Jacquelin Thomas - Wrangling Wes

The room was suddenly filled with tense silence as all eyes turned toward the young woman who had placed the highest bid in the charity event’s history.

* * *

Amused, Wesley joined the others in the search. He usually brought in the most money, but this was a completely unexpected turn of events. Historically, the bids were never higher than six thousand dollars.

He continued to gaze around the room, searching for the woman who had just outbid the others. As the sea of people parted, he glimpsed a beauty wearing a stunning teal and purple gown. He had noticed her earlier. It had been a few fleeting glances at best, but they were enough to ignite his interest. She was not familiar to him, as he knew most of the women in Granger. However, the stranger seemed to know Maggie Dillon.

Maggie was married to the owner of the Double D Ranch. The redhead with big blue eyes was nice enough, but she loved to talk.

The stunning woman made her way gracefully toward the stage as the room erupted into loud clapping. Slowly and seductively, Wesley’s gaze slid downward, giving her body a raking once-over.

“Do you know her?” Jameson asked his brother in a low voice.

“No, but I saw her for a split second with Maggie earlier.” He didn’t add that she had captured his interest and learning more about her was already on his agenda.

Wesley’s breath caught in his throat as she neared the stage. She was gorgeous, and definitely not from around these parts. He was thrilled to be won by an outsider—and a beautiful one at that.

“Come on up, honey,” the auctioneer said. “We want to get some pictures of our bachelors and their dates.”

From his vantage point onstage, Wesley estimated her age to be in her middle to late twenties. He decided she was about five feet seven inches tall. She had a slender but curvy build. As she neared the stage, Wesley glimpsed her big brown eyes with long lashes, warm cocoa complexion and dark, curly tresses. He found himself looking forward to his date with this stranger.

* * *

Lydia blew out a breath as her stomach began to twist and ripple with nerves that had been shivering through her all evening. Those feelings intensified just as she was about to join Wesley on the stage.

Something vaguely sensuous passed between them.

“Hello, darlin’,” he greeted in a low voice. “It appears you and I are going on a dream date.”

Looking up into Wesley’s handsome face, she smiled. “Yes, it does appear that way.”

“Come closer,” he whispered. “I won’t bite.”

The underlying sensuality of his words captivated Lydia. She could clearly tell that he was a man who enjoyed the attention of women.

Wesley wrapped an arm around her and held her snugly as they posed for pictures before leaving the stage.

Lydia relaxed, sinking into his cushioning embrace. Her skin tingled where Wesley touched her, his nearness making her senses spin.

“What is your name, pretty lady?” he asked while walking her back to her table.

“Lydia LaSalle,” she responded with a smile. “And I already know that you are Wesley Broward. It’s nice to finally meet the man I’ve heard so much about.”

Lydia could tell from the look of surprise on his face that she had caught him momentarily off guard, but he seemed to recover quickly.

“I hope everything you’ve heard presents me in a positive light.”

“It does,” she confirmed.

“You have me at a disadvantage, I’m afraid,” Wesley stated. “What brings you to Granger?”

“I heard it was a lovely place to visit,” Lydia responded smoothly. “I thought I’d come see for myself, and it really is beautiful. It’s definitely one of Montana’s hidden gems.”

“How long are you staying in town?”

“I’m not sure,” she answered. “For a few weeks at least.”

Wesley seemed to be peering at her intently, and Lydia was strangely flattered by his interest.

“How does Saturday night work for you?” he inquired. “For our date.”

She nodded. “I don’t have any pressing plans, so it’s perfect.”

He sat down on the vacant chair beside her, and once again, when his gaze met hers, her heart turned over in response.

This is so crazy, Lydia thought to herself. The man is just being nice to me. I just paid ten thousand dollars for a date with him. I would be nice to anyone who paid that much money to go out with me.

All eyes seemed to be on the two of them, but Wesley didn’t seem to mind. He continued to gaze at Lydia, almost as if he were photographing her with his eyes.

“You’re staring at me,” she murmured.

“I can’t help myself,” Wesley said matter-of-factly. “You are beyond beautiful.”

She laughed. “This is the first time I’ve been told that. I heard that cowboys have a way with the ladies. I’m beginning to believe it.”

Lydia tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through her. She wanted to resist his charm, but she could not. She was powerless to resist.

“Would you like to dance?” Wesley asked, gesturing toward the dance floor.

“Sure,” Lydia replied with complacent buoyancy.

She rose to her feet in one fluid motion, prompting him to follow suit.

On the dance floor, Maggie brushed past her, gave a thumbs-up and winked.

Lydia swayed to the music.

“You’re a good dancer,” Wesley told her.

“So are you,” Lydia responded.

“Do you do any line dancing?” he asked.

Lydia shook her head. “I’m willing to learn,” she responded with a grin.

The next song that came on provided Wesley an opportunity to give her some instruction.

“You’re a quick learner,” Wesley said as they left the dance floor.

She laughed. “I don’t know about that. I was awful out there.”

This time he did not take a seat when they returned to her table. Instead, he picked up her right hand and kissed it. “It’s been a pleasure talking to you,” Wesley said. “My mother’s over there glaring at me, so I need to make my rounds. My work is never done, it seems.”

“I understand,” she responded. His family was a major sponsor, so this was a working event for Wesley. “It was nice to meet you.”

“I will see you Saturday.”

Lydia nodded. “It’s a date.”

* * *

Lydia hummed softly as she sat down on the edge of her bed and removed her silver high-heeled sandals. She rose to her feet and slipped off her gown, replacing it with a pair of knit shorts and a tank top.

She strolled into the bathroom to remove her makeup and brush her teeth before settling down in the middle of the bed with her cell phone.

“Hey, it’s me,” Lydia said. “I have some really good news to report. Everything went according to plan. Wesley and I have a date on Saturday.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Smiling, she responded, “I knew you’d be pleased.”

“So tell me, Lydia...is Wesley Broward really as handsome in person as he is in all the magazines?”

“He is,” Lydia confirmed. “One thing’s for sure—he definitely seems to have a high regard for himself.”

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. “I’m sure he’s very charming.”

Lydia settled back against a stack of pillows. “He was nice enough, but I didn’t get to spend much time with him.”

“Why not? Lydia, that’s why I sent you to Montana. What were you doing all night?”

“I couldn’t exactly monopolize his time,” Lydia stated. “He and his family cosponsored the fundraiser, so he was busy much of the night. I did exactly what you wanted. I won Wesley at the auction and we are going to have dinner together this weekend.” She paused a moment before adding, “Besides, if I’d come on too strong, that would’ve made him suspicious.”