Vera Queen is a mature and usually sensible woman. Having lost her beloved husband, watched her children grow up and leave on their own, she begins breeding mastiffs to ease her loneliness. This new hobby allows her to travel and meet new people, gradually healing her grief. She embarks on a trip to Germany in order to deliver her darling Bella to her new family. She is unprepared for her immediate reaction to Rutger Heisman - or his demand that she stay to acclimate his new companion.