Coal magnate Robert Barker is back for revenge seven years after attorney Ed Housman and his friends checkmated the development of a strip mine in the pristine valley near Eden Springs. But now his powerful ambitions have led him to the dark underworld of organized crime.
Ed and Laura have a young daughter, Lizzie. Their son Doug has returned from college to work in Eden Springs, trying to save a love affair with his high school sweetheart, Vickie Vicelli.
High school friend Freddie Palmer has dropped out of college and come back home to work for Laura, where he falls head over heels for the pretty new vet in town, Marilyn Nelson.
Barker's plans for revenge converge with the town's anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Eden Springs. In this return to the past, Ed is once again thrust into conflict with those who exploit the land and challenge the law, while the next generation decides what path to follow for the rest of their lives.