A woman and baby on the run -- just upended a cowboy’s life
Noah Carson did not plan to have a woman and a baby under his roof. But his new housekeeper is in danger, and the solitary Wyoming rancher will do whatever it takes to protect Addie Foster and her nephew. He thinks they can overcome anything together, but he doesn’t know who she’s running from. What he does know is the longer Addie and Seth stay, the more Noah believes that they belong here -- with him.
Terrific book. I liked this one even better than the first one in the series. Addie has been on the run for months, trying to protect her nephew from his mobster father. At the end of her rope, she called her cousin Laurel in Bent, Wyoming, hoping that it was isolated enough to keep them hidden. The safest place that Laurel could think of was for Addie to become the housekeeper for gruff loner Noah Carson.
I liked Noah in the previous book, Wyoming Cowboy Justice, and loved him in this book. He's far more likely to grunt than talk and puts up a pretty good front as a grouch. But he also has a kind heart and a protective nature. It didn't take him long to see that Addie was in trouble, and want to keep her and Seth safe. I was really impressed with Addie. She had successfully evaded Seth's father for months, doing anything necessary to keep them safe. I loved that she was smart enough to realize that she needed help and the practical way she went about it.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Noah and Addie. It was a slow one, with them getting to know each other over three months. I liked seeing Addie's fear and wariness begin to fade the longer she stayed at the ranch. Noah has been a loner for a long time, but even more so since his brother and cousin left the ranch. He hadn't realized just how lonely he was until Addie and Seth worked past his defenses. Neither of them expected the attraction that grew between them and tried to deny it was happening. Addie wouldn't believe that anything could come of it, as she always expected to have to run again. Noah wants to believe that they will stay but isn't sure that she would want to.
When odd things began to happen on the ranch, Addie was certain that she had been found and was ready to run again. She was stunned to discover that Noah was equally determined to keep her there and bring the threats to an end. I loved how Noah shot down all of her arguments and convinced her to take a stand. I loved their partnership as they vowed to protect Seth, and how that partnership created a deeper bond between them. I loved that there were no big misunderstandings to drive them apart, just the need for them to face their fears and believe that they could face anything as long as they were together. I loved Noah's big moment at the end as he put his heart out there.
The suspense of the story was excellent. It was easy to feel Addie's fear for Seth's safety and her wariness at getting too comfortable. She would just start to feel safe when something would happen to make her afraid again. Noah blamed the odd happenings on the feud, but Addie wasn't so sure. The action intensified when she received a threatening note, and Noah's protectiveness went into overdrive. I loved seeing the feud take a back seat again as the Carsons and Delaneys worked together to keep Addie and Seth safe. Sometimes it felt as though they could not catch a break as the bad guys closed in on them. The final confrontation was a real nail-biter as both Noah and Addie found themselves in dire situations. I loved how the Carson teamwork kept everyone safe and brought down the bad guys.
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