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

After Lance left, he headed into the kitchen to make sure it looked neat. Lorna would have his hide if she came home to a messy kitchen. Allyson was wiping down the counter.


She laughed, tossing back her red curls. “You are such the smitten kitten, Wade.”


His cheeks heated as he averted his eyes. Was he really that obvious? Her laugh answered that question. Sighing, he leaned against the marble island, his arms crossed.


“Oh, don’t look like that, Wade. For God’s sake, Lance stares at you with stars in his eyes, like a teenager around his idol.”


“He does?” Casey had mentioned something like that, too, but it was hard to believe. Even after what they had shared in bed last night, everything still felt like a dream.


Chapter 52