Springwater's first schoolteacher, she crosses paths with rough-hewn barkeep Trey Hargreaves, who puts a slow burn on her proper Eastern ways. Behind her rouge and bangles, the dance-hall girl has a sure and steady heart. Can her kind, gentle love help Dr. Prescott Parrish heal his wounded spirit? An unwed mother in search of a place to call home, she finds her heart's desire in Springwater—and in the arms of rancher Landry Kildare. The sparks fly when she comes to take charge of her late brother's bankrupt newspaper—and finds herself in a heated love match with town mayor Gage Calloway.