Touch of Texas
by Tracy Garrett
Published: October 2007
Publisher: Zebra
ISBN: 1420101005
Page Count: 320
Reviewer: Sandra Marlow





Rachel Hudson has worked hard the last two years to make a good home for herself and younger brother in a small Texas mining town, and for a while everything goes well. But when Ranger Jake McCain is beaten and left for dead in a coming blizzard that he ultimately gets caught up in, that Rachel's world seems to come together and go wrong all at once. Doing the only Christian thing she could when she found Jake half frozen on her doorstep, she and Nathan bring him in out of the cold and care for him until the storm passes and he's doing better to finally move on to continue his hunt for the gang of murderers and thieves he's been after ever since he became a Ranger. Rachel is attracted to this good, hardworking, and generous man, but when the town finds out that Jake has been in her home unchaperoned, they all suddenly believe she's just like her prostitute mother and trading favors for money. Even the man from town she hoped to marry doesn't believe her when she denies all the horrible gossip.

Knowing he has nothing to offer a woman like Rachel, Jake is on his way after the man who has no regard for human life and whose actions left a hole in Jake's world so many years ago. And the fact he's a half-breed and there's not a person in the territory who would tolerate them is another reason Jake won't stay with Rachel and Nathan, both of whom he's come to care for more than anyone else in a very long time. But as he tracks his targets, his mind keeps wondering again and again back to Rachel. Suddenly Jake's need for revenge for himself is not as important to him as it is for Rachel when he discovers the man he's after is also responsible for most of the tragedy in her life. Things become even more complicated when he finds a young boy is being held prisoner by the gang, and even though Jake thought he'd never see Rachel again, he knows the lad needs love and caring that only someone like she can give.

Seeing Jake again causes Rachel's pulse to soar and her heart to beat faster than ever before. This is the man for her, no matter what he thinks, but can she make him stay when she knows how he feels about himself and what he has to offer? Spending time in his bed is an exciting ecstasy she never knew existed and would stay there the rest of her life if Jake would let her. But his hard headedness is almost too difficult to fight, he refuses to give in and embrace the life they could have together. Perhaps then it is best if she and Nathan move on, find a place where they can start again and folks don't know about the stock they came from. Will Jake come to his senses before it's too late and Rachel has walked out of his life forever?

Tracy Garrett's Touch of Texas is her debut novel and she brings an authentic touch of the west to readers along with her. Touch of Texas is a well-written story with wonderfully developed characters and a story line that isn't as old as the hills. Jake is a proud and handsome man, but his stubbornness that he knows what's best for Rachel is what frustrates her to high heaven, so much so she finally accepts the inevitable and seeks ways to support herself and her brother, which leads to more trouble than she'd have if Jake would just give in and marry the woman. But he's always right there when she needs him most, becomes a woman in his arms, and that woman eventually comes into her own with a backbone that will never bend once she's found herself. The secondary characters are just as terrific, especially the children, who have a major part in the story, and even the no-account villain is a darned good well-written character. For a first-time novel, Ms. Garrett has done one heck of a job in taking readers straight into the heart of Texas and giving them a true feel of the old west. I look forward to her next book!

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