CLAIMED BY MY GRUMPY SHERIFF

He protects the town. She’s the newcomer he doesn’t trust. Now she’s living in his house… and pretending to be his. Redstone Ridge is my town. I know who belongs here. Emily Pearson? She doesn’t. She shows up out of nowhere with a bright smile, a stubborn attitude, and a way of getting under my skin that I don’t like. Our first meeting? Ends with me ready to arrest her. Now she’s living in my house. Temporary. Necessary. Nothing more. And for reasons that make perfect sense at the time… she’s pretending to be my girlfriend. It should be simple. Keep it controlled. Keep it professional. Keep it fake. Except pretending means touching. Staying close. Kissing her like it’s real. And the problem is… it starts to feel real. Because somewhere between the arguments and the stolen moments… I stop seeing her as the outsider. And start realizing she might be the one thing I can’t walk away from. In Redstone Ridge… pretending never lasts very long.