Tom McNally was a mean son-of-a-bitch when riled. Widowmaker, the last bull he drew, tossed him at seven and a half seconds, then stomped him into the dirt. His broken ribs and sprained wrist need time and a place to heal while he contemplates retirement or getting back up on another bad-tempered bull, and his bull-riding friend needs a place to heal his pride and broken heart. One of their rodeo buddies, Waylon Calhoun, has a ranch with an open invitation for fellow bull-riders to stay in starkly beautiful Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. But Tom's not quite ready to work the ranch alongside his friends, and cooking and keeping house isn't quite what this cowboy is cut out for. His friends hatch a plan to sweet talk one of the local diner owners into coming down to the Second Chance Ranch to cook for them. 

Emily Griffith is looking for a new start after the death of her mother, and finds it in Claude, Texas at the Peabody Diner when her car dies right in front of their help wanted sign...too bad the Peabody sisters didn't need a cook...but the waitress job will help pay the bills until she can find a job cooking. Chance walks through the door in the form of Tom McNally, a tall, dark and handsome cowboy. Emily isn't going to let him walk away before she has a chance to convince him that although her bosses at the diner may have passed up the opportunity to cook for the men at the Second Chance Ranch, but she won't. Small minded gossips and a hard-headed cowboy threaten her new life in Palo Duro Canyon, but love will triumph in this sweet tale from C.H. Admirand.