Cast of Characters
Kate Rebel: Matriarch of the Rebel family.
Falcon: The oldest son—the strong one. Abandoned by his wife, Leah, following the birth of their daughter, Eden.
Egan: The loner. Married to Rachel Hollister, daughter of the man who put him in jail.
Quincy: The peacemaker. In love with Jenny Walker, his brother’s girlfriend.
Elias: The fighter. Falls in love with the daughter of their archenemy.
Paxton: The lover. Never met a woman he couldn’t have, but the woman he wants doesn’t want him.
Jude: The serious, responsible one. Raising his small son alone.
Phoenix: The wild one and the youngest. He’s independent and free until Child Protective Services says he’s the father of a small boy.
Abraham (Abe) Rebel: Paternal grandfather.
Jericho Johnson: Egan’s friend from prison.
Texas Rebels: Falcon
Linda Warren
Two-time RITA® Award-nominated and award-winning author LINDA WARREN loves her job, writing happily-ever-after books for Mills & Boon. Drawing upon her years of growing up on a farm/ranch in Texas, she writes about sexy heroes, feisty heroines and broken families with an emotional punch, all set against the backdrop of Texas. Her favorite pastime is sitting on her patio with her husband watching the wildlife, especially the injured ones that are coming in pairs these days: two Canada geese with broken wings, two does with broken legs and a bobcat ready to pounce on anything tasty. Learn more about Linda and her books at her website, www.lindawarren.net, or on Facebook, LindaWarrenAuthor, or follow @Texauthor on Twitter.
The internet is an invaluable source and I used it extensively to research brain tumors. Some of the personal stories tugged at my heart. A big thanks to the women who were willing to share their ordeal.
A special thanks to Phyllis Phucas, RN, for graciously sharing her knowledge and answering my many questions about preemies.
All errors are strictly mine.
I dedicate this book to Elaine Weldon, a faithful reader. She loved my books and would tell anyone who would listen about them. I will miss her shining face at book signings. Soar with the angels, Elaine.
Contents
My name is Kate Rebel. I married John Rebel when I was eighteen years old and then bore him seven sons. We worked the family ranch, which John later inherited. We put everything we had into buying more land so our sons would have a legacy. We didn’t have much, but we had love.
The McCray Ranch borders Rebel Ranch on the east and the McCrays have forever been a thorn in my family’s side. They’ve cut our fences, dammed up creeks to limit our water supply and shot one of our prize bulls. Ezra McCray threatened to shoot our sons if he caught them jumping his fences again. We tried to keep our boys away, but they are boys—young and wild.
One day Jude and Phoenix, two of our youngest, were out riding together. When John heard shots, he immediately went to find his boys. They lay on the ground, blood oozing from their heads. Ezra McCray was astride a horse twenty yards away with a rifle in his hand. John drew his gun and fired, killing Ezra instantly. Both boys survived with only minor wounds. Since my husband was protecting his children, he didn’t spend even one night in jail. This escalated the feud that still goes on today.
The man I knew as my husband died that day. He couldn’t live with what he’d