Sweet tea, cornbread and bean soup are common fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious favorite of a respected Southern family. There was nothing ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the “other” side of town. Armed with only a tin of Bee Balm and steely determination, Alix tends to fresh evidence of a recent beating on his back - an act that changes their lives forever. Through childhood disasters and teenage troubles, they support each other, and friendship turns to love. The future looks bright until one fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is gunned down in his filthy trailer. Nick suddenly moves away, leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. Over the next fifteen years, she struggles with the pain of a breakup, a failed marriage, and the pain of her family and friends. But her life is finally looking up. The divorce is almost over, business is booming, and Alix is content, if not happy—until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing behind the counter. He's back... and he's not alone. Once again, Alix is plunged into confusion and pain as Nick tries to win her love, which she resists with all her might. Only one thing can break down the protective wall she has built around her emotions - the truth about Frank Anderson's death. But when that truth emerges and the walls come crashing down, neither Alix nor Nick are prepared for the emotional explosion that can both destroy and heal.