Wide Open Country

Seven years in prison. One rule to stay free. Don’t touch the boss’s son.

Connor I’m thirty-five, fresh out of prison, and walking a razor’s edge. Probation is simple: Curfew. Routine inspections. No mistakes. The McGrath Ranch was supposed to be my quiet place to disappear. The owner is old-school, strict, and looking for a reason to cut me loose. Then Ryder shows up. He’s twenty-two, all sunshine grins and dangerous rebellion. He rides like he’s invincible and looks at me like he wants to be ruined. He calls me “Sir” with a smile that makes it hard to breathe. I know the risks. One slip, one accusation, and I’m back in a cell. But when we’re alone in the barn, keeping my hands to myself feels like a crime.

Ryder I live my life in a cage made of my father’s expectations. Brand the calves. Say grace. Be the perfect heir. Connor is the only thing on this ranch that feels real. He’s scarred, silent, and terrifyingly controlled. I want to provoke him. I want to see the man beneath the discipline. In the daylight, we ignore each other. In the dark, he ties me down and sets me free. He protects me. He owns me. But if my father finds out, I lose my home. And Connor loses his freedom.

Welcome to McGrath Ranch. Where the fences are high, the secrets are heavy, and the forbidden fruit tastes like freedom.