Wrangling Wes

by Thomas, Jacquelin

  “I’d like to take a picture of the cabin. Can we stop for a minute or two?”

  Smiling, Wesley nodded.

  Another couple offered to take a photo of Lydia and Wesley.

  She eagerly accepted the offer.

  Lydia was in awe of the wildlife she’d seen along the way. She had pictures of a moose, a family of deer and an elk.

  “Next on the trail is the Old Fire Tower,” Wesley announced. “Built in 1876, it’s one of the few remaining fire towers in the United States.”

  She turned toward him and asked, “So what’s next on the trail?”

  “I was thinking that we should try our hands at mining,” Wesley answered. “My father took us when we were younger, but I didn’t find much of anything. Maybe I’ll have better luck with you.”

  “What are we mining for?”

  “We may find sapphires in every color, garnets, topaz and citrine. I’ve heard of diamond finds, but it’s very rare.”

  “Sapphires are my favorite gemstone,” Lydia murmured. “My mother gave me a sapphire ring and matching necklace for my sixteenth birthday. I loved it.”

  “Do you still have it?”

  She shook her head no. “The ring was stolen from my room in college. I left it on my desk one day—I was running late and forgot to put it on my finger. My roommate was very social and was always having people over. When I returned to my room, the ring was gone.”

  “Did you talk to your roommate?”

  “Yeah, for all the good it did,” Lydia replied. “She defended her friends. The ring was never found and my roommate and I split up. She moved in with her boyfriend, so I had the room to myself.”

  Lydia snapped photographs of the quaint turn-of-the-century mine that sat on the banks of Hauser Lake. The scenery was made more beautiful by the fact that she was spending time with Wesley. She relaxed, sinking into his cushioning embrace. The mere touch of his hand sent a warning shiver through Lydia.

  “Okay, this is where we get off,” Wesley said.

  “We are actually going to do this?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  He picked up a small black bag, prompting Lydia to ask, “What’s that?”

  “Ziplock bags, rubber gloves, sunblock and a couple of hand towels.”

  She smiled. “Always prepared, I see.”

  “What cowboy isn’t prepared?”

  “This is going to be interesting,” Lydia murmured. She was relieved that Wesley had thought to bring gloves because she would’ve hated ruining her manicure. She was pretty sure they were not going to find anything of value. However, the thrill was in the searching.

  “The wooden benches can get hard as the day goes on,” Wesley announced. “You may want to sit on one of those towels.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I’m not that fragile, Wes.”

  “There’s a cowgirl in you, Lydia. I know it.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” she responded as she picked up a small metal object. “Okay, I don’t have a clue as to what to do with this stuff.”

  Wesley laughed. “I’ll show you.”

  “Just how many buckets did you purchase?” Lydia glanced down and counted eight pails of dirt.

  “I figured we should leave here with something.” Wesley pointed and said, “That’s your screen and there is a flume. The dirt goes in the screen, which goes in the water. The mud gets washed away in the water. It’s that simple.”

  “It does sound pretty simple.” Still, Lydia wasn’t sure she was going to be any good at identifying anything of value.

  One of the technicians offered a minilesson on gem mining. “Gemstones come in every color from white to black. Garnets can be anywhere from a real glassy red, pink or reddish brown.”

  Lydia felt the heat of Wesley’s gaze on her. She stole a peek at him.

  He winked at her and she awarded him a smile.

  “Rubies are silky red,” the technician was saying. “Sapphires are every other color. Both rubies and sapphires have a crystal formation with six sides.”

  Lydia did not hear the rest of what the man was saying because her heart was thudding loudly in her chest. Wesley embraced her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

  After the technician finished talking, Wesley gave her a pail of dirt and took one for himself. Lydia’s excitement waned as she neared the bottom.

  “Find anything?” he asked her.

  “Nothing but dirt,” she responded drily.

  By the time she was ready for her third pail, Lydia was more than set to call it a day. She was hot and the wooden bench steadily refused to be kind to her bottom. She finished off her second bottle of water.

  Lydia watched Wesley for a moment. He was so involved with mining that he paid no attention to her. He didn’t seem to have any more luck than she did.

  She reluctantly returned her attention to her own pail of dirt.

  Lydia checked the rocks that were left on her screen. She picked up one, surveying it closely. “Wes...”

  He glanced up. “You find something, darlin’?”

  “Um...I don’t know. Could you take a look?”

  “Sure.”

  Wesley held up the largest stone and then set it down, picking up another. “Honey, I think you’ve found a few pieces of garnet.”

  He signaled for the technician.

  “More than one?” Lydia asked. “Are you sure?”

  Wesley nodded. “Looks like it to me. Congratulations.”

  She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

  The technician confirmed that Lydia had indeed found garnets. Her excitement renewed, she was ready to continue mining for more hidden gems.

  Wesley was already on his fourth pail. Right before she started on her last one, Lydia caught sight of him checking out a bluish-colored stone in his hand and asked, “Did you find anything?”

  He showed it to her.

  It was a nice-size crystal structure that was hexagon in shape. “Is this a sapphire?” she asked in a low voice.

  “I’m not sure, but I think so.”

  Wesley slipped it into his ziplock bag.

  When they had gone through all of their pails, Lydia had found a moonstone and a citrine while Wesley’s largest find was the sapphire, but he also discovered a couple of tiny moonstones and what they both thought could be a ruby.

  After washing up in the ladies’ room, Lydia found Wesley was waiting on her.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Yes,” Lydia responded.

  He helped her back into the wagon.

  “Where are we going now?”

  “I’ve arranged for a picnic by a running brook. This is how it was done in the Old West.”

  Lydia was touched beyond words by the amount of thought Wesley had put into planning this day. She had won a cowboy, and he had given her a dream date that only a cowboy could come up with. One of the things she disliked about the men in her past was that they never seemed to have any imagination or creativity. Wesley was spontaneous, and she loved that about him.

  He had even selected the perfect spot for a romantic picnic. The secluded area was surrounded by shade trees. A picnic table, complete with a checkered tablecloth and basket of food, awaited them.

  “You’ve thought of everything,” Lydia murmured.

  “Not everything,” he responded. “I forgot to have someone serenade you while you eat.”

  “I think it would’ve clashed with your whole Western theme,” she said as she reached for a sandwich and handed it to Wesley. “It would’ve been a really nice touch though.”

  Lydia grabbed another sandwich and unwrapped it.

  “I still have tonight,” Wesley said. “No seduction is complete without a n
ice, expensive meal.”

  “Oh, really?” She noted the amused glint in his eye.

  “What? You didn’t know?”

  Lydia laughed. “It doesn’t take all this to seduce me.”

  “Okay, I’m listening,” Wesley said as he put down his sandwich.

  “Seduction is founded in confidence,” she said. “Without inner strength, most men seem to fall back on stupid pickup lines and games to try and trap a woman. Honesty is so much more alluring. I love a man who’s grounded, solid and aware of who he is—this is what sets him ahead of the rest.

  “So if I wanted to seduce you, what would it take?” Lydia inquired.

  “For me, seduction works best when the woman doesn’t even realize she is doing anything out of the ordinary,” Wesley responded. “For example, the way you lick your lips after eating a strawberry drives me crazy. Then there’s the way that you run your fingers through your hair.... It’s not easy to keep from touching you.”

  Lydia knew exactly where this conversation was heading. She had to change the subject and quick, she thought as she gratefully took a sip of her soda.

  She touched the can to her heated forehead and told herself to get a grip. After a moment, Lydia asked softly, “Wes, what are we doing?”

  “Our relationship has deepened and I don’t think we should ignore it.”

  Lydia took a sip of her soda. She wasn’t sure how to respond to Wesley’s comment. It was true. Their feelings for one another had grown. As far as she was concerned, he was the genuine article.

  “Am I alone in this?” he questioned.

  She reached over and took his hand. “You are definitely not alone. I care greatly for you, Wes, and I want you in my life.” The admission sent a thread of fear through Lydia. What was she thinking? Relationships were challenging, especially long-distance ones. She had to really delve deep within to be sure that this was something she wanted to pursue.

  I’m falling in love with Wesley. I don’t want to lose him.

  There. She’d said it. Not aloud, but it was an admission she had been reluctant to make. However, the thought of giving her heart to someone made her fearful. Perhaps it was the risk. Or the realization that for once in her life Lydia wasn’t the one in control.

  Wesley gave her hand a gentle squeeze, tearing her away from her thoughts. He leaned close enough for Lydia to feel his breath upon her cheek.

  For every cell in her body to quiver with heightened awareness.

  Her skin to get goose bumps.

  “You are all that I think about, Lydia. Needless to say, I can’t see my life without you in it. I know that we have a lot to discuss in terms of your going back to Los Angeles, but we are not going to do that right now. I have something better in mind.”

  Wesley’s lips touched hers.

  The smoldering fire within Lydia erupted into a wildfire, raging untamed.

  When he pulled away, her gaze shifted to his eyes, and something hot and sultry sparked between them.

  Lydia knew she was doomed.

  * * *

  After the picnic, Wesley checked them into a hotel. “I’ll give you some time to just relax. We’ve had a full day and I don’t want to overdo it. I made dinner reservations for seven.”

  Lydia was a tiny bit surprised that he had booked separate rooms for them, but she was also relieved. Although she wanted to feel Wesley’s skin against her own, Lydia fought to keep her desires under control. It was still too soon for her to consider having an intimate relationship with Wesley, despite the fires he ignited within her.

  She opted to take a long soak in the tub instead of a quick shower to cool her feverish body.

  After her bath, Lydia realized just how tired she really was. They had spent the day outside and the sun could be draining, she reasoned.

  As she stretched out on the bed, she placed a call to her mother.

  “Mama, how are you?” she asked.

  “I’m doing okay. How are you? Are you still out of town?”

  “Yes, I’m still in Montana.” Lydia was thrilled to hear her mother’s voice. She didn’t like the weariness she heard in her tone, however.

  “I guess you’ll be doing lots of traveling with this job.”

  “Some,” Lydia stated. “I’d like to try and visit you soon. I miss you, Mama.”

  “I miss you, too. The post office has me working crazy hours, so you have to let me know way ahead of time when you plan to come home.”

  “I will. Hopefully, I’ll be able to retire you.”

  “Lydia, I don’t want you worrying about me. As long as I have my strength, I don’t mind working, honey. You just take care of you.”

  They talked for a few minutes more before getting off the phone.

  She sounds so tired. The thought brought tears to Lydia’s eyes.

  She fell asleep with her mother still weighing heavily on her mind.

  Two hours later, Wesley entered her room wearing dark jeans, a starched denim shirt and cowboy boots. He was a vision as far as Lydia was concerned.

  Lydia was dressed in clothes appropriate for a night in L.A., complete with platform-heeled black boots and shiny lip gloss. Outwardly, the couple did not exactly look as if they belonged together, but she didn’t care. Her heart knew his, and that was more important than how they looked on the outside.

  During dinner, Lydia barely touched her plate. She was enjoying her conversation with Wesley immensely.

  “You’re not hungry?” Wesley inquired as he pointed toward her plate.

  “You hardly touched yours, either,” she responded with a soft chuckle. “We’ve been talking the entire time we’ve been here.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “I guess we did cover a lot of territory. We talked about us, our families, your time in L.A., about my life in Granger.”

  “Good stuff,” Lydia said with a grin. She found herself increasingly lost in his deep brown eyes, his gentle manner and his work-honed confidence. Wesley was truly like no man she had ever met before.

  “I am committed to making our relationship work,” he stated. “It’s not often a man comes across a woman as special as you are to me. I’m not going to let you disappear from my life, Lydia. I just want you to know that.”

  She smiled. “I’m just as committed as you are, Wes.”

  One look in his eyes and Lydia knew that they would be skipping dessert.

  Wesley signaled for the check.

  Twenty minutes later, they were back at the hotel and in her room.

  He pulled her into his arms.

  His lips tasted sweet and heady like the wine, and it took every ounce of strength Lydia had to keep from losing herself with him. Wesley held himself in check, not pushing her at all. He did not attempt to undress her, although she might not have refused him.

  After what felt like a blissful eternity, he deepened the kiss, nibbling and tasting her until his breathing was harsh and ragged.

  They parted reluctantly.

  Having briefly recovered her equilibrium, Lydia felt herself begin to heat up again, from the inside, as Wesley continued to gaze at her. She began to consider that being held in his arms like this all night long wouldn’t be a problem. However, deep down, she knew better.

  Wesley did, too, because he sat up and said, “I think I’d better find my way to my room. If I stay here any longer...”

  He did not have to finish his sentence. Lydia and Wesley both knew what would happen if he stayed. She had already made it clear that she wanted to wait. She could not back down now. As much as Lydia wanted Wesley to make love to her, she had to stand her ground.

  * * *

  Lydia had such a warm, loving spirit, and she was always smiling. Wesley loved her sense of humor and the sense of freedom she seemed to ha
ve in her life. Not only was she beautiful, but she was intelligent, as well. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know about her.

  He meant what he’d told her earlier. The undeniable magnetism that was building between them forced Wesley to acknowledge the truth. I have real feelings for Lydia. I’m beginning to fall in love with her.

  The silent declaration surprised him, but Wesley didn’t bother to deny the truth. There was not much point. But as strong as his attraction was to Lydia, he had to rein in his feelings. While they’d found some common ground, they still had very different views of what they wanted for the future.

  According to his brother, a relationship between them could never work. Wesley once believed the very same thing. But he had all these conflicting emotions where Lydia was concerned, and he could not just let her walk out of his life.

  Too many times, he stayed on the road of what was absolute. Wesley was tired of playing it safe. This time he was going to take a chance. He was going to take a risk for love.

  Lydia was worth it. What he felt for her was worth it.

  Jameson would call him a fool, but Wesley didn’t care. He had his own life to live, and Jameson had his own living to do.

  Wesley’s whole world had been enriched by Lydia’s presence. He was a better man because of her, and he was thankful. Even if the relationship fizzled out, Wesley vowed that he would always be grateful for having met Lydia.

  * * *

  Lydia could hear a sea of low murmurings all around her when she and Wesley arrived at the Dillons’ barbecue the following weekend at the Double D Ranch. Maggie had forewarned her about the angry glares sent her way from several of the women present.

  “There you are,” Maggie shouted from across the yard. “I was wondering when you were going to get here.”

  “Looks like you two are becoming good friends,” Wesley said in a low voice.

  “She’s been great to me,” Lydia whispered. “Maggie’s never treated me like an outsider.”

  “Wes, bring Lydia over here,” Maggie called out. “I want to introduce her to some people.”

  “Here we go,” Wes muttered with a chuckle.

  Lydia pretended not to notice all the attention focused on her and Wesley. Instead, she decided to enjoy this time with Wesley. Her feelings for him were growing more and more each day.