doesn't rely on anyone in her life. When her best friend moved away then her older brother enlisted in the army, she became acquainted with being alone. Now, ten years later, her best friend finally came back to where she belongs. Tonya and her brother run the ranch side by side, but she feels the need to prove her worth time and time again. She wasn't prepared to open herself up to her brother's best friend when he nearly died. With each kiss his chisels away the hardened walls she's formed around her heart. But that also means her secret is getting closer to the surface, a secret she planned to take to her grave.

Hocks remembered Tonya from the rodeos he went to with Connor, her brother. When he started working on the ranch he found himself watching her, impressed by her strong will. He kept meaningless relationships to pass the time and keep him from thinking about his best friend's little sister. It wasn't until he came face to face with death that he let himself envision something more with her. But it was all too good to be sure. When he gets a text from his past, he's forced to make a choice and do the one thing Tonya is most terrified of.

The ranch is in trouble and cattle are being stolen. Ranchers are being forced to sell. Tony and Hocks don't know just how intertwined their secrets are. But the family sticks together and the Curstons won't go down without a fight.