When Vanda Mae Foxe's cherished mare takes sick and dies, she leaves a huge hole in the sixteen-year-old girl's heart. Thankfully, her daddy's expansive North Carolina horse farm has plenty of room for a new favorite, and her next-door-neighbor, Willy Jo Winthrop, offers to sell Vanda Mae the perfect horse for her. However, Willy Jo's father insists on selling the horse to an unsavory character instead. A dispute erupts, and Willy Jo gets kicked off the family farm he loves. He takes refuge with the Foxe family and his friendship with Vanda Mae prospers as they ride beside the Yadkin River. But horse trouble trails him. Can Willy Jo solve the horse problems, reconcile with his family, and win Vanda Mae's affection as well?