As the story opens, twenty-five-year-old Brad Wilson recently returned to the United States from three years of combat duty in Iraq and recently divorced thirty-seven-year-old Linda Wallace just enrolled at State University to complete her last two years of college. At the same time, Linda's eighteen-year-old daughter, Diane, will be starting freshman year at Stanford. Brad and Linda meet at a required class, where Linda initially thinks Brad will be a good find for Diane. However, within a short time, they become intimate and initially try to hide their relationship because of the age difference. This results in many unpredictable and humorous situations. Their relationship is put to a test in December. Linda's parents move in with her after her father retires, Diane unexpectedly shows up, saying she is dropping out of Stanford, and Linda's ex-husband is divorcing his wife and wants to remarry her. This leads to many serious detailed discussions concerning the future for Brad and Linda.