A surprise child. A misunderstanding between friends. And a secret that has lasted a decade. When Chase Duke's best friend dies and he is left as the sole guardian for his traumatised 4 year old, Marissa, he is left with one option: Go home. The only problem is, he hasn't talked to his family for ten years since he left to find his fortune. He had always failed at being a cowboy, killing every pet he'd ever owned - but with a little girl in his care, he's determined not to fail at being her stand-in Dad. But when Chase returns out of the blue with a child in tow, it turns Madeleine Baker's world upside down. Having been friends since they were toddlers - a strange yet perfect matchup of Cowgirl Extraordinaire and The Worst Cowboy - Maddy had thought at seventeen they were going to transition from friends to lovers, pair off and have a family of their own - but when Chase turned tail and ran after their first date, she had nothing but regret and the ghost of one tender kiss to haunt her for pushing him too far. But while Chase has been away Maddy has practically been adopted, working on the ranch and finding a more natural place in his family than he ever had. It's inevitable that they must reconnect, but how can two people so familiar with each other also be complete strangers? Can Maddy push her feelings to the side and get him to stay and reconcile with his family? Can Chase learn to face up to his feelings and get the courage to tell Maddy the truth? Will Marissa ever overcome her selective mutism since the accident that took her parents? And is there more of a mystery than any of them realized to the long-standing silence between the Duke family members?