite pair