Annabelle Gates lost her parents at the age of fourteen when a madman broke into the farmhouse and murdered them both. Without any possessions left after her house burned to the ground, Annabelle was sent to an orphanage in her hometown of Cedarville, Nevada. At eighteen, she would be sent out to work and make a living for herself unless she found a husband before then. Although her life drastically changed, Annabelle found herself blessed with a kind caregiver. All she wanted was happiness and security, the things that had been so brutally taken from her at a young age. Would she ever find them again?
Ira Knox didn't have a typical childhood either. After the death of his mother, his father would eventually abandon him to work out his room and board for the Fortescues, an older couple very popular in the town of Deepwater, Texas. He doesn't suspect his life will change when he picks up the new maid, Annabelle, from the train station. But it is about to.
Cedarville and Deepwater were formed into sister towns during the Long Winter of 1883. Because of their close connection, both Annabelle and Ira have memories of how people pulled together to survive during that terrible winter. This bond helps them through when their lives are threatened by a sudden, inexplicable danger. They will have to work together – just like the townsfolk did in 1883 – if they want to survive.
