Avery Stafford

Avery is a 30-year-old woman who, at the beginning of the novel, has left her job in Baltimore where she worked as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's office. She moved back home to Aiken, South Carolina to care for her father, Wells, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Since Wells is a senator, she helps him maintain his busy political schedule while she is home with him and her mother, Honeybee. Although Avery misses her old job and life back in Baltimore, Avery is truly committed to her parents and is happy to help take on some of the burden while her father is sick.

When the novel begins, Avery is two months into a long-distance relationship with her fiancé, Elliot. As the novel progresses, Avery begins to question their love for one another. While both her parents and Elliot's parents eagerly expect them...