College students Scott Latimer and Ophelia McCarthy were perfect strangers when they barely survived a deadly tornado in Austin, Texas. Seven years later, the scars of Mother Nature's wrath are still permanently etched on their lives. Now a frustrated and under-stimulated reporter, Scott's desire for passion in his life and work compels him to uproot his life in Texas and move to New Orleans on a whim. In his new role as an arts and culture reporter, he encounters a reclusive, yet vaguely familiar young woman, but he can't place where he's seen her before. Ophelia, however, knows him the instant she sees him for the first time since that life-altering storm. Ophelia manages a boutique that specializes in antiques and local New Orleans artwork. Her dream of moving her shop to a prime location in the French Quarter hinges on earning enough money for the down payment, and Scott suggests that an ongoing feature story about her unique business will bring in the money she needs. The only problem is Ophelia's insistence upon hiding her disfigured face from the world. It takes a lot of coaxing from Scott to get Ophelia to warm up to the idea—and to him—but just as their plan comes together, Mother Nature revisits them in the form of an unprecedented tragedy in the making. Hurricane Katrina is roiling off the Gulf Coast, and for the storm-ravaged lovers, their destiny appears to be an inevitable, catastrophic end.

Publication Year: 2021