William Hadley wants to be left alone. Shattered by a war he hadn't wanted to fight and suffocated by a family who was sure they could help him, the battle-weary veteran came out west to make a new start. He has a herd of cattle to drive to market on the Chisholm Trail and an unwelcome younger brother who is determined to think he's a hero. When they rescue Maddy Lassiter in a broken-down wagon, he plans to dump her at the next town. The last thing he needs on the Trail is a mouthy eastern spitfire who won't take "no" for an answer.
Maddy Lassiter has a penchant for trouble and a gift for earning the disapproval of her devout guardians. But when they die unexpectedly on the journey west, she seizes the chance to determine her own fate for once.
Maddy loves life on the trail and her heady first taste of freedom, but soon she's under the spell of the stern, sad-eyed William. Before long, she's wondering if she's truly meant to be nobody's bride after all.