Landon Briggs is a small-time crook, gambling addict, Iraq war vet, and a dabbler in Buddhism amongst other things. He finds a new mission in trying to stop his ex-wife from marrying Ray, the trucking company con man who is about to become his son's "new dad".

And when Landon steals one of Ray's cigarette-filled trucks one sunny day, all hell breaks loose. Landon finds himself navigating an increasingly dangerous cat-and-mouse game while, along the way, friends and foes share their unexpected insights into what Buddhists call the "luminous path of innate wisdom". As the long Cali days tick by, the question arises: which final path will Landon ultimately travel?