Tom Connors was just a plain old cowboy trying to make a living. When he agreed to go to Chicago with his boss to promote the railway project from the West coast to the East coast, he never thought about falling in love, especially with a girl as pretty as Maggie. Not only was Maggie pretty, she was the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Chicago. Blasting and grinding through the Sierra Mountain Range was nothing compared to the struggle Tom had pleasing Maggie. Their struggles became so intense that she packed up and went back home to her family. Her untimely leaving left Tom confused and upset. He had done everything to please her, but she left anyway. His boss had warned him that he was asking for trouble when he brought her along. He said the west was too raw for a sophisticated lady like Maggie. When Tom tried to convince her to stay in Chicago and wait until he finished the railway to the east, she insisted on coming with him. The railroad company hired Chinese workers to build the railway. Since Tom was the surveyor and engineer when they blasted through the mountains, he had become close to the workers and they trusted him. When disaster struck and one of his best hands was killed, Tom felt the need to comfort his wife and son. Between the lonely nights away from Maggie and missing his son, Tom turned to Su for company. When he crossed the line and slept with her, he felt bad about betraying Maggie, but she was the one who packed up and left him high and dry. When he returned to Chicago to see his son, he was met with unexpected challenges and surprises. Maggie's father was dying and he was expecting Tom to take over the management of his ranch. How could he possibly take on that kind of responsibility when he still had a mountain to cross? The westbound railway was moving much slower than the eastbound and he was the only one to get them through the last few miles of mountain terrain. Not only did the railway need him, Su was pregnant with his child and he could not abandon her. How could he possibly take care of all his obligations when so many people were depending on him. Could he go back to Maggie and leave Su behind? Would Maggie even want him back after she discovered the truth? She was the one who left him. All of this was her fault. He didn't really care that much about her, but he did care about their son and he wanted to be with him. Torn between the two women and a child on the way was more than he could comprehend. When he returned to Chicago, Maggie's father took matters into his own hands and made the choices easier for him. It was only when the old man was on his deathbed that Tom realized what he had done, but it was too late to do anything about it. Tom was left with a wife, her mother, and her tyrant of a sister to care for. He would have to step up and take control, but who was going to get hurt along the way?