On an orphan train bound for Kansas, ten-year-old Ruth Kelly has only one thing to hold onto-a sad-eyed boy named Noah who takes pity on her grief. Arriving at the depot on Christmas Eve, Ruth is lucky to be adopted by a wealthy childless couple, and horrified that a rough-mannered farmer has chosen her only friend. Before they part, Ruth begs Noah to promise that they will meet each Christmas Eve, at the same depot. But every year, Ruth searches the festive crowds for his face in vain...

One Christmas Eve, ten years later, a wounded man stumbles from the darkness and falls at her feet. It's Noah and he's the outlaw Ruth's suitor, the town sheriff, has vowed to find. As her past and her future collide, Ruth remembers the gentle boy she once knew, but responds to the haunted man who needs her help. With all the odds against them, Ruth wants to believe in Noah's innocence, but one year later, she must put her trust in the magic of Christmas Eve before they can celebrate the gift of their love...together.