Since the moment her father died, Beth Mast has devoted body and soul to the care of her stepmother and stepsister--cooking, cleaning, and caring for their animals. So her friend Lucy's wedding to the eldest King brother offers a welcome respite. Shy and unaware of her beauty, Beth harbors a secret sadness she hopes no one can see. But at this gathering she's on display: her assigned escort happens to be the handsomest bachelor in their Amish community. Newly returned to Ice Mountain, Ransom King has no interest in the maedels pursuing him. Haunted by events during his five-year apprenticeship in Ohio, he's startled to find a kindred spirit in Beth, whose dutiful ways can't mask her inner glow. Ransom longs to show her how much she deserves happiness, though his own troubled history holds him back. It will take Ransom's feisty Aenti Ruth and her ragtag menagerie to entice these two guarded hearts to open to love . . .