Reverend Daniel McLain desperately needs help in bringing guidance and peace to the mid-19th-century Western town of Jefferson, Tex., and with twin toddlers running him ragged, he can't get focused. He appeals to his late wife's family and expects the assistance of an elderly aunt. Instead, poor family relation and spinster Karlee Whitworth arrives. Although Karlee only adds to the chaos of the household and can't even boil water, she is wonderful with Daniel's daughters, so he asks her to stay. When Daniel is blinded in a fiery accident, it is Karlee who cares for him, and when the girls' elderly aunt threatens to take them away, it's Karlee who saves the day by marrying Daniel to keep the family together. For the first time in her life, Karlee has a home--now she wants a real marriage and a real husband. And though Daniel can face the most ruthless of outlaws, he's powerless against his desirable and passionate new wife.