Rattlesnake by Kim Fielding

[Octobercountry]

A drifter since his teens, Jimmy Dorsett has no home and no hope. What he does have is a duffel bag, a lot of stories, and a junker car. Then one cold desert night he picks up a hitchhiker and ends up with something more: a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years.

On a quest to deliver the letter, Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, a small town nestled in the foothills of the California Sierras. The centerpiece of the town is the Rattlesnake Inn, where the bartender is handsome former cowboy Shane Little. Sparks fly, and when Jimmy’s car gives up the ghost, Shane gets him a job as handyman at the inn.

Both within the community of Rattlesnake and in Shane’s arms, Jimmy finds an unaccustomed peace. But it can’t be a lasting thing. The open road continues to call, and surely Shane—a strong, proud man with a painful past and a difficult present—deserves better than a lying vagabond who can’t stay put for long.

I've noted before that Kim Fielding is an auto-buy author for me; one of my favourites, and I've read most of what she's published by this point. But I have to say, I think this book is probably one of her very best; I liked it a lot.

The story of two badly-damaged (physically and/or emotionally) fellows each finding a kindred spirit at long last is quite touching, and ultimately very satisfying. And as an older fellow myself (I'm afraid I've entered into the "grizzled old prospector" phase of life!) I really appreciated the fact that these two are a bit older and more weather-worn than the protagonists of most romance novels.

It's a great read; recommended.