As the illegitimate daughter of a kept woman, Amanda Dupree is considered unmarriageable. So she sets her sights on building a career as a private investigator. But when a disgraced businessman threatens to get even, she decides it's a good time leave town. She even has a destination in mind: Waco Texas, the cousin she's never met and a quest for lost Confederate gold.

Texas Ranger Adam Kendall and lawyer Warren Jessop are two lawmen with a secret. Lovers at a time when their actions could net them the death sentence in some places, all they want is enough space and privacy to live as they choose. The moment they meet fiery-haired Amanda Dupree they know she belongs with them and vow to help her on her quest.

But will the desperados on their trail destroy all they hold dear, or will the treasure they seek be the key to their happy-ever-after?