"Filled with adventure and memorable characters..."
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted January 16, 2020
Romance Suspense | Romance Western | Romance Historical
Let’s face it: there is nothing positive you can say about having secrets especially from those you care for. Secrets are toxic to a relationship. For some, their lives are steeped in secrets and it’s a wonder that they can keep them straight. At first glance, you might be tempted to say that Melanie’s motives for being secretive are almost noble. Her sister Ava’s life depends on it. But what happens when it becomes apparent that it is that very secret that presents the greater threat?
Melanie and Ava had an unorthodox childhood. They had no role models, just a father who used them in his con games and schemes. Their father was a gambler and their life was nomadic. Often fleeing the law. When he faced certain prison time he left town, abandoning his daughters leaving them to face the punishment. Not on anyone’s list of a responsible loving parent. The problem was justice was being meted out by corrupt officials without any morals.
Tait’s childhood wasn’t much better escaping from an abusive father. Tait has deep feelings for people he cares for and it is those feelings that are putting his friends and loved ones in harm way. Tait has a price on his head. His face is on wanted posters as a train robber. Problem is that this made him a target. Tait’s train robberies were retribution for tragic events that have left members of Tait's family murdered. Railroad executives were getting away with many misdeeds in their drive to control land along the track sites. It was common knowledge that not all the land was obtained through legal channels. Tait’s family was one of many that lost their land to the railroad.
The old west was not a very civilized society – it was harsh and dangerous. And yet folks tried to build lives. Tait made some very nasty enemies who are leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. Tait is the obvious target but they are sending messages to him through their carnage. And now they are getting close to Hope’s Crossing where Tait has dared to attempt the impossible. Put his past behind and build a future with Melanie his new mail order bride and his twin nephews and niece.
THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE'S SECRET is book number three in this series by Linda Broday. Each one is unique and THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE'S SECRET is filled with adventure and memorable characters. There did seem to be an extraordinary amount of really bad guys in THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE'S SECRET. Devil’s Crossing and Hope’s Crossing are communities built by a bunch of outlaws looking to change their ways. Linda Broday does a fabulous job of telling a story filled with humor, angst and some candid truths just so we don’t romanticize this period in our history. Like all in the Mail Order Brides series, THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE'S SECRET is filled with rugged men who get matched with tough women. Great series.
SUMMARY
When the West was wild and man's law favored the few...
These extraordinary women could be found...in the heart of an outlaw.
When three young children show up on outlaw Tait Trinity's doorstep, he knows he can't help them—a wanted man has no business raising kids. And yet he can't bring himself to turn them away. At a loss, he sends for the mail order bride he'd been writing to, hoping the demure dressmaker will be the answer to his prayers.
Melanie Dunbar is nothing like the bride Tait was expecting. She's rough and tumble...and hiding an ulterior motive. Dangerous men have taken her sister hostage, and if Melanie wants to see her alive, she'll have to betray her new husband. There's only one problem—the more time she spends with Tait, the more she comes to care for him. Yet as the noose begins to tighten, Melanie will have to make a terrible choice: save her sister...or the man she loves.
ExcerptMelanie let out a strangled cry, her eyes wide. “Don’t shoot,” she squeaked, hands flying up.
Growling, Tait put the gun away. “What are you doing up here? I could’ve shot you.”
“I came out of Rebel’s house and saw you leaving town.” She swallowed hard. “I sort of followed, thinking we might take in the sunset. And maybe do what married folk do when they find themselves alone.” She touched his arm.
“I see. This isn’t a bad place to look at the sky. I sometimes come up here to think.”
“Was that what you intended—to think?” Her gaze strayed to the shovel.
“No, not this time.”
She wrinkled her forehead in thought. “Oh. Then I guess I’ll leave you to whatever it is you came to do.” Her voice caught on a strange hiccup.
For a moment he saw her insecurity and loneliness—the poor little girl with a father more interested in the next target to con than in his own flesh and blood. “It’s better if you don’t know, Melanie.”
Her head jerked a nod, and she turned. Tait reached out to stop her. “On second thought, what I was doing isn’t important. Stay. We can catch that sunset.”
Melanie brightened. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. That spot where we stood to say our vows is nice.” With a hand on her back, he led her to the flat ground where his life had changed. In fact, he found it hard to recall the years between Lucy and Melanie. Everything had blurred, and most nights had seen him fall into a whiskey bottle.
“You can sit on my coat.” He removed his frock coat.
“It’ll get dirty,” she protested. “My dress has seen better days.”
“I won’t have my wife sitting on the ground,” he said softly. “Which brings me to wonder about something. I would think a lady gambler would dress all fancy-like, in silks and satins. Yet you only have a couple of cotton dresses. Why is that?”
She lowered her eyes and picked at a loose thread. The silence grew loud until finally she spoke. “I hit a run of bad luck and fell on hard times. I traded my fancy clothes for things I needed more.”
He spread his coat, and she lowered herself down without further protest. “I fear I’ve neglected you.” He sat beside her and whispered in her ear. “When we go back to the hotel, you’ll find a little surprise.”
The satin dress he’d ordered from Mrs. Dunn’s dressmaking shop in Tascosa had arrived by stage that afternoon, and he couldn’t wait to see her wear it.
“You’re spoiling me.”
“Not near enough.” He put an arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. It fit perfectly in the hollow below his collarbone, a place that seemed made specifically for her. “You deserve a lot more for putting up with me and the kids.”
“Oh hush! I love my life here.” Melanie stared at the sun sitting low on the horizon. They talked about their house and how they’d furnish it with all the latest styles. “I already know the wallpaper for the parlor. I once saw a stunning light-blue swirl design in a hotel in San Antonio.”
Tait inhaled the sage-scented air. “Draw the design and I’ll send for it. Which reminds me, I should also order the cookstove you want so that it gets here on time.” They talked a little more about the house, then Tait switched subjects. “I heard some news that Sam Houston’s son, Temple, was appointed district attorney in Mobeetie. That should clean out the riffraff over there, but it makes my situation more dangerous. From all accounts, Temple Houston is a tough man. The Panhandle is becoming too settled.” Tait let out a worried sigh. “I feel a noose tightening around my neck.”
Worry crossed her blue-green eyes, ancient eyes that seemed to hold secrets. “Then we have to find a way to get you a pardon like Clay and Jack. Tait, do you think if you offered to return the train loot, they’d forgive your crimes?”
Tait studied the stitching on his boots. “There’s no forgiving what I’ve done.”
“Please don’t think that way.”
“Markham wants me to pay dearly. He wants to take more than land and people from me. Nothing will satisfy him. We may have to uproot and move farther west.”
“If that will keep you safe, you should consider it.”
They lapsed into silence, watching the changeable sky start to darken. A summer storm built off to the west. Tait felt as though that storm was about to swallow him up. Melanie seemed just as unsettled.
“I want to stay up here and pretend that nothing bad can touch us. That we really can have whatever we want.” Her words came no louder than a whisper.
He tightened his hold and kissed the top of her head. “I never was much good at pretending.”
The swirling oranges and plums of the sunset took his breath away. He was glad she’d followed him and they could share the brilliant hues from up high like this.
But how many more sunsets would they have? Dread clenched in his chest as he watched the storm grow closer.
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Comments
1 comment posted.
Re: Filled with adventure and memorable characters...
Thank you so much for your kind words, Sandra Wurman! Love
your review. I'm so happy that you took Tait and Melanie
into your heart.
(Linda Broday 11:21am January 24, 2020)
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