Naomi Perkins is up a tall platform monitoring a bald eagle
nest in Wyoming, when a cowboy rides out from the Last
Chance ranch to check on her. She accidentally spills an
energy drink down over him, and in apology brings him to
her favourite washing place in the stream. Luke Griffin is
more amused than upset, but he needs to get the sweet
sticky stuff off or be driven mad by flies. The two chat
and Luke admires the way that the naturalist doesn't fuss
about her appearance, while she just admires his
appearance. Then the pair watch the eagle chicks getting
fed on trout.
In WILD AT HEART Luke acknowledges that he's a drifter, and
says that busy ladies like to have a brief relationship
with no strings, in many cases. But Naomi isn't that sort,
and her interest withers. Then she thinks - why not? So
later when they happen to run into each other on her weekly
trip to town, Naomi tells Luke that she's interested. The
ranch foreman, Emmett, clearly thinks this may cause
trouble and gets protective about the girl. But she's an
adult, and she might have to travel herself for her next
research job. Soon they're having great sex out in the
open, and Naomi thinks that at least she's doing this once
in her life. Luke has concerns about his father, who loved
travel but hasn't gone anywhere in years because his mother
wants to stay settled in one place. Or is the man just
complaining when he secretly prefers a quieter life
nowadays? Maybe Luke could invite him out to Wyoming, and
see what happens. There's a big July Fourth celebration
coming up. Then Naomi realises that fireworks could well
scare the eagle parents into abandoning the nest....
I found similarities to Prodigal Summer by Barbara
Kingsolver, and this is not an overly complex tale, with a
small range of characters. Honesty, hard work and good
looks are very appealing and we can understand why Naomi is
drawn to the outdoorsman, even though she understands it
may not last. Vicki Lewis Thompson conveys her love for
the outdoors and admiration for the eagles, in this her
latest look at the folks of the Last Chance Ranch. WILD AT
HEART is a vibrant, sexy read for all those who value
freedom and nature.
Some men can't be tamed...
Domesticity can starve a man's soul, and drifter cowboy Luke
Griffin believes in absolute freedom. His gig at the Last
Chance Ranch will end soon, and he'll move on. But then Luke
gets splashed by a green energy drink from a platform in a
tree, and suddenly things get complicated.
Naomi Perkins was studying the nesting of a rare pair of
bald eagles when she accidentally "baptizes" the delish
cowboy. And when his shirt comes off...good morning, libido!
But this attraction isn't just mutual–it's fierce
enough to send them both tumbling into a no–strings
fling.
It's a temporary arrangement, even if it is way more intense
than anything Naomi could have imagined. But when the time
comes, will she be able to let this wild cowboy go?