With rumors of trouble on the Calders' Cee Bar Ranch, Quint Echohawk heads for Texas to investigate and discovers that Max Rutledge, the owner of a competing ranch, will do anything to get his hands on Calder land.

Young and beautiful, with a mix of cool elegance and smoldering earthiness, Laura Calder will never be content to be some man's wife, living on a Montana ranch like her mother. She's thrilled to tour Europe with her sophisticated "Aunt" Tara, taking in the cocktail banter and sampling the good life at every opportunity. But as her trip comes to a close, Laura's future feels more unsettled to her than before and the dazzling array of party games less...