Josh

The last person I ever expected to see on my ranch? Zoe Wilson.

Smart. Gorgeous. Stubborn as ever. And the girl who crushed my teenage heart under her designer boot.

So imagine my surprise when she shows up—suitcase in hand—ready to “help.”

Turns out, my little sister—Zoe’s best friend—invited her to redesign the ranch’s sorry excuse for a website.

Did anyone ask me? Of course not. It’s only my ranch.

But fine. I’ll be civil. Keep things professional. Focus on keeping the place afloat.

Except she’s everywhere—in my space, in my head, under my damn skin.

I keep telling myself I’ll stay distance. Be the grumpy cowboy she remembers, not the fool who fell for her once.

Then she flashes that smile. The one that wrecked me then… and still does now.

We’re stuck working side by side, and the tension crackles hotter than a wildfire in July.

She’s terrified of horses, planning to leave in two months, and dead set against long-distance.

Resisting her? Not a chance.

I might lose the ranch. I might lose my heart. But I’ll be damned if I let her walk away without a fight.

Zoe

I had one rule when I agreed to come back to Cafferty Ranch keep it business.

I should’ve known that would go out the window the second I saw Josh Cafferty again.

Broad shoulders. Grumpy scowl. That jawline. And those worn-out jeans don’t help.

He’s impossible. Bossy. Brooding. And exactly my type—unfortunately.

Every day working with him is a war of words and stolen glances. Every brush of his hand, every low growl of my name under his breath leaves me melting faster than Montana snow in spring.

But I don’t do cowboys. I don’t do small-town life. I definitely don’t do long-distance.

I came to fix a website—not fall back into a past I worked hard to leave behind.

So why does the thought of leaving him break me more than any goodbye ever has?

Why does staying suddenly feel like the only thing that makes sense?