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McMahans of Texas #1
Stranger at the Crossroads
The McMahans of Texas -- Book 1 Desperate to escape her grief-stricken life after the tragic deaths of her husband and son, veterinarian Darcy Hart headed south to Mexico -- and landed in the arms of a kindred soul with the bluest eyes in Texas. Reclusive rancher Jackson McMahan didn't want Darcy's help, but with a pregnant mare to care for, he needed the feisty female vet more than he cared to admit. Available only in Christian Romance 6 Standing Order.
285 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 20, 2015
This is a story about Darcy Hart (a veterinarian) and Jackson McMahan (a grouchy horse thief, I mean literally) who meet at a crossroads and must work together to save a dying pregnant mare and her foal. Darcy has lost her husband and her only son in a tractor accident and made her so miserable. Jackson also have to face the fact that he can't be a normal guy after a wreck over a year ago. It makes him physically disabled, lose his assistant trainer along with three champion horses, lose his fiancee, and finally lose his faith.
"We'll have to pray as hard as we work," she said, "but God willing, we'll have them on their feet and on the mend in a week or so."
Jackson shook his head. He looked at the can in his gloved hands.
"I'll do the work. You'll have to say the prayers."
Then suddenly, almost as if against his will, he blurted, "Mine wouldn't rise above the treetops."
The bleak acceptance in his tone chilled her.
"Why do you think that?" she said.
"I know it," he said, in a tone of complete finality, as if he'd already said too much. "I lost my faith months ago."
Apparently, their losses and their attachments to the horses have made them attracted to each other. Oh, the mare's name is Tara and the colt's Stranger. What a name.... Over all, this is a great and well written story.
P.S.: If you're looking for a perfect badass hero, you wouldn't find any in here (^__^)
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June 24, 2017Jackson McMahan had lost his assistant horse trainer, Brent, along with 3 champion horses in a wreck 18 months previous. It had taken the heart out of him and left him with a broken leg that still gave him trouble.
Darcy Hart was a vet who practiced in Owasso, OK. She had lost her husband and young son when Todd had him on a tractor that had overturned going down to steep a grade.
Neither one could get past the tragedies in their lives and met one day on the road. Jackson stole a pregnant mare from a neighbor and got a flat on the way home. The mare was about to deliver and was weak and sick. Darcy was headed down the road to who knows where because she just had to get away from home for a while. She saw the trailer and the unhealthy horse and had to stop and offer help. Jackson walked the mare to his nearby barn and Darcy followed in her truck after helping Jackson get Tara out of a ditch. She gave the horse some medication and fluids through an IV and helped deliver Stranger.
Stranger was much smaller than he should have been and Tara didn't have the strength to nurse him. They worked together to keep medication and fluids flowing into Tara and letting her rest. They fed Stranger cow milk together. Darcy told Jackson that she was staying a week until she knew that the horses were going to survive. Jackson needed a vet so he agreed to let her stay.
Jackson's mother came by to check on him and bring him food. She came to check on him where she found Darcy who told him about the horse. Apparently his mother knew the horse too and wasn't surprised that he had stolen her. She arranged for Jackson's brother, Clint, to get a spare on the trailer and drive it to his ranch.
Jackson was surprised to find that he was attracted to Darcy and Darcy was just as surprised that she was attracted to him. He was very resistant to her though and was worried about what she would think when she saw his scars, especially his hands. He wore gloves constantly.
A friend, Terry Dunlap, brought one of his goats over for Stranger to nurse from. After chasing the goat around and watching it knock both Terry and Jackson on their butts, Darcy went to take a shower, Darcy asked Jackson to fix breakfast after her first whole day at his ranch. Jackson was surprised to discover that he was actually jealous of Terry for flirting with Darcy. Jackson was trying to decide what to cook when Darcy screamed. The water had gotten too hot and she was afraid to turn it off. Jackson had to go into the bathroom and turn the water off. Darcy pulled off his wet gloves and saw his hands. She wasn't repulsed from the scarring which surprised him. He couldn't help himself, he kissed her. He then suggested she get dressed and they go to the local diner for breakfast. She teased him about trying to get out of cooking and they went to Hugo's for breakfast.
They ran into Tara's owner at Hugo's and he threatened to cause problems if the horse wasn't returned in 48 hours. Jackson threatened back to call the department for animal cruelty if there he continued to be a problem. He then told Jackson to pay for the horse and Jackson told him to pay for Darby's vet fees first. Collier then left them to eat their breakfast.
They returned home and Darby met Jackson's sisters. One was a professional barrel racer and the other worked as breeding manager for the ranch. Darby felt a kinship with the sisters and really liked meeting them. Jackson's mother was there too. Darby went to the chapel on the ranch and ran into his mother there. They were both there for different reasons and Darby told Bobbie Ann about the loss of her husband and child and how she was mad at Todd for taking her son on the tractor while he was mowing on the steep incline and the tractor rolling over and killing both of them. She blamed her husband for killing her child. Bobbie Ann told Darby about her son being killed by bandits in Mexico and about another son of her who was a professional bull rider and they were estranged. She talked about losing her husband and son in Mexico soon after her husband's death. At the time she felt like she was losing everything with it all happening so close together. She told Darby that she needed to choose to live in the past with her anger or chose to go on living for the future. That gave Darby something to think about.
They spent a lot of time with the horses over the next couple of days and Stranger got weaker. Darby had to start him on antibiotics too. Stranger got better and Darby and Jackson grew to depend more on each other. Jackson thought that Darby was pulling away after seeing his hands. He was worried because his fiancee, Rhonda, had left him after the accident. She couldn't handle the way his body looked. She was more about what he looked like. There was something about the wreck that Jackson was holding back from telling Darby about too. She didn't realize that but Jackson was really worried that if/when she found out that she would have nothing to do with him. It was the real reason he had lost his heart after the wreck and that he was such a grouch and a hermit. He had pushed away all his friends and his family didn't know why and especially his mother was worried about him. The only people he saw were his family when they came to visit.
The week came to an end. Tara and Stranger were well on their way to recovering and it was time for Darcy to move on and continue her trip to Mexico. She hesitated in leaving. She went and said good bye to the horses and the goat who was feeding Stranger. She looked for Jackson but he wasn't around. She put her things in her truck and headed off. She was drawn one last time to the chapel and realized that Jackson was inside. She stopped to tell him goodbye and they talked. He told Darcy that he hadn't realized until a couple weeks after the wreck that he had been driving when the wreck took place. Everyone had placed the blame on Brent and he had let them. He felt guilty. Darcy told him that it didn't make any difference. The accident still took place and he had been punished enough. He had to forgive himself and live in the present. He thought that she would turn away from him and that didn't happen. He stepped out a side door and she sat down on the front steps. She just couldn't get up and drive away. She realized that she was in love with him and didn't want to go. She finally got up to go when he came to her and asked her not to leave. He told her that he would chase her down until she agreed to marry him. He was in love with her too.
Darcy Hart was a vet who practiced in Owasso, OK. She had lost her husband and young son when Todd had him on a tractor that had overturned going down to steep a grade.
Neither one could get past the tragedies in their lives and met one day on the road. Jackson stole a pregnant mare from a neighbor and got a flat on the way home. The mare was about to deliver and was weak and sick. Darcy was headed down the road to who knows where because she just had to get away from home for a while. She saw the trailer and the unhealthy horse and had to stop and offer help. Jackson walked the mare to his nearby barn and Darcy followed in her truck after helping Jackson get Tara out of a ditch. She gave the horse some medication and fluids through an IV and helped deliver Stranger.
Stranger was much smaller than he should have been and Tara didn't have the strength to nurse him. They worked together to keep medication and fluids flowing into Tara and letting her rest. They fed Stranger cow milk together. Darcy told Jackson that she was staying a week until she knew that the horses were going to survive. Jackson needed a vet so he agreed to let her stay.
Jackson's mother came by to check on him and bring him food. She came to check on him where she found Darcy who told him about the horse. Apparently his mother knew the horse too and wasn't surprised that he had stolen her. She arranged for Jackson's brother, Clint, to get a spare on the trailer and drive it to his ranch.
Jackson was surprised to find that he was attracted to Darcy and Darcy was just as surprised that she was attracted to him. He was very resistant to her though and was worried about what she would think when she saw his scars, especially his hands. He wore gloves constantly.
A friend, Terry Dunlap, brought one of his goats over for Stranger to nurse from. After chasing the goat around and watching it knock both Terry and Jackson on their butts, Darcy went to take a shower, Darcy asked Jackson to fix breakfast after her first whole day at his ranch. Jackson was surprised to discover that he was actually jealous of Terry for flirting with Darcy. Jackson was trying to decide what to cook when Darcy screamed. The water had gotten too hot and she was afraid to turn it off. Jackson had to go into the bathroom and turn the water off. Darcy pulled off his wet gloves and saw his hands. She wasn't repulsed from the scarring which surprised him. He couldn't help himself, he kissed her. He then suggested she get dressed and they go to the local diner for breakfast. She teased him about trying to get out of cooking and they went to Hugo's for breakfast.
They ran into Tara's owner at Hugo's and he threatened to cause problems if the horse wasn't returned in 48 hours. Jackson threatened back to call the department for animal cruelty if there he continued to be a problem. He then told Jackson to pay for the horse and Jackson told him to pay for Darby's vet fees first. Collier then left them to eat their breakfast.
They returned home and Darby met Jackson's sisters. One was a professional barrel racer and the other worked as breeding manager for the ranch. Darby felt a kinship with the sisters and really liked meeting them. Jackson's mother was there too. Darby went to the chapel on the ranch and ran into his mother there. They were both there for different reasons and Darby told Bobbie Ann about the loss of her husband and child and how she was mad at Todd for taking her son on the tractor while he was mowing on the steep incline and the tractor rolling over and killing both of them. She blamed her husband for killing her child. Bobbie Ann told Darby about her son being killed by bandits in Mexico and about another son of her who was a professional bull rider and they were estranged. She talked about losing her husband and son in Mexico soon after her husband's death. At the time she felt like she was losing everything with it all happening so close together. She told Darby that she needed to choose to live in the past with her anger or chose to go on living for the future. That gave Darby something to think about.
They spent a lot of time with the horses over the next couple of days and Stranger got weaker. Darby had to start him on antibiotics too. Stranger got better and Darby and Jackson grew to depend more on each other. Jackson thought that Darby was pulling away after seeing his hands. He was worried because his fiancee, Rhonda, had left him after the accident. She couldn't handle the way his body looked. She was more about what he looked like. There was something about the wreck that Jackson was holding back from telling Darby about too. She didn't realize that but Jackson was really worried that if/when she found out that she would have nothing to do with him. It was the real reason he had lost his heart after the wreck and that he was such a grouch and a hermit. He had pushed away all his friends and his family didn't know why and especially his mother was worried about him. The only people he saw were his family when they came to visit.
The week came to an end. Tara and Stranger were well on their way to recovering and it was time for Darcy to move on and continue her trip to Mexico. She hesitated in leaving. She went and said good bye to the horses and the goat who was feeding Stranger. She looked for Jackson but he wasn't around. She put her things in her truck and headed off. She was drawn one last time to the chapel and realized that Jackson was inside. She stopped to tell him goodbye and they talked. He told Darcy that he hadn't realized until a couple weeks after the wreck that he had been driving when the wreck took place. Everyone had placed the blame on Brent and he had let them. He felt guilty. Darcy told him that it didn't make any difference. The accident still took place and he had been punished enough. He had to forgive himself and live in the present. He thought that she would turn away from him and that didn't happen. He stepped out a side door and she sat down on the front steps. She just couldn't get up and drive away. She realized that she was in love with him and didn't want to go. She finally got up to go when he came to her and asked her not to leave. He told her that he would chase her down until she agreed to marry him. He was in love with her too.
February 18, 2020
Nice quick read. Christian romance novel.
March 24, 2018
A Really good read about love loss and a stolen mistreated horse.
Did Not Finish
January 3, 2026no longer interested
February 5, 2011
First of a series of three books.
Jackson McMahon is stealing a horse. Tara is about to foal and Collier is not taking care of her. She is underfed and in bad shape. Before he gets home with her the trailer blew a tire.
Darcy Hart, a veterinarian is running from her past. Her husband and son had died and she was driving away. In all the time since their deaths she seemed to be dying as well and just did not care anymore.
Suddenly she see's a gleaming white cross in the sky and then notices a horse trailer. She stops to help but the man is very grouchy. She pushes him until he is convinced he needs her help getting the pregnant horse out of the ditch and to help her gain strength as her labor starts.
Jackson had a past he was running from as well. Two hurting people trying to save a mare and her foal.
Jackson McMahon is stealing a horse. Tara is about to foal and Collier is not taking care of her. She is underfed and in bad shape. Before he gets home with her the trailer blew a tire.
Darcy Hart, a veterinarian is running from her past. Her husband and son had died and she was driving away. In all the time since their deaths she seemed to be dying as well and just did not care anymore.
Suddenly she see's a gleaming white cross in the sky and then notices a horse trailer. She stops to help but the man is very grouchy. She pushes him until he is convinced he needs her help getting the pregnant horse out of the ditch and to help her gain strength as her labor starts.
Jackson had a past he was running from as well. Two hurting people trying to save a mare and her foal.
March 31, 2015
This was a well written love inspired romance and I liked the way this dimension was incorporated in the story, not overwhelming it. The characters are loveable, both of them with heavy past traumas, but strong enough to overcome them.
I think that the instant attraction was well developed; I liked the setting, with all the animals involved.
Read
January 8, 2009YAI-Dal
July 24, 2013
Good book about Friendship and Love.
April 10, 2016
To read romance books (or any book really) you often have to accept a level of far-fetchedness and I am willing to to a point. This book passed that point.
Want to Read
August 21, 2016I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14138316
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14138316
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews