Lacey Monahan is in a tough place in her life. After being betrayed by her boyfriend and fired from her job as a teacher in Portland, she seeks refuge in the mountains of western North Carolina, where she hopes to discover the origins of her great-great-grandmother, Abigail Pendergrass Lowry. While there, she meets Rafe Prewitt, a former Motocross racer with a sensual smile who sets his sights on Lacey. Though Rafe's touch sends her over the moon, she's afraid to let another man close, especially a good-looking, smooth-talking man with hot eyes and wicked hands. When she's given a chance to stay in Cullowhee and discover more about her mysterious ancestress and the buried secrets of her heritage, Lacey must make a decision: Stay and risk having her heart broken, or return to Portland without ever knowing if she could love again.