Steel Coleman sinned in his heart the day he saw fifteen-year-old Riley Spencer. Driven by lust he couldn't acknowledge or control, he encourages his mother to marry Riley's father, joining the two families and creating a living hell for Steel in the process. In an attempt to spare his sanity, he goes for long rides from the family ranch, and he's not home to protect the family when bandits strike. Riley survives but their parents are murdered. Haunted by grief and guilt, Steel flees to catch the men responsible, promising his younger stepbrother he would return. He never does. When they meet again ten years later, Riley is a far cry from the boy Steel left behind. And he needs his former stepbrother to pay for the very real sin of abandoning him when he needed Steel the most. But their fateful meeting sends Riley running. Leaving Steel is the hardest thing he's ever done, but Riley understands what Steel knew all along -- it's too dangerous to stay. Will he be prepared to face the consequences when Steel inevitably catches up with him? Can forgiveness be possible?

Steel's Redemption

God, he was tired. So, so tired. He’d just rest for a minute. Then they would go to Yankton. Just for a minute. 7


According to Swanson, the doctor in Yankton, it was a “goddamned miracle” and no credit to him that Steel survived the night. By all rights, he shouldn’t have survived the journey to Yankton, but Riley kept up a constant stream of prayers, riding as fast as he dared with his hand pressed to the bleeding, trying desperately to staunch it. He’d been drenched with blood and sweat when he rode into town, but somehow his eyes had been dry, his face feeling absolutely parched and devoid of moisture. He didn’t even have enough spit to speak. Fortunately, somebody on the street had raced for the doctor as soon as Riley was spotted, and two men hurried over to help get Steel down from the horse.


Chapter 16