Lessons in propriety did little to prepare Marah Kinsley for life on board a creaky old boat. Now widowed, the boat is her livelihood, if she can only keep the navy from learning that she has shouldered the work of maintaining it. When a handsome lieutenant is granted command, Marah has to curb her growing attraction to keep him from uncovering the truth and taking away her means of supporting her family.

Lieutenant Collin Boyd is elated to finally have his own command, until he lays eyes on the decrepit Teaspoon. What’s more, the bosun is mysteriously ill, and the brig is being run by the bosun’s young and determined wife. Trying to stay optimistic, he agrees to let her continue serving as her husband’s replacement until Mr. Kinsley recovers. But when Marah is caught in her lie, Collin is faced with the choice to let her remain at her post and threaten his career or cast her out of his crew to fend for herself.

As they work together patrolling enemy waters, their dependence on each other grows. A mistake and a court-martial threaten to separate them forever, forcing Marah to examine her heart. Can she give up her family’s dream to rescue her second chance at love?