Series: Cowboys of Stampede Texas (Book 2)
DOUBLE TROUBLE!
Sadie McHenry and her twin sons are heading home to Stampede, Texas. Sadie wants a chance to start over after being laid off -- and she might have found it with rancher Logan Hardell. Logan instantly bonds with her boys, especially with Tommy, whose ADD makes him a handful. But Logan seems to understand the four-year-old's needs and seeing them together melts Sadie's heart.
Logan's ranch is at risk, so Sadie agrees to help with their books -- putting Logan on twin patrol! With his fun-loving approach to the kids and his rugged appeal, Sadie can't understand why he's ruled out a family of his own. But she's not giving up on him just yet. Because Sadie's convinced Logan is exactly what she and her boys need!
Wonderfully emotional story. Sadie heads home to Stampede with her two sons, needing the support of her family as she starts over. She is the single mother of two four-year-old boys, divorced from their useless father, and has recently lost her job. Stampede will give her a chance recover from the stress before looking for a new job. She doesn't expect to be offered a job helping Logan straighten out the mess that threatens his ranch. Logan gave up his rodeo career to come home when his grandfather needed help with the ranch. It's a lot of work for one man, especially one whose inner demons won't let him ask for help.
I loved Sadie. She has had to cope with so much by herself. Twins are enough of a handful, but when one of them has ADD, the challenge is so much greater. She feels guilty because she has to spend so much time with Tommy that Tyler falls by the wayside. It doesn't help that her husband was no help at all and since their divorce has been even more neglectful. Her love for both her boys is obvious, as is her determination to do what is best for them.
I also loved Logan. He is a hardworking man who has had a lot to deal with in his life. He blames himself for his mother deserting the family, because of his wild behavior as a child. He also blames himself for the end of his marriage, because his issues were ones that his wife couldn't handle. Now the ranch is failing which he also holds himself responsible for. But there is no doubt that his family is the most important thing to him. I loved his patience with his ornery grandfather and his support for his brother Gunner and his work at the hotel. When given a chance to save the ranch, he is all in.
I loved the development of the relationship between Logan and Sadie. Though they have known each other for years, this time there is an unexpected spark between them. But both try to ignore it. Logan has written off any chance of a family of his own, and Sadie has discovered that most men are reluctant to take on a ready-made family like hers. As Sadie settles in to work on the ranch books, Logan and his grandfather take charge of the two little boys. I loved the way that Logan connected with both Tommy and Tyler. Tommy reminds Logan of himself at that age, giving him insight on the best way to deal with him. Logan also makes sure that Tyler gets equal attention that is tailored to his very different personality. Seeing Logan with her boys has a very strong effect on Sadie. But she is very wary of getting involved with Logan. His empathy with Tommy exposes the very real obstacle of Logan's own fight with ADD. Sadie is afraid that she would end up resenting having to deal with Logan's messes as well as Tommy's. I ached for Logan, whose feelings for Sadie and her boys went very deep. I loved his determination to finally get a handle on his ADD and was impressed with his commitment to making it work. I loved Sadie's reaction to his efforts, as she went from adamantly opposed to getting involved to believing that it might be possible. When Sadie is offered a job back in Wisconsin, she has to decide if she's willing to take a chance. And Logan has to decide if he's willing to risk his heart again. I loved their big moment at the end as Logan laid his heart on the line and Sadie showed him just how much she cared.
I loved the secondary characters. First of all, the boys were adorable. I could easily see what a challenge they were for Sadie. Tommy was adorable in his busyness and his worship of Logan and Emmett. It was easy to see the benefits that being on the ranch had on Tommy. I also loved Tyler. He was the quiet one who used books to escape from the chaos caused by his brother. He was a bit of a worrier and accustomed to being overlooked. I loved seeing him bloom with the attention he received from the new men in his life. It was great to see him act like a four-year-old boy instead of a shadow.
I also loved seeing more of the developing relationship between Emmett and Sadie's Aunt Amelia. It was easy to see that the bickering between them masked deeper feelings. I liked learning more about their pasts and what brought them to this point in their lives. There was an interesting little twist involving the friendship between Amelia and Emmett's late wife, Sarah. I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing where their relationship goes.
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