A sneak peek at the first book in my new small town romance series set in Kentucky horse country...

“Hey Mick! Where are you?”

Michaela rolled her eyes at her brother’s unmistakable shout. She was where she always was. With the horses. This time she was currying Grace and the filly was leaning into the brush, half-asleep.

“In here!” Mick called.

The barn door thumped shut and she heard boots on the wood planks.

“I brought the new trainer to meet you.”

Mick eased up. The new trainer? She was the lead trainer at Starrlight Farms. What hellish fuckery was this?

“The new trainer?” She asked as she turned, trying to keep the fury out of her voice. Her brother backed up when he saw her face, so she obviously wasn’t hiding her reaction very well.

“Whoa! I thought you knew,” he said and raised his hands.

“I’m Calder Erickson.”

The voice was deep. Like bottom of the bourbon barrel, dark, potent baritone deep. When she flicked her gaze to the man standing beside Kyle, cool green eyes met her own.

Mick didn’t have time for voices like that. Or eyes the weird color of old glass soda bottles. Or shoulders that ridiculously broad.

She ignored his outstretched hand. “I’m sure you already know who I am. And what I do.” Mick leveled a glare at her brother.

“Your dad said you help out,” the job thief said as he wedged his hands into his back pockets.

Mick groaned in exasperation before she stalked toward him. Her ragged nail landed on him and hit something under the worn cotton of his long-sleeved t-shirt. He stumbled, and she wished his expression wasn’t hidden by the bill of his hat.

“I do a helluva lot more than help out. I have a PhD in Equestrian Science and I made the Olympic dressage team twice. I run this farm’s breeding and training programs.”

“I wasn’t throwing shade, Miss Starr.”

His voice was even and amused. He was laughing at her expense - even if it was only on the inside.

“Well I don’t know you from Adam, and I’m not going to roll out the welcome mat.”

“I don’t expect you to,” he drawled. “But maybe we can at least be courteous to each other?”

“I don’t extend courtesy to job thieves and I’ll be speaking with my father at the earliest opportunity to get this mess straightened out.”