Megan is an unexpected mail-order bride with a secret. Mike has a ranch to run, rustlers to capture, and a fondness for the truth. "Never fish in troubled water", the old proverb cautions. But if Megan and Michael hope to untangle the strings of the past from the promise of the future, they will need to dive right in. Was his bride a mistake or a surprise? Can an Irish rose bloom in the wicked Texas heat? Will they sink, or will they swim?

Choose one of the two men, or take the return ticket and head home. It wasn't much of a choice. Celia had worked and studied so hard to have a school of her own. And she had known that they might be a little upset. She knew exactly what they had wanted. It was stated very clearly in the advertisement and she could probably read and write better than anyone one of them.

Annie's sweet on her neighbor, Matthew Caine, but the stern rancher treats her like a bratty child instead of a woman. Each encounter always ends with a trip over his knee. Matthew's fed up with Annie's childish behavior. Her latest prank ruined a brand new pair of boots! While he sets her britches on fire, he refers to her as a nuisance and warns her to leave him alone. For once in her life, Annie obeys.

Widowed rancher Heath Wolfe worries he's making a big mistake by bringing Willow McAllister home to his ranch. A known troublemaker around town, she can't seem to keep a job or avoid skirmishes with the law, so the town marshal implores Heath to help. While Heath agrees to employ Willow, he certainly won't allow misbehavior, and he's even prepared to take the willful young lady over his knee for a sound spanking if warranted.

After staking their claim on the untamed frontier, brothers Heath, Luke, and Aaron Jackson build a thriving cattle ranch through strength, hard work, and sheer determination. As the ranch rapidly grows, the nearby town experiences a boom of its own, assisted by the railroad’s westward expansion.