Gwendolyn steps down at the ranch gate with the dust still settling, carrying a fear she cannot voice. I told myself the fraudulent marriage contract was only to hold the ranch, a protection against the isolation that has followed me since my family was gone.

Yet our hands stay on the latch too long, and she does not take hers back. The power to claim her as my bride rises in my voice even as I hide the dread of losing this chance at a real bond.

Every accidental brush threatens to shatter the distance we must maintain, turning protection into possession and leaving both our hidden wounds exposed if the truth comes out. The question is whether she will trust me with the vulnerability she keeps locked away.