When Lorri Walker's husband gifted her with a mastiff
puppy on Valentine's Day, she believed he was recommitting himself to their
marriage after going astray. Six months later, he left both her and their dog
for someone else. Since her recent move to Dalton Mill to unbraid herself from
the past, Lorri's graphic design business is now flourishing, her growing
mastiff, Mister, has plenty of space to romp, and her ex in Raleigh can fade to
a distant memory.
Ryder Bolt is haunted by the tragic loss of his wife and
young son seven years ago. Thankfully, ranching keeps Ryder busy, and spending
time with his niece and nephew -- whose venue, The Wedding Ranch, has become a
popular tourist destination -- keeps him from getting lonely.
When Lorri and Ryder met, love was the last thing they
were looking for. When they're together, smiles come easier and burdens feel
lighter, and both are embracing the possibility of something deeper.
But when a long-buried revelation surfaces, the fate that
brought them together threatens to tear them apart.
This was a sweet, heartwarming story about two hurting
people. The story opens with Lorri, whose fifteen-year marriage to Craig is in
trouble. But when he brings her an adorable mastiff puppy, she believes things
are on the mend. She's blindsided six months later when he leaves her for the
puppy trainer. Lorri decides the best thing she can do is move away from the
memories and start over, where she can rediscover who she is. So she takes
Mister, the dog, and moves to the small town of Dalton Mill. I loved the vivid
descriptions of her home, her renewed passion for painting, and the joy she
gets from the slower pace.
Ryder is a man buried in grief. His wife and son were
killed by a drunk driver seven years earlier. He stays busy working his ranch
and spending time with his sister and her family. For him, family is
everything, including helping his niece and nephew with their new event venue -
The Wedding Ranch. Ryder also feels resentment toward his parents, who sold off
some of the family lands to a developer, land that he feels should have been
his.
The first few chapters were slow as they covered the
breakup of Lorrie's marriage and Ryder's grousing about the land. My interest
picked up as Lorrie settled into her new home and adjusted to the slower pace.
I loved her decision to go to the county fair and the methodical planning of
her schedule so she could see as much as possible. I laughed out loud at her
first-timer experience with cotton candy and her fascination with the 4-H show.
All the new experiences so consume her mind that she doesn't know she's in the
path of a runaway steer until Ryder knocks her out of the way.
Ryder is unexpectedly drawn to Lorrie, and rather than help
her up and send her on her way, he offers to show her around the fair until she
is fully recovered. They find it incredibly easy to talk to each other,
especially once each has assured the other that they aren't looking for a
relationship. They agree that a new friend is nothing to sneeze at, so their
friendship is formed. Watching them find reasons to spend time together, all in
the name of "friendship," was fun.
Ryder finds himself more caught up than usual in Ross and
Reece's plans at The Wedding Ranch. When a secret celebrity wedding is booked
there, Ryder turns his house over to the wedding party. I loved the closeness
between Ryder and the "kids" and his belief in their dream. His
willingness to step up and help in any way is sweet. A little drama is attached
to the wedding when he jumps to conclusions about Lorrie's presence there, but
it is dealt with quickly and realistically.
I liked watching Ryder and Lorrie grow closer. It is clear
that their feelings are changing and becoming deeper. Ryder's grief begins to
let up a little, and everyone notices that he's smiling and laughing more. My
heart broke for him as he told Lorrie about what happened and his feelings of
guilt over it. Ryder listens as Lorrie speaks to him about her estrangement
from her parents because of her brother's poor decisions and their enabling of
him. She's never grieved his death because of her anger. But just as Lorrie is
ready to confess her feelings, a devastating discovery threatens to drive them
apart. Each must look at their past and decide whether the past or the future
is more important. These scenes were both heartbreaking and uplifting, and I
ached for both. Of course, love wins out, and I loved seeing them come together.
The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up to the story. I loved
their plans and seeing their changes as they moved forward. Ryder's big scene
was fantastic and was the perfect ending.
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