Deborah is finally ready to marry her long-time friend Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant and settle down--or is she? She jumps at a chance to fill in for a judge far away in the state's high country. But human ugliness haunts the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. The community of Cedar Gap is rocked by a murder just as Deborah pulls into town. Within days, she becomes involved in helping an innocent man prove himself, even if it means putting her own life at risk.