Kate Mitchum, Leanne LeDeaux, and Kathy Jones-three little girls, growing up in Saint Elizabeth's Orphanage in New Orleans, Louisiana, were as close as any friends could be. That is, until just before Christmas when they were nine years old. Turning points can come when you least expect them, as Kate Mitchum finds out as a child and later as an adult. She is smart and she is strong and she has the love and support of her friends and family at Saint Elizabeth's as she faces life's continuous struggles-bumps in the road, as Sr. Mary Louise, head of the orphanage, calls them. Throughout her senior year of high school, Kate works for Matthew Carlton, the new teacher who sets all the female teachers' and students' hearts aflutter, all the while remaining aloof and mysterious. Mr. Carlton takes a liking to Kate and helps her earn a little pocket money by having her do some of his busy work, such as grading papers and running errands. Little does he know that this association with Kate would one day lead him to fall deeply in love with her, but not until he himself proves to be one of those bumps in the road Kate has to face.