Series: Cahill Ranch (Book 1)
The renegade cowboy returns
It's been nine years since Trask Beaumont left Gilt Edge,
Montana, with an unsolved crime in his wake, and Lillian Cahill has convinced
herself she's finally over him. But when the rugged cowboy with the easy smile
suddenly shows up at her bar, there's a pang in her heart arguing the
attraction never faded. And that's dangerous, because Trask has returned on a
mission to clear his name and win Lillie back.
Tired of running, Trask knows he must uncover the truth
of the past before he can hope for a future with the woman he's never
forgotten. But if Lillie's older brother, the sheriff, learns that Trask is
back in town, he'll arrest him for murder. Now Trask is looking for a showdown,
and he won't leave town again without one or without Lillie.
Very good second chance story and beginning of a new
series about the Cahill family of Gilt Edge, Montana. The main focus of this
book is Lillie, the youngest and only girl. Nine years earlier she and Trask
had been in love and planning their future. But Trask was also known for having
a short temper. After a public argument with his boss, when the man ends up
dead, Trask is number one on the suspect list. Rather than stick around and get
arrested for a crime he didn't commit, Trask took off, leaving a broken hearted
Lillie behind. Now he's back, determined to clear his name and get Lillie back.
Lillie has convinced herself that she's moved on. She
owns the local bar/café, The Stagecoach Saloon, with her twin brother. She hasn't
done much dating, but blames that on being busy with the bar. She also seems to
spend a lot of time bailing her father out of jail. She comes home one evening
to find Trask waiting for her and realizes that maybe she's not as over him as
she thought. She'll help him with his quest, but she doesn't want to risk her
heart on him again.
Trask is clear in his determination to win Lillie back.
He's grown up a lot since he left. It doesn't take Lillie long to surrender to
the feelings that still burn between them. As they spend time together
searching for the truth, those feelings continue to grow. I loved how they
opened up to each other about how they'd felt while they were apart. I also
loved how each wants to protect the other and the lengths they go to do so. It
was hard for Lillie to keep Trask's presence a secret from her brothers, though
they each sensed that there was something going on. I really liked Lillie's
confidence in Trask's innocence and how much it meant to him that she believed
him. I loved his big moment at the end. His surprise was sweet and romantic and
perfect for who they are.
The suspense of the story is great. Trask is determined
to find the truth and to stay out of the hands of the law until he does.
Contact with an old friend creates some unexpected questions. Lillie's
questions also seem to stir up a hornets nest and puts her in the crosshairs of
those who don't want their secrets revealed. Each lead that she and Trask
follow seems to lead to yet another person with motive for murder. The danger
increases as they get closer to discovering the truth and those responsible get
more desperate. Every time I thought I had figured out who it was, something
would come up to make me doubt. The final confrontation was intense and not
what I expected, with a whole raft of consequences.
Uncovering the murderer was not the only thing going on
in this book. Second oldest brother, Flint, is the sheriff of Gilt Edge. Four
years after his divorce he has begun to move on. He and his girlfriend Maggie
are moving along in their relationship. But lately, whenever he has a special
date planned, something comes up to sabotage it. Strangely enough, each time
the problem is related to his ex-wife, Celeste. I wanted to shake him
frequently because he is blind to what she is doing. I ached for Maggie, who
can see it, and is ready to give up on his leaving his past behind. Flint is
also dealing with the mystery of a missing woman. His investigation turns up
some odd behavior and he has his suspicions but no proof.
Ely Cahill, patriarch of the family, has turned over the
ranch to his children and spends as much time as he can in the mountains,
panning for gold. He is also known for his assertion that, in 1967, he was
taken by aliens and then returned near the missile silo that occupies a portion
of their land. The book opens with him seeing something again. Flint's calls to
the people in charge of the silos gets him no satisfaction and only suspicion
that there is more going on there.
No comments:
Post a Comment