A prison bus unexpectedly overturns when another vehicle cuts it off, sparking chaos. Amidst the turmoil, a convict named Billy successfully frees Sam Gillen by taking a guard hostage. The two make a break for it in a car, but tragedy strikes when Billy is mortally wounded by a distant guard's precise shot. Heartbroken, Sam gives Billy a proper burial in an isolated area near the highway.
Afterward, Sam visits a roadside store to gather supplies and sets up camp beside a tranquil pond. While there, he stumbles upon the loot from their previous heist—money from an act he helped orchestrate before his imprisonment. As he reflects on past events, he listens to a poignant tape left by Billy, then decides to dispose of the getaway car by pushing it into the pond.
That night, his curiosity leads him to a nearby house, where he glimpses a woman preparing for a bath, alongside her two children. He breaks in but narrowly avoids detection when one of the kids gets too close; in the end, he takes a saltshaker with him as a peculiar souvenir. The following evening, Sam returns to replace the saltshaker, only to have a young boy named Mookie discover his campsite the next morning.
Meanwhile, Clydie Anderson, played by Rosanna Arquette, finds her peace disrupted by the sound of demolition from a real estate development project. The corrupt developer Franklin Hale aims to force her off her land with the help of his henchman Mr. Dunston and the local sheriff, Lonnie Poole, who happens to be romantically involved with Clydie. In an attempt to save her home, Clydie stands her ground against Lonnie's advances to vacate.
Sam, having taken an interest in the family's well-being, remains vigilant around Clydie's home. His protective instincts come to the forefront one night when a group of thugs attack Clydie and her children. Sam jumps into action, declaring himself a lawyer from Quebec who is camping on her land. Although initially unsure of him, Clydie offers him a place to stay in her barn out of gratitude.
In a gesture of solidarity, Sam fixes up Clydie's deceased husband's Triumph Bonneville motorcycle with Mookie's assistance. As Franklin Hale escalates his tactics to force Clydie off her land, Sam encourages her to seek legal support against him. Desperate, Hale attempts to spoil Clydie's farmland by contaminating it with oil, knowing he has only a week to pressure her into selling.
Tensions rise at a town council meeting when another landowner refuses to sell to Hale, only to have his barn mysteriously burned down that night. Mookie alerts Sam to the raging fire, prompting him to save Tom and extinguish the flames, which only infuriates Hale further.
As time passes, Sam and Clydie develop a close bond, finding solace in each other as she copes with the loss of her husband. However, Lonnie becomes increasingly suspicious of their connection and confronts Sam, leading to a physical altercation. Afterward, Clydie and Sam share an intimate moment, solidifying their emotional entanglement.
Yet, Sam’s fugitive status catches up with him when Hale employs the sheriff's department to hunt him down. In a daring motorcycle chase, Sam manages to evade capture but feels compelled to return to Clydie. With time running out, Hale and Dunston resort to violent measures, barging into Clydie's house with firearms, coercing her to sign over her property.
Just as Lonnie arrives to check on Clydie, he is incapacitated by Dunston. However, Sam returns just in time to confront the intruders, leading to a fierce battle that culminates in him taking down Dunston. As law enforcement arrives, Hale holds Clydie at gunpoint, but Sam decides to surrender to Lonnie, who arrests him. Before leaving, he assures Clydie and the children of his intention to return, solidifying his love for them despite the uncertainty of his future.
