Running from Friendship - The Friendship Series, #2

Ollie Oliver is the best damn jockey around. This year she intends to prove it by being the first woman to win the Triple Crown. And she's doing it on a filly, representing her family's farm. She's worked too hard for too long to let anything get in the way of fulfilling her lifelong dream, including the anonymous notes warning her to drop out of the races. But when the threats escalate, only hiring a bodyguard will ease her family's fears.
Ollie has zero time for any distractions, including the stubborn, sexy, brooding man shadowing her every move. Xander Lane is an empath, computer genius, and an alcoholic. After his first relapse in seven years, he's hiding out at his buddy's house in godforsaken Friendship. Only in the small town long enough to reassess and figure out what the hell he's doing with his life, the one thing he knows for sure is he doesn't want or need anyone.
That is, until he meets the spunky jockey he's tasked with protecting. One look at Ollie, and Xander can't turn away. As they fight their instant attraction, their connection cannot be denied. Xander's desire to shield Ollie from all possible dangers overrides his longing for solitude. Ollie wants to ease the burdens of the tortured Xander even as he fights her to do so with his bossy self. During the perilous countdown to the Triple Crown, opening up to each other might be the biggest risk of all.
What are the odds of winning a happily ever after if they can't break through the defenses they've built around their hearts?