B. J. Thomas

Ex-football star Johnny Dunn walked away from the game early in his career to live a relatively secluded life far from the spotlight in a small desert town he owns called Jake's Corner. Johnny's quiet life is altered dramatically when his young nephew, Spence, is unexpectedly dropped at his doorstep. The boy brings a childlike innocence to this town of adults.

Jory is a fifteen-year-old boy who joins a horse-drive after his father is killed by a drunkard. The drive's leader and a likable cowhand take the boy under their wing, and find that tragedy has taught him how to take care of himself better than anyone could expect.