English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she'd return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past. Sarah discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. They quickly become friends-bonding through Lucas's culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance. Their relationship is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas-along with the town of Sycamore Falls-are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.