Katie Appleton knows what a hapless, homely young woman she is. She also knows she will never find anyone to marry her. Her fate was sealed and she would live with her spinster aunt for the rest of her life. Until her Aunt Millie approaches her with a train ticket to Texas, to meet the man she’s going to marry. Even her aunt hadn’t wanted her around and had answered an ad for Katie to become a mail-order bride. As Katie is on her way to marry her future husband she receives word that he has unexpectedly died. Leaving Katie stranded in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains, without anyone to turn to.
Widower Jake Paxton has his hands full raising his daughter and keeping his business going. He believes he has everything he could possibly want. While riding home through the mountains, Jake stumbles across a lost and rather unusual looking woman, whose only companion is an ornery mule. She appears to be down on her luck with no one to turn to. He knows he can’t turn his back on the misfortunate woman. Jake offers her a place to stay for the night, but his precocious little daughter has other plans for Katie Appleton. Jake’s daughter sees beyond Katie’s exterior to the woman buried under her fears and self doubts. Could it be that Katie might finally find unconditional love and acceptance in her future with Jake and his daughter? When Katie receives a disturbing letter from Texas, will it be too late for a future with this family? Will Jake let her walk out of his life? Or fight for the woman he loves?