You do right by your neighbor, no strings attached. But with his parents eyeing retirement and his “family-man” brother on the docket to inherit the cattle company, he’s forced to rethink that notion. He needs to prove he’s ready to buckle up and settle down, and cashing in a favor with the feisty horse shoer staying on his property might be his only option.

When the rented land Josie Friar keeps her fifth wheel on goes into foreclosure, she’s left with one hunk of junk and nowhere to park it. Not one to take a handout, she nearly turns down the handsome rancher’s offer to post up on his Riverburn acreage.

When she hears talk of Seth being passed up to take the reins of the family company, she feels compelled to help however she can. Even if that means pretending to be his girlfriend. After all, she knows what it’s like to work your entire life for something, only to have your dreams go sideways.

When disaster strikes and there’s no longer a business left to fight for, Josie wonders if their ruse of a relationship will go up in flames, too. She had counted on their little short-term stunt, but never thought she might be in store for long-term heartbreak.

Take the Reins is the second in a series featuring the cowboys of Riverburn County. All books can be read as standalones.