Cowboy Justice

Rachel Sorentino is caught in a mess. Vandals are defacing her family’s New Mexico ranch. Her sister Amy is getting married and is in a matchmaking mood. Rachel is struggling to rebuild the farm after her parents’ deaths. While chasing four trespassers off her land, she shoots one of the men, who turns out to be the only son of a nearby city’s powerful police chief. Town sheriff Vaughn Cooper is crazy about Rachel and wants to protect her from political fallout, but he knows he can’t be in charge of her case if their past affair becomes public knowledge. Rather than recuse himself, he stays on and tells Rachel to keep their relationship a secret, but that makes her feel cheap and tawdry. The “mystery” behind all the incidents is loosely plotted, but the centerpiece really is Vaughn getting over his insecurities as Rachel works through her feelings of failure and guilt. Watching them both grow makes the over-dramatic mystery worth slogging through. (Oct.)