Plot summary
Emma Moriarty, a 33 year-old divorced mother, moves to a rural Arizona town to make a living by training and boarding horses. She becomes friends with the town's pharmacist, Murphy Jones, an idiosyncratic widower. A romance between them seems unlikely, both because of the significant age difference and because Emma allows her ex-husband, Bobby Jack Moriarty, to move back in with her and their 12-year-old son, Jake.
Emma struggles to make ends meet but is helped by Murphy. While not helping her outright with charity or a personal loan, Murphy gives a part-time job to Jake and buys a horse with her assistance boarding it. He encourages others to do the same, and eventually Emma's business grows. He also provides emotional support for both her and Jake, especially when Emma is injured in a car accident. Murphy spends quite a bit of time with Emma because of his horse being boarded at her place and a connection forms.
A rivalry develops between Murphy and Bobby Jack, who is immature, dishonest and jealous; Emma and Murphy fall in love despite Bobby Jack's efforts to hamper their romance. Bobby Jack finally leaves town after an 18-year-old he had a fling with appears at the ranch with their newborn twin sons. With him gone, Murphy and Emma are finally free to pursue a relationship.
Credits
Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Murphy's Romance. Section headings and formatting adjusted.