Ben is an ex-Navy Seal who had longed for years to find a place like his grandfather’s, settle down and ranch.  When he can’t convince Kate to sell, he proposes that they keep the ranch together and she let him be a working partner and infuse some cash into her legacy.  Ben is so attracted to the little spitfire that he is trying not to go insane; she seems to be afraid of all men and he doesn’t want her to be afraid of him

After a brutal attack on the night she turned eighteen, Kate has basically turned into a hermit.  She avoids men at all costs, except those she sees as safe, but Ben is starting to melt that tough shell she has formed around her and her heart.  He is the first man to bring her flowers and she is growing to need his strength.

When it looks like the lives of those friends she has let in are at stake, she tells Ben why the town considers her a pariah and why she has become a hermit.  Ben is stunned and wants to kill the person responsible, especially when it becomes clear this is the same person who is now trying to run them off their land.  Kate convinces him that she doesn’t want to lose him and he therefore calls in a few favors and some of his former team members quickly answer.

Ben’s Wildflower is a wonderful follow up story to the steamy Branded by Gold.  This story keeps true to the characters from the first book and they also play a part in this story, though Ben’s Wildflower could be read as a stand-alone book.  I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Lynne’s writing and the reality she brings to her characters and situations.  I look forward to the next installment in the Men in Love Series.