ELI Drama and I don’t mix. Never have. But Fiona Cafferty? She’s a walking whirlwind in tight jeans—and unfortunately, my new trail guide partner. Perfect. We’ve been oil and water since high school. She’s all sass, sunshine, and trouble in denim. I’m the quiet one—hands calloused, jaw set, no patience for nonsense. I’m here in Poplar Springs to work hard and build a steady life for my son. But she’s in my space, in my head, and damn if I don’t catch myself watching her when I shouldn’t. Then she drops a lie that spreads like wildfire—tells folks we’re dating. Says it’s just to help me save face after my two-timing ex tried to make a fool of me. Now we’re faking it. Smiles, hand-holding, playing couple for the town. It was supposed to be temporary. Just a story to shut people up. But she fits into my life—and my son’s—too easily. And every day, it feels less like a lie… and more like the one thing I didn’t know we were missing. FIONA It was just one tiny lie. Okay—one giant, town-shaking, gossip-fuelling lie. But it was to protect Eli Carter. He didn’t deserve to be cut down by his ex—not in front of half of Poplar Springs. So, I said we were dating. Figured we’d fake it for a week, maybe two, then go our separate ways. Now? We’re playing house on the trails, sharing long rides, longer glances, and things that feel a little too real. Eli’s not just the strong, silent type—he’s a wall of grit and quiet heat. A protective father with a soft spot he keeps buried deep. The kind of man who doesn’t say much, but when he does, you feel it in your bones. I used to think he barely tolerated me. Now he’s looking at me like I might be the only reason he’d ever stick around. This was never supposed to be serious. But I think I just crossed the line between pretend and something that could break me wide open.

DECLAN I’ve got one shot to prove I’m the right guy to take over the Poplar Springs vet clinic. No screw-ups. No distractions. Then Shannon Cafferty walks in. My best friend’s little sister isn’t so little anymore. She’s grown into a whip-smart, sharp-tongued knockout in boots and tight jeans—and she’s impossible to ignore. She needs help modernizing her operation. I need to win over the ranchers. Strictly business. Yeah, right. Every glance sparks. Every touch lingers too long. One kiss was supposed to get her out of my head. Instead, it lit a fuse. Now she’s all I want. But if I get this wrong, I won’t just lose her—I’ll break the one thing I was never supposed to touch. SHANNON The ranch is thriving under my brother’s leadership, and the trail riding program my sister handles is a huge success, but the horse breeding operation I run? It’s struggling. Badly. If I can’t turn things around, I’ll be letting the whole family down. Enter Declan Morris—my brother’s best friend, and the man I’ve secretly wanted for years. He offers help I can’t refuse. But being around him is dangerous. Every look pulls me in deeper, every touch threatens to burn through my defenses. Men don’t choose me. They never have. I’m the safe option. The one they lean on, not the one they fall for. So when he kisses me, it feels like a cruel kind of hope. And I refuse to fall for someone who might walk away.

CAL Small towns were never part of the plan—too quiet, too close, too permanent. I stick to the rodeo circuit. Fast rides, faster exits. No roots. No ghosts. But Poplar Springs? It hits different. I roll in to promote a local event and end up staring into a past that isn’t mine. Seems I’m the dead ringer of a man this town buried. A man Amy loved. She looks at me like I’ve torn something wide open. And I feel it too—the pull, the guilt, the heat I’ve got no business feeling. I tell myself to walk. But then I learn I’ve got ties here. Blood. A nephew who doesn’t remember his dad. And for the first time, I wonder if I’ve been running from the wrong things. So I do what I’ve always done. I leave. …Or at least, I try. AMY He’s not Luke. I know that. But the way he walks, the way he looks at me—it hurts just the same. I should shut the door, tell him to go. Instead, I watch him reach for my son with a tenderness he doesn’t show anyone else. He says he’s just passing through. But I see the pain he doesn’t speak, the way he holds my son like a promise he never made. And if he walks away, I don’t know how to carry both goodbyes.