After their father is bushwhacked, David and Jenny Foster must ready themselves for their first winter in Colorado's rugged San Juan Mountains. Eighteen-year-old Jenny is under no illusions-it'll take a miracle to survive, much less thrive, in the unforgiving wilderness, particularly when twelve-year-old David fights her every attempt to prepare.

Unexpected help arrives when John Beck-once a close friend of their father's-arrives at their cabin. The tough-as-nails bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to stay through the winter. He owes it to his murdered friend to help Foster's children build a working ranch, even if it's the last thing he wants to do.

Their uneasy alliance is fraught with hardships, danger, and back-breaking work that still doesn't guarantee anyone will survive until spring. Especially with their father's killer still on the loose.