Their Christmas baby is on the way.
And so is an obsessed killer…
Dev Wyatt's worst fear has come true. Someone from the Wyatts' dangerous past is stalking his family -- and his best friend, Sarah Knight. When she asked Dev to help her have a child, Sarah did not expect her pregnancy would place her in danger, but now Sarah must take shelter on the Wyatt ranch. As she and Dev battle escalating threats, will they survive long enough to become a family?
Good book. Though this is the sixth and final book in the series, it is the first one I read. The author did a good job of filling in enough of the backstory that I wasn't lost. I do want to go back and read the others.
Dev is the last of the Wyatt brothers who is unattached. He worked in law enforcement until his attempt to arrest his father ended with him nearly beaten to death. Unable to continue his career, Dev feels worthless and keeps everyone at a distance while he works the family ranch. His best friend is Sarah Knight, who works on the ranch next door.
Like Dev, Sarah is the last of the Knight sisters left at home. Her sisters are all married to or living with Wyatt brothers. She is determined, independent, and has loved Dev for years. After watching her sisters start families, Sarah decides she wants a baby of her own. Who else would she choose as the father but her best friend?
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Dev and Sarah. She was the only one who seemed to be able to get past the walls Dev threw up. She did it through sheer stubborn perseverance, poking and prodding Dev until he did what she wanted. She did the same thing in convincing him to be her "baby daddy." Sarah told Dev that she didn't expect anything of him and that she intended to raise the baby on her own. Though that is what she told him, deep down she hoped that he would want more. Meanwhile, Dev works hard to maintain his distance, which is increasingly difficult after their night together.
Sarah has nearly given up hope when a new threat appears against the Wyatt brothers, and by extension, her sisters. She is near the end of her pregnancy when it all begins, and Dev finds an unexpectedly intense protectiveness kicks in. As the threats intensify, Dev discovers that it is harder to maintain his previous detachment. I loved seeing his walls start to crack and crumble as his need to protect Sarah takes precedence. I also enjoyed seeing Sarah's stubborn independence soften as she faced the reality of the situation. Dev's "aha" moment in realizing his feelings comes when it's almost too late, but love wins the day. There is an awesome scene at the end between Dev and the baby and Sarah. I loved the epilogue and seeing the whole family together.
The suspense of the story was good. With their father dead, there is a great deal of confusion and worry over who sent the first threatening note. I ached for Dev, who figured it out because it added to his feelings of failure. Each successive threat ramps up the tension as the danger intensifies. There were a couple of unexpected twists, including one that involved Sarah. When the final confrontation came, I was glued to the pages as Dev faced down their foe. The ending was a nail-biter, especially with Sarah's situation. I loved Grandma Pauline and her feisty determination.
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