Hotel owner and part-time musician Zeke Bandy is too busy for love. His plate is full running the historic Bandy Hotel and upholding his family’s tradition of offering refuge to strays and runaways. For fun two nights a week, Zeke also plays and sings traditional folk music with his rewritten gay lyrics at the Stonewall Saloon and for occasional celebrations. Then at a gay wedding, Zeke meets Victor Longbow, who just might be the man of his dreams. However, Vic isn’t looking for love either. In fact, because of his upbringing in a strict, white foster family, Vic’s not sure he believes in love. He’s in Stone Acres to open a branch office of a national brokerage firm. He also hopes to track down a vintage photo of what might be his Native American ancestor. After their paths cross, they become friends. Connected by their experiences as orphans raised by flawed fathers, Zeke and Vic wonder if their future could possibly hold love and family or if they are destined only to be lifelong friends.

Relative Best

“Guess we’ll have to make up the rules as we go along.”


Now his look was turning impish and lewd. “Great idea.”


Fortunately, the food came before we did.


We’d been sitting there chatting about something, one of those conversations where both of us had other things on our minds but we didn’t want to look like we were ignoring each other, when Vic looked up and his black eyes pierced me.


“You know I like your playing and singing, right?”


I nodded. But I didn’t see either of those as admirable.


“I like the way you’re true to your ethnicity. You don’t look like a Native and have no idea about your people’s beliefs and traditions like me. You come from hard-working, compassionate people, and you reflect that lifestyle to the guys in the bar.”


I started laughing, and he looked puzzled and a little hurt.


Chapter 21