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 we moved back up Main Avenue, Sheriff Landreth intercepted our party by stepping out into the street and holding up an arm. “Sure sorry about your papa, Miss Libby. He was a good man who’s gonna be missed.”


Barely waiting for Libby’s murmured appreciation, he turned to me. “Strobaw, I’m placing you under arrest for murdering Pindleton and Hume. I’m gonna shackle you now.”


Dexter’s agitation showed as his horse danced a short jig. “Is that necessary, Sheriff? John will go with you without that.”


“I shackle all my prisoners, Appleton. For their protection as much as mine. They git nerve-bound when we git close to the jail. Then they liable to put up a fuss so I’ll have to shoot them.” Landreth turned to me. “You gonna come down off that horse, or do I gotta pull you off him. You aim to put up any resistance?”


Chapter 68