A Child’s Gift
(Texas Rebels #8)
By Linda Warren
Contemporary Romance: Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
December 1st 2019: by Harlequin Heartwarming
My Rating: 5 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Will an abandoned child bring them together?
Or tear them apart?
Cowboy Jericho Johnson lives a good life working on the Rebel family’s Texas ranch. All he’s missing is a wonderful woman like Anamarie Wiznowski. But Rico’s troubled past and Ana’s disapproving family conspire against them. When Rico is named guardian to a four-year-old boy, he asks Ana for help. And suddenly, he’s falling faster than Christmas snow…for Ana, sweet little Dusty and life as a family man!
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
This is an amazing, and well written story. I was surprised to see all of the 3 and 4 star reviews. It’s not an easy story to read, with all of the deep heartbreaks and disappointments. Jail, and life had made Rico a very angry man, with walls so thick and high it was difficult for anyone to break through. After time in prison, he was shunned by everyone, until he saved the life of a well known family. Even with the Rebel family giving him a home and family, the bitterness was too strong to realize what this family was giving him. Then he found a hungry little boy, with no one to raise him, and with the help of Anamarie, his friend at the local bakery, they were able to get temporary custody, prompting the mom to sign Dusty over to Rico because of more jail time. But then, they found she had played them.
I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone with the level of anger Rico had. The toughest part of reading this book is following Rico and his hurtful situation. And the way he shut everyone out, especially Anamarie. Yet he and Dusty had a love and connection that was amazing. And Anamarie had struggles of her own. It was all so real and I truly felt like I was there, in the story. Living the pain with them. And both families were nice people, but the Rebel family sounded almost to good to be true. I fell in love with them immediately. But Dusty was my favorite character. I love that little boy. I love the adoption story, even thought it was heartbreaking, it was also Heartwarming as well. And the ending is one that will stay with me for a very long time!
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Excerpt
“So you’ll be busy.”
“Not so busy that I can’t take care of Dusty.” Why wasn’t he asking her to marry him? They loved each other, didn’t they?
“Well, then.” He placed his hands on his knees. “I guess we should get married. We can go to the courthouse or Wyatt can marry us.”
In all the years she dreamed about someone asking her to marry them, it wasn’t like this. She stood up, anger in every part of her body. “I’m not getting married at the courthouse or by Wyatt Carson.”
“Why not?” He was genuinely puzzled and that eased the anger inside her.
“Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of walking down the aisle on my dad’s arm in a white dress. My sisters and I used to play Bride. We’d walk down the hall with a pillowcase over our heads holding some fake flowers of our mom’s. Sometimes Bubba played dad. I want to get married in the church.”
He frowned. “Anamarie, I’m not into big weddings.”
“It would be just my family and your family.”
“I don’t have a family.”
“Excuse me. Who are the Rebels?”
“They’re my employers.”
He was putting up walls and she had to go at this another way. “Where do you spend your holidays?”
“At Miss Kate’s and on Christmas morning I go to Egan’s first and then to Miss Kate’s.”
“Really? I don’t know many people who go to their employers’ house on Christmas.”
“They’re good to me, but we’re not blood.”
“And that matters to you? Because I don’t see it mattering to the Rebels.” Why was it so hard for him to admit that he was a part of the Rebel family? The walls he had built around himself were getting thicker and she didn’t know if she could get through to make him understand how much she loved him and how much the Rebels loved him.
She sat on the coffee table again, giving him a few minutes. As the clock ticked away, he said nothing. She finally asked, “What are you going to do about Dusty?”
“I can’t let him go into foster care.”
“Then do something about it.”
After a moment, he said, “Okay, I guess we’ll do the wedding thing you want.” His voice held a tinge of resentment that didn’t sit well with her.
She got up from the coffee table. “I’m going to pack my things, but I won’t leave until the morning. I want to say goodbye to Dusty.”
“What? Wait?” As she walked by his chair, he caught her hand. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t want to feel as if I’m forcing you into marriage. It has to be something you want, too, and clearly you don’t.”
“I’m just trying to get this right.”
“Well, you got it wrong.” She took a deep breath. “Rico, when a man proposes to a woman, she wants to hear more than we should get married. I need more if I’m going to spend my life with you. And you seem very hesitant to offer that.”
“What do you mean? You know I love you. I’ve been crazy about you for years.”
The magic words would have been wonderful if he hadn’t tacked on you know.
She placed her hand over her heart. “I love you, Rico, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He got to his feet, still holding her hand. “The only person I’ve ever loved is my great-grandmother and it’s hard for me to recognize those emotions after everything that has happened to me. But I know that I love you. I love you more than I’ve loved anyone in my whole life. Will you marry me and help me make a home for Dusty?”
Other Books in the Series
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Two time Rita® nominated author
Linda Warren has written forty-five books for Harlequin. A native Texan, she’s a member of Romance Writers of America and the West Houston Chapter. Drawing upon her years of growing up on a ranch, she writes about some of her favorite things: Western-style romance, cowboys and country life. She married her high school sweetheart and they live on a lake in central Texas. He fishes and she writes. Works perfect. You can find out more about Linda at
http://www.LindaWarren.net.
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