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He wouldn’t hear her laugh or see her smile. He wouldn’t be able to just spend time in the sunshine that she exuded without even trying. Maybe being human wasn’t all bad.

A few minutes later, Maple seemed to settle down. Her ears weren’t swiveling back and forth, and her restlessness had ebbed. She was like a living, breathing mood ring.

He got to his feet and inched closer to her, only somewhat surprised when she allowed him to touch her this time. It was still ridiculous, but he could see the perks to training a horse to do what she’d been able to.

Now he just needed to get a handle on these growing feelings for Grace that refused to abate.

* * *

At about a quarter to six,Riley sat crouched down in front of his motorcycle. The blasted thing was giving him trouble again. At this point he had no idea what it could be. One thing was for certain. He’d need to get it looked at before he drove it back to the city. The last thing he needed was to have it break down when he was halfway there.

Riley placed his hands on his knees and got to his feet. He checked the time, just like he had two minutes ago. Seconds continued to inch along until he could head to the barn to start getting Dolly ready.

The pounding in his chest mimicked what was going on in his head. When he’d suggested the sunset, he hadn’t meant for it to be a date, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it to be—especially after watching that cowboy with Grace.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Riley admonished himself. This was a session. Pure and simple. Grace would never blur the lines of their working relationship, which was also something that he admired about her.

Another look at the time and he’d had enough.

Riley swung his leg over the motorcycle and turned the engine over. After a few tries, it sputtered to life. He rolled it over to the side of the cabin to park it. Then he headed inside for a warmer jacket.

He could arrive early at the barn. Grace didn’t have to know that he couldn’t wait to see her. Riley shoved his hands into his leather jacket and trudged toward the barn. Even if he didn’t start getting Dolly saddled, he could talk to her. Grace had been right about one thing; he really did like the horse they’d given him to start with. She was mild and sweet, and she didn’t reflect the emotions he hated seeing in himself.

The property was considerably less crowded around this time. The lights at the country club were all lit and he could hear faint music coming from the building. He’d seen something about nightly music and refreshments. He wondered if Grace liked to attend those events or if she preferred to stay at home, seeing as that was how she’d been raised.

She probably had her pick of guys. She was pretty enough to be getting that kind of attention. The jealousy returned to his stomach, slithering like a venomous snake. If they weren’t currently in the throes of a therapist-client relationship, he would have no problem showing her just what she could have if she picked someone like him.

Riley stopped, his breath ripped from his lungs when his eyes landed on Grace. She stood in Buster’s stall, already prepping him for the ride. Her head lifted and those beautiful green eyes locked with his.

“Riley, what are you doing here so early?”

“I could ask the same thing of you.” Oh boy. Even when she said his name it did things to him—things it really shouldn’t. He cleared his throat and jerked his chin toward the door. “Sounds like they’re having a party up at the main building.”

She tossed the pad over Buster’s back. “Yeah. I think they do that every night.”

“You ever go?” Inwardly, he grimaced. That was a personal question. Off-limits. He shouldn’t be asking her about that kind of thing.

Grace didn’t appear to be upset about it, however. “Sometimes. Shane plans these really fun Christmas parties. He has mistletoe hanging everywhere…”

It was like he blacked out the second she mentioned mistletoe. His eyes dipped to her lips and he found himself wondering what it might be like to kiss them, to taste them.

“You okay?”

He jumped. “What?”

“You look… a little pale.” She tilted her head and came to the edge of the stall. “If you’re not feeling well—”

“I’m fine,” he blurted, “just distracted, that’s all.” Without further explanation, he darted into Dolly’s stall and began prepping her for their ride.

He’d experienced these kinds of feelings before. There was only one way to remedy them. His gaze bounced to Grace, where she continued working only a few feet away from him.

Riley needed to get her out of his system. He needed to satisfy this curiosity he felt. The only problem was that doing so could ruin everything he actually cared about at this time in his life.

He let out a groan and tossed the pad over Dolly’s back. She shifted but didn’t fight back like Maple did. Even still, he knew better than to treat his favorite horse that way. At least now, he did.

Taking in a deep breath, he counted to five then let it out. Already he could feel the difference. The anxiousness dimmed though it didn’t disappear all the way.

One more glance at Grace, and he knew without a doubt he needed to do something. He just couldn’t figure out what, exactly. A kiss was too forward. But perhaps his hand could brush against hers. If he felt something, then he would have to deal with that when the time came. If he didn’t, all the better.