After her husband's death, widow Laurie Spencer is left with nothing but the money she finds in the saddlebags of a dead soldier. Determined to be independent, she invests it in a ranch with Jared Smith, but when she doesn't have enough for a full partnership, she reluctantly throws herself in as part of the deal. Playing housekeeper means plenty of time in close quarters with the sexy cowboy. Soon, they're in each other's arms, but personal demons keep Jared from admitting he's falling in love. When he finally sees what was right in front of him, it's going to take more than a lasso to get her back into his arms where she belongs.