The last thing Alec Corbett wants is another romantic relationship. Hoping to escape a recent heartache, he moves to North Carolina to begin anew. But then he meets his next-door neighbor. Lydia Boswick, a widow with two children, seems more like the proverbial "helpless female" than the capable women Alec knew back home in Wisconsin. Despite his determination to avoid involvement, he finds himself coming to Lydia’s rescue time and time again. Soon, they begin to fall in love. But Alec may be facing another personal tragedy: it is apparent that three men want Lydia Boswick. But only one wants her heart.