Everything changed for Laura Taylor when the South lost the Civil War. The Yankees' arrival in South Carolina drove Laura and her soldier husband, Jesse, westward to seek a new beginning. But Laura's hopes crumble when Jesse dies, and she finds herself pregnant and alone in a wild railroad camp with winter coming in fast. The only one she can turn to is Dr. Spencer Hardin. Spencer returned from the war to discover his wife had run off with another man, taking his young son with them. Vowing to get his child back, he started the long journey to San Francisco, and not even the revelation of his wife's death could stop his vengeful journey. But when a blizzard rages, Spencer finds himself stranded, fighting for the lives of Laura Taylor and her baby, and the first steps on the path to redemption.