Jane Davies-a new pregnant widow on the Oregon Trail-spends too much of her time thinking about what could have been. To help herself as well as others, she offers to help a family with three young children whose mother has passed by cooking their meals for them. Her only intention is to help the other family. Soon she finds herself falling in love with the three children in the family she helps.
Matthew Henderson cannot believe his bad luck. His wife was the first of their company to die on the trek to Oregon, and now he's gotten a bad ankle sprain going down Big Hill. He can barely keep his family alive without being injured, and now he must do it when he can't walk.
When Jane Davies offers to cook for his small family, Matthew jumps at the chance, and quickly asks her to be his wife-in name only.
Will the two strangers be able to come together and form a real relationship? Or will they spend the rest of their lives together with no love between them?