A stranded stranger. An anxious widow. And...a parrot? When a tornado rips through a small Missouri bedroom community, widowed Taryn Oliver and her grandfather welcome their neighbors into the shelter of their basement. But who is that handsome man and why is he carrying a huge cage with a mouthy parrot inside? Reed Montgomery is on his way to Springfield to his wedding when his progress is halted by a storm that devastates the small town, Tunis. When Taryn's grandfather is hospitalized because of his injuries, she must step up and run the family business. What choice does Reed have but to offer his assistance, even though the idea of that business gives him the shivers? Besides, he can't leave until the rental company brings him a replacement vehicle and that might take a while. As the day of Reed's wedding approaches, Taryn becomes more and more convinced that he's about to make the biggest mistake of his life. Wshat can she do to convince him that love-true love-means more than a convenient partnership? How can she stop him from saying, "I do," when she is convinced he really means, "I don't"?