An ex-football star takes in his young nephew after the child's parents are killed in an accident, and convinces the fragile boy that his parents are convalescing in the hospital. Johnny Dunn (Richard Tyson) is a former gridiron giant who left the game behind to purchase a small desert town. He calls the place Jake's Corner, and despite the barren surroundings, the few people that live their flourish. They're a small, eccentric group, but for what it's worth, they're family. After the accident, Johnny's nephew Spence comes to live in Jake's Corner. Uncertain of how to raise a child, Johnny reveals to his friends that Spence still doesn't know that his parents are dead, and that it's their job to help him maintain the ruse. Their spirits lifted by the presence and energy of the curious young boy, the residents of the secluded town take the opportunity to share their homespun wisdom with Spence, and try to prepare him for the hard truth he's about to face.