May Schott would do anything to change the tragic moment when she stepped too close to the fire that left her best friend, Carl Hilty, devastatingly burned. After Carl left Apple Creek for extensive surgeries, May patiently prayed for one chance to ask his forgiveness. Now, six years later, Carl Hilty is coming home. The reunion goes nothing like May anticipated. Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Carl again, she is speechless, unable to look away. And Carl's own stone-cold silence leaves her certain that whatever attraction they once shared has been replaced by his hatred of her. After hiding in the shadows of the big city, Carl has returned to connect with his family and to see if May can overlook his scars and accept his tender love-but her reaction makes it clear that she wants nothing to do with him. He grudgingly agrees to stay with his family for a time before retreating to anonymity once again. But in Apple Creek, it's easy to miss what everyone around you sees plain as day. For two people who belong together, it will take a few helping hands to heal the hurts of the past and make a miraculous new beginning.