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

“What happened is my fault,” he began, his gaze on Casey.


“You’re wrong,” Lance said. “Why would you even think something like that? It’s clearly myfault.”


Casey looked at the both of them like they’d lost their freaking minds.


“It’s my fault,” Wade repeated. “I’m the reason our father wanted to sell the land to Milton. If I had just left, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe I shouldn’t have come home after college.”


Lance met Wade’s gaze and swallowed hard. “If I hadn’t come up with this ridiculous scheme, Milton Randle wouldn’t have killed your cattle.”


Casey scoffed and tossed his napkin on the table. “It’s not a ridiculous scheme. Your idea is savingour ranch. And Wade, it’s not your fault our father was a heartless bastard. The only person at fault is Milton Randle. And whoever he hired to kill the cattle.”


Some of Wade’s anxiety lessened. Knowing his older brother didn’t harbor any anger toward him for simply being who he was helped.


Chapter 39