Billy Symmes, a small-time band leader and clarinet player, has left life in Boston for retirement in Florida. He finds companionship with Joyce, a wealthy passionate widow, and they decide to tie the knot. Complications arise when family members demand a prenuptial agreement, and hidden mobster connections threaten to sabotage the marriage. In this bittersweet novel, Billy and Joyce immerse themselves in love and ignore the pace at which time speeds by.