Violet Steele returns to her parents' home in small-town Nebraska to pay off school loans. But her first social activity is the celebration of life for a woman she'd dreamt would someday be her mother-in-law.Heath Banfield is haunted by memories of Violet leaving him in their youth. He ended up with a woman who never wanted motherhood, and he's become bitter and hard when it comes to love and trust. Now he's dealing with his mother's death. In her absence, he needs an after-school caregiver for his daughter. When Violet offers to tend for the eight-year-old, he's not sure he can handle her act of kindness.Violet is still in love with Heath, and helping him through his grief and caring for his delightful daughter is a welcome opportunity. But Heath is wary, and she'll have to muster every ounce of kindness she has. Will Violet's deliberate holiday deeds lead to romance, or will Heath's hurt deepen his bitterness?