Boone Wilson, a Civil War veteran and cowboy, figures he'll die before the month is out after he was shot in the chest playing cards. His comrades talk the owner of the local saloon, the aptly named Out of Luck Saloon, to provide a bed that he can die in, and while the weather is warm enough, they carry him down to the porch each day for some air, wrapped up in blankets. That's where new schoolteacher Rachel Rose McGarrity first sees him. When she stops to see if she can offer any help, she has no idea what she's getting herself into, but she's taken with Boone and vows to keep him from dying if she can.
That desire leads to the loss of her job as a schoolteacher because nursing a cowboy in a saloon isn't respectable. As the wound festers and his fever rises, Rachel remains determined to save his life with the help of his two friends and his fifteen-year-old brother.
While his life hangs in the balance, there will be a reckoning for Rachel's actions, and if there is a chance at a future, Boone must first survive to find it. A false accusation leads to jail time and a threatened hanging, further complicating his life.
Will Boone survive? And, is love enough? That's for Boone and Rachel to figure out.