Bill and his mother, Grace, visit his mother€s best friend, Peggy Tenner, at her beachfront house, something they do as often as they can. But this time is different€"Bill meets Gail, a young woman he really likes, a friend of Peggy€s, and his mother meets Wes Langtree. While Bill, Peggy, and Gail have a playful day at the beach, his mother goes out with Wes, also a friend of Peggy€s, and their lunch turns into dinner. During their time together, Grace learns that Wes is a widower, raising a fourteen-year-old daughter on his own, the Chief Deputy Sheriff, and very good company. They discover how much they have in common and how much they like each other. Bill makes plans to have dinner with Gail at her home. Peggy is pleased with herself for playing match-maker for her close friends, but is also bored and frustrated as she sits at home alone while her husband is away on a business trip.
When Bill€s mother gets back from her date, she is upset to learn that Gail is twenty-six years old, which she feels is too old for her eighteen-year-old son. Peggy calms her friend€s fears by telling her all about Gail, whom she has known since she was born.