Tracson Cordera and his cousin Billy were best friends. They'd built cattle ranches side by side during the gold rush years in Montana Territory. One spring day Trac made a foolish bet with his headstrong cousin. Billy was killed, leaving his young wife Janie a widow. Trac's guilt and Janie's hatred of him changed everything. He couldn't stay and he couldn't go, but one thing he knew...he could not abide Janie's contempt.

There was one other secret he kept buried deep in his heart. She'd chosen Billy, but Trac had loved Janie from the moment he'd laid eyes on her when she was a young girl. And what could he do about that now?