The assignment that reporter Sam Reynolds had been given seemed easy enough: find out about Dr. David Mackenzie; find out what gave him his own special brand of faith. And so San left Portland for the small towns around LaGrande, to discover new people and a way of life he had never known existed.

Lovely Amber Mackenzie, a nurse, had been alone since her father’s death. But she was carrying on with the work he had begun — the small Crossroads Clinic was still open; Amber still journeyed into the canyons and mountains to help people in need. Amber’s gentle ways earned her the love of all who knew her and believed in her father’s ideals, and Sam quickly fell under he spell.

But what were these ideals? What made Amber so different from the people Sam had known before? Was it that she truly cared for others, above herself, and was willing to dedicate herself to their care? Was it that she reveled in life and saw beauty and goodness in all things?

Sam’s assignment to learn about Dr. Mackenzie turned into something more, as the young man decided to learn about himself, too. And Sam’s presence caused Amber some serious thinking, also. Although she had known and loved Dr. Robert Meacham for years, she felt unsure of herself, unready for marriage. Perhaps with Sam…

The offer attractive Shelley Talmadge, a private-duty nurse who was between jobs, received from her best friend, Eleanora Crawford, was too good to pass up: The girls could spend the summer at a resort on St. John owned by Katherine Crawford, Eleanora’s grandmother. In return, they would have some light duties — Shelley’s included being the resident nurse. She welcomed the time away from handsome Winston Crawford, Eleanora’s brother, who had been pressing her to marry him. Although she thought she loved him, she wasn’t sure she wanted to give up her nursing career for marriage.

For Eleanora, a flighty girl who could fall in and out of love within the hour, the trip was a romantic adventure — handsome men, including her adopted uncle, Stephen, Marcello, the gourmet chef, and Brent Howard, a sportsman; swaying palms; warm breezes…

Shelley too was affected by the atmosphere. Life could be so pleasant there on the secluded beaches, in the shady coves.

For the young nurse, the summer was one of maturation, of growing to know herself and her goals in life. But she didn’t miss out on fun and romance as she discovered the path her life was to take.

After Molly Patterson was jilted, she was determined never to trust a man again. But she was a very attractive girl, and more than one man was anxious to make her change her mind.

Was Molly going to be able to stick to her decision?

Misty Marshall was between cases when she learned that her friend Suanne Oakland had suffered a nervous breakdown after the mysterious drowning of her husband, Brian. Determined to help Suanne recover, Misty hurried to her side. At the beautiful Georgia plantation that had been in the Oakland family for generations, Misty found her presence bitterly opposed by Clint, Brian’s handsome twin brother, who seemed intent upon keeping Suanne secluded if not imprisoned in her room. Why? Misty wondered.

And then she began to uncover some disturbing answers. Answers that became even more disturbing as she found herself being more and more drawn to the fascinating yet repelling Clint Oakland. Was she falling in love with a murderer?

Meg James of the Freer Memorial Hospital had a strong sense of duty and strong emotions, and somehow she got herself into a situation where she had promised to marry both John Heriot, the doctor, and Lance Curtiss, the patient.