According to the theatrical trailer the story is set in 1916 (the film shows a 1916 newspaper and a scene late in the film shows American soldiers headed off for World War I). Bill (Gere) a Chicago manual laborer knocks down and kills a boss in the steel mill where he works. He flees to the Texas Panhandle with his girlfriend Abby (Adams) and younger sister Linda (Manz). Bill and Abby pretend to be siblings to prevent gossip.The three hire on as part of a large group of seasonal workers with a rich shy rancher (Shepard). Although he is young he learns he is dying of an unspecified disease. When the rancher falls in love with Abby Bill encourages her to marry him so that they can inherit his money after he dies. The marriage takes place and Bill stays at the ranch as Abby`s ""brother."" The farmer`s foreman Robert Wilke suspects their scheme. The rancher`s health unexpectedly remains stable foiling Bill`s plans.Eventually the farmer discovers Bill`s true relationship with Abby. At the same time Abby has begun to fall in love with her new husband. The farmer goes after Bill with a gun but Bill kills him. Although the killing was in self defense due to the class difference between them and the fact that Bill and Abby had started a scam on the farmer he fears being charged as a murderer if caught. Bill and the women escape. The foreman Wilke puts the police on their trail and the police kill Bill in the hunt. Abby leaves Linda at a boarding school and goes off on her own.