How do you make up for four years of lost time?
No last names. No promises to meet again. No way for
Payton Dahl to find the man who's the father of her twin boys. Until fate
reunites them four years later. Easton Wright now wants to be part of his sons'
lives—with the woman he fell hard for during those seven days and nights of
bliss. Payton doesn't want her sons to grow up fatherless like she did, but can
she risk trusting Easton when she's been burned in the past?
Terrific second chance love story. Five years earlier, Payton
worked part-time as a bartender at the Heartwood Inn, lived on and helped at
the family farm, and attempted to write a fantasy novel. A former "wild
child," Payton vowed to put those days behind her and concentrate on her
writing. That means no distractions like men. But on a particularly dull night
at the bar, a visiting businessman caught her eye.
In town for a week checking out the Inn as a possible acquisition
for the family business, the bartender intrigues Easton. They spend a pleasant evening
talking between customers and trying to ignore the sparks flaring between them.
They agree on a week-long fling when the chemistry becomes too much to resist,
but Payton has conditions. First names only, no exchanging of personal
information such as emails or phone numbers, and no contact when it's
over. Easton reluctantly agrees, and
they spend an amazing week together. At the end, Easton wants to continue
seeing her, but Payton sticks to her guns - a move she later regrets when she ends
up pregnant with no way to find Easton to tell him.
Five years later, the single mother of twin boys, Payton
has nearly given up hope of ever finding Easton. Shocked when she encounters
him at a local farmers' market, Payton knows she needs to tell him the truth.
Easton, who never forgot her, unsuccessfully tried to find her six months after
their fling and is thrilled to find her. Once Easton recovers from the shock of
his unexpected fatherhood, he immediately wants to be involved in their lives.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Easton and Payton
develop. Easton never forgot Payton, and his feelings for her never diminished.
He wants nothing more than for them to become a family for real. Payton is much
warier. Her early life taught her that men are unreliable, and she hesitates to
risk her heart on him. While Easton wants to marry Payton and be a
family, he understands Payton's wariness. He promises to be patient and mostly
succeeds with the occasional relapse. I loved watching them grow closer through
activities with the boys and time alone together. I liked the realistic pace of the story as it progresses from early fall to Christmas.
Their relationship looks promising until a disastrous visit
with Easton's family stirs up Payton's insecurities and causes her to pull
back. I ached for Easton, whose love for her has grown stronger. Despite her
love for him, Payton still fears being left. I understood Easton's frustration,
and I sometimes wanted to shake Payton and make her see what she was doing. I
liked the support she received from her family, including the straight talk she
got from both sisters. But it was the appearance of an unexpected visitor that
truly opened her eyes. The ending was fantastic, with emotional confessions
from Payton and a sweet role reversal to wrap it up.
The secondary characters were great. The twins, Penn and
Bailey, were adorable and pretty accurate to their ages. I liked how they took
to Easton even before they knew he was their father. Payton's sisters each provide
support for Payton when she needs them most. I'm looking forward to reading
their stories and seeing them find love, too. I loved Easton's brother, Weston,
who was in Easton's corner the entire time. He's a bit more on the wild side
than Easton, and I'd love to see him get a story of his own. Easton's parents play
a significant role in the book, also. I adored his dad, Myron, but his mom took
a while to win me over.
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