Two lonely people both living away from home in Tampa Florida connect with each other in a chat room on the Internet. When Zona Hardin and Parnell Tanner finally meet, they discover that this is not their first meeting. After a disappointing and nervous first date the two become friends and eventually lovers. However, neither seems able to escape their respective shameful past. After receiving a devastating letter, Zona flees to her North Carolina mountain home with a secret she vows to keep from Parnell forever