 Bernie Fine, a homeloving New Yorker is asked by his boss to run their new San Francisco department store. Initially stubborn, Bernie finally realises he has no choice, but he is miserable in San Francisco. One day, while walking the floors he meets Jane, a little girl who has lost her mother. When they find her mother, Liz, Bernie is enchanted with her and they become involved and eventually marry. Liz becomes pregnant, but their joy is shortlived as after their son, Alexander, is born Liz is diagnosed with Leukaemia. When Liz dies, Bernie and Jane are distraught but continue their relatively peaceful life until Jane s no-good father blackmails Bernie for custody of Jane. After she is kidnapped by her father, Jane is eventually returned to Bernie and they embark on a new life together in Northern California. Bernie begins to move on emotionally, and becomes involved with a beautiful doctor, but Jane is still loyal to her mother and can t accept this new woman. Will Bernie be forced to give up his new love, or will Jane realise that by loving her, Bernie doesn t love her mother any less??