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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?