Proving Colton's Innocence - Lara Lacombe (HRS #2164 - Jan 2022)

Series: Coltons of Grave Gulch (Book 12)

A battle for justice
pits brother against brother
 
Bounty hunter Baldwin Bowe works in the shadows, finding fugitives no one else can. But now he's hired to bring in his own sibling and help prove the innocence of CSI Jillian Colton. Baldwin sticks by her side, aiming to lure in his criminal brother and exonerate Jillian. Yet as danger escalates, Baldwin never expected to fall for the woman by his side…
 
Good conclusion to the series. With the death of serial killer Len Davison in the previous book, things are looking up for the Grave Gulch Police Department. If they could catch escaped CSI forensic scientist Randall Bowe, they would earn back the trust of the people they serve. One of the people most interested in getting him off the street is Jillian Colton. As a rookie CSI, Randall made her life miserable, blaming her for things he was doing. Now she's working extra hard to help fix the things he did.
 
The book opens as the chief of police, her cousin Grace, and a man from Internal Affairs show up at her house with a search warrant. They have evidence that she robbed a home of some costly jewelry. Jillian protests her innocence and is shocked when the jewelry is found in her closet. She's placed under arrest and taken to jail with a relatively high bail set.
 
Bounty hunter Baldwin Bowe is in Grave Gulch because he's been hired to find and capture his brother Randall. There is no love lost between the two, and Baldwin will do whatever he must to make it happen. So when he hears of Jillian's arrest and that she worked with Randall, he pays her bail, hoping she can give him some insight into Randall's whereabouts.
 
I liked the first meeting between Jillian and Baldwin. He's frank with her about what he wants and the help he hopes she'll provide. Jillian's first impression is that he's big, imposing, and heartless, but she wants Randall caught just as much as he does. She is confident that Randall set her up on the jewelry issue, but she has no way to prove it. Interestingly, Baldwin thinks appearing as a couple will draw Randall out faster, so he suggests that he move in with her. This will serve both as baiting Randall and protecting Jillian.
 
Neither Baldwin nor Jillian expected the intense attraction that flared between them. Jillian tries to fight it because he won't be around for long. Baldwin tries to fight it because he's used to being alone and doesn't need the distraction. But the more time they spend together, the hotter the sparks burn until they can't help but give in to them. I loved seeing them get to know each other. Jillian discovers that far from being heartless, Baldwin feels emotions deeply but keeps tight control over them. I enjoyed seeing her get him to open up to her and share some of his experiences with her. The scene after their visit to his parents was both heartbreaking and profoundly moving. The depth of his growing feelings for her is evident when she is shot and is in the hospital. Jillian also realizes that her feelings for Baldwin have turned to love and wonders what it means for the future. I could feel her fear for him when he went after Randall on his own. I ached for Jillian when he disappeared without a word right after Randall was captured. I loved his return and the emotional confession of what he'd been through. I especially liked the difference his love for her made to his plans for the future.
 
The suspense of the story was excellent. Randall has been on the run for the better part of a year, and the GGPD is frustrated that they haven't been able to find him. It doesn't help that he finds ways to taunt them and make them look bad. Jillian and others believe that he set her up for the jewelry thefts, and she can't help wondering why he is so fixated on her. I loved seeing Baldwin and Jillian work together to bring Randall down. The scene at her house was intense, and I ached for Baldwin with the way it turned out. When he got an idea of where Randall might be hiding, nothing Jillian could say would stop him from checking it out on his own. I wanted to shake him for being an idiot because things did not go well. But Baldwin was of sterner stuff than Randall knew. When the final confrontation came, the teamwork between Baldwin and Jillian brought the intense situation to a satisfactory conclusion.
 
I loved the epilogue. There's a big family party with all the Coltons and their new partners and babies. The scene between Jillian and her mom was sweet. My favorite part was Baldwin's shell-shocked reaction when faced with the whole family. I loved that he went from no family to more than he could ever imagine.