In a tiny Texas town, the old folks were determined to trigger a population explosion! And sexy out-of-towner Jake Maddox was the answer to their prayers. No woman could resist his masculine appeal. Plus, he had "commitment" written all over a little boy to raise and a hankering to set down roots. A wife raffle was just the solution to their population problem. Except Mary van Doorn, the elected—only eligible—"intended," didn't cotton to that. With the responsibility of six younger sisters, she'd never known romance and wasn't looking for any. But relentless matchmaking, Jake's all-male pursuit and her own feminine need were a hard combination to resist in such a small town. She found herself wanting Jake and a life with him, but was she more than a convenient candidate for wife?