Needing a fresh start, Stanley Washburn and his daughter, Susanna, leave behind their heartbreak in Philadelphia and head for Red Gorge, Dakota Territory. Stanley's nephew, Jared Hopkins, arranges for his uncle to purchase The Lucky Seven saloon, but Susanna's doubts only deepen as she faces the harsh surroundings. When the town's banker, Percy Benjamin, is murdered, their fragile hope for a new beginning is overshadowed when they become embroiled in the ensuing investigation. With the sheriff away, the new U.S. Territorial Marshal, Seth Davis, takes the lead in the case. Susanna has been drawn to Seth's quiet strength since their first encounter on the stagecoach, but her budding feelings dissolve into dread when Jared becomes Seth's prime suspect.