Hero: Wes Stone. Back from Afghanistan with some nerve injuries. Recluse. Lives in a cabin. Bearded. Wears flannel. Blushes and stutters when he gets nervous. Hates people, loves dogs and has a sheep with a limp. Makes organic dog treats. (do we love him yet??)

Heroine: Cara Pruitt. Helps her sister at her farmer’s market stand. Isn’t driven to have a big career. Flirts a lot and likes to think dirty things. This causes a certain someone to blush and stutter.

On Wes being a recluse:

When he turned to walk back outside, Cara was stepping over the threshold.

Of his house. Someone else was in his house. A human being.

On Cara being dirty-minded:

“Call me when you’re ready to come, and I’ll give you directions.”

Do not make a dirty joke. Do not make a dirty joke. “Yeah, okay.”

On “Shrimp”

“Shrimp doesn’t get around too good these days, so it’s safest for him to stay in the pen, although he occasionally escapes.”

“Shrimp?”

“Sheep with a limp. Sheep plus limp. Shrimp.”

“Wes!”

“What? It’s descriptive.”

When Wes thinks about kissing Cara:

“You could kiss me.”

[…}

“No.” His head pounded. His heart pounded. Everything in him was on a narrow path to panic. Talking to her, working with her, it might not make him have all those old feelings, but the thought of kissing her did..

He’d do it wrong.

She would laugh. Or, barring that, she would pity him, which was equally bad. Laughing made him want to disappear, and pity made him want to rage.

No, he couldn’t kiss her.

Oh, my awkward, shy Wes. Don’t worry – they eventually make it to kissing and other things. But first, he ADORABLY asks her to dinner:

“Do you…” He dropped his arm and slowly turned to face her before he cleared his throat. He didn’t make eye contact, but  he pushed his shoulders back. Any pain morphed into something else. As if he was deciding to do something. Something important.

She waited…holding her breath.

“Do you want to stay and eat your dinner with me?”

Wes had a very embarrassing incident in high school with a girl and sex – this has kind of put up a sexual roadblock for him ever since. Cara agrees to help Wes out in this department, warmly encouraging him and making a new sexual memory that will be fun, ridicule-free, and give him some self confidence.

Wes had a beautiful naked woman on his bed. Wanting to have sex with him.

Maybe he’d died. Or maybe, for once in his life, the good-luck stick was pointing his way. Whatever it was, however he’d gotten here, he wasn’t going to miss the chance.

If he could figure out where to look. He wanted to looks everywhere. Memorize every inch of her tanned skin, swaths of pale skin that never saw the light. Freckles. How did he…?

“Wes.” She took his face between her hands. “You can talk, you know. Ask things. Ask for things. Everything is okay. This is an okay zone.”

“I wasn’t sure where to look.” Christ, he sounded ridiculous. It wasn’t like he’d never seen a naked woman before. He just couldn’t quite get over the little voice in the back of his mind.

“Look wherever you want.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m kind of fabulous.”

He shook his head. “Not kid of.”

She smiled, not the sexy, seductive little grin, but a pleased smile. As if his compliment meant something. Then she crawled on to his legs, ripping open the condom packet. “Just for that, Mr. Stone, you are going to get yourself some.”

And he does! And it’s sweet and adorakable. Cara is very out going and doesn’t let mr, grumpy pants shut the door in her face. She pushes him to try new things, to talk, to have a friend. It’s sweet and warm and so sexy.

Cara also has some commitment=phobia issues, which raise their head towards the end of the book. I could have done without the ending conflict – but overall it’s a super cute story with a very well done hero. Definitely recommend this one.

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