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

“Yeah, and it would have been worse if the recoil hadn’t blown her out the door.”


“With her bloomers down around her ankles.”


They rolled on the floor laughing and hiccupping while I struggled to keep a straight face. “I hope she wasn’t injured.”


“Bruised shoulder,” her brother said when he could draw a breath.


Little Bear sobered. “Anyway, that was what did it. Cuthan made us tear down the necessary and build a new one. The stage came before we finished, and the ladies had to use the gent’s toilet. So Cuthan sent us over here for you to work us to death. Oh yes, and you’re supposed to teach us some reading and arithmetic in between the working and the sleeping.”


To honor Cuthan’s request, I set them to work after they tended John’s pony. The boy had named him Arrow Wind, which had been the name of one of Billy’s horses. The original Arrow Wind had been the mount Cut Hand brought down out of the Little Island Mountains when he led Billy into our lives.


Chapter 98