In a small fishing town on the California coast, Mae Doyle returns home after years of living in the city, disillusioned by her experiences and seeking refuge. She moves in with her affectionate brother Joe, who works at a local cannery. Mae soon rekindles a connection with Jerry D’Amato, a humble and kind-hearted fisherman. Despite Mae’s cynical view on life, she decides to marry Jerry, seemingly striving for stability and security. Her marriage, however, is not without inner conflict as Mae grapples with her desire for excitement versus the comfort of domestic life.

Complications arise when Mae meets Earl Pfeiffer, Jerry’s best friend, an abrasive but charismatic projectionist who senses Mae’s restlessness. A mutual attraction ignites an intense tension between Mae and Earl, leaving Mae torn between loyalty to her husband and the allure of a passionate affair. Simmering beneath the surface are brooding emotions and moral uncertainties that threaten to disrupt their lives. As these tensions heighten, the characters are confronted with the imminent clash between their desires and responsibilities, threatening to unravel the fragile bonds holding them together. The trajectory of their intertwined relationships builds towards a critical turning point that forces each of them to reckon with their choices.