AND BABY MAKES THREE?
Veterinarian Coco Grant is used to animals being left on her doorstep. The last thing she expects to find there is an abandoned baby girl. As a temporary mommy, Coco can't resist loving her sweet little charge. But there's also Coco's growing attraction to the town's handsome, if infuriatingly by-the-book, sheriff.
To help with the baby, Sheriff Jet Wilson is practically living with Coco -- and the town gossips are in seventh heaven! It's only when rumors start circulating about Lily's real father that Jet realizes that there's a lot more at stake than setting a few tongues wagging. Because not only is the lawman falling for the baby…he's falling for Coco even harder.
Good book. Coco is the town veterinarian and frequently finds animals left on her doorstep. She gets quite a shock one snowy night to find a baby girl there. A call to the sheriff brings help, but also a dilemma. Thanks to the weather, she and the sheriff are snowed in together with the baby.
Coco and Jet start out with an antagonistic relationship. Coco frequently takes in abandoned farm animals in her vet practice, which is inside the city limits. As a result, she has received multiple tickets and fines from the sheriff, who doesn't cut her any slack. At the time that Coco finds the baby, she is about to have an evening alone with the local mayoral candidate, Russ Knightly, who doesn't like the interruption of his plans. Coco, who has crushed on Russ for a long time, is relieved by Jet's appearance and his capable care of the baby, but not by his intention to leave the baby with her. In the end, Russ leaves, and Coco and Jet find themselves connecting over the care of baby Lily.
I enjoyed the development of Coco and Jet's relationship. When their successful teamwork of baby care averts a crisis, both of them realize that little Lily has already wiggled into their cautious hearts. After Jet discovers startling information regarding Lily's parents, Coco talks him into delaying turning the baby over to the state and offers to let Jet and Lily stay with her while the claims are investigated. The offer isn't without risks. Coco has two things happening in her life. First, she tries to protect herself from becoming too attached to Lily, who only emphasizes Coco's desire for a child of her own. Second, Coco is in the beginning stages of a relationship with Russ, who doesn't show up well against the sheriff. This creates a great deal of inner conflict for Coco. Jet also has his issues. He has thick walls protecting his heart after a lifetime of being bounced from foster home to foster home. He tries desperately to be practical regarding Lily, but she sneaks into his heart anyway. He also believes that he is incapable of settling down in one place, which makes it hard for him to believe that he and Coco could have a chance together. I loved the way that Coco saw past Jet's fears and had confidence in his ability to love and be loved. I did think it took her a little too long to see Russ for who he was. I loved Jet's "aha" moment at the end after he was thoroughly lectured on his blindness by his deputy.
The secondary characters were well done. I enjoyed both Drew and Nash, who were great friends to Coco and Jet. Neither of them would let Coco or Jet get away with lying to themselves about their feelings. They were also great about being there when needed. The most prominent of the secondary characters was Russ Knightly. He set my teeth on edge from the very beginning. He was selfish, egotistical, and childish. I had a hard time believing that someone as smart as Coco could be fooled by him for so long. His actions when she told him why Jet was staying with her were just plain wrong, and I was glad she finally started to realize the truth. I laughed out loud when he got his in the end, as it served him right.
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