Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

At forty, bull rider Angus Beaton knows he's uglier than homemade sin. He longs for a woman to love, one who will love him as much as he does her. He had almost forgotten his best friend Bart Birdwell's younger sister, Kathleen, until she joined them to watch the men compete. All grown up at twenty-three, she's pretty, and Angus is drawn to her. When Bart is injured and later dies in the hospital, tragedy and grief bring Angus and Kathleen closer.
Despite the age difference, Kathleen has long had a crush on Angus, which now blossoms into something deeper. As she begins her first teaching job and Angus hangs up his spurs, the couple struggles with age issues, job problems, and trouble from Bart's widow, Mindy, who has decided she wants to be with Angus and has developed a drug addiction. Even illness doesn't affect the couple's growing love, and Angus has a good chance of gaining the wife and family he's long wanted.