Wrangling Wes

by Thomas, Jacquelin

  “She wasn’t lying to you,” Samara stated as she placed her napkin into her lap. “But you were too full of yourself to believe her.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Even after the way you treated her, Lydia chose to honor you by no longer working for me. She quit the very next day. She was the best assistant I’ve had.”

  A part of him was relieved that Lydia was no longer working for Samara. He didn’t think she truly enjoyed working for the actress. “I don’t think her leaving your employ had anything to do with me. Perhaps it was all your doing.”

  Samara shrugged in nonchalance. “It really doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “Why did you buy my ranch?”

  “Because it was for sale and it fits my needs,” she responded.

  “I get the feeling that this is not really about the ranch. I don’t know what you’re after, but I will find out,” Wesley told her.

  Samara laughed. “I’ll invite you over once all the renovations are completed. You and the rest of your family. In fact, I plan to invite the entire town.”

  “I thought you were seeking a place for solitude.”

  “I am,” she stated. “Doesn’t mean that I don’t want to get to know my neighbors.”

  He was getting nowhere with Samara. “I just don’t get why a woman like you would be interested in living in a town like Granger. I would think that you’d be more comfortable in a place like Los Angeles.”

  Samara gently wiped her mouth on the edge of her napkin. “That’s because you really don’t know anything about me, except what you’ve read in the tabloids.” She laid down her knife and fork. “Wesley, don’t you think you should reserve judgment until you get to know me? After all, look what’s happened with you and Lydia.”

  * * *

  Lydia clicked on the send button. She had done that at least ten times within the past hour. Job hunting was not something she relished, but it had to be done because Lydia enjoyed having a roof over her head, food to eat and bills paid. She had been able to save some of her earnings, but it was not enough to carry her long-term.

  Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hasty in quitting.

  No, it was the right thing to do.

  A wave of hurt washed over her as an image of Wesley materialized in the forefront of her mind. As much as she wanted to blame Samara for what happened, Lydia could not.

  It was completely up to Wesley to choose to trust her and he refused. Her mood veered to anger. This was a man who seemingly cared for her. Lydia was angry with herself for loving him. Despite all that had happened, she loved him still.

  It doesn’t matter, she told herself. Wesley hadn’t tried to contact her since her return to L.A. She had not bothered to call or email him, either. Lydia believed that it was all for the best. She could never forgive him for the way he treated her.

  Lydia knew that there was a possibility of Samara going after Wesley. She felt deep down that her former employer harbored feelings for him. What other reason would she have for wanting to know so much about him?

  She didn’t think that he would fall for someone like Samara, but then there was a time when Lydia never would’ve believed that he’d cast her aside so easily, either. Or that he would break her heart.

  Wesley Broward was clearly not the man she had thought him to be.

  * * *

  “You’ve been pretty quiet lately,” Jameson noted as they unsaddled their horses.

  Wesley gave his brother a sidelong glance. “I would think that would please you.”

  “Laney told me that Lydia left town.”

  “She did.” He was careful to keep his expression blank. Wesley did not want his brother to see how much he ached for Lydia.

  “You may not see it right now, but maybe it’s for the best,” Jameson stated. “Sounds like she played you, man. I heard that her boss purchased your ranch in Hastings.”

  “You’re wrong,” he countered in return. “Samara Lionne played me.”

  “She couldn’t have done it without Lydia’s help, though.”

  “I thought the same thing, but then after a conversation with Miss Lionne, it became obvious that Lydia had nothing to do with her plan to purchase the ranch. I just hate that I didn’t realize this earlier.”

  Jameson studied his face for a moment before saying, “You really love her, don’t you?”

  “I do,” Wesley confirmed. “Not that it matters much now. Jameson, I really messed up. I jumped to conclusions because I was scared that you might actually be right, but mostly because I was afraid of what I felt for Lydia.”

  “Wesley, from what I’m hearing, there’s only one thing you can do to make this right,” Jameson stated.

  He eyed his brother. “What’s that?”

  “Go get your woman. If Lydia means this much to you, then you can’t just let her walk out of your life. Go after her.”

  Wesley broke into a grin. “I’m going to do just that. I need to take care of something first. After that, I’m going to Los Angeles to get my woman.”

  Chapter 18

  Lydia gasped in surprise. “Wesley, what are you doing here?”

  She could not believe that he was in Los Angeles, but what did it mean? Lydia was still hurt by the way he had treated her. She reminded herself that she could no longer trust him with her heart.

  He had come after her, but it was too late.

  “I had to come, sweetheart,” he responded. “My life has not been the same since you left Granger.”

  “I can’t do this....” She needed more time away from him to ease the pain. “You have to leave, Wes.”

  “I was wrong, Lydia,” he blurted without preamble. “I’m sorry and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  She shrugged in resignation.

  “Do you still love me?” he questioned.

  “Yes,” she responded softly. “I love you, Wesley, but this doesn’t change anything between us.”

  “Honey, it changes everything. We belong together.”

  “You don’t trust me, Wesley,” she responded. “And a relationship can’t work without trust. You and I both know this.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust you. I made a huge mistake and overreacted. I’m sorry for hurting you. Right now, I need you to trust me. Trust that I will never intentionally hurt you.”

  Lydia met his gaze.

  “You aren’t the only one who has had to deal with trust issues, Wes. I have my own demons to deal with when it comes to trusting men, but I opened myself to you.” Her eyes darkened with pain. “After my father walked out of my life, it was hard to trust anyone, but then I met you. I thought...finally, here is a man who really loves me.”

  “I do,” Wesley quickly interjected. “I love you more than my own life. Lydia, I can’t stand being without you, sweetness. I’ve been walking around with a big hole in my heart since you’ve been gone.”

  “You really hurt me, Wes.”

  “I’m sorry. If you give me another chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” His broad shoulders were heaving as he breathed. “I don’t want to lose what we have.” Wesley sighed heavily, his voice filled with anguish. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Lydia chewed on her bottom lip as she considered his words.

  “What made you change your mind?” she asked.

  “I had a conversation with Samara,” he told her. “She told me that you kept our relationship a secret and that you didn’t know anything about her plans to move to Montana.”

  “The thing is that you shouldn’t have needed to hear it from her, Wes. You should have trusted that I would tell you the truth.”

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “Lydia, I’m not a perfect man. I made an err
or in judgment, and I’m trying to make this right.”

  “I appreciate you coming to L.A. and telling me this, but it really doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “What do you mean that it doesn’t matter?” he wanted to know. “Lydia, what we have is real. How can you just give up so easily?”

  “I wasn’t the one who gave up,” she countered. “It was over the moment you thought I’d betrayed you.”

  “No, it wasn’t, Lydia.” Wesley lifted her face so that she could look into his eyes. “You left Granger instead of staying and trying to work things out. I was angry initially, but we could’ve gotten through it together,” he said in a low, tormented voice. “You are angry with your father for the way that he walked out of your life, but you did the same thing to me.”

  Lydia hadn’t thought of it that way, but she couldn’t deny that Wesley was right. She had run away without trying to work things out with him.

  “I love you,” he said tenderly.

  “Wes, I’m sorry for leaving the way that I did. It’s not like me to run from a fight, but at that moment, I was so hurt that I didn’t know what to do. I realize now that I should have handled it in a more mature manner.”

  “We should have talked it out.”

  She agreed.

  “So what happens now, Lydia? Are we really over?” His steady gaze bored into her in silent expectation.

  “I love you so much, Wes.”

  He pulled her into his arms.

  Wesley’s mouth covered hers hungrily.

  The kiss left Lydia weak and burning with a deep desire. She clung to him, holding on for dear life.

  His hands moved gently down the length of her back. “I’ve missed you so much, honey.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  “What’s in the boxes?” Lydia inquired. Wesley was carrying them when he arrived. At the time, they were not important.

  “Open them and see,” Wesley responded with a smile.

  She burst into a short laugh. “You bought me a pair of cowboy boots. Wes, I love them.”

  “Now open this one,” Wesley instructed.

  “A cowboy hat....” She broke into a grin. “How did you know that I wasn’t going to ask you to leave?”

  “I wasn’t sure,” he responded honestly. “I hoped and prayed that I could convince you of my love.”

  Lydia set the hat on top of the box it came in. “We have a lot to discuss, Wes.”

  “I know.”

  “The first of which is how long do you plan to be in town?”

  He smiled. “For a week.”

  “Only a week?”

  Wesley nodded. “I have to get back to work, I’m afraid. I was actually hoping that you would come back with me, Lydia.”

  “I’m not working right now, so I guess I could.”

  “I want you to come back for good,” he announced.

  “Are you saying that you want me move to Montana?” Lydia asked. His hands lightly traced a path over her skin, making it hard for her to think.

  “I’d like that, but if you want to stay here in Los Angeles, then I suppose we can come up with some sort of compromise. We can spend half of our time here and the other half in Granger.”

  “I don’t mind living life on the ranch, but I do have my own dreams.”

  “I understand,” he responded. “As you already know, there are other things that I’d like to explore, as well.”

  She noticed that Wesley was staring at her. Lydia tried to assess his unreadable features but was unsuccessful. “You’re doing it again.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Staring at me,” she responded with a smile.

  “It’s because you’re so beautiful and I never tire of looking at you. I thought I could do the whole long-distance thing, but not seeing you... Lydia, I can’t do it. I want you with me.”

  “It’s been a struggle for me, as well,” she confessed.

  He reached for her, pulling her close once more.

  Explosive currents raced through Lydia as he captured her mouth.

  “I want you,” he whispered.

  She moaned softly.

  Wesley swept her, weightless, into his arms. “Where is your bedroom?”

  She pointed and he carried her down the hall. He walked through the door and placed her in the middle of the bed.

  Wesley crawled in behind her.

  Lydia could feel his uneven breathing on her cheek as he held her close. The touch of his hand was almost unbearable in its tenderness. His mouth covered hers as he kissed her passionately.

  The touch of her lips on his sent a shock wave through Wesley’s entire body with a savage intensity. He planted gentle kisses on her shoulders, neck and face. As he roused Lydia’s passion, his own need for her grew stronger.

  Passion pounded the blood through her heart, chest and head, causing Lydia to breathe in deep, soul-drenching drafts. She had never been as happy as she was in this moment, and she didn’t want it to end.

  Lydia knew that she wanted to be with Wesley forever. This was the man she had always dreamed of—he was the one she loved unconditionally. He was the man God created to be her life partner. Her soul mate.

  As they united in love and ecstasy, Lydia vowed to give her heart to no other man for all of eternity.

  * * *

  Wesley wasn’t sure what the future held for him, except that he wanted Lydia in his life forever. He vowed to wait as long as it took for her to regain her faith in him. He loved her dearly and was not going to give up on what they shared.

  He watched the rise and fall of Lydia’s chest as she slept, thinking about what transpired earlier. She made him feel loved in the way that she touched him, kissed him and responded to his touch.

  Wesley placed a protective arm around Lydia, pulling her closer to him.

  She moaned softly but never opened her eyes.

  He planted a kiss on her lips and then lay back down and closed his eyes.

  They slept for almost two hours.

  Lydia woke up first. She eased out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom to turn on the shower.

  She jumped when the door opened.

  “Are you planning to shower without me?” Wesley asked.

  “You were sleeping,” Lydia responded. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

  He moved closer to her until they were touching skin to skin. Wesley was extremely conscious of where his warm flesh touched her. “I’m awake now.”

  She gave him a seductive grin. “Care to join me in the shower?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  After a longer-than-usual shower, Lydia and Wesley navigated back into the bedroom wearing fluffy towels.

  Wesley picked up his shirt and reached into the pocket. “I have something for you.”

  Lydia laughed. “You bought me a cowboy hat and boots. What can you possibly give me now?”

  He pulled out a small black velvet box.

  Wesley bit back a smile at the look of surprise on Lydia’s face.

  He sat down beside her on the bed. “Lydia, will you marry me?”

  Wesley opened the ring box.

  Her mouth dropped open, but no sound came out.

  “Honey,” he prompted.

  Unshed tears glittered in her eyes. “You had the sapphire set in a ring?”

  He nodded. “I thought it would be the perfect engagement ring for you because I know how much you love them. When I found it in that pail of dirt, I knew that we were definitely meant to be together.”

  She smiled. “It is definitely the most perfect ring for me. Wes, it’s stunning.”

  Wesley agreed. “But it will look even better on your finger. However, I can’t give it to y
ou until you answer my question. Will you marry me and make me whole?”

  Lydia met his gaze. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Tears rolling down her cheeks, she held out her hand for Wesley to slip the ring on her finger. Lydia admired her ring. “It’s so beautiful. I love it.”

  She leaned over and kissed him. “And I love you.”

  Wesley exhaled a long sigh of contentment. “I am a happy man.”

  Lydia snuggled up against him. “I can’t wait to tell my mother. She’s going to be thrilled to hear that she’s getting a son-in-law.” She glanced over at him. “How do you think your family’s going to take our engagement?”

  “They will be happy for us, Lydia.”

  “Even your brother?” she inquired.

  Wesley nodded. “He actually encouraged me to go after you. Jameson knows how much I love you.”

  “We’re talking about your brother, right?”

  He laughed. “Yeah. If anything, take it as a sign that we are definitely meant to be together.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  Wesley reached over and loosened her towel. “Enough talking for now, sweetness.”

  * * *

  She stretched and yawned, waking Wesley.

  “Hey, darlin’,” he mumbled sleepily. “What time is it?”

  Lydia glanced at the clock on her nightstand. “Six o’clock.”

  Wesley shot up in bed as if he had just discovered he had overslept. “I can’t believe I slept so late.”

  “We did not do much sleeping, remember?” Lydia reminded him. They had spent much of the night making love.

  Wesley smiled at the memory. “Oh, yeah...”

  “Why don’t you go back to sleep?” she suggested. “I’ll make us some breakfast.”

  “Come back to bed,” he requested.

  “Wes...”

  He planted kisses on her forehead, her cheeks and neck, sending delicious spirals down her body.

  They made love once more.

  An hour later, they were dressed and in the kitchen.

  “You don’t have to do anything,” Lydia told Wesley. “You’re my guest.”

  “I’m not a guest,” he countered. “I’m going to be your husband.”