Ty Hopewell survived a nasty wreck on his way home. His best friend Skip and partner didn't. The nightmares of that Christmas night just wouldn't abate, and neither will the guilty feeling that somehow he had caused the fatal accident. Now ten years later, he was meeting Skip's sister Madeline and immediate took note of how different physically the siblings were -- Skip's coloring was made for the tough life in the sun but his sister certainly wasn't. He was on the defensive about why she had arranged the meeting given that he lived on his ranch in Reno and she was a professor at a university in NY. It had to be something important to bring her all this way. And boy was he right.

Dr. Blaine was nothing if not blunt and to the point. She wanted to know why the ranch he had co-owned with Skip, and now with Madeline, was showing no profits. Just what was he doing with the ranch and the money she needed? If she were being totally truthful, she would have told him that at the moment her position at the university was less than secure. In fact the temporary suspension they imposed on her could very well become permanent. It seemed her mentor and partner in research was very likely throwing her under the bus -- a scapegoat for allegedly inappropriately using research material. Her professorship wasn't just a job -- it was her life, even more so after the death of Skip. Now also faced with care of her grandmother, she had no option but to chase down any possible revenue. That meant spending time on this ranch with Ty. Madeline was not prepared for the rough living conditions and lack of basic amenities at the ranch, but she was determined to adapt and keep Ty in the dark as long as possible -- until she had a plan. But that plan had nothing to do with living for any extended time on the ranch. And it certainly didn't involved falling in love with Ty and his organic ranch. But Madeline wanted to show not only Ty but herself that she was made of sterner stuff -- the stuff that would make her a valuable partner to Ty on the ranch and in life.

Watts' story is about dreams and how sometimes those dreams take some unusual turns. No matter how you plan your life you had better leave some wiggle room for the unexpected.