Reeling from her mother's recent death, Ruby Lee Gissing (Ashley Judd) relocates to Florida to start anew. After finding a job at a souvenir store, Ruby becomes friends with the shop's owner, Mildred Chambers (Dorothy Lyman), and slowly acclimates to her new surroundings. Before long, she's juggling the affections of Mildred's Lothario son, Ricky (Bentley Mitchum), and the good-natured Mike (Todd Field). As she wavers between Ricky and Mike, Ruby also tries to come to terms with her past.