Elise Wright loves her Great Lakes life onboard her father's ship, the Mary Elise. As cook, Elise can keep an eye on her father and the grief he bears, fulfilling a promise to her late mother. But in doing so, she may forfeit love and a family of her own.

Trying to forget his own guilt over a wrong decision while captaining another ship, Nick Clark hires on as the Mary Elise's first mate, quickly bonding with the attractive cook over their common struggles.

When a rough new sailor makes an inappropriate pass at Elise, her father believes it was a misunderstanding and offers a second chance. But other odd behavior raises Nick's suspicions. Just as clues to the sailor's unsavory past start to stack up, an even more immediate danger swells up around them. Forced to confront their greatest fears, Nick and Elise will have to rely on their faith and each other to see them through.