Tawny Brown lives with her little dachshund Parker in Portland, Oregon. She is laid off from her job as an art therapist for children due to funding cutbacks. She loved her work, but she had to find new employment. She was looking through possibilities in the paper when her eyes locked on to an ad for a caretaker/therapist for a child. She was intrigued; after all, she loved children, and room and board was included. When she showed up for the interview, she was hired on the spot. She was to be a nanny/therapist to a beautiful little Vietnamese girl named Lily who was mute from trauma. It was a challenge; she was excited and ready to tackle.

Lily's Uncle Ken, a bachelor, was raising her for his sister who had recently died in a car accident. He had a housekeeper and cook, Mrs. Trembly, who was also his babysitter. He was completely overwhelmed with the child, and Mrs. Trembly was getting older and needed more time for herself.

Tawny is loving the simple life of a home and "family," but she knows it won't last forever. Although she is making progress with Lily, she finds herself attracted to her employer. An old flame and business partner of Ken's, Debbie, turns up and leads Tawny to a major misunderstanding of their relationship. Debbie knows every trick in the book about getting her man back.

The story is ultimately about the circle of attraction, misunderstanding, and love.