Georgia, 1924. Fourteen-year-old Tenny is determined to change her fate. After running away from bleak prospects to a tiny town, she fights to find a respectable place to stay. But with scant belongings and little money, she's soon battling for survival in a world of dangerous men. Pete could never forget the vision of the pretty girl he saw washing in a river. But the aspiring medical student has grand plans for his future, and pursuing the affections of the town belle is his biggest goal. Yet when he eventually catches his bride-to-be, it may not lead to the blissful union he imagined. Cleverly lying her way into nursing school, Tenny's blossoming friendship with the young doctor-in-training ends in heartbreak when he marries another woman. But after Pete's life is turned upside down with an invalid wife and a needy newborn, it's Tenny he leans on for support. Will their hearts turn aside, or will they take a second chance for real love?