She's on the run with a baby
Only a cowboy can help her…
Fiercely loyal, Soledad de la Vega would do anything to
help her loved ones. So when her best friend, Annie, is murdered, Soledad vows
to keep little Lyra safe -- by running from a killer…and hiding out in Palmer
Colton's barn. The cowboy has never really wanted a wife and kids of his own.
Something about Soledad and Lyra, though, tugs at Palmer's heart like never
before. Will he be able to keep his heart intact -- even as he keeps them safe
from a deadly threat?
Good book. The story opens as Soledad prepares to help
her best friend escape her abusive husband. Just when they think they've gotten
away, Gavin appears behind Soledad's car and starts shooting, then rams the car
with his SUV. Annie makes Soledad promise to take care of baby Lyra and keep
her safe from Gavin if something happens to her - a prophetic request, as Annie
dies of a gunshot wound. Desperate to escape, Soledad takes Lyra and runs into
the woods, eventually hiding in a barn.
Palmer Colton is one of the few Grave Gulch Coltons not
involved in law enforcement. He owns an 800-acre ranch where he raises cattle,
sheep, and chickens. When he heads to the barn to check on a sick horse, he
finds Soledad and Lyra and barely gets her story before Gavin shows up. Gavin
pretends to be a cop with the GGPD, immediately making Palmer suspicious. I
loved Palmer's immediate protectiveness and determination to keep the two safe.
I loved watching Palmer jump right into caring for
Soledad and Lyra, something highly unusual for him. Palmer cherishes his
solitude and rarely has anyone other than family in his home. After listening
to Soledad's story and reasons for avoiding the police, he insists that he is
their best option for staying safe.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Palmer
and Soledad. Her sister is engaged to his cousin (Colton Bullseye), and Palmer has
had a crush on Soledad for months. However, he is more than a little shy and
never got up the courage to ask her out. Soledad noticed his interest at the engagement
party and is equally interested in him. The main drawback for Palmer is that he
has no intention of ever marrying or having kids, and he overheard Soledad
talking about both.
I loved how Palmer did everything he could to make
Soledad and Lyra comfortable in his home. The shopping scene was hilarious as
he bought everything a baby could need while feeling entirely out of his
element. Matters got a little tricky when he ran into his brother, Detective
Troy Colton, while doing it and had to do some fast talking about who it was
for. For a man who claims no interest in a family of his own, Palmer is
fantastic with little Lyra. There are some awesomely sweet scenes between the
two of them. The longer Soledad and Lyra remain in his home, the more Palmer starts
to rethink his views on family.
Soledad could see herself falling for Palmer despite his
views on a family of his own. With every day she stayed there, she lost a
little more of her heart to him. She couldn't understand his resistance to a family
since she could see how much he already cared for Lyra. While their feelings
for each other grew, so did the sparks of attraction. Though she knew it could
lead to a broken heart, Soledad couldn't resist giving in to the heat that burned
between them. I liked watching each of them come to terms with their feelings
and open up to each other about them. I felt terrible for Palmer when his
date-night plans were so rudely interrupted, but he made up for it in the end.
The suspense of the story was good. It began with
intensity as Soledad tried to rescue her friend Annie and then ran for her life
to protect herself and Lyra. There were a couple of more intense moments early
on as Gavin tried to get to Soledad. Then it became a waiting game as Gavin
disappeared and the GGPD searched for him. There was a constant feeling of
waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering if he would show up at the ranch
again. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Soledad struggled to get
Lyra to safety, and Palmer raced to be in time to save them.
One of my favorite characters was Palmer's dog, Jack.
From the very beginning, he appointed himself Lyra's bodyguard and best friend.
I can't count the number of times the two of them made me laugh at their
antics. Jack also played a part in bringing down the bad guy at the end.
I also liked how the Coltons continue to support each
other through everything that happens. Palmer doesn't fool anyone when he
denies that Soledad and Lyra are with him, but they go along with it because
she should be safe with him. I ached for Chief Melissa Colton, who has to deal
with the fallout from the tampered evidence scandal, and for the rest of the
GGPD, who work to regain the town's trust. I can feel everyone's frustration as
both the escaped serial killer and the corrupt CSI chief remain at large.
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