"A dramatic adventure in overcoming adversity."
Reviewed by Audrey Lawrence
Posted February 22, 2006
Romance Series
Mayor Miranda Wright has her whole credibility staked on
the land giveaway plan she had started to revitalize
Homestead, Texas. There had been enough trouble already
with the vandalism and scare tactics that had been plaguing
the new people in town, but she braced herself for more
when she saw Jud Ritter making his way over to her. He had
always been a bit of a wild lad growing up in town and he
certainly had gone out of his way to embarrassed Miranda at
every chance he had. Hoping he would not be in town for long, her heart sinks
when she finds out that he is the law enforcement support
Sheriff Wade Montgomery had invited to come and help him.
While Miranda makes sure to give him a frosty reception
when they are together, sparks cut through the chill and
long buried emotions kept flaming up unexpectedly. Yet, the crimes continue to escalate and endanger not only
the new folks, but Miranda's family as well. Who is behind
all this nastiness? Was Jud a true friend or foe? How
could he care about her when he so warmly embraced the sexy
reporter in from Austin who shafted Homestead's
revitalization with a nasty article? Just as things begin to be so bleak they can't possibly get
any worse, in flounces Jud's old flame, the buxom Della who
everyone "knew" Jud had gotten pregnant back in high
school, forcing them to leave town. Her bright red lips
soon spills secrets that shakes the whole town! This is the fifth book in a great series "Home to Loveless
County" with each book written by different writers.
Lynnette Kent has a strong style, not only in developing a
fast moving plot, but also in effectively characterizing
Jud and Miranda, two very strong willed and determined
people. Interspersed with their story is another romance
between Miranda's mother, Nan, and Cruz, a younger and
handsome Mexican foreman on their ranch. You will be sure
to enjoy the thrills in this action packed romance!
SUMMARY
No one expected Jud Ritter to return to Homestead, Texas,
least of all mayor Miranda Wright — the woman he made a
fool of right before he left town for good. Miranda has
enough on her hands trying to stop the crimes directed at
recipients of the land giveaway program she started. And
must now finish, if some people in the town get their
way... An Austin police officer on leave, Jud's here to help find
the culprits, reconcile with his estranged brother — and
apologize to Miranda. He misses their old rivalry and had
never planned to hurt her. But he hadn't realized how much
she meant to him until he saw what Miranda was willing to
put on the line for the town — and for him.
ExcerptMayTHE DAY STARTED WITH A FUNERAL. By five o'clock, Miranda Wright had endured as much
neighborly nosiness, listened to as many insinuations and
waded through all the close-minded arguments she could
stomach. With a slam of the door and a twist of the key,
she abandoned her Wright for Mayor campaign office,
skipped town without speaking to a single prospective
voter and took the long way home. With luck, a breezy ride
through the wide-open Texas countryside would restore her
peace of mind. Since the meandering back road she traveled led pretty
much nowhere except to her farm, she was surprised to come
over a rise and find a black truck parked on the shoulder
at the bottom of the slope. Engine trouble, maybe. And no
cell phone would work in the deep trough between the two
hills. Despite her mood, Miranda did the neighborly thing and
stopped a few yards behind the tailgate of the black Ford
250. No flat tires evident, no smoking engine. Just the
driver, sitting motionless at the wheel. Sick? Disabled?
Dangerous? Wishing she could replace her navy funeral suit and high-
heeled shoes with jeans, boots and a rifle, she stepped up
to the driver's window. "Everything okay?" Then she saw who she was dealing with. "If it isn't Ms.
Mayor-to-be," Jud Ritter said, giving her his one-sided
smile. "How's it going?" He took a swig from a half-empty
whiskey bottle. An identical bottle lay on the passenger
seat. Empty. "Hey, Jud." The man had attended his mother's funeral this
morning. He had a right to drown his sorrows, but not
behind the wheel. "What are you doing out here in the
wilderness? You should be at home with your dad and Ethan." He barked a laugh. "Not likely, Ms. Mayor-to-be. "Don't
bother coming back," was the phrase, as I remember
it. "You don't belong here.'" He helped himself to another
drink, then held out the bottle. "Want some?" "Sure." Miranda took it, stepped back and poured out a
golden stream of whiskey. The sharp tang of liquor rose
from the pavement. As she handed him the empty bottle, Jud
stared at her, eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a straight
line. Finally, he shrugged. "That'll teach me to be polite."
Groaning, he stretched an arm down into the foot well on
the passenger side. "Good thing I know my limits." He sat
up again with a third bottle in his hand and proceeded to
break the seal. That was so like him — Homestead's most infamous bad boy,
a law unto himself, always finding a new way to flout the
rules and make somebody mad. The citizens had heaved a
collective sigh of relief when he'd left town after high
school. Miranda opened the truck door. "Come on, Jud. Get out. You
can't drive under the influence of two quarts of whiskey." "I know that," he said, stepping down to the road. He
staggered a little, then caught his balance. "I'm an
officer of the Austin police department. I wouldn't drive
drunk, even in this redneck refuge." She gritted her teeth against the insult. "You can't just
park here until you're sober, either. Who knows what could
happen?" Why she even cared was a question Miranda
couldn't answer. She and Jud had squabbled and snapped and
sniped at each other the entire twelve years they'd been
in school together. The most humiliating moments of her
adolescence had Jud Ritter's name attached. "Nothing's gonna happen." He looked at her, his brown gaze
as guileless as a little boy's. "I'm not bothering anybody
as long as I'm parked on public property. I'll spend the
night under the stars, like a good cowboy should. Come
morning, I'll take my hangover and head back to Austin." Leaving the driver's door open, he sauntered to the back
of his truck, let down the tailgate and hitched himself up
to sit on the edge. Miranda reached into the cab and took
the keys out of the ignition, guaranteeing he wouldn't be
going anywhere till she decided he could. She'd give them
back in the morning when he'd be suffering, but sober. "Have a seat," Jud said. "It'll be a nice sunset in just a
little while." Maybe if she humored him, he'd agree to let her drive him
to Homestead's only motel to sleep off the booze. Or she
could take him home, dump him on the bed in the guest
room. Her mom wouldn't mind — she'd always had a soft spot
in her heart for handsome, arrogant, uncontrollable Jud
Ritter. Still regretting the absence of comfortable clothes,
Miranda shrugged out of her suit jacket and stowed it —
along with Jud's keys — in her truck. "Aw, don't go away," Jud called. "We could have our own
class reunion." "We didn't graduate together," she said, walking toward
him. "I got held back twice, remember?" "Oh, yeah. Well, we're both graduates." He toasted her
with the bottle. "To dear old Homestead High." Another
swig. "So I hear you're going to save the town single-
handed. Like the Lone Ranger." She hitched herself onto the tailgate beside him, then
took a second to pull her skirt down as far as it would
go. "Not single-handed, but I've got a plan that could
bring people and opportunities back to Homestead." "Some kind of land swap?" He was drinking steadily, and
she almost wished she could join him, relax a little. Jud
had always made her nervous. He'd been everything she
wasn't — handsome as sin, with the physical grace of an
athlete and the charisma of a politician. An encounter
with Jud in the school hallway had usually left her
feeling as stupid and confused as most people thought she
was. She took a deep breath. "A giveaway, actually. People must
agree to build on the property, or renovate an existing
building, live there for a year, and then they can sell it
or continue in residence as the owner." "Where do you get the giveaway land?" That was the touchy part. Miranda swallowed hard. "When
the K Bar C Ranch went bust, the county seized the
property for back taxes." Jud chuckled. "So that's why my dad is so pissed about you
running for mayor. He merged his ranch into that K Bar C
investment deal. Now he's lost the family plot, so to
speak." "I know." "Considering the Ritters have held that land for over a
hundred years..." He shook his head. "I think that's one
vote you won't be getting." "You don't mind?" "Nah. I gave up any right to the Ritter legacy when I left
home. They're right — I don't belong here. Thank God." He didn't say anything else for quite a while. The sun
dropped behind the hills around them, bringing a quick,
cool twilight. Stars popped out one by one, white sparks
in a purple Texas sky. "See, I told you it would be a nice night." Jud chugged
from his whiskey bottle, then let himself fall back in the
truck bed. "Great for stargazing. You ever go stargazing,
Ms. Mayor?" "I live on a ranch," she said without thinking. "I see the
stars all the time." "No, I mean real stargazing." His grin was white in the
near darkness. "With a guy." She felt her cheeks flush with heat. "Not recently." "Ever?" "None of your business." She scooted forward on the
tailgate. "I'm going home." Strong fingers closed around her wrist. "Aw, come on." He
pulled backward, but she resisted. "I'm not talking about
anything besides watching the sky." "I'll bet you say that to all the girls." "Most of 'em," he said, and took another swig. But never
to her. Miranda figured she was the only female in
Homestead anywhere near his age that Jud Ritter hadn't
gone out with. He'd asked once, or so she'd thought at the
time. What a travesty that had turned out to be. "Relax," Jud said, his voice now definitely slurred. "Lie
back and look at the sky." He tugged on her wrist again. Miranda flattened out on the truck bed, feeling every
ridge in the liner on her back. "This isn't a very
comfortable place to watch the sky." "You get used to it. Sure you don't want a drink?" "I have to drive home." Jud shrugged. "Up to you." He took a noisy gulp of
whiskey, then handed the half-empty bottle to her. "Do
whatever you want to with that. I'm done." She held the bottle for a while, fighting the urge to take
just one swig. Her experience with liquor consisted of
eggnog punch at Christmas and champagne for New Year's
Eve. Plus the occasional long neck beer at a party. But
she caught the rich oak aroma from Jud's breath on the
air, and her mouth watered for a taste. Just one. Finally, though, she put the bottle at her side. "Not
tempting enough?" Jud rolled to face her, elbow bent and
head propped on his hand. Full darkness had fallen, but
they were close enough that she could see all the details
of his face — the straight slant of his nose and the angle
of his cheekbones, the shape of his mouth, the spark of
laughter in his eyes. "What does tempt you, Ms. Mayor?" "Pecan pie. Fast food cheeseburgers." "Guess you don't get too much fast food out here in the
sticks." "Just Bertha's kolaches." "She's still cooking?" "Breakfast every day but Sunday." "Nothing ever changes." After a silence, he said, "Do you have weaknesses for something besides food?" She was beginning to feel drunk herself, listening to his
voice, whiskey warm. "Horses. Never met one I didn't love." He rubbed his knuckles up and down her lower arm. "Men,
Miranda. Don't you have a weakness concerning men?" "Nary a one," she lied, as goose bumps broke out all over
her body. "Haven't found a man yet I couldn't live
without." His fingers touched her cheek. "You just haven't met the
right guy." "I've met all the men I'm likely to here in Homestead." She should sit up, get down, go home. Jud Ritter was bad
news, as at least one girl in Homestead had learned the
hard way. He was drunk enough to seduce Miranda, for lack
of anyone better, but she wasn't drunk enough to succumb.
She didn't think she could get that drunk without passing
out first. Then he kissed her.
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