Thirty-two-year-old mixed blood John Strobaw, known to the Sioux as Medicine Hair, returns to his Turtle Crick Farm after a six-year exile on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Grief-stricken at the loss of his mate and lover Matthew Brand, known as Shambling Bear, at the Battle of Wounded Knee, he struggles to become a farmer again while fighting an internal battle to let go of the past and face his future. Will that future be with his best friend Winter Bird or with Pretty Face, an outrageous flirt who hasn’t yet decided who he is?<br><br>But before he can come to grips with this, John faces several battles. Will his former friends and neighbors accept him now the Indian War has come to an end? Can John forgive those same friends and neighbors after the murderous ambush of the Sioux by the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee? Or survive the hostility of an Indian-hating sheriff named Charles Landreth and protect himself against the mindless fear and loathing for Two Spirits, men who love men?

Wastelakapi…Beloved

As soon as the train pulled into the depot in Yanube City, we sloshed through deepening snow to recover our horses and wagon from the livery stable before stopping at the sheriff’s office to see if there were any developments arising from the deaths of the two land speculators. The sheriff, although as angry as ever, espoused none.


Taking our leave from the petulant lawman, we drove onto the fort and helped Gideon pack Rachel Ann’s things into their quarters near the headquarters building. The parting grew painful when Ides set up a fuss to return to Turtle Crick with Ethan and me. Gideon settled him down by reminding the boy his mother would need him now as she had never needed him before. I got a glimpse of the man he would become when he instantly shed his petulance and moved to Rachel Ann’s side.


Chapter 60