When life gives you lemons…freeze them. They hit harder and leave bruises.

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For one brief, beautiful moment, I had it all—my degree, a wealthy Alpha, and a bright future. The next, I was sabotaging our bonding ceremony to teach my cheating ex a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget. Throwing up the middle finger, I ran as far and fast as my pitiful broken heart could carry me. 

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That was six years ago. Now, the charming small town of Darling is once again home, and the Slick & Saddle Saloon is going to be mine. Except rumors are spreading through the emergency phone tree faster than a flame down a tightrope doused in gasoline—all thanks to my friendship with Ridge, a homegrown Darling Beta. They say our friendship has to be more than we’re letting on—that a man and a woman can’t spend time together without spending time together.

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I refuse to step foot across that imaginary line, though. Ridge comes with a pack, and that pack has Alphas—a no-go zone for me—and a strong, silent Beta packmate that watches me with a little too much intensity.

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But time has a way of making you forget all the reasons you shouldn’t, especially when sexy grins and enticing scents lure you into a false sense of security. Because now they’re keeping something from me, and my instincts are rioting.

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Can I put away my runnin’ shoes for good, or will I need them to get me far away from the only place that’s ever truly felt like home?