The year is 1944. After the loss of her first child, Evangeline Worth returns to her beloved grandmother's farm in Hawke's Cove. With her husband John across the Atlantic on the war front, the coastal town provides a sanctuary for Vangie's solitude. All of that changes one day when a mysterious stranger appears on her doorstep searching for work.Joe Green looks able enough, and while she wonders why he isn't in the service, Vangie takes him in on instinct. As a rich friendship develops between them, the Army informs Vangie that John is MIA. At the same time, rumors in town circulate about a downed Hellcat plane and its missing pilot. Smoothing away each other's loneliness, Vangie and Joe feel their relationship deepening into a forbidden passion. Then John is suddenly found alive, and they separate -- but cannot bear to sever their bond.
Fifty years later, Vangie's son Charlie, a reporter, is assigned to unlock the puzzle of a dredged up Hellcat. He heads to Hawke's Cove to investigate, and meets respected local Joe Green and his daughter Maggie. As a romantic relationship blossoms between Charlie and Maggie, Vangie and Joe realize that they must open up the past -- and the secrets of their hearts.
