Old friends, long since become strangers, find themselves tethered together in the most unlikely of circumstances.Calvary Lieutenant Jack Hennessey is proud of his work with the Arapaho on the reservation near Fort Reno. He considers himself a friend and student of their culture and has even begun to learn their language. So, when he receives word they have a white woman in their custody who was the victim of a stagecoach robbery, he is quick to respond to her aid.But he is blindsided when the fear-filled, mud-covered woman is a girl from his hometown, Miss Hattie Walker. The same Hattie he was sweet on for years--not that she’d ever paid him much attention. Trying to impress her with his knowledge of the Arapaho, he attempts to arrange a ceremony to transfer her from the custody of the Arapaho to the U.S. Calvary. But with his limited knowledge of the language, he doesn’t understand the ceremony is one of marriage until it’s too late.Hattie Walker is determined to travel to Colorado to prove to her parents she could make a living with her talent. If she could sell one painting, then she wouldn’t be forced to settle down and marry. But when her stagecoach is robbed and she is the only living survivor, her plans come to an abrupt halt. Left with nothing and terrified of every noise and shadow, she is relieved to see a familiar face in the cavalry officer who rescues her from the Indian reservation. Her relief is short-lived when she realizes he accidentally married her. How will she ever submit a painting in Denver if she’s stuck at Fort Reno?Knowing if they disregard the Arapaho’s marriage ceremony they will be disrespecting the tribe, Jack’s commanding officer insists they pretend to be married until Jack can be transferred out of Indian territory. So, while Hattie is pretending outside of the home in front of the troops, Jack is pretending the one woman he’d wanted as a wife isn’t living and sleeping in his house.As they pass the time until the transfer orders can be received, Hattie and Jack discover there’s more to each other than what they remember from childhood. And when Hattie helps Jack with problems surrounding the school for the Arapaho children, she begins to understand why he is willing to live in such a barren and dangerous place.Will Jack give up his career’s work of helping the Arapaho so Hattie can continue on with her dreams or will Hattie discover what her heart desires most is not selling a painting?After reading the first Fort Reno book, Holding the Fort, I have been waiting to read Jack’s story. I enjoyed the camaraderie and humor between Lieutenant Jack and his commanding officer, Major Adams. Jack is an interesting hero. He’s swoon-worthy (of course!) and a gentleman, but he’s also a bit of an academic or, as Hattie sees him, a bookworm. He may not wear spectacles, but he is definitely an atypical hero. It’s refreshing to have a leading man who has a lifelong devotion to expanding his knowledge as I’m a bit of a self-proclaimed nerd myself.I always say I MUST like the heroine if I’m to really enjoy a story. It’s easy to like a dreamy hero who moves heaven and earth to be with the woman he loves. But to root for the romance in the book, you have to believe they deserve each other, which means you need to like the heroine, too!Hattie may be a little selfish in the beginning as she is focused on her goal of being a successful painter. She left the security and familiarity of her hometown to expand her artist’s eye. But the world Jack introduces to her makes her grow exponentially as a woman and provides a newfound depth to her paintings. I loved watching her transformation and adored her tenacity and wit, despite her secret insecurities when dealing with Jack’s intellect.I also enjoyed how Hattie seemed to be the one with the most courage in the relationship even though Jack is an officer in the United States Calvary. You’ve got to love a girl who’s willing to stand up for what she wants.The story had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as well as sweet and simmering romance (you’ll love the rollerskating scene, I promise!). It only took a couple of chapters to have me completely hooked, and I was scrolling through the pages late into the night.