Ava Pearson needs a job—yesterday. After her husband’s death, her life in the city became impossible, and a crisis with her young son caused her to lose her job as a reporter. Now Ava is living in her childhood home again, without prospects, but not without hope. If she can just get enough money to tide her over while she pitches an article to an even better big-city paper, Ava feels she can get back on track. The only problem is…what jobs are available in her one-horse town?

Branson Beckett is successful by most measures of the word. He’s the owner of a profitable ranch on the brink of expansion and is now looking for a few good ranch hands to help him out. However, he wasn’t thinking of his best friend’s little sister when it came to hard labor. No, he’d thought of her in other hard situations, but they usually involved the dark of night and his great big bed. Dreams that had no place in reality.

But Ava is convincing. She needs to get out of her parents’ house, and Branson needs her help interviewing his ranch hands. It’s a win-win. He’ll fix his personnel problem, and she’ll write an article about it.

As personnel issues lead to personal pleasure between them, Ava’s big city dream drifts away, replaced by visions of a family in the country. In the end, Branson will have to face tough truths about himself, his ranch, and his relationship. And if he fails to see the light, he’s going to lose the love of his life.

This novel contains sexual content and profanity.