Luke Tanner was a hard man with a painful past. It seemed as if every single citizen of Fiddler Creek wanted something from the wealthy rancher. He'd learned early on not many cared to see past his looks and sour attitude and discover the man beneath. So when the generously curved Mary Carter hit him up for a loan to save her fledgling business, he made her a short-term proposition she couldn't refuse. Only the more time the reluctant rancher spends with the lovely Mary, the more he starts to think about a long-term relationship. Mary Carter had fantasized about Luke Tanner since her first glimpse of the veritable mountain of a man with a perpetual scowl. She'd never been brave enough to approach him until circumstances forces her to seek his help. The Reluctant Rancher is the story of two individuals who have never experienced the soul stirring passion of true love-until they find each other. If you like Diana Palmer, Linda Howard, Leanne Banks, Angela Verndenius, you'll love Joann Baker and Patricia Mason