Having been abandoned by her mother as a child, Starr Winslow becomes the sole owner of the Whispering Pines Ranch following the death of her father. In the absence of her parents, she has been raised by Katie and Buck who were friends of her father. Now that Buck is getting older, he wants to get away from the cold Montana winters and move to Arizona where his son lives. Unable to leave the running of the ranch to Starr on her own, they agree to advertise for a ranch foreman. Finding a suitable rancher proves difficult though, as many of the applicants are uncomfortable working for a woman. Luckily, tall handsome cowboy, Jude Barlow, turns up and after a short period of evaluation, he is given the job. Jude has a seven-year-old daughter, Darcy, currently living with his sister following the death of his wife in an automobile accident and he hopes that Darcy will be able to join him once things are settled. He doesn't have a problem working for Starr, but outside of work their relationship is very different and Starr soon discovers that Jude is not one to tolerate any nonsense - when she pushes him too far she soon finds herself over Jude's knee for a good spanking. Although there are some difficult moments, they quickly develop a strong mutual attraction that deepens into love. Will that love endure and just what will the future hold for Starr and her handsome cowboy?