Series: Texas Promises (Book 1)
Former army ranger Mike Moretti is finding it hard to remember that Vivian Warner is forbidden. She's his late buddy's widow and his new boss. Mike hired on at the Warner ranch to help Vivian, not to seduce her.
But playing the role of pretend suitor leads to irresistible temptation…and an unexpected pregnancy. This cowboy's code of honor demands he do the right thing, but Vivian won't say, "I do," for anything less than love.
Good book. In the midst of battle, Mike promises his dying buddy Thane that he will take the job of ranch foreman and look after Thane's wife Vivian for at least three months. He already regretted the promise as he arrived at the ranch six months later, not happy about working for someone who knew nothing about ranching. But a promise is a promise. He's surprised by Vivian's beauty when he meets her and jolted by the zing of attraction he feels when they shake hands. For him, being attracted to his late friend's wife is a definite no-no.
Vivian loved Thane and deeply mourns his loss. She is an artist with no knowledge of ranching, so she is happy to have Mike take over as ranch foreman. She isn't as happy about the flare of awareness she feels with him. However, that doesn't stop her from asking for his help in discouraging the attentions of a neighbor.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Mike and Vivian, though there were several times I really wanted to shake Mike or bash him on the head with something. From the moment they met there was a connection between them. Though they had never met, they knew each other a bit through Thane and the way he talked about each of them. I liked the way that Vivian felt she could trust Mike as soon as she met him, which made it easier for her to ask his help with the Clint problem. I liked Mike's protectiveness and how he stepped up to help her. The scene at the art gallery was especially good. With each "date" they went on, the attraction between them built until they could no longer resist, though it was fun to see them try.
But both are resistant to the idea of something permanent, at least at first. Vivian is still reeling from Thane's death and is afraid of losing again if she allows her heart to get involved. Mike has made it clear that he is unlikely to stay past the three months that he promised Thane he'd stay. On Mike's side, he can't get past the idea that Vivian is the heir to billions and has already inherited Thane's millions. He is adamant that a real man doesn't take money from a woman. He went on and on about this so much, and all I could think was that he was going to miss out on what could be a wonderful future because of it.
When Vivian ends up pregnant, she realizes that she has fallen in love with Mike, even though she never intended to. She also knows that Mike's code of honor means that he will want them to marry, and she can't bear the idea of marriage without love. I liked Vivian's confidence in her ability to be the kind of mother she wants her baby to have. I also liked that she was willing to stand up to Mike's attempts to convince her that love could come later. It took almost losing her for Mike to realize just what she meant to him and what was truly important. I enjoyed his big moment at the end and seeing how they worked out their issues. There's a little bit of a lead-in for the next book, and I can't wait to see what is in store for Noah.
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