This is the fifth and final book of the Benning, Texas series. Readers get to see characters from previous books again in this wrap-up. This is a pleasant story about Sheriff Brace Caulfield and his love interest, Sarah Murphy.
They meet under strange circumstances; Sarah is watching for her former brother-in-law to emerge from a hotel so Sarah can shoot him. Sheriff Caulfield is less than delighted to find a woman getting ready to bloody up his town; he takes her into custody. Over the next few hours, he hears the whole story.
Sarah is convinced that Lester killed her twin sister and is now traveling with his son to parts unknown. Sarah will do anything to get abused Stephen from his father even kill him. Obviously smitten with the brave Sarah, the sheriff manipulates the situation and helps Sarah get the child from his father. Now the sheriff puts Lester in jail and hides Sarah and Stephen in his home.
Knowing that hiding Sarah and Stephen is a short-term answer at best, he asks Sarah to marry him and they would keep Stephen as their child. Eventually, Sarah agrees when she realizes that Brace is sincere and would make a wonderful father. Brace immediately includes Stephen in everything and calls him son.
However Lester has a new plan steal his son back and kidnap Sarah, taking them to his familys home in far west Texas. When two of his brothers arrive, they decide to use Stephen to collect their inheritance. Oh and Sarah would be a nice plaything to have along.
Emotions, not gunshots are the most important items in this story. It is not filled with a lot of action; I felt the last 20 pages, or so (not including the epilogue) were unnecessary. They restated information already made abundantly clear in the rest of the book. This is a pleasant, feel-good story, resolving the issues of the folks of Benning, Texas. 3.5 stars
Davidson's Texas
1. A Marriage by Chance (2002)
2. The Texan (2002)
3. Tempting a Texan (2003)
4. Texas Gold (2003)
5. Texas Lawman (2005)
