When Santiago, the tough-looking, scarred, but oddly attractive cowboy carrying a caged, one-winged macaw and a baby, approaches Jane Peterson for a job on her south Texas ranch, warning bells go off. Reasoning that a man tenderly caring for two helpless beings cannot be dangerous, she hires him. The independent, hardworking widow needs help, as she is beset by dangers: the brutal drought plaguing the land, the illegal border crossings on her ranch, the mysterious happenings on her high mesa. Yet the biggest danger is Santiago. Having sworn on her husband's grave that she would never fall for another man in love with danger, she is still helplessly drawn to Santiago. Threatened with bank foreclosures and Santiago's deportation by Immigration, Jane and Santiago find an unorthodox solution. Marrying a U.S. citizen allows Santiago to stay in the country while his savings rescue the ranch. Secretly, both hope that this marriage of convenience will turn into a loving union. Before that can happen, they battle nature as well as greed, hate, and revenge.