Tanner Harlow is a talented landscape designer, quietly building a name and a solid future when he finds himself needing to be the temporary guardian to his 11-year-old half-sister. Tanner loves her, but he can't see himself as a father figure or imagine how he's going to build his business during his busiest season with a child in tow. But his newest client - his high-school crush, who still makes his heart pound - has a proposition that will help them both, as long as Tanner can resist the tempting lure of the girl next door.

Elementary school teacher Francie Tate moved back to Marietta to be close to her ailing father. She plans to settle in and fix up her little bungalow before the school year starts, but she definitely needs help with the neglected yard. She's shocked when the landscaper she hired turns out to be a classmate. Tanner used to be shy in school, but he isn't the same kid anymore - he's tall, sexy, and has the most striking brown eyes she's ever seen. When Francie learns of Tanner's need for child care, she impulsively offers to watch his half-sister for the summer in return for some landscaping and renovations around the house.

It seems like a win-win, but Francie didn't bargain on falling in love.