Nan Meyers returns to her beloved hometown of Willow Springs a broken woman, ten months after leaving for what was supposed to be a short vacation with her brother. Dan Shylock greets the news of his friend and favorite submissive's return with relief. After Nan cut off all communication with him and her other friends several weeks after going on vacation, her silence had both worried and angered him. Seeing the changes in her upon her return stirs up his suspicions, and when she reveals hints of suffering from an abusive trauma, his protective instincts and determination to help her kick into high gear.