But That Was Yesterday

In But That Was Yesterday (1988), a contemporary romance novel by Kathleen Eagle, a recovering alcoholic faces a new dilemma when the woman of his dreams walks onto his reservation, and the only way to make her love him is to give up alcohol for good. Critics praise the book for its realistic portrayal of alcoholism and addiction. Eagle is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 historical and contemporary romance novels. Before writing novels full-time, she taught at Standing Rock High School for 17 years; she studied at Northern State University.

But That Was Yesterday takes place on the Lakota Sioux reservation in South Dakota. The main characters are Sage Parker and Megan McBride. Megan is an engineer leading the construction of a road through the reservation. Her company employs Native Americans and white people to help build the road, and she hopes that the project will bring the communities closer together.

Although Megan is the lead highway engineer on the project, she struggles to get her colleagues to take her seriously. She is the only woman on the team, and the men challenge her authority regularly. She wants to get on with her job to build a great highway, but the men make it difficult.



Sage is one of Megan’s employees. Although he hasn’t touched alcohol in four years, it doesn’t get any easier. Despite the difficulty to stay sober, Sage refuses to let his addiction win. It has already cost him his marriage, and he lost access to his kids six years ago after various stints in jail. He plans to build a new house and to reach out to his family again, but first, he must prove that he has changed for good.

Sage recently formed a group called the Medicine Wheel, which helps local people deal with addiction issues. The Lakota people believe in the Red Road—living a good life without straying from the right path. Sage encourages everyone in the group to seek the Red Road alongside him.

As the book begins, Sage is concerned with building his house and shutting down the local bar. Believing it is too easy for his people to buy alcohol, he doesn’t want the liquor license renewed. However, rather than focusing his efforts on the Medicine Wheel, he is forced to work long hours on the road construction.



As Megan watches Sage work, she sees that he is very talented. She promotes him to foreman, and they work closely together on completing the road. The more time they spend together, the more Megan appreciates how attractive Sage is, and she worries that she is falling for him. Believing it is inappropriate to fall in love with a work colleague, she tries to ignore her feelings.

Meanwhile, Sage can’t stop thinking about Megan. She is everything he wants in a woman—powerful, beautiful, and smart—but he assumes that she is too good for him. He doesn’t admit how he feels because he is worried that she will fire him. Without the job, he won’t have the money to complete his ranch home so he can see his children again.

Megan eventually finds out about Sage’s addiction issues, but they don’t faze her. A brilliant worker, he never lets her down. She doesn’t understand the nature of alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, she assumes he can control it and that if he ever takes another drink, it is because he wants to be an alcoholic.



After a setback with his building project, Sage worries he will never see his kids again. Despite four years of sobriety, he has a drink and goes on a binge. Hates himself for giving in to his addiction, he misses shifts at work. Realizing that Sage isn’t the man she thought he was, Megan worries she will be forced to fire him.

Meanwhile, the Medicine Wheel support group steps in to help Sage. Understanding his struggles, they help him feel less like a failure. He admits that he is not just upset about drinking again—he is upset because he is sure he has ruined his chances with Megan. He knows there is no way she will want him after seeing him at his worst.

Megan, however, cares deeply about Sage. Wanting to help him, she learns more about alcoholism. Finally, she understands there is a deep-rooted problem with alcoholism on the reservation, and people need help with building new lives for themselves. It is not just about Sage anymore—it is about an entire community.



Sage and Megan admit their feelings for each other, and they sleep together. Sage completes his ranch, deciding he has everything he needs in his life now. He knows there will be good days and bad days, but with Megan by his side, he is convinced that he can handle whatever life throws at him.