It's a brutal winter in the wilds of Northumberland, and Steve Hunter, former Army Captain and currently dealing with post-traumatic stress, is holed up in his remote cottage with his dog for company, and several bottles of drink-to-forget whisky. As another snowstorm takes an iron grip on the rural landscape, Steve's instincts to batten down the physical and emotional hatches are threatened by the appearance of a desperate young man, Joseph, down on his luck and out of all options. With Steve's carefully hemmed in life a safer place than confronting his Army past and harrowing family secrets, and faced with the chaos of Joe's presence, Steve resorts to doing all he can to push away the earnest, brave and inconveniently attractive young man who needs rescuing as much as Steve does.
Brought together amidst a bitter, unending winter, Steve and Joe regard each other with a wariness borne of past hurts and rejection. Joe cannot prevent the headlong rush of intense emotions that Steve stirs within him, whilst Steve engages in a renewed battle against his own demons to resist his increasing attraction to the hurt, damaged man in his midst.
When the quality of their relationship intensifies, Steve and Joe are faced with stark choices as to which direction their lives, and their love, will take; if they don't face their troubled pasts and acknowledge the pain of grief and rejection, then will this be yet one more winter for the lonely?
