Shadow

Addington Ranch #1

by Aubree Valentine

Ten years away has taught Lindsey Addington to go after what she wants and her sights are set on Garrett Everleigh. Lindsey will do whatever it takes to break down Garrett’s walls and convince him to take a chance on love.

Blurb

Welcome to Addington Ranch… where the cowboys steal hearts and the women tame wild stallions. 

Garrett Everleigh has been waiting (and half heartedly dreading) the day that Lindsey Addington, an heir to the Addington Ranch, returned home from chasing her horse show dreams. 

Lindsey is everything the rugged, determined ranch hand has ever wanted—and everything he can’t have. Especially if he wants to keep his job and the ‘family’ that chose him. The only family Garrett has. 

Ten years away has taught equestrian royalty, Lindsey Addington, exactly what – and who – she wants. Far more stubborn than Garrett ever gave her credit for, Lindsey won’t let his reservations – or his secrets – keep them from having the relationship they deserve.

Putting a decade of training with thousand pound animals to good use, Lindsey turns her insight and training on Garrett and breaks down every ounce of his resolve until he breaks. 

Fans of Yellowstone and Heartland will fall in love with this best friend’s little sister/forbidden romance that sets the tone for this new, exciting, and highly anticipated series from Aubree Valentine.

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Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, Author Aubree Valentine

“What are you doing out here, Linds? You’ve got a party going on, you know?”

“I know. I came out here to see you,” she gently elbowed him. 

“You should get back to your party.”

“Maybe later,” she turned up the dial on what little of sex appeal she thought she had and moved so that she was kneeling on the ground beneath his open thighs. “Right now, I came out here because I wanted to tell you something.” 

“Don’t,” Garrett grunted and stood, trying to put space between them. 

Lindsey stood just as quickly and grabbed ahold of his biceps. “Garrett, will you at least look at me, please?”

Garrett squeezed his eyes closed. “I can’t, Linds. I can’t look at you because if I do, all of my resolve will break.” 

That confession was a tiny reassurance that at least Garrett had some kind of feelings for her too. It was all the encouragement she needed to keep trying.

“Then let it,” she begged. She wanted to see his resolve break. She wanted him to give into whatever it was that he was fighting and give in to her.

Garrett opened his eyes and put his hands on Lindsey’s shoulders. This time she could see the hunger lingering in his eyes. “Is that really what you want, Linds? Do you really want me to give into temptation?”

That was exactly what she wanted. What she’d been longing for. She was eighteen now after all. Nothing was stopping them from letting the attraction take over. “Of course,” she whispered in return.

“Tell me exactly what you want, Linds,” Garrett brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. 

“Kiss me.”

“I shouldn’t,” he argued. 

Lindsey could think of a million reasons why he should.

“But you will,” she batted her eyes and bit her lip, “won’t you?”

“Damnit,” he cursed under his breath. 

Then his lips were on hers.

She half expected Garrett to be gentle, or to immediately back away again. But he didn’t. Once his lips touched hers, he devoured her like he was a man starved for far too long. And with every ounce of experience that came with kissing a man and not the desperate nervousness of Lindsey’s first kiss and former high school boyfriend. 

Everything about Garrett’s kisses were better than she could have ever imagined. They were all-consuming. Promising. And for a split second, she let herself believe that they really could have it all. That the two of them could be so much more someday soon.

“Shit, Lindsey,” Garrett broke their kiss like she was a flame and she’d just burnt him. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry,” he said as he started pacing around. 

She should have walked away then. Took the victory of winning a kiss and walked away. Forgotten about her feelings and the happily ever after she thought included Garrett. Except she couldn’t. 

“Garrett,” she moved toward him, countering every step he took backwards until he bumped into a tree. With his body pinned against the hard bark, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder, soaking in as much of Garrett and the moment as she could. 

“Linds, I…we shouldn’t. You’re getting ready to leave for college. You don’t need a man like me holding you back.”

“Garrett,” she looked up into his eyes. “I really need you to kiss me again. Let me have this. Let me have you. All of you. Even if it’s just for tonight.”

About Aubree Valentine

Aubree Valentine is a masterful storyteller who weaves tales of passion, heartbreak, and happily-ever-afters that leave readers swooning and coming back for more. A hopeless romantic at heart, Aubree channels her boundless imagination and appreciation for the complexities of romance into every book she writes. Her characters are as real as they are irresistible—flawed, relatable, and unforgettable—taking readers on journeys filled with sizzling chemistry, emotional twists, and moments that tug at the heartstrings. Whether it’s a steamy small-town romance or a friends-to-lovers tale, Aubree’s stories always promise: love, laughter and happily ever after. When she’s not penning her next novel, Aubree can be found binge-reading romance novels, borrowing her husband’s power tools for some over the top project, or spending quality time with her family and their fur babies.

Connect with Aubree Valentine on social media, through her website, or sign up for her newsletter to stay up-to-date on new releases, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into her writing

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