All hat

the long version

"Just out of prison for nearly killing the man who assaulted his sister, Ray Dokes heads back to the small Canadian town where he was raised. Vowing to lie low, he moves in with Pete Culpepper, a Texas cowboy who has always been a grounding influence, but whose debts are growing faster than his corn.". "Between roofing houses and watching Pete's nine-year-old gelding at the races, Ray soon crosses paths with just about everyone in town, including Pete's new jockey, Chrissie, a tough young woman whose ease with horses is equaled only by her mistrust of people, and Ray's former lover, Etta, who views him with more skepticism than ever. And then there are the hired hands of the Stanton Stables: Dean, a wise guy who embodies the phrase "all hat and no cattle," and his sidekick, Paulie, a simple-hearted man who has a way with animals. Last but not least, there's Sonny Stanton, the vicious, violent, and spoiled heir of his father's electronics fortune - and the man Ray spent two years in jail for attacking. When the opportunity arises to con Sonny out of some ill-gotten wealth, and protect themselves and their homes in the process, everyone's willing to band together and take the risk."--BOOK JACKET.