Spoiled debutante Abby Anderson is looking forward to her upcoming wedding to Jeffrey Browning, Savannah's most sought-after bachelor, and prominent up-and-coming Politician. But when her jealous adversary, Elizabeth Whatley, publicly confronts her at Savannah's Spring Season Ball, with allegations that Abby's birth was illegitimate, Abby realizes her reputation no longer allows her to be an eligible bride for her beloved Jeffrey with his high social and political standards. She loses her temper and publicly defames and physically assaults her adversary, Elizabeth. Suddenly, she realizes that her reputation is now beyond any hopes of repair. Mortified, Abby flees from the ball and the many disapproving stares of her now-former friends accusing looks. She returns home and confronts her father for the truth. Alone again, she considers her situation. Suddenly, she decides to pack her traveling bag and leave her Savannah, Georgia home She has no idea where she is going. She only knows she must leave and get away from her entire previous life and hopefully begin anew where her shame is completely unknown to anyone.
Joseph Jordan was headed to California, never expecting to run into the mysterious flaming red-haired beauty at the Savannah, Georgia train station. Her rudeness toward him challenges the handsome Texan. He decides to annoy her in return, but he soon quickly finds himself becoming alarmingly interested in the beautiful debutante. He becomes intrigued when he guesses that she is running away. But from what and to where soon becomes a puzzle to him that he is determined to solve. Without warning, he finds himself trying to protect the gorgeous redhead. He soon finds he is becoming alarmingly interested in knowing more about her. However, he fears that a romantic alliance with this woman could very well become the ruin of his gold rush dreams.
Jeffrey Browning, Abby's fiancé, returns to Savannah to find that his beloved has suddenly left him and that no one knows where she has gone. Distraught, he vows to find the woman he loves. He was not about to give up on the love that he and Abigail shared. He puts his busy political aspirations on hold and agrees to accompany the Pinkerton Detective who was hired by Abby's father to find her. He knows in his heart that his strong political aspirations will help him to silence the vicious gossipers of Savannah. He wastes no time in leaving Savannah to head westward to find his beloved fiancé and bring her back to Savannah to marry him as they had originally planned.
Distraught, Abby's father has his detective post a reward for her safe return, but unwittingly, the reward only places her in further danger as she becomes sought after by nefarious bandits. Their attempted kidnapping of her causes her a sustainable injury that furthers her state of jeopardy. Joseph suddenly finds his own life in danger as he attempts to rescue Abby and himself, again and again. To protect her and to keep her in his life, he convinces her to join him and others on a wagon train leaving Saint Louis and heading west to California, in search of their chances of finding gold.
In the meantime, the two of them are continually but unknowingly being pursued by both, the bandits and her loving fiancé, Jeffrey. In the end, Abby finds herself having to make the choice of her life. Will she choose a new life with Joseph, the exciting handsome Texan, who found it in his heart to rescue her again and again? Or will she choose to return home to marry Jeffrey, whose love for her is so strong, that he puts his own life on hold to follow her clear across the continent? Will she elect to return to Georgia, to marry Jeffrey, and to live the lifestyle she always knew and loved? Or will fate intervene and her choice be made for her?
