Bachelors of Battle Creek #2
Linda Broday
Historical Romance/Western
Pub date: May 5, 2015 (ARC review)
H/h - Rand Sinclair/Callie Quinn
Setting: Texas, 1879.
Read in April, 2015.
My rating:
[spoiler alert]
Twice a Texas Bride is the second installment of Linda Broday’s delightful Bachelors of Battle Creek series. It’s a historical western series full of romance and action and some very down-to-earth characters. I really enjoyed the author’s portrayal of the Wild West and book 1. But book 2, for me, had its ups and downs.
This series tells the tales of three brothers- Cooper, Rand and Brett, who aren’t brothers by blood but became so by circumstances. But the fierce loyalty and their love for each-other have never wavered. All were orphans when they met. Cooper being the eldest of the three have been taking care of Rand and Brett. Things haven’t changed much as he’s still the ‘big brother’ to them.
Tragic past have bound these three men together since childhood. When they escaped the orphan train in search of a better life, the brothers didn’t know that a danger with the name of Talbot Early, had followed them. When that evil man attacked Brett, the youngest, Cooper shot him, and they were on the run again. It was because of one kindly man, who took them in after a while, is why they now have a future. He treated them like his own. Until his death, three brothers lived with him. When they each inherited substantial amount of money to move forward, thanks to their adoptive father, the brothers arrived in Battle Creek to start anew.
After what they’ve suffered through, the brothers also took a vow to never to get leg-shacked. They were essentially loners and wanted to stay that way. There was even this bachelors’ club that they opened up to honor their vows. Only they didn’t know that there were 3 women out there to help them conquer their fear of love and commitment.
Cooper, the H of book 1 Texas Mail Order Bride,
had already acquired a ranch called Long Odds. He’d been ranching
successfully when Delta Dandridge arrives in Battle Creek. When he hears
that she’d been invited here to become his Mail Order bride, Cooper was
surprised, yet equally annoyed. Everyone knew he’s not the marrying
kind, then what kinda prank is that? Was this this woman’s dirty plan?
But one look at Delta’s blonde beauty and proud demeanor told Cooper
that she had also been played fool with. Even though he refuses to marry
her, Cooper couldn’t keep Delta out of his mind. Poor Delta, she had a
rough childhood as an illegitimate daughter of a man who never
acknowledged her. When her ever sad and broken mother passed away, Delta
had nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to. Hence she thought
leaving Georgia to start her life as a rancher’s bride would be the
perfect opportunity to start over. Alas, apparently the handsome rancher
doesn’t want her. Delta is quite upset by the turn of events, yet
nothing more hurt her than the rancher’s rejection. It seems that no one
would ever want her in this life.
Because she had nowhere else
to go, Delta decides to settle down in Battle Creek. Everything was
going well, she even made friends and charmed people with her wit,
kindness and a ready smile. Yet there was no ignoring Cooper Thorne when
he’d stop by the only mercantile of the town where she was currently
working. No matter what, nothing could hide the attraction they felt for
each-other, despite Cooper’s determination to keep away. At one point,
he couldn’t deny the fact that he wanted much more
with Delta than just a fling. Delta wanted him right from the beginning.
Then knowing him, hearing about his good deeds from the townspeople,
only worked on to intensify that longing. At one point, they just had to
give into that siren’s call.
When old nightmares in the form of
Talbot Early returns and targets Delta knowing her importance, Cooper
had to act fast to save the love of his life. With the help of his
brothers, he accomplishes just that.
In the course of the story,
we are introduced to Rand Sinclair and Brett Liberty. Rand is the most
handsome of the three. So far, he had no idea about his parents, only
the vague recollection of a father and some terrible nightmares, as we
come to learn in his story. Rand was the town’s only saloon owner, and
had the reputation of being a lady’s man. Many broken hearts have been
seen scattered around his wake. But what most didn’t know that he had a
secret longing to become a successful rancher much like Cooper, also to
find The One for himself. He even started to court Delta after Cooper
initial rejection. But a while later, when she made it known that her
interests lie in one man only, Rand backed off. Brett, on the other
hand, is an ancient soul; a free spirit. He has an Indian heritage,
probably mixed but was abandoned very young by his family. Brett now
owns his own ranch called Wild Horses, where he tames and trains horses,
living in his handmade tepee. He’s the most reserved and sensitive of
the brothers, and has proven himself to be an excellent tracker in the
past. His skill comes handy in both books when his brothers needed his
help.
In the beginning of Twice a Texas Bride, we find
Rand has already bought a ranch named Last Hope that he’s been eyeing
for a while. He’d also sold his saloon, aiming to become a respectable
rancher. But more than that, he wanted, needed a
place to call his own. A home that he’s always
missed. Seeing his brothers having their own home, with Cooper married
and now on the verge of becoming a father, has done the irreversible to
Rand. Though he still acts as if he still wanted to stay a bachelor, the
moment he lays his eyes Callie, he knew he wanted more. Much more. The
realization struck; he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life alone.
At
the end of book 1, Rand very suddenly found his once famous opera
singer mother, who had left him quite young. He’d always despised her
for doing so, because it seemed her career meant more to her than her
family. Rand seemed to remember bits and pieces of what happened to his
father, though his mother tells him that she tried to find him when she
returned but couldn’t locate him. By then, everybody knew that Rand’s
father had drowned in a river and his body was never recovered, so she
gathered Rand was killed too. Though he always craved to
belong and to have a mother to take care of him, now
her constant meddling grates on Rand. More so because Abigail is more
than determined to shower him with money and valuables, as if those will
ever replace his lost childhood. Rand wants to be his own man, he
doesn’t want or need his mother’s money. But then, Last Hope is a
ramshackle place that’ll need considerable amount of money to renovate.
This push and pull creates quite a tension between the mother and the
son, but in the end, Rand realizes that he needs to cut her some slack
for at least trying to be a part of his life now.
Rand has just
moved into Last Hope when one night he finds Callie and her young
nephew, Toby hiding in one of the rickety outhouses, shivering in cold.
He didn’t know them but couldn’t leave them that way. It was also
because he instinctively felt that they were running from something...
or someone. Though Callie was wearing a torn dress and both were equally
filthy from their journey, Rand is attracted to her. Callie most
obviously had trust issues, probably something to do with a man and
wouldn’t even give him her full name, but seeing Toby’s feverish face,
she accepts Rand’s invitation. Something in her decides to trust him,
even if a little. But she won’t freeload, neither would Toby, and Rand
had a wonderful solution to that dilemma! He’s a man of goodly appetite
who appreciated good cooking. Callie proves the first day that she’s a
pro in that area and so, she was hired by him to become his
housekeeper/cook. Callie warns Rand that she won’t stay here forever and
might leave anytime. But for now, she’d help him out and earn her keep.
As
the days pass, Rand begins to feel more at home than he’d ever felt in
his entire life. Callie is not only good at cooking and cleaning, she’s a
smart woman. Cooper and Brett, even Delta, stop by to meet her and more
than one joke with innuendo were passed around. Rand instantly begins
falling for her, though she was still keeping her distance from him. Her
trust issue so palpable, that one can’t ignore it. Poor Rand didn’t
know what to do allay her fear, because she won’t confide in him. His
pleas fall into deaf ears, with Callie threatening that she’d leave if
he tries to glean any information from her. But Toby was a different
case altogether. Though at first, Rand thought Toby is Callie’s son,
soon enough the boy, who was already hero-worshiping Rand and tagging
him along around the ranch, blurts out that Callie is his aunt. And that
her mother passed away sometimes ago, and that his father is very mean
and bad. What could a 6 yrs. old boy do, right? He loved Rand already
and it was apparent that he was craving a manly figure to look up to.
Rand doted on him, so he fit the bill perfectly.
Callie isn’t
happy about it though, yet she finally begins to open up a little. She
confides that her twin sister Claire was Toby’s mother. And that
notorious outlaw, Fleming Fleming is Toby’s father. A man who comes from
generations of outlaws, has no scruples and knows no mercy. From
Callie’s own musings, we’d already learned that Last Hope was once her
home. Her mother Nora died when they were only in their teens. Their
father passed away long time ago, and their mother had remarried. The
stepfather and his son weren’t so nice. The moment Nora’s spirit left
her body Edward married some socialite and moved her in the house. From
then on, the sisters’ lives became utterly miserable as that woman would
do everything to make sure that they suffer.
At 17, to defy
Edward, Claire eloped with Fleming. He is very good-looking and could be
charming when it suits his purpose. Soon though, Claire learns of his
true colors. Callie had never liked him, Fleming returned the sentiment
tenfold. When Claire suddenly fell ill couple of months ago and seemed
won’t last long, she urged Callie to take Toby and run. You see, Fleming
had this plan to train Toby to become just like himself. It wasn’t a
father’s sentiment to see his son grow up to be like him; it was a man
aiming to use one of his possessions to its fullest by training it
early. Callie couldn’t let it happen. She knew that Fleming is on her
trail and would kill her to get to Toby. She wouldn’t put it past him to
do something horrible to her before that. Callie is so scared of hers
and Toby’s life that she’d get spooked seeing the shadows in the dark.
Though it seemed she can’t rely on any man ever again, Rand had already
staked his claim in her heart. And that made her feel more vulnerable
than ever.
At one point, news reach that a fatally ill mother is
looking for a family to adopt her infant daughter. Her husband died
before the child was born and the news of her illness shakes all the
brothers since he used to be a ranch-hand at Cooper’s. Delta is so
heavily pregnant with twins that Cooper can’t let her take on another
baby right now. So she and the mother stop by to urge Callie to take the
baby in. Callie, at first, won’t because her heart was pounding. Taking
on a baby means she’s meaning to live here more permanently than she’d
originally planned. Can she do it, because Rand sure as hell can’t take
care of a baby all by himself! She refuses to even touch the baby, but
when the mother falls ill, Delta hands baby Wren over to her. Just a
moment, and the feeling of holding a child unravels something inside
Callie. She instantly decides she’s gonna love this child as her own. I
knew at that time that it meant much more than it seemed. Callie
certainly has a ‘past’ which didn’t have to do with Fleming, and that
she hadn’t divulged that part to Rand.
Rand had no problems
taking Wren in. He’d already tried proposing marriage to Callie to get
her to stay with him, though he wasn’t successful. Toby definitely wants
him to be his ‘new’ father, calling Fleming his ‘old’ father. Children,
right? :) Making Wren’s adaption permanent meant that they’re now a
family. And for that, they have to get married. Callie surprises him
this time by raising this issue, and her acceptance of his proposal.
Rand is ecstatic that his beautiful girl would marry him! Yet next,
Callie deflates his enthusiasm by telling him that the marriage will be
in name only. At least, for now. *sigh* TBH, I was a bit more than
frustrated. Callie was obviously hiding something, which sort of made
the story drag. She won’t tell anyone what happened, yet would make Rand
suffer for it. Rand, who was a known womanizer (though not a cad), even
agrees on her term as long as she lets him kiss her every night before
bed. He hoped that in time he’d be able to woo Callie into being a true
wife. What he didn’t know that Callie had no intentions of sleeping with
him, or any man for that matter, ever again. *double sigh*
I
wanted to know WHY? Really wtf? Have to mention that I was a bit weary
of Rand’s womanizing reputation. But he wasn’t all that love’em-leave’em
type. Initially, when he was much younger, he wanted relationships, not
just sex. He was hurt more than once. Of 3 women that he claimed to
have loved, two left him and one died before he could even profess his
love for her. I found this extremely sad and heartbreaking. Rand already
had this complexity about everyone he cared about leaving him, so he
made a point not to get entangled with a woman beyond the physical after
that. In book 1, he seemed like a gentleman but I wasn’t sure what to
think of him. In here, Rand proved that he’s a marvelous man. He was the
first to fall and was scared as hell that Callie, too, would leave him
sooner or later. That didn’t seem like some OTT womanizer at all! He so
wanted this little cozy family that he and Callie had made to stay the
same that he’d do anything to earn her trust, to help her. If only she’d
let him in! Needless to say, Callie took a long time to warm up to him,
then to confide in him, so long that I began feeling upset. Their
relationship was way too fraught with tension and frustration for my
liking. It seemed she was always scared of what’s to come next and all
Rand did was to walk on tip-toes so that she doesn’t balk!
After
the marriage though things begin to change a little. There are some
sweet moments scattered throughout with the children and Callie and Rand
trying to make out a life through everything. Since Wren’s mother
passed on right after their marriage, she’s now a permanent member of
this family. Brett was also a fixture that Toby seemed to much
appreciate. They struck up a close uncle-nephew bond, with a tepee made
by Brett and all that. By looking at how Callie would take care of Wren,
I was coming to realize that there was a baby somewhere in her past.
Suddenly
then, Fleming comes to town to terrorize the family by tracking
Callie’s trail. They were visiting Battle Creek one day to have some fun
when he’s spotted by her. That moment Callie realizes just how
vulnerable she is without Rand by her side. She also knew that she’d do
anything to keep her little family safe. And so, she decides to confide
in Rand about everything. IMO she should’ve done that much earlier as he
kept telling her that he can’t protect her completely without knowing
everything. Their run-ins with Fleming gave Callie the urgency to do so.
Cooper
and Rand chase Fleming for a while. He escapes them but Rand knew the
SOB will be back with vengeance, because a cruel, seasoned outlaw like
him would never back down from grabbing what he deems
his. But seeing Rand ride on after Fleming leaves
Callie with the fear of unknown. She becomes worried sick of losing
Rand. Callie realizes, again, that she can’t at all carry on without
Rand.
After that, not only Callie and Rand finally consummate
their marriage, she also tells her past, a one night stand where she
lost her virginity to an equally inexperienced young man. A baby that
came as the result, but was taken away from her by Edward and David even
before she could hold her a bit. Callie didn’t know where the father
was because he was never seen or heard from ever again. She was sure
Edward had a hand in his disappearance; all because he thought Callie
intentionally did this to ruin them in the society. But after
experiencing a very painful labor and having her heart broken by losing
her child, Callie was scared of sex and a pregnancy that’s sure to
follow. Yet she knew she was being unfair to Rand. I applauded that, at
last, she was willing to take a step further and let Rand show her the
pleasures of marriage bed to help her forget the painful memories. I
didn’t mention that one of the reasons why Callie returned to Last Hope
was to find a box that her mother gave to her and Claire that held
something valuable. She could’ve used the money to keep herself and Toby
alive. Callie had no idea where it was, also forgot where she kept the
key. The key, though, was found in Rand’s keychain, who found it
somewhere in the house. In the meantime, Callie is also able to find the
box. Upon further investigation, they find some valuable jewels in it
that they both decide to save for the children’s future.
As
expected, Fleming returns to ruin their lives once again. This time he
brings the perfect pawn to force Callie out of her safe haven; her long
lost daughter, Mariah. It should’ve made me mad, when, after a day of
shootouts and Rand getting shot in the process, she leaves in the dead
of the night to surrender to Fleming, but it didn’t. She had a plan
which fails ultimately, but I understood her dilemma; her complete,
utter desperation. A mother could NOT leave her child with men like
those, most especially because she knew the extent of Fleming’s cruelty,
and be in a safe place herself. Callie knew Rand would be hurt but she
had to act fast with whatever she had. It was a huge relief for me when
Rand, after the initial shock and confusion, eventually catches up with
Callie’s intentions because I ABSOLUTELY would’ve hated to see him hurt
again. He gathers help pronto to go on a mission of life and death.
Because this time, Fleming has gone too far, so it’s either Rand or him.
In the end, it was a pretty good read overall. I missed an
epilogue though, because after what they’ve been together, Callie and
Rand deserved some peace and good quality family time. I saw hints of
what we can expect in Brett’s book and totally psyched to see where his
journey takes him. He’s such a gentle soul that he deserves someone
who’d love the crap outta him! :D I enjoyed the updates on Cooper-Delta,
hopefully will see more of them and Callie-Rand in Brett’s book. 4
stars.
I received this ARC, courtesy of Sourcebooks
Casablanca via netgalley which didn’t influence my
review and rating in any way. 
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