"What do I know about the West, or ranching?" Rolfe demanded of his stepmother. "I would make a silly ass out of myself."
"Maybe," Metta conceded with undisguised delight.
In the spring of 1877, Rolfe Honeywell is living a privileged yet unhappy life in Boston. Observing him squander both his time and prospects, his stepmother stuns him with a glimpse into her past and her expectation that he visit her spirited ranching family in the hardscrabble New Mexico Territory.
A challenge accepted. A destiny altered.
MEET MIRA LOMA'S CHARACTERS
Metta Maria - A woman with a closely guarded secret. She was sending her stepson on a fool's errand. But if she knew Rolfe, he would not be deceived.
Rolfe Honeywell - Would learn a few lessons about the power of one's convictions, and the blessings of a close-knit family denied him as a child.
Jed O'Donoughue - An honorable and contented man who admitted he was incapable of controlling two things-his bowels or his temper.
Riff O'Donoughue - Spurning a powerful hankering for a rival rancher's daughter, he retreated to his predictable world that did not provoke him to question the staidness of his life.
Comfort Stiller - Enamored with Riff O'Donoughue since they were children. And she was determined to have him-despite their feuding families.
Lainie O'Donoughue - Two parts tomboy to one part half-grown woman. Hell bent on living life her way. A wild spirit to tame-a woman to win.
Cane Kaplow - As unpredictable as a funnel cloud. Was he the villain townspeople thought him to be? Or was he evading a sorrowful, troubled past?