It's 1895 when Luke Straily returns to Gunnison, Colorado, after a twelve-year absence and reluctantly heads to the cattle ranch owned by Jack Hinch, the only man he’s ever loved. Looking to make amends for an intolerable act, Luke hires on at the ranch, but Jack makes it perfectly clear he's unable to forgive or forget just yet.<br><br>It'll take everything in Luke's power to set things right with the man he wronged and placed in jeopardy before he ran away, but he aims to earn back Jack's trust no matter the personal cost.  Complicating matters, though, is ranch foreman Tim Dutcher, who’s been enjoying a sexual relationship with the handsome rancher during the intervening years and thoroughly resents Luke's intrusion.<br><br>As Luke and Jack gradually rebuild their severed friendship and renew their former passion,  jealousy flares, leading to a volatile confrontation. Can the men settle matters without any shots being fired?

A River of Time

Settling into ranch work, and the bunkhouse, comes easy, which is sort of a surprise, what with being away from it for a dozen years. Oren cooks for us and is right good at laying out a fine meal. The others do as I do, check on cattle up the canyon, which are fattening nicely. This is my first experience with cattle not being driven Texas to Kansas. Having a railhead in town makes a world of difference, cattle not having to walk to slaughter.


Ned, my good friend, settles right into playing cow pony. Having never done this type of work, he gives it his all, and in no time is fine around cattle, horses, whatever. I believe he’s making friends with the cow ponies as well, enjoying corral time, snorting around as they do.


Chapter 6