Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Rugged Wear and Tear in The Great Outdoors

By Becky Moore

Give me a rugged man’s man any day of the week. Not a macho, sexist pig, mind you … but a self-assured, intelligent, humorous and capable man who can heft a kayak one handed up to his shoulder, tie a sturdy knot in his hiking boots, set the correct tire pressure in his road bike, and knows his head from a hole in the ground.

In the real world, my family is great lovers of the outdoors. Kayaking and hiking are tops on the list, as is bicycling. For Mother’s Day two years ago I got a new kayak … my OWN kayak … and we love to take them out on the lake during the spring and fall (summers can be a little too hot in the direct sunlight, and recreational use of lakes often escalates to dangerous speedboats). We hike year-round, as long as it’s dry and above 60 degrees. And when the weather permits, we like to park our cars on the weekend and bike all over town, from the library to the movie theatre, to a fun lunch out to the grocery store. It’s a great way to reduce our carbon footprint, but it’s also a great way to catch up with my husband and son and keep a finger on the pulse of life.

We’re also all big readers, though with different interests, and my taste in romance tends to stick with sexy contemporary tales and pulse-pounding suspense. So it should come as no surprise that my first 1 Night Stand story incorporates my love of the outdoors with a rugged, sexy mountainous setting in the lovely Appalachian Mountains. In The Great Outdoors, you’ll meet Tallulah Murphy, an artist and arts educator working for a museum in Atlanta, Georgia, and Mitchell Weaver, a police detective living in Charleston, South Carolina.

Both are great lovers of the outdoors, and though Tallulah has just come out of a bad relationship, she’s no simpering, spineless wallflower. No ma’am; she’s rugged in her own right, and ready for the clarity that can only be gained from the clean, fresh air … and the wear and tear of a sexy man.

Are you an outdoors gal? Do you have any common hobbies with your partner? Got a rugged, wear and tear fella at your beck and call? Maybe it’s time for The Great Outdoors …

6 comments:

Becky Moore said...

What a decadent photo!

Wendy Burke said...

You had me at BEAR!

Jessica E. Subject said...

Sounds like a great 1NS! I love hiking, but don't always get a chance to go.

All the best!

Barbara Elsborg said...

I love the sound of this. But - no I have no hobbies in common with my parther. He's into golf - the one time I tried, I dislocated my shoulder. I like running, he likes lying in bed. I like reading, he likes Sodoku. Mind you, doing anything in the UK outdoors is normally a cold wet activity - and thats in summer!

Alexa said...

I love outdoor guys, but I'm sooooo not an outdoor girl.

Becky Moore said...

Wendy, Ain't that the truth?

Jessica, maybe this spring; if it's as nice in the spring as our mild NC winter has been so far, you've got great weather ahead.

Barbara, maybe you could combine efforts to make it more interesting: set up a practice putting green in your home, then try naked putting!

Alexa, maybe your outdoor guys like indoor gals. Opposites do attract. :)

Thanks for commenting!