Ten-year-old Nicki Fleming has been having a busy summer on her Colorado ranch. When she isn't training Sprocket to be a service dog, she's helping her mother, who is expecting twins soon. Yet Nicki is dreading the fall--that's when Sprocket will have to leave for more training and eventual placement with a person with special needs. The beginning of the school year also means she's stuck in the middle--caught between her two best friends, Kris and Becca, who can't seem to get along. Can Nicki find a way to let Sprocket go and keep both of her good friends close?