Feeling unhinged by a pending recall election, California Senator Crane takes his daughter, Penny, and his second wife, Lillian, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for a ski vacation. Although Penny is not keen on skiing, she changes her mind upon meeting a handsome instructor named Chris. As Penny and Chris fall in love, Penny's stepmother, Lillian, becomes jealous and attempts to thwart the budding romance. When the senator requests Lillian's company on a side trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, Penny and Chris find themselves alone and make love. Returning home to Palm Springs, California, Penny realizes she is pregnant and Lillian demands that her stepdaughter have an abortion, but Chris pledges his love and vows to marry the girl. However, the brakes on his truck give out on his way to the airport and he is killed in the ensuing wreck.