The drought had stripped the land bare, leaving behind cracked soil and broken promises. Sylus McCrae, a rancher with more ghosts than cattle, watched the horizon from his porch, boots planted like roots in the wood. He didn’t believe in love—not anymore—but he believed in land, legacy, and keeping what was his. So when the neighboring farm teetered on the edge of ruin, he offered a deal: his name, his protection, and a marriage in ink. Alaia, the farmer’s daughter. Who is this innocent, doe eyed little girl, he had 2 wives already, Delilah who was Alaia’s big sister who hated Alaia’s guts and Betty who was a quiet bimbo type a woman only wanting to please her husband