St. Louis 1893

Under Union Depot’s glimmering lights, Nathan Marsh, a brilliant but destitute surgeon, debates whether to stumble home or lose himself in another night at a brothel. Though he saved the president’s life two days ago, his guilt and despair have overshadowed his brilliance and rendered him nearly penniless. Nathan is teetering on the edge of ruin, a bottle of whiskey his only comfort.

Sitting nearby is Daisy Lawrence, a young woman recently returned from Europe with a heart shattered by betrayal. Her father’s harshness has left her isolated, and she’s counting down the days to end her suffering.

Both are broken, their futures bleak.

Startled by fireworks, Daisy turns in fright, but Nathan’s slurred reassurance steadies her.

“Explosions to the west, thunder to the east,” he says with an amused smile. “What a glorious contradiction.”

His unexpected humor stirs something in Daisy. Seeing in him both brilliance and defeat, she dares to hope. “I will be your assistant,” she says decidedly. “We’ll gamble on each other—and we’ll prevail.”

“I’ve no funds for an assistant, madam.”

“Then we’ll make our own fortune,” she says. “With God, all things are possible.”

Nathan salutes her with his flask. “Possible? Maybe. Likely? Not at all.”

As thunder rolls across the Mississippi, two fractured souls forge a fragile alliance.

For each, it’s their last chance at salvation.