Gus McTavish-a rebellious sixteen year-old Portland youth-refuses to accompany his family to their five-year reunion. Once alone, Gus heads at full speed back into his life of delinquency. But then, a mysterious young Scottish immigrant named Aaron McGregor crosses paths with Gus. Within hours of their meeting, Aaron poses a troubling challenge. "Are you man enough, Gus McTavish, to go on the road with me? Are you man enough to earn your own way?" In false pride, Gus foolishly accepts the bet, and so begins a full week of painful encounters with the stark realities of life. Every trial leaves both a physical and a spiritual wound on this self-centered young man, and with that pain, he is unknowingly drawn closer and closer to his Savior. The story reaches its climax on a shear rock cliff in western Colorado where Gus is forced to choose between his personal safety and the lives of several strangers.