Cynthia Alexander is on her way to the Midwest to babysit her godson. Her friend Thelma and her husband have planned a long overdue honeymoon, and Cynthia has agreed to help out.
Two weeks in Cattlewood, a sleepy Montana town -- hold-up on a ranch with a feisty four-year-old -- is certainly not her idea of a relaxing vacation, but the timing really couldn't be more perfect. The law firm is in the midst of relocating its downtown offices to another building, and everyone's caseload is coming to a strategic halt.
Cynthia knows a break from her fast-paced career as a corporate attorney will do her some good because she's been on the fast-track too long.
While many of her friends from college are married with children, in Cynthia's world, settling down is nowhere on the radar -- especially in the midst of competing for the coveted partnership position at hand. No husband and babies for her, and she likes it that way just fine but for those occasional moments of loneliness in the middle of the night.
But unforeseen circumstances suddenly thrust her into a position where she's left as guardian of the little boy, and life as she's known it comes to a screeching halt. She's suddenly a single mother in an environment that is as foreign to her as running a ranch.
***
Handsome rancher Dexter Callahan can see the little lady is out of her element in Sheppard County, especially with Dennis the Menace underfoot. The boy is a handful; Dex knows from personal experience. Carson gives his own mother a run for her money, so it amuses him to see Cynthia trying to keep up.
Dexter would like nothing more than to help the newcomer get settled -- for the child's sake and for his own personal reasons -- if she wasn't so stubborn and hell-bent on leaving.
***
Cynthia has decided this cannot be her fate. She has one thing on her mind: getting back to San Francisco. But after a little while, she can't deny there is something irresistible about Montana, the little boy and Dexter Callahan. Spending time with them has her taking a closer and sometimes painful look at her priorities and how she's been living her life, and it has her reconsidering the idea of settling in the Midwest.