In 1864 Columbia, California, the gold rush ended long ago, but spirited Katie MacKenzie yearns for real adventure. By day, she helps run her father’s saloon, then eagerly turns to her true passion: writing articles for the local newspaper about the Griffin, a Robin Hood-style highwayman who robs the unscrupulous mine owners and gives back to the townspeople.
Everything changes one summer day when roguish Jack Adams, a stranger with a dark secret, rides into the sleepy Sierra town.
A powerful attraction smolders and burns between Jack and Katie despite their efforts to resist, but when a horrifying death occurs during one of the Griffin’s stagecoach robberies, Katie is tormented by thoughts of revenge. There is much she doesn’t know – about the Griffin, and about Jack, who has awakened her deepest yearnings. As secrets are revealed, Katie’s brave heart is tested in ways she never imagined.