Ellen Gardner is a SPAR, in the Coast Guard's women's auxiliary, processing paperwork for long lines of Coast Guard members mustering out at the end of World War II. When Troy Carver appears in front of her, both remember the amazing going-away kiss they shared one cold night on the shores of Lake Michigan, just before he shipped out. The fire of their interrupted romance is rekindled in the warm nights, hot sands, and sunny skies of St. Augustine. With marriage in mind but unmentioned, Troy is ready to give up his dream of owning his own business for the traditional safety of a steady income to support a stay-at-home wife, while Ellen, now an independent modern woman, has a job lined up and is eager to be a useful part of the business world. Can they learn to communicate and make decisions together, or will the historic Ponce de Leon Hotel forever hold bitter memories?