Dr. Kimble runs from the sheriff after he gets picked up for fighting. He escapes into the mountains of West Virginia where he encounters a young woman, Cassie. Cassie longs to escape herself. There's no future in this former coal mining town. Cassie knows a shortcut through an abandoned mine that cuts through the mountain and comes out on the other side. Cassie spends her days with her elderly grandmother, all the while dreaming of a better life in the city, but she's afraid to go it alone. Cassie asks Kimble to take her to the city with him so he can help her navigate city life, about which she knows nothing. Kimble helps her to find confidence in herself, without needing to lean on a man.