Winnie McBride had no idea her fianc was a no-good gambler, and now that he's run off and left her, she feels lucky to be rid of him. But now, at twenty-six years old, she has no prospects for marriage. Fearful of spending her life as a spinster, Winnie follows in the footsteps of her older sister and travels west to Sweet Bend, Montana, to become the mail order bride of Walt Zepper.
When Winnie reaches Sweet Bend, however, she learns that Walt has been killed just before her arrival, leaving his son Robert in the care of his brother Sam. With the train tracks washed out by the early autumn rains, Winnie is stuck in Sweet Bend for the time being. So she decides to make the best of things. She will help take care of Robert and the house temporarily, until she can catch the next train back to Boston.
But sometimes, fate puts us exactly where we need to be, and love finds us after all.