Lori's Little Secret by Christine Rimmer, Bravo Family Ties #15, Silhouette Special Edition #1683, May 2005, Rating: C

This is a sweet story set in Texas. Lori Lee Billingworth-Taylor returns to hometown Tate's Junction for her twin's wedding. Widowed for about a year, she has given herself a three week vacation vowing to tell her ten year old son's father that Brody is his after years of silence and lies. Things don't go exactly as planned. She keeps bumping into Tucker Bravo before she'd planned on telling him and there seems to be an attraction between them that neither can deny. He's ready to pursue it but can't understand why she's not.

Lori Lee Billingworth was sent to her aunt's in San Antonio by her father when she became pregnant shortly after the prom. Unbeknownst to anyone, she and her twin had switched places on prom night because Lena Lou and Tucker had broken up. Lena Lou didn't want to go. Rumor had it that a stranger had come through town and taken advantage of Lori Lee because one night she disappeared and refused to tell anyone where she'd been. She married a dentist in San Antonio when Brody was about three and they were married for six years before he died. It seemed like a good marriage and the man seemed like he was a good father to Brody, but Lori Lee knew the truth had to come out. Her plan was to wait until after the wedding, not wanting to cast a shadow or draw attention away from her twin's picture perfect wedding. Things don't go as planned, however, as Lori Lee gets injured during a tornado and Lena Lou tells Tucker about the prom switch eleven years ago thinking he already knew.

Tucker Bravo knew about living under the shadow of being illegitimate. His grandfather (and namesake) often told Tucker he was his mother's bastard child. When he discovers Lori Lee's eleven year long deception and that he was a father the feelings he was feeling for her were pushed to the back burner. How could he ever forgive her for lying? She said she'd tried to contact him, but if she'd really wanted to she would have found a way despite her letters to him being returned. From the moment he saw her again at the gas station in Tate's Junction Tucker knew Lori Lee was the woman for him. It didn't help that there was a familiarity about her from prom night that differed from his ex-girlfriend Lena Lou. It's when Lena Lou lets it slip about the switch that he starts putting the pieces together. From there, he takes an active role in Brody's life, even proposes to Lori Lee but she (rightfully) realizes it wouldn't work. She can't marry him as long as he resents her and doesn't love her. An accident involving Brody is what makes Tucker turn around so that this couple can finally get together and form a family.

Lori's Little Secret is a sweet story. The attraction between the couple is believable. The fact that Tucker did notice some differences in Lena the night of the prom but never thought much about it was convincing. Who would think the popular twin (Lena Lou was elected prom queen that night) would stay home and the bookworm would go to prom in her place? Brody was a likeable boy as were the others in the Bravo/Billingworth clan. I rate this one a C.

©Susan Falk and phantomroses.com