Father Found (Montana Mavericks, Return to Big Sky Country, No. 9)

This is book number 9 in the Montana Maverick series. This one featured the town doctor, Kane and a his long lost love, Moriah with whom he had a brief affair in their late teens. They have both been feeling the pangs of betrayal ever since. The plot is quite similar to Ms. Paige's previous contribution to the series, but much better executed. Kane is a man who is ready to settle down, ready to move into a settled stage of life. Moraih is in denial, she has built a life for herself and wants it to be full - but instead it's lacking satisfaction. When her father disappears, she is thrown back into contact with the father of her child and now has to decide whether to accept the consequences of her past or keep on running. There was a bit more hand-wringing, self-pity and evasion of truth than I like in a book, but the story moved well enough to make it bearable, and the motivations behind their actions was understandable. More than that, I liked Kane. He was a good man torn between his beliefs and his desires. Moriah wasn't as likeable - but she was still a sympathetic character. Melanie, their daughter, came from the casting couch of Children Too Adorable To Be Real. Somehow though, her effect was balanced by her mother's generally irascible attitude. I'm not sure how well Father Found would stand up on its own, but as a part of this series, it's among the better of the selections.