The Arrangement

Kate: When Tyler showed up at my door, I knew he'd only bring trouble.

Between his ocean blue eyes and the way he filled out a pair of Wrangler jeans, I had a hard time turning down his marriage proposition. But I did.

The small-town playboy was not only my closest neighbor but the cowboy I had a secret crush on for years. We were virtual strangers. There's no way I could marry someone I barely knew.

Our fathers, however, had a different idea. My father had risked the ranch on a business deal that didn't pan out.

There was a price to pay, and I was the cost.

This ranch is my life and I've worked too hard just to let it fall into the hands of Tyler's crooked father. Even if that means saying yes to this harebrained scheme and uprooting my life.

Tyler: Kate had been my neighbor for years.

She was quiet, worked as hard as any man, and never looked at me twice. Which was fine with me. I had plenty of girls from the bar to warm my bed.

But when my dad informed me I would take her as my bride, I didn't hesitate.

She was fiery, strong, and fiercely independent. And maybe, just maybe, not as immune to my charms as I thought. She thought this marriage was a sham, but I became determined to get her to open up to me.

Maybe even actually fall in love with me.