When Rosella O'Leary arrived on the shores of Pendleton Bay in the Pacific Northwest in 1866, she had no idea the path her life would take. She arrived to help care for and educate her nieces, the children of her sister and brother-in-law, after her sister's death.Rosella had no idea that her fiery beauty would generate so much interest among the abundance of bachelors in the primitive Northwest. Little did she know that her spirit and soul would capture the heart of the adventurous Captain Nate Harris, whose only love affair to date had been with his three-masted schooner, "Dawn."The story evolves from their first meeting and passes through time to their last meeting. Two independent human beings who could not let their emotions dominate their fierce pride. Eventually, Johnathon Pendleton and Captain Harris compete for Rosella's affection. Their fierce competition only serves to confuse Rosella, as down through the years she is tossed by circumstances beyond her control to live a life not of her choosing.Her nieces keep her busy and serve to keep her mind away from thoughts of Captain Nate Harris, who is constantly on her mind and in her heart.When she gives birth to a son, who is the spitting image of his father, life becomes even more complicated. She is forced into a life which will keep her son and her nieces safe, but is not of her own choosing.Rosella constantly blames herself for her situation, as she accepts the life she has, but wishes her proud temper had not deprived her of the life she wanted.The story involves overpowering love, hate, misunderstanding, even murder. But the overwhelming theme is the consuming love of two people who cannot live without each other. Will they be able to realize their dream of being together, or will others continue to determine the course of their lives?