Chapter 2
Celia followed Wilder in silence, looking around her in awe. He was carrying both her bags with ease in front of her. None of this was making any sense. Why had he brought her to his home? Why did he drive an old rusty truck when he lived on a ranch like this?
It was enormous, with a mansion that stood in the center of it, and even though Celia couldn’t see them, she could hear the cattle and the horses in the distance. This ranch had to be worth billions. And this man, Wilder, did not look or dress like a billionaire.
They had reached the front steps of the mansion and Wilder lifted the suitcases as he led her into the house. He pushed the screen door open with his foot and then held it open, indicating to her to walk in. Celia did as she was told, entering the mansion with thoughtful steps. She didn’t know what to expect any more.
The inside of the house looked impeccably decorated. It was big, open and airy and had beautiful lace curtains on the windows, bottle green carpeted floors and expensive looking art hanging from the walls. Wilder had followed her in, placing her bags by the front door where he stood.
“Celia?” She heard her grandfather’s voice from somewhere inside the house. Then she saw him, on a wheelchair, sliding into the foyer from one of the rooms near the foot of the long winding staircase. When he came towards her, she didn’t initially recognize him, he looked so different. He was much more frail than she remembered, all his hair had turned white and his eyes looked watery and weak.
“Grandpa!” She cried out and rushed towards him, falling to her knees in front of him. He used to visit her family home in Chicago once a year, every year for the first sixteen years of her life. She had a strong connection with him, waiting for him to visit month after month as a child. He used to take her camping, had taught her to fish and told her made-up stories every night when he tucked her into bed. In the past three years, she hadn’t had a chance to see him. Ever since her own parents passed away in a car accident, and his health started failing, he couldn’t visit her. Then she was caught up with college…and now this.
“Oh grandpa, how are you?” She said, resting her tired head on his warm frail knees. He stroked her hair lovingly, his voice had become thin and weak as well.
“I’m as well as I can be, my darling girl. I’m so happy to see you.” She heard him say. When she looked up at him, he was smiling at her and then he clutched her chin in his hands, just like he used to when she was a child.
“I couldn’t stay away grandpa, I’m here now.” Celia said, her eyes watering as she looked at the old man. The old man from her childhood who used to be so full of energy and kindness and a sense of adventure. She couldn’t believe he was in a wheelchair now.
“Yes you are, you’re finally here.” He said, still smiling at her. All the doubts that Celia had, all the anger she was feeling towards Wilder; had gone. She could see how happy her presence had made her grandfather, and she knew instantly that she had made the right decision.
“But what about your job in New York? Are you sure you can stay here for very long?” He asked her and Celia shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it grandpa, I’ll be fine. That job wasn’t important.” She smiled at him and patted his knees as she straightened herself up.
“I see you’ve met Mr. Moore.” He said then, looking past her and admiringly at Wilder who was still at the door. Celia turned to look at him, caught the grim look on his face and then turned to her grandfather again.
“Yes, he very kindly gave me a lift from the train station. I’m sorry grandpa that I haven’t been in touch, I didn’t know you worked here.” Celia spoke to her grandfather softly again. He still had the same kindly smile on his face.
“I’ve worked here at the ranch for fifty years my child. Ever since I was a young boy and Mr. Moore’s father ran the place.” He said, taking Celia’s hands in his. She noticed how bony and cold his hands were, and a chill ran down her spine. How much longer did he have to live? She didn’t want to think about it.
“I see. It’s a lovely place.” She said, without turning to look at Wilder.
“Mr. Moore has offered to put you up in a room beside mine so we can be close to each other. I’ve lived in that room ever since your father moved out of our house.” He continued, patting Celia’s hands now.
“That is very generous of him.” She said, turning to Wilder finally. He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs parted wide. He was watching them closely, studying her like he was doing previously. She couldn’t imagine what he might be thinking. All of this was too much to take in.
“Ah, is that your granddaughter, Jack?” A different male voice appeared at the top of the stairs. Celia craned her neck to look up and found a young man walking down quickly.
“Yes, it is, Sir.” Her grandfather said, turning his wheelchair to face the stairs now. Celia stood next to him, with her hands held tightly together. She hadn’t heard anyone else in the house till now.
The man bounced down the stairs with a skip in his step. He looked young, in his early twenties, probably the same age as her. His hair was dark and neatly swept aside, like he had spent some time trying to get the style right. His eyes were the same blue as Wilder’s, but just not as deep or intense. He was shorter than Wilder too, and thinner. He had a handsome face, probably a little too handsome in the classic sense. Although, Celia knew instantly that they were brothers.
His face was clean shaven, while Wilder’s jaw was bristly with the shadow of a beard. This man’s hands and feet weren’t as large and he just had a more friendly demeanor. Celia smiled earnestly at him when he approached her with a hand stretched in her direction.
“I’m Conrad Moore, Wilder’s younger brother. You must be Celia.” He said, grabbing her hand and giving it a light shake. Celia nodded her head.
“Pleasure.” She said, as airily as possible. She wanted to demonstrate to Wilder just how pleasing and friendly she could be.
“You’re from New York? I’ve been there a couple of times. What a great city.” Conrad said, still grasping Celia’s hand in his.
She smiled at him and then turned to look at Wilder.
“Something tells me you didn’t take your brother along there.” She said and Conrad laughed loudly at that, a pleasant variation from Wilder’s reactions to whatever she said.
“Don’t think my brother’s ever been out of town. Ever been on a plane.” Conrad quipped and Celia dragged her hand away from him, a smile still lingering on her face. He had managed to make her feel instantly at home, as compared to Wilder who had made her feel unwelcome from the moment he saw her.
“I’ll take your bags to your room.” Wilder cut in and they all turned to him.
“Thank you.” She said to him, catching the look in his eyes as he turned his face away. As usual, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, like he couldn’t stand the presence of human beings around him.
He walked past her and towards the back of the foyer where he turned to look at them again.
“And Celia, please expect to perform some duties around the house if you’re living here.” He said in a harsh blank voice before turning and walking away with the suitcases.
Celia could feel her heart thumping fast. She felt embarrassed and offended. Why would he assume that she expected free boarding from them? She had all intention to pay for her stay, or help them in any way she could. He hadn’t even asked her.
“Don’t mind Wilder, Celia. He can come across as a bit of a brooding bitter man, just ignore him and you’ll be fine.” Conrad said, and when she looked at him he was smiling at her.
“We’re all glad that you could come down here, I know Jack’s been wanting to see you for very long.” He said and placed a hand on her waist. Celia felt her muscles tense up and she stepped away from him nervously. This man was the complete opposite of his brother; he was probably a little too friendly.
“Of course. I’ll just freshen up a little and see you all in a bit.” Celia said nervously, aware that her cheeks were red again.
“Take your time. Want a game of chess Jack? While we wait for your granddaughter?” Conrad said, turning to her grandfather. Celia looked at them both, her grandfather looked tired and exhausted but he nodded his head nonetheless.
“Sure, let’s go.” He said with a smile at Conrad.
Celia wanted to say something, wanted to offer her grandfather a relaxing bath or a quick nap instead of going out of his way to entertain Conrad, but she remained quiet. It wasn’t her place. She didn’t know these people and she wasn’t sure what her grandfather wanted to do really. Instead she turned on her heels and walked in the direction that Wilder had gone.
Despite the house being large, she found her room easily. Wilder had left her suitcases next to the open door of a bedroom with pastel pink walls. She dragged the bags in and closed the door behind her. The room was tastefully decorated. Fresh flowers had been placed in a crystal vase on the window sill and a full-length mirror greeted her by the en-suite bathroom door.
Celia stared at herself in the mirror, before beginning to undress. She needed to take a shower, her strawberry blonde curls were in a tangled mess. Her brown eyes looked large with exhaustion. Her cheeks looked bright red, to match the color of her lips. It was as a result of the harsh sun; she was tanning quickly.
She slipped out of her blouse and her pencil skirt and rummaged through her suitcase for something more appropriate to wear. This wasn’t New York, this wasn’t her fashion-conscious office, this was a small-town ranch in Texas. She needed to dress accordingly. But she didn’t really own anything for the occasion. A thin cotton tunic dress would have to do, she thought and she laid it on the fluffy looking bed, before walking into the bathroom.
She turned the shower on and the mirror fogged up. Celia slid her hand across it to look at her face again. What had she gotten herself into? She was so far away from home, from where she was comfortable. Here she was surrounded by strangers. By a man who made her gut turn from how utterly handsome he was, but who also made her boil with rage by the things he said to her. And then there was his brother who was friendly and nice, but had something not quite right about him that Celia hadn’t yet figured out.
Either way, this was not the kind of adventure she had planned on having. If only she had paid attention to her grandfather’s life, and then she could have come prepared.