Unlikely lover: Mari Raymond's matchmaking aunt had pulled a fast one. She'd tricked oilman Ward Jessup into inviting her young niece to his ranch--and persuaded Mari to accept the invitation and help the elderly rancher write his memoirs. But Mari quickly discovered that Ward was anything but old...and Ward found out that Mari was hardly a helpless young girl. And though they knew they'd been tricked, it didn't look as though either one of them was going to fight the power of Cupid's arrow.

The Princess bride: Tiffany Blair is young, beautiful, and has always gotten everything she ever wanted. Now she wants her father's handsome business partner, Kingman Marshall, for her husband. King has known Tiffany since she was a little girl and it's a distinct shock to suddenly view her as a woman when she turns 21. Much as he wants her, however, King knows that he's much too jaded for the sheltered Tiffany; besides, his experience with his absentee mother has left him determined never to marry, and having an affair with his partner's daughter isn't an acceptable possibility. When he makes his position clear to Tiffany, she leaves town for New York City, determined to build a life without him. Six months later she returns to Texas, matured by her experiences and her broken heart. She quickly discovers that the passion between her and the difficult rancher has only grown hotter during their months apart. But Tiffany learns that she must be careful what she wishes for.

Callaghan's bride: Rugged as an oak, moody as a thundercloud, rancher Callaghan Hart awed women and intimidated men. So how could one scrappy little redhead nearly bring Callaghan to his knees? Easy! Tess Brady, the ranch's new housekeeper, was soft and sweet. Her youthful innocence drew him like a moth to a flame. But there was no way Callaghan would ever consider marriage, and a casual fling was out of the question. Somehow, he had to resist her, no matter how tempting she was.