and Wesley bade them good-night.
“I didn’t expect to see them,” Lydia whispered.
“Everything’s fine. You can relax.” He took her by the hand and said, “I’ll give you a tour.”
Lydia inhaled the sweet-smelling scent of the cedar wood as they went from room to room.
“Let me guess...this is where the men gather,” she said when they entered a sports bar–inspired entertainment area with a wet bar bedecked in retro neon beer signs.
Wesley chuckled. “Yeah, this is the man cave.”
They ended up in a great room with an extremely tall tongue-and-groove ceiling, wide-plank walnut floors and a larger-than-life fireplace.
They settled down on a leather couch.
“This ranch has been in your family for years,” Lydia began. “Is the original homestead still on the property? I’m just curious.”
“It is,” Wesley confirmed. “It’s where I live.”
“I think you mentioned that your grandfather lives here, as well. I guess I thought that he resided in that home.”
“He did,” he responded. “Up until a few years ago. He’s in his eighties and doesn’t need to live alone, so my parents convinced him to move into the main house with them. My siblings also have their own places on the ranch. We have a dormlike facility where our workers live.”
“This is all very impressive, Wes. I’d love to hear more about your family history.” Lydia loved history. She had even done research on African-American cowboys before coming to Granger.
He rose to his feet. “I’ll tell you while we eat dinner.”
Lydia allowed him to help her up. She followed him into the massive dining room. There was enough room for twenty people to eat.
She and Wesley sat down at one end of the table where plates of food had been arranged for them, complete with candles and soft music.
After saying grace, Lydia sampled the deviled crabmeat in a mini bread bowl. “This is so delicious,” she murmured.
“Rusty can whip up a five-star menu or supper for a bunch of hungry cowboys like it’s nothing,” Wesley stated.
She tried the pasta and caviar—a combination she would have never thought to put together but found delectable.
Picking up her napkin, she wiped her mouth. “Tell me about your family’s rich history.”
“The ranch was founded by my great-grandfather Silas in 1930. He and his wife, Olivia, had four sons, two of whom stayed in Granger and worked the ranch. One of those sons is my grandpa. In fact, the house my grandfather was born in still sits on the property. I live in that house. I remodeled it a few years ago, but I kept most of it the same as the original.”
“How did your family get into breeding heritage farm animals?” Lydia inquired.
Wesley broke into a grin. “It was my dad’s idea. Some folks thought this was just another crazy idea of his—he was always coming up with ideas about cattle breeding that seemed over the top. Folks used to tell my grandpa that his son was going to run the ranch into the ground, but turns out, my dad’s idea was a good one.”
“Now it’s your turn,” he said. “Tell me about your family.”
“Well, my story is nothing like yours,” Lydia responded, swallowing guilt over the lie she was about to tell. “My parents built a comfortable lifestyle by opening a couple of high-end boutiques.”
“I’d say they are more than comfortable,” he said. “Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money. No one in the history of that auction has ever bid that much money.”
“It benefits those less fortunate,” she replied. “I don’t think you can put a price on helping others.”
Wesley nodded in agreement.
Lydia wiped her mouth on the edge of her napkin. She prayed he wouldn’t ask additional questions about her family because she did not want to lie to him any more than she already had.
“There’s chocolate chip pie for dessert,” Wesley announced.
The food was delicious, but Lydia found that she had lost her appetite. “Oh, wow...I’m afraid I don’t have any room left. I’m stuffed.”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“No thank you,” she murmured. “I’m fine.”
They finished up and returned to the great room.
Lydia heard footsteps and turned around.
“I didn’t know anyone was down here,” Jameson stated as his surprised gaze landed on her and stayed. “I thought tonight was your date night. Aren’t you two supposed to be having dinner in Helena?”
“Yeah,” Wesley responded. “But we ended up here instead.”
“Whose idea was this?”
“Mine,” Wesley responded.
“Wes, can I speak with you for a moment?” Jameson requested. His tone suggested that he would not take no for an answer.
“Sure.” Wesley rose to his feet. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Although he retained an air of pleasantry, there was a distinct hardening of Jameson’s gaze. From the expression on his face, Lydia could tell that he was not at all pleased to find her here at the ranch. She was irked by his cool, aloof manner.
She had no idea why a man who knew nothing about her showed such disdain toward her. Lydia tried not to let it bother her, but deep down Jameson’s obvious dislike where she was concerned was a bit unsettling.
It was best to stay as far away from Jameson as possible. He did not trust her, and Lydia felt the same way about him.
* * *
“Why did you bring her here?” Jameson questioned when they entered the library.
A shadow of annoyance hovered in his eyes. “Wes, she won you at an auction. You could have just taken the woman to an expensive restaurant for dinner and sent her on her way after paying the check. What in the world are you doing?”
Wes gave a slight shrug. “I like her.”
“This date is nothing more than a fundraiser,” Jameson stated. “Remember that.”
“Why are you always so negative?” Wesley ripped out the words impatiently. “Not every woman in this world has a hidden agenda.”
“How can you be sure that Lydia doesn’t have one?”
“What would she be after, Jameson?” Wesley asked. “She clearly has money of her own. You were there. You heard how much she bid at the auction.”
“What do you really know about her? Why is she here in Granger?”
“Lydia’s on vacation.”
Jameson laughed. “You can’t be serious. She just decided to come to Granger for vacation and partake in our charity auction. Wes, don’t you find it strange that she bid so much money on you? Ten thousand dollars on a man she’s never met before. Trust me, there’s more to the story, and I would advise you to find out what’s really going on before getting involved with her.”
“Involved... I just met the woman, Jameson. What are you talking about?”
“I have a feeling that she was targeting you in particular.”
“I don’t believe that,” Wesley uttered.
“Just heed this warning. I would be very careful if I were you, Wes.”
“You don’t have to worry, big brother,”