Still reeling in Goody’s office, Cash processes that Garrett left Lucky Ranch to Mollie instead of him. Goody gives Cash a key to a safe-deposit box which Garrett left for him. Cash is confused and distressed because he loved and trusted Garrett, who became a father figure after Cash’s parents died in a car accident 12 years ago. Garrett hired Cash and his four younger brothers—Wyatt, Sawyer, and twins Ryder and Duke—to work at Lucky Ranch, providing them with wages and housing. This allowed the Rivers brothers to rent out their childhood home on their own dilapidated property, Rivers Ranch. Cash relies on the money he and his brothers earn at Lucky Ranch to maintain their tenuous ability to finance their own ranch. The news that Mollie will inherit (and likely sell) the ranch has the potential to devastate the Rivers family.

Outside, Cash sees Mollie’s expensive Range Rover and judges her for driving a flashy car. He overhears her sobbing on the phone with her mother. Misinterpreting Mollie’s distress as being solely about money, Cash’s opinion of her hardens. He tries to go to the bank to look at the safe deposit box, but the bank is closed, so he begins to drive home. On the road, Cash encounters his brother, Wyatt, and tells him about the will. Wyatt is also surprised and confused by Garrett’s decision. Instead of returning to Lucky Ranch, Cash drives to Rivers Ranch and surveys its decay. He dreams of combining the two properties to create a prosperous future for his family. His resolve hardens: If Mollie wants war, he’ll give her war.

Several days later in Dallas, Mollie has lunch with her mother, Aubrey, a successful real estate broker. Mollie reports that a recent pop-up shop for Bellamy Brooks went well but still only generated modest sales. Aubrey assures Mollie that her lawyers are working to overturn the will’s stipulation.

Mollie reflects on her company’s precarious financial situation. She and her business partner, Wheeler, funded the company with their savings, a loan from Wheeler’s grandparents, and a one-time investment from Aubrey. Anticipating the inheritance, they placed a large manufacturing order they now cannot afford. Mollie’s chronic stomach problems, attributed to stress by doctors, worsen with each unpaid bill.

Mollie also reflects on her family history, and wonders if her ambitions are secretly driven by her desire to win love and approval from her parents.

Aubrey and Garrett had a whirlwind romance, married quickly, and moved to his ranch. Aubrey grew depressed in the isolated Hill Country and eventually gave Garrett an ultimatum: move to Dallas or divorce. He chose the ranch. After the divorce, Garrett became largely absent from Mollie’s life. Her childhood hurt turned into teenage anger, causing her to shut him out completely—a decision she now deeply regrets. She particularly regrets refusing his offer to invest in Bellamy Brooks.

Mollie admits that she is tempted to try living on the ranch: the stipend she would receive as a result of doing so would give her much needed capital to fund Bellamy Brooks. Aubrey objects to this idea. When Mollie explains that Cash Rivers was also at the meeting about the will, Aubrey dismisses his claim to the ranch, calling cowboys “sweet-talking sacks of shit” (39). She reassures her daughter that the situation will be resolved.

Later that week, Mollie has casual sex with Palmer, a college acquaintance with whom she maintains a no-strings-attached relationship. After he leaves, she sees missed calls and texts from Wheeler. Bellamy Brooks is in a worrying financial position and Mollie fears that the business may go under entirely. On impulse, she calls her father’s number and listens to his voicemail greeting, which makes her cry. She continues to be confused as to why her father stipulated that she live on the ranch and wonders if she could tolerate it long enough to claim at least some of the stipend.

Mollie receives a notification that her business bank account now has a balance of zero, cementing her decision. When Wheeler calls, having also seen the bank notification, Mollie announces her decision to return to Hartsville to secure the monthly stipend. Wheeler offers to accompany her, but Mollie insists she stay in Dallas to handle business meetings. They joke about cowboys, and Mollie says she isn’t interested.

The day before Mollie’s return, Cash opens Garrett’s safe-deposit box at Lonestar Bank and finds hundreds of old photographs of Garrett, Aubrey, and young Mollie. He’s confused and emotional, wondering why wealthy Garrett considered these photos his most prized possessions and why he left them to Cash rather than his family. The photos show a happy Garrett who clearly adored his family, deepening Cash’s confusion about the will and his anger at Mollie for neglecting her father.

Goody arrives at Cash’s office with news: Mollie is coming to the ranch and will likely stay to fulfill the stipulation. Cash is furious and asks what happens to the trust if Mollie doesn’t last the year, but Goody is evasive. She warns Cash to be nice and says she will prepare the New House—a large mansion Garrett built for Aubrey that now sits mostly unused—for Mollie’s arrival.

Horse breeder Beck Wallace arrives to deliver two Quarter Horses. Sally, one of the ranch’s vets and the daughter of fellow vet John B, examines them. Beck flirts openly with Sally, and Cash observes that he would rather Sally be involved with Beck than Wyatt. Cash worries that his womanizing brother Wyatt might seduce Sally and jeopardize their family’s relationship with hers. Goody advises Cash to make Mollie an ally, not an enemy. Cash ignores the advice and secretly plans to give Mollie a difficult experience designed to drive her away.

Mollie arrives at Lucky Ranch the next day and is stunned by its lush beauty—a vibrant oasis of green oaks, meadows, and wildlife in the otherwise barren Hill Country. She briefly fantasizes about Cash riding across a meadow before catching herself. Seeing the scale of the ranch’s operation and the numerous cowboys, she feels overwhelmed and considers leaving, but knows she cannot. She also knows she will have to rely on Cash’s expertise as the longtime ranch foreman.

Goody greets her at the New House. Inside, Mollie is struck by the delicious smell of food and recognizes her mother’s design aesthetic in the decor. Goody confirms Garrett never changed the house after Aubrey left, preferring to live in the old farmhouse. This revelation makes Mollie feel a fresh wave of grief, realizing the people here knew her father better than she did.

In the kitchen, Mollie meets ranch chef Patsy, who gives her a warm hug and says she looks just like her father. She’s also introduced to Patsy’s husband, vet John B; Sawyer Rivers and his three-year-old daughter, Ella; and Sally (Patsy and John B’s daughter) who is also a vet. The family tells Mollie that Garrett often talked about her, which makes her emotional. Wyatt enters, then Duke (another Rivers brother), then other cowboys. Cash arrives last and is tender with his niece, Ella, but when he sees Mollie, his warm demeanor vanishes. He greets her coldly, calling her “City Girl.”

Mollie tells Cash not to call her names, but he continues to be hostile, telling her to return to Dallas. Patsy scolds him for his rudeness and formally introduces the five Rivers brothers: Cash (the oldest), Wyatt, Sawyer, and twins Ryder and Duke. Wyatt explains to Mollie that their parents died in a car accident twelve years ago. Mollie expresses sympathy, which Cash internally dismisses as insincere.

The tension breaks when Patsy tells a funny story about chasing a young, drunk, naked Wyatt with a wooden spoon. The family’s boisterous, teasing dynamic unfolds during lunch. Cash is disgusted when Mollie only puts green beans on her plate, interpreting it as an insult to Patsy’s cooking and proof of her city-girl attitude. He also continues to notice Wyatt’s obvious attraction to Sally.

After lunch, Cash announces he will give Mollie a tour of the ranch on horseback, deliberately choosing this method as part of his plan to haze her into leaving. Mollie panics, admitting she hasn’t ridden in a long time, but Cash insists, claiming the route is inaccessible by ATV. Mollie agrees but insists Goody accompany them. Though irritated, Cash resolves this ride will be the thing that finally drives Mollie away.