Born into a society tolerant of homosexuals, River Otter is confused by the white culture’s persecution of such men. As the war begins to wind down, Otter leaves the only home he has ever known to help Major James Morrow, commandant of Ft. Yanube, build a farm north of the fort. He begins a new life with the handsome major while coming to grips with growing hostility toward natives and rising danger from a local militia bent on eliminating all bloods from the territory.<br><br>As his physical attraction for the blond soldier slowly grows into a love perilous to both of them, Otter is distracted by personal challenges. As he struggles to survive the social and political upheaval sweeping the plains, can remain true to his own set of values?

River Otter

Once at the farm, Andre went inside to tell Bella about the state of their abode while I remained behind to brush down the horses. A few minutes later, he joined me again.


“Bella feels better now,” he said. “I think my disposition was showing, and that scared her. She’s more confident now.”


“Good. She needs to be as sure of herself as you are.”


“We can go up to the loft when we finish with the horses.”


I looked over Patch’s back at the wiry, attractive man. Muscles played in his shoulders as he rubbed down the sorrel, setting off a desire that almost staggered me. A sudden image of James steadied my resolve. Even so, the words I had to speak were hard to squeeze through my throat. “Nay. We cannot do that again.”


Andre turned to face me, eyes wide. “I thought you liked it.”


Chapter 73