Involved in a debilitating accident at age six, Ethan Searle believes women eye him with a mixture of pity and disdain. He's tried love before. He won't again. Autumn Reader escaped her abusive marriage with her daughter, a stack of debt, and fear. Autumn's precocious two-year old becomes enraptured by Ethan. Autumn is on the path to following her daughter's example when her ex-husband reappears.