Jolie "Rocket" Richards walks free after seven years of prison. Of all the stories in prison, her innocence was widely believed and accepted. She just doesn't think anyone on the outside thought she was framed. After all, it was her large hunting knife stuck in her mother's chest. Being an only child, she was the only one who stood to inherit or profit.
As she returned to the tranquil reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley, all she says she wants is to get her life back. Her life as a pro rodeo rider is long gone. But as for being the best horse trainer on the central California coast... that was going to take some time and trust.
Sitting at the end of the bar was easy. Being the town drunk and occasional tramp would take some work. Her friend and owner of the Roadhouse takes some convincing but is in all the way--as long as she can trust him.
But just as her path is becoming smooth, a rifle bullet tears up her left shoulder and her life. Attempted murder would beg too many questions, and so she sneaks away to recover in Montana on her uncle's ranch.
While her shoulder heals, Jolie begins to understand where her strength comes from -- she also learns new places to draw even more.
As she returns to the Santa Barbara coast, she brings new friends and a dog most view as a Hellhound. Her mission becomes focused--to find her mother's killer and the person who tried to kill her. One way or another, it is time for vengeance and justice.