Attending a funeral in St. Louis, Sam Dollar is drawn into a poker game where he wins a horse. Upon collecting the bet, he ends up buying two other horses as well. Which fact leads him to decided to ride back to Arizona after picking up his son, Logan, from school in Austin, Texas.
On the road, he comes across a young woman, Madeline Starrett and her daughter, Grace. Upon finding that they were abandoned by her husband's family, Sam knows he must put things right. Especially when he is told they've taken her infant son with them.
The Taylor brothers, Curt and Byron run Prospect County. When he is struck on the head by a tree blasted by lightning, Madeline and her daughter are kidnapped by Byron Taylor. Friend's from Sam's past, Slim and Zelda Cavanaugh, take care of him, even while they are avoiding Byron themselves.
Concerned by the telegrams he has sent to his wife, Katie, she and his best friend, Hugh O'Hanlon, join Sam. Together, they plan to re-unite the family, as well as bring to justice the men who have taken the law into their own hands. An almost hanging, a fire at the Social Hall and a final meeting with Byron await them. To win, Sam must risk everything: Katie, Logan and his life.
