Wade Dwyer's life is turned upside down when his father dies and he learns he must marry or he and his siblings will lose the ranch. One last jab of the knife from his father. On top of that, his father's only friend knows about the stipulation and is determined to own the property by any means necessary.<br><br>He's facing the very real possibility of being the reason his family loses their home when his brother's best friend, Lance Matthews, offers to walk down the aisle with him. A faux marriage to the man he's loved for years is a torture he isn't sure he can endure.<br><br>Can he keep the ranch ... and the man of his dreams, too?

The Twisted Oak

“Listen, Landon. You are not a bad person.”


“So was I. He had a lot of hate in him and he had no idea how to be a father. Hell, I imagine he had no desireto be a parent. Ever. It’s sad to say, but he died alone, even though he had a family. He built an amazing ranch. He was a good rancher. But he didn’t understand people. Or love. Or simple humanity, Landon. He was angry and hateful and I was relieved when he died, too.”


Wade sighed. “It’s a hard thing to admit. It’s going to be something we have to accept. I’ve tried to push aside the anger and look at the positives. He did provide a home for us. And thankfully, he hired Lorna, so there waslove.” He gestured to the land. “And he left this land to us.”


Landon raised an eyebrow. “But he tried to take it away.”


They sat silently for a moment until Landon spoke again. “Thanks, Wade. For listening.”


Chapter 33