Sarah never wanted a life filled with adventure. She was afraid of the world that lay beyond the property markers of the plantation. She wanted to marry a man who loved her for who she was and not for what she had; and she wanted to live at Rosewood Plantation forever. But the War Between the States changed everything. Sarah learns to overcome hardship and fear and wonders if she will ever find true love. She is forced to leave Rosewood and travel with her brother, Cole, by wagon train to a mysterious uncle in California. Cole, a man who believes that one cannot live without honor and respect for himself, gave his word to their dying mother that he would take Sarah to California. But his honor and convections are put to the test as he struggles with feelings for Sarah that he dares not even think about. As they journey to the West, they struggle to resist the forbidden love they both feel while bearing the hardships of wagon travel, fighting Indians, evading capture by the U.S. Army who considers them horse thieves, and being hunted by the Molack brothers who have a sinister interest in Sarah.