He's the wrong cowboy for her plan . . . and the only one her heart wants.

Emma Holt has her life in Granite Junction planned out—become a guidance counselor for the high school, help everyone out, and quietly pine for her brother's best friend. But when he tells her that she is like his little sister, she decides it's time for a new plan: shake things up, break some rules, and maybe, just maybe, make him a little jealous.

Enter Gabe Buchanan—a bestselling novelist burned out on deadlines and big-city noise, looking for inspiration in Montana's quiet mountain town. He expects solitude, not a sassy woman who proposes a fake relationship to make his cousin jealous. Against his better judgment, Gabe plays along. After all, pretending to be Emma's cowboy might just be the distraction he needs.

But small towns have long memories, and gossip travels faster than a brushfire. What starts as a harmless ruse soon feels all too real, especially when sparks turn into something neither of them planned.

Yet when the lines between casual and interested blur, Emma has to decide if she's willing to risk her heart on the wrong cowboy—or let him ride out of her life for good.