Nine-year-old Karl Hardt falls in love with Hayley Dalen in 1879 on the day she arrives at the one-room schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. Their friendship deepens over the years while Hayley remains unaware of Karl's feelings for her. When Hayley marries another man, Karl weds his second choice but is unable to put his first love behind him.Maddie Reynolds manages a boutique in modern-day downtown Chicago. She needs inspiration to design a vintage-style window display in the store, so one morning, she brings her unique family heirloom to the boutique. Derek, the handsome man across the aisle from her in the commuter train, claims his mother possesses an antique handkerchief exactly like the one Maddie is holding. Both families have speculated as to the meaning of the strange embroidery, but the greater mystery to Maddie and Derek is the connection between their family ancestors. As they team up to gather clues to the past, the two realize they are falling in love. They must decide whether the possibility of being relatives is enough to keep them apart.Stories from two separate timelines are artfully woven together to produce an intriguing tale that will leave the reader spellbound.