At twenty-one, Ezekiel Wilson is a man, grown up after hightailing it to Texas at the age of fifteen. Although he's a valuable ranch hand, Zeke is prone to fisticuffs and brawling, although he doesn't drink. He has a fondness for saloon girls, however, until he meets a feisty Irish girl, Katie O'Neill, who is the sister of a cowboy he hires during a cattle drive. Katie is a healer, and although she lives with her aunt, who keeps a boarding house in Laredo, she soon comes to the ranch. Before Zeke can court her, he suffers serious injuries and must be nursed back to health. Youngest of the five Wilson brothers, Ezekiel longs to become a family man, although he misses his mother and brother back in Kentucky. When the Wilsons become owners of the ranch, Zeke realizes his family and the love they share are his birthright. With Katie at his side, Ezekiel decides he can face anything.