Jeff Woodbine enlivens his dead end job at the Bargain Barn warehouse by ripping off modest amounts of stock, a little larceny that leads to blackmail by a co-worker. On the opening day of trout season, Jeff sees her pushing a toddler along the isolated riverside path. When they argue, she rams the child's stroller into his leg, and he strikes her. She falls awkwardly, fatally hitting her head. Jeff panics and flees, leaving only a little boy too young to speak as witness. Jeff dodges police interest and curious friends when the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew opens up construction jobs in South Florida. Months later he returns, apparently to safety, until a new job brings him into contact with Jess, a woman he has admired since high school. He falls in love with her, only to discover to his horror that Leon, her strangely silent young son, was the child who witnessed the fatal argument.
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