When Desiree Johnson receives an unexpected call from her brother, Ernest Jr., about their father, she and her sixteen-year-old son, Tyree, pack up and rush to her family’s summer home in Idlewild. Desiree hasn’t been to Michigan in over sixteen years, but when her family calls, she feels she has no choice but to answer.  

 After arriving in the beautiful town, Desiree quickly realizes that no matter how long she has stayed away, the place still holds a special place in her heart. As the summer heats up, Desiree struggles to balance the joy of returning to the community that shaped her childhood with the overwhelming memories of the love and pain she suffered the last summer she spent there.  

Tyson Blackwell is taken aback by Desiree’s return. Their teenage relationship might have lasted only a few summers, but their connection was powerful. Tyson might have succumbed to family pressure and let Desiree go once before, but now that she’s back, he vows it will not happen again. He needs to prove to Desiree that he never stopped loving her. The problem is that Tyson is now married.   

Desiree’s siblings, Donna and Ernest Jr., have their own share of childhood secrets and adult scandals. Donna is recovering from addiction and is convinced her sister’s return is all about their ailing father’s money. She wants to send Desiree a message—“Go back where you came from, or I’ll ruin you.” Ernest Jr. is determined to take his rightful place as their father’s heir apparent, and he'll do whatever it takes to keep himself at the top, even if it means stabbing his siblings in the back and making sure his father never recovers. 

Desiree finds herself in the midst of jealousy, secrets, and unexpected strong feelings for another woman’s husband. Will she stand and face it all, or will she run, like she did so many years ago?