When rodeo champion Cody Gunner returns to Colorado Springs, he has no intention on keeping his deathbed promise to his beloved wife--to love again. But when his concern for his brother Carl takes him to the Independent Learning Center, he sees how much Carl and his fellow Down syndrome students are progressing. He also notices their teacher Ellie Downs, who glows with such infectious joy and inner beauty that he almost forgets their philosophical differences.reunion, they find out that Mr. and Mrs. Baxter have a secret that could change their lives forever.