English professor Amanda Payne and rancher Virgil Ames were unlikely ever to meet and even less likely to fall in love, but they do both. For a time, they share a life of tenderness, laughter, and passion, but both Virgil and Amanda carry scars from long-ago tragedies. After a sudden change in Virgil's life, the legacy of those tragedies drives them apart. Their story of love and joy, loss and reconciliation plays out against the magnificent backdrop of Colorado's San Juan Mountains, the sweet harmonies of country and western music, and the kindness of true friends. Lynne Sebastian is a retired archaeologist who lives in Corrales, New Mexico, and discovered the joy of creative writing late in life.