Wrangling Wes

скачать книгу бесплатно


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,” Wesley reassured him. “I have everything under control. Lydia LaSalle is a woman I’m interested in getting to know better, but this doesn’t mean that I’m looking to rush into a relationship with her. It’s not like she’s planning to live in Granger. She will be going back home to Los Angeles—we may never see each other again.”

“Are you sure you’re not just looking for a distraction from the real issue at hand?”

He glared at Jameson, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

“Have you decided yet what you want to be when you grow up?” his brother asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I think you know the answer to that question.”

“I need to get back to my date,” Wesley stated. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Wesley experienced a gamut of perplexing emotions, but he refused to let them ruin his evening with Lydia. He understood his brother’s concerns when it came to women, but Wesley wasn’t worried about Lydia.

She was a different type of woman than what he usually encountered.

He paused in the doorway, observing as Lydia channel-surfed. She paused on the Discovery Channel. Wesley bit back a smile as she settled back to watch a documentary on chimpanzees.

She has a thing for monkeys, he thought.

Amused, he joined her on the sofa.

Lydia glanced at him. “Is everything okay with your brother?”

Wesley nodded. “Jameson can be very intense at times, but he’s harmless.”

“I get the feeling that he doesn’t care much for me.”

“He doesn’t know you,” Wesley responded.

“You really don’t know anything about me, either,” she pointed out.

“You’re right, so why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

“We’ve just had a really nice dinner,” Lydia responded. “I’d rather not bore you into falling asleep.”

* * *

“There is something I really need to know. I know that you donated the money for charity, but why did you bid on me?” Wesley inquired of Lydia. “You and I had never met, so why did you do it?”

“I told you,” she responded. “I’d heard some really nice things about you, and I came across a couple articles about you and your family a few months ago. I was impressed with what I read. One of the things I admire most is your community efforts.”

“But why didn’t you bid on my brother or my grandpa?”

Lydia shrugged. “I don’t know... I guess I just liked you best of all.”

Wesley grinned. “I’m a lucky man.”

“I have to confess that I almost bid for your grandfather though. It was a very hard decision.”

He chuckled. “This is not the first time I’ve been told that. I guess my grandpa is still a ladies’ man. I have a confession to make, as well. I’m glad you chose me because I wanted to meet you. I don’t know... I felt a special connection to you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. I saw you a couple of times at the fundraiser, but I didn’t get a chance to meet you until the auction.”

Lydia was equally drawn to her date, which only served to make her feel guilty. She was not being honest with Wesley, and it bothered her. Lydia wanted him to know the real her—not some character she had created.

“I’m so sorry, Wes,” she told him abruptly. “I didn’t realize the time. I should head back to the hotel.”

“Why don’t you stay here at the ranch?” he suggested. “I’ll take you back in the morning.”

Shaking her head no, Lydia responded, “I don’t want to impose on your family like this.” She needed to leave before she spilled out the truth.

“They won’t mind,” Wesley assured her. “We have plenty of room. Lydia, you’re more than welcome to stay at my place, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

“I really think that it’s best that I go back to the hotel.” She gazed at him. “I can call for a car if you’re not up to driving me back to Granger.”

“Nonsense,” Wesley uttered. “I’ll drive you back.”

“This has been a wonderful evening,” Lydia told him once they were back at the hotel. “In all honesty, it is the best date I’ve had. I really hope that doesn’t make me sound pathetic.”