Laramie Series by Marcella DiPaolo

Santiago Scott has been called a breed his whole life. He was raised by Santana, a Sioux chief after his parents were killed in a raid across the border of the United States. He loved growing up learning knowing how to ride a horse, to track any animal or man, and how to survive in the west. He grew to be a rather large man…men looked up to him not just because of how large he was, but because he treated his fellow men fairly and justly with his own code of justice... moreSantiago Scott has been called a breed his whole life. He was raised by Santana, a Sioux chief after his parents were killed in a raid across the border of the United States. He loved growing up learning knowing how to ride a horse, to track any animal or man, and how to survive in the west. He grew to be a rather large man…men looked up to him not just because of how large he was, but because he treated his fellow men fairly and justly with his own code of justice. He is used to a lonely existence, but then he witnesses a Conestoga wagon overturning coming up his mountain. He goes to help and sees that the man driving the wagon is dead. The woman he is married to, is crying and she has two small children with her. He helps her find a place to live on his mountain and get supplies. He helps her get meat and plant a garden. He becomes friends with the woman…and then finds that she is pregnant with an unborn baby. Winter comes and he is forced to help her deliver the baby, protect them from robbers coming to take what her husband hid in their wagon, other Indians coming to hide on his mountain, and the white men in the town of Laramie protesting his living on the mountain at all. They didn’t like breeds and Indians living so close to them…they might attack their town and scalp them at any time. How does Santiago protect the children on the mountain and remain living where he’s built his home and lived where he had for the last ten years? Will he tell them that he’s not a breed, but a man simply raised by the Indians and knows their ways? Will he have to move and give up his lifestyle? Or will he dig in and fight for his right to life where he wants to live? less

Santiago Scott had adopted two children when Sasha Lambert died in childbirth. Kian and Kara…Kian wanted to be a U. S. Marshal, but Kara wanted to be a doctor. She never forgot that her mother died in childbirth, she wanted to keep any other woman from dying when they had a baby. She also wanted to help as many people as she could get better. It was hard living and raising a family in the west. She wanted to make it easier... moreSantiago Scott had adopted two children when Sasha Lambert died in childbirth. Kian and Kara…Kian wanted to be a U. S. Marshal, but Kara wanted to be a doctor. She never forgot that her mother died in childbirth, she wanted to keep any other woman from dying when they had a baby. She also wanted to help as many people as she could get better. It was hard living and raising a family in the west. She wanted to make it easier. Being only one of three women in her medical class in Denver’s School of Medicine wasn’t easy. But she wasn’t scared or frightened. Santi had taught her to stand up for herself. She was smart and could take care of herself against any man. She made the men she was learning with believers…she was just as good as they were, probably better. She didn’t get the job offers they did when they graduated, but she did receive an offer to work with the doctor in Laramie in his clinic. She accepted and went to work near where Santi lived. He was thrilled as much as she was. She came to work with Doctor Leslie Owens, who had been the doctor in Laramie for the last six years. He was good and promptly found that Kara was an excellent doctor and surgeon. They worked well together and the people of Laramie were lucky to have two such wonderful doctors in their town. Kara still saw Santi, but not as much as she liked or he would have liked, but he was glad that she was doing what she wanted to do with her life. He and his wife and two sons were happy on his mountain, and she was happy in the town near to them. It was as it should be…but he wanted Kara to find a man that would bring her happiness and children. There were several men in Laramie who tried to get her attention, but to do that they had to also get Santi’s approval. It sure wasn’t going to be easy. less

U. S. Marshal Kian Scott was proud of the job he was doing, and he was very proud that he was the son of Santiago. He had been adopted by Santiago when his mother died during childbirth. Santiago had adopted Kian and Kara and raised them as his own. He taught them how to survive in the west. Kian learned how to track, shoot, use a knife, spear, bow and arrow, fight men much bigger than he was, and live off the land... moreU. S. Marshal Kian Scott was proud of the job he was doing, and he was very proud that he was the son of Santiago. He had been adopted by Santiago when his mother died during childbirth. Santiago had adopted Kian and Kara and raised them as his own. He taught them how to survive in the west. Kian learned how to track, shoot, use a knife, spear, bow and arrow, fight men much bigger than he was, and live off the land. When he went to training school to become a marshal, he did so well when they took them all to spend a week living off the land that he ended up teaching the rest of the trainees how to survive. He didn’t get to see as much of Santiago and his sister as he would like to traveling all over the west tracking the felons he was sent to find, but he did stop in whenever he was near the town of Laramie where they both lived. Today he was after the notorious Hobbs crew. He had stopped high on a hill overlooking where they had stopped a stagecoach to take the railroad payroll off their hands. Kian had other ideas. There were five of them surrounding the stagecoach…they never left any witnesses to give testify against them. Kian took aim… without another thought he shot one…two of the bandits and they fell without them even knowing where he was hidden. They looked around and tried to find out where he could be hiding. One of them grabbed a woman from the coach to use as a hostage and keep from getting shot…but the man was taller than the screaming woman. Kian took aim again. He aimed for the head and squeezed the trigger. The man went down but when he did, his blood and brains went all over the unlucky woman. The last two remaining Hobbs brothers threw down their guns. They weren’t happy about it, but at least they were alive. They wanted to see who in the hell was shooting at them! And they sure hoped he’d shut up the screaming woman who was going ballistic at getting blood and brains all over her face and hair! Kian had no idea of who or what he was riding into! less