When his father was killed in the Second Gulf War, Trey and his mother moved to Buzby Island. There, Trey meets Dusty, who lives with her single dad in the apartment across the hall. Over the years their friendship develops into a romance until their parents discover feelings for each other. When Trey and Dusty refuse to break off their budding romance to accommodate their parents, the two find themselves exiled. Trey is sent to New Hampshire to live with the paternal grandparents he hardly knows, while Dusty is sent to western North Carolina to live with her father's parents.In New Hampshire, Trey meets Bobbi, a girl his age who lives next door to his grandparents. From the moment he first sets eyes on Bobbi, Trey knows his vow to stay true to Dusty is on thin ice. As he and Bobbi, a sailing enthusiast, take to the lake so Trey can learn how to sail, Trey begins to learn the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Trey is one boy, caught between two islands, and trying to find a safe harbor for his heart.