Pardoned for crimes he never committed, Leaning Bear has grown weary of the injustices thrust upon his people. When he encounters the new teacher for the reservation, he discovers she is ill-equipped to survive in the West. But when he happens upon her painting at a nearby stream, he learns there is more to her than he first thought. It doesn't take him long to realize she is his heartsong-though loving a white woman doesn't come without risks. Ali Crockett arrives to teach the children of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation but finds things harder than she imagined. Her home is a ramshackle cabin inhabited by wildlife, the Chief isn't happy with her, and locals who harass everyone in Lame Deer have taken notice. While she expected difficulties, she never imagined falling for the quiet medicine man. But when she becomes the brunt of local gossip, there is only one choice to make...the one that will break her heart.
