How could the sensible daughter of Trinity Harbor's self-proclaimed patriarch have taken in the boy caught hot-wiring her car? Whether the boy is a modern-day Huck Finn or not, Trinity Harbor is in an uproar. But for Daisy Spencer, guiding the orphaned ten-year-old is easy, an escape from her own tragic past. She can ignore the town's nay-saying. The only real obstacle is...that man.

That man is the boy's uncle, Walker Ames, a tough DC cop who sees his unexpected nephew as his last chance at redemption. Soon he's commuting to the charming fishbowl of a town, where everyone assumes he's seduced Daisy--their best Sunday-school teacher But to Walker, Daisy is a disconcerting mix of charming innocence and smart-mouthed excitement in a town that's not as sleepy as it looks.