A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her.
       When a mysterious young woman named Katie appear in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises question about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming peronal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationhips: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainpoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservation, Katie slowly begin to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begin to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of tranient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and ...