It would be easy to say that the citizens of Deaf Smith resent local kingpin Earl Dietrich because he's shamelessly rich and callous in his behavior toward anyone who stands in his way. But it's more personal than that, especially for Billy Bob, who lost his virginity to Earl's "heart-break beautiful" wife, Peggy Jean.When Billy Bob takes on the defense of Wilbur Pickett, an utterly hapless man who has failed at every endeavor he's ever undertaken, and is now accused of stealing a historically significant watch and three hundred thousand dollars in bearer bonds from Dietrich's office, he finds himself up against not only Earl's power and influence but a past Billy Bob can't will away: his violent family history, the accidental shooting of his best friend, and his troubled relationship with his illegitimate son, Lucas.