Claire Snowden is escaping an abusive father and mean life in the streets of 1800's Chicago. Heading West to Gold Rush country, her stage coach is robbed at gunpoint, and the young woman traveling with her – a mail-order bride – is killed. When Claire, whose prospects in California were grim, takes over the young woman's identity, she finds herself in the arms of a handsome cowboy who has far more than ranching on his mind.