Celia shielded her eyes against the glaring Texan sun with the palm of her hand, this sun was going nowhere. She had just stepped off the train that had carried her from the Austin airport, and after a two-hour journey in a small cramped seat, she could feel her bones aching and her legs needing a stretch. How long would she have to wait here in the heat?

Two stuffed-to the brim suitcases lay at her feet. She had packed everything she could, everything she would need, although she wasn’t quite sure what she might actually require. She had never been to Texas before, and definitely never to such a small town.

Celia took in a deep breath and sighed. She had been standing there for over fifteen minutes now, and there was no sign of her ride.

Her grandfather had written a letter to her a month ago. Initially she had smiled when she found the letter slipped under the door of her tenth-floor apartment in New York, by the postman. Who hand wrote letters anymore? Clearly her grandfather did. But when she eventually read the letter, the smile on her face had disappeared. He was sick, very sick, and he was her only remaining family. She had to be there for him in his hour of need, there was no other choice but that.

So, Celia quit her job, not that it was much of a job. It was an internship at a fashion magazine, but it was also a stepping stone towards the actual job that she wanted. Sure, it would have taken time, a few months, maybe even a few years…but it would all be worth it. Now, quitting her job, moving to a small town in Texas to care for her grandfather was going to be a major setback. But what other choice did she have? She couldn’t simply allow her grandfather to wither away by himself.

She had written back to him, probably her first handwritten letter in several years, telling him her plan. She would quit her job and move in with him to care for him, for as long as he needed. He was her only family, she had to do this for him and for the memory of her parents who had brought her up to care for those in need.

The roar of an engine nearby distracted Celia from her thoughts and she whipped around to find a red battered truck making its way towards her, sending dust clouds up in the air in its trail. Her grandfather had mentioned a ride, but this wasn’t what she was expecting.

The truck came to a sudden halt, right in front of her feet and Celia took a few steps back in surprise. It looked like an old dusty thing, with the red paint chipped in several places, the rearview mirror broken and dangling on the side. The engine made such a great sound that it was clear that it needed major maintenance.

Celia still had her face shielded with her hand when the driver’s door creaked open and she saw the back of a man who jumped off the truck. She still didn’t know what to expect, was this definitely her ride?

“Celia Ferro?” The man banged the door shut behind him and turned to look at her, placing his hands on the burning hot hood of the car engine. There was steam rising from it, it was so hot. But he didn’t seem to notice, he kept his hands on it.

“Yes.” She replied, in a meek voice. She had obviously expected a stranger to pick her up, but not such a handsome one. This man was a cowboy through and through, the likes of which she had only ever seen in films or on TV. She hadn’t thought that people like him actually existed in real life.

He was in a dark plaid shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. His jeans were dark too, with a wide boot cut at the bottoms. For shoes, he had ruddy dusty boots and a cowboy hat to shield his face against the sun. But the sun had definitely got to him, because his skin was darkened, and it glowed like bronze in the midday heat. His eyes were piercingly blue, and Celia dropped her gaze from his face when he looked at her, because his eyes nearly frightened her. He looked muscular and lean, like he worked outdoors all day. As hard as she tried to stop herself, she couldn’t help her mind from wandering and imagining what his bare torso would look like, underneath those clothes.

“Do you have bags?” The man asked and she nodded her head.

“They’re right here.” She said and pointed to her feet.

He walked around the front of the truck silently, taking quick long steps and was by her side within seconds. She felt her muscles freeze from his closeness. She couldn’t remember the last time her body had reacted this way to the physical presence of someone else. Without a word, he picked up both the suitcases and tossed them into the open back of the van.

Celia winced when she heard the thump of the bags as they fell. She didn’t want to imagine what the state of her perfume bottles and makeup cases were going to be inside them.

“Get in.” She heard him say, and he walked back around to the driver’s side without waiting for a response from her. Celia gulped. How was she supposed to get in?

She tried pulling at the passenger door, but it wouldn’t give. The man had already climbed back into his seat. He had his hands loosely placed on the steering wheel and was watching Celia struggling to get the door open. It was like he was enjoying her trying and failing and then trying again.

She yanked and pulled, but the door wouldn’t budge; and the man wasn’t helping. She turned a sour face to him through the windshield, her lips quivering as she glared at him. What was wrong with him? She thought, but didn’t say anything. After she had glared at him for a good few moments, he leaned over and pushed the door open from his side. It slid open as smoothly as a knife through warm butter.

Celia tried to haul herself up into the seat, as best she could. She wasn’t dressed for the occasion, she realized as she did this. Her pencil skirt clung tightly to her thighs as she tried to wriggle into the seat, her cheeks flushed and her neck burning red from embarrassment.

He was following her every movement with keen watchful eyes, and when she turned to look at him, she realized that she hadn’t once seen him smile yet.

“Thank you.” Celia said, as politely as she could, even though she didn’t exactly want to be polite to him, when he had been nothing other than rude to her.

The man said nothing, but simply started the engine and the truck roared and came to life.

Despite the fact that she was a little offended by this man’s coldness, she still couldn’t stop herself from admiring him. She couldn’t help but imagine what a big hit this man might be in the fashion industry; with his muscular physique and sharp jaw lines, he would look good in anything, and especially delicious in nothing.

“So, you know my grandfather?” She said, trying to make conversation. He had been driving in silence for a few moments now and she was beginning to grow uncomfortable in his presence. She didn’t want to simply stare at him the whole way.

“Yes.” He replied, keeping his eyes on the road. Celia realized that he had barely even looked at her. The hat remained on his head as he drove, and she noticed the clenching of the muscles on his long arms as he clutched the steering wheel.

“I’ve never been to Texas before. I grew up in Chicago and recently moved to New York.” She continued, looking over at him, hoping for a reaction, for something.

“I can see that.” He said in the same heavy emotionless voice he used to say everything else. Celia blushed again.

“I’m sure I’ll get used to this, won’t I?” She added with a smile, but he wasn’t looking at her to notice that she was trying her best to be friendly, to please him.

“No, you won’t.” He said, keeping his eyes on the road. Celia’s brows crossed. How dare he form opinions of her when he hadn’t even looked at her properly, when he barely knew her or anything about her life. She turned her face away from him, trying to control her displeasure as best as she could.

Everywhere she looked, it was dusty and covered in sand. The trees were sparse and they had crossed very few houses. She couldn’t even imagine this much open space in the cities. It was unheard of. The warm sandy air lashed against her face when she turned her face to the windows. She shielded her eyes against it and allowed the harsh rays of the sun to warm her face some more. She’d show him. She’d show this man, what she was really made of.

“What is your name?” She asked him, turning to him again.

“Wilder.” He replied, without skipping a beat. Just when she was least expecting it, he turned to look at her. Their eyes met. His blue eyes looking straight into hers, deep into her soul, studying her face. He held her gaze for several seconds before he looked away and Celia licked her lips nervously. She wanted him. As much as she wanted to dislike this man, she couldn’t help but acknowledge the fact that she wanted him. She wanted his rough hands on her skin, his blue eyes to look into her face, his shoulders to engulf her tightly…

“Why are you here?” He asked, interrupting her fantasies about him. Celia braved a look in his direction, although she was aware that her cheeks had turned red again. It was almost like he had caught her fantasizing about him, like he knew what she was thinking.

“My grandfather.” She said, fumbling with her words a little. “He needs me. He’s sick.”

Wilder looked away from her, and back to the road again.

“Why now? I don’t remember you ever visiting him before.” He said.

Celia’s brows crossed again. This man was relentless! He was passing one judgment after the other, with no reason. What on Earth did he have against her?

“Because my parents never brought me here. Then I was busy with college and finding a job and…” The words came tumbling out of her, even though she knew that she owed this man no explanation whatsoever.

“We’re here.” He said, cutting her off. He stopped the truck just as suddenly as he had started driving it. Celia’s body yanked against the seatbelt with a sudden pull from the motion of the truck. She nearly screamed from the fright. She decided right then that she wasn’t ever going to get into a car with this rude unkempt cowboy ever again. She couldn’t wait to get out.

She hadn’t noticed where they had stopped till right now. Till she pushed hard against the passenger door to get it open. They were parked at the gate of what could only have been an enormous ranch.

Wilder wasn’t helping her to get the door open. She struggled against it, panting now from the exertion and the anger she was feeling towards him.

“How do you know my grandfather?” She asked, whipping around in her seat to look at him. Grateful that the journey was over and if luck would have it, she would never have to see this man ever again.

“He works for me.” He said, with the first smirk forming on the side of his mouth, a smile that Celia knew could only mean disaster for her. “Welcome to my home.”

* * *

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.

* * *

By the time Celia had showered, changed into the more appropriate dress and dried her hair, it was nearly dusk. She stepped out of the bedroom to be greeted by a strong whiff of ham being baked in the oven. She followed the scent to the dining room, where she found Conrad and her grandfather sitting at a long table, deep in hushed conversation.

She walked in with a smile, but they still hadn’t noticed her. Conrad seemed to be riled up in what he was saying, talking animatedly but quietly to her grandfather, who was sitting silently and listening to the other man, not offering any words of his own.

Celia cleared her throat.

“There you are! Feeling more relaxed?” Conrad jumped out of his chair and rushed towards her. She had noticed the way his eyes glittered when he saw her. His gaze had dropped for a moment to her full breasts, before he looked away, pretending like he hadn’t just studied her body.

“Sit down, here, take this chair.” He was fussing around her as he pulled out a chair next to his. Celia thanked him, smiled and then sat down.

“Mr. Moore is cooking us dinner tonight.” Her grandfather said from across the table. Conrad sat down with a thump next to her, his expensive smelling cologne filling her nostrils. Celia sniffed.

“Who cooks dinner usually?” She asked, a little surprised because she hadn’t quite pictured Wilder as a big chef.

“It’s usually Wilder. In fact, it’s always Wilder. Only because he’s very particular and he doesn’t accept any of our help.” Conrad said, dragging Celia’s attention away from her grandfather.

“Don’t you have a housekeeper?” She asked him, just as Wilder entered the dining room with a tray of ham, his hands covered by thick oven mitts, and an apron tied around his waist. She nearly burst out laughing at the sight. This tall strong muscular man, with his cowboy hat still on his head carrying a tray of ham.

“We’ve had six housekeepers in the past ten years, ever since our mother passed away, and Wilder has managed to drive away all of them.” Conrad said, eyeing his brother with a flourish in his gaze. Wilder grunted in response, not acknowledging his brother’s look.

“It wasn’t Mr. Moore’s fault alone. They probably couldn’t deal with the demands of three bachelors in a big house.” Her grandfather cut in, but Conrad turned to him now.

“Please Jack, don’t sugar coat it for Celia. It was all entirely Wilder’s fault.” Conrad said with a victorious laugh. Celia was about to smile when Wilder banged the tray of ham loudly on the table as he placed it.

“That’s enough, Conrad.” Wilder growled, rage dripping from his voice. Celia’s breath choked in her throat and she didn’t dare look at him, she didn’t want to know what his face looked like right then.

“I’m not your wife, Wilder. I don’t have to listen to all your commands. I have equal share of this house and there is nothing you can do about it.” Conrad said, in an equally menacing voice to his brother.

“I said that’s enough. Behave with some dignity in front of our guests.” Wilder said through gritted teeth, standing over his younger brother. Celia stole a look in Wilder’s direction now and she saw his blue eyes narrowed, a vein thick and angry running down the center of his forehead. He looked powerful, wild and frightening. She looked away from him.

“They’re not our guests.” Conrad said with a light laugh. He reached for the tray of ham and started carving it for his share. “It’s just Jack and his granddaughter.”

Her grandfather cleared his throat.

“Have a seat Mr. Moore, we’re all hungry and the food smells delicious.” He said.

The food did smell good. The ham looked like it was glazed with a special red homemade sauce, and bowls of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables accompanied it, which Conrad helped himself with and started passing around the table. Wilder took a seat at the head of the table quietly and watched the food being served like a proud parent. Celia smiled to herself, this man was full of mystery, even though she was a little afraid of him. He made her shiver with anticipation, there were goosebumps on her skin.

“Eat your fill, Celia, although I hear that women in the big cities starve themselves to look good.” Conrad interrupted the silence.

Celia licked her lips and turned to look at him with a forced smile on her face. She was starting to dislike him more and more with every passing minute. There was just something unpleasant about him, despite his handsome smiling face and friendly demeanor.

“There’s no reason to stereotype us all.” She said, bringing the crystal glass of water to her lips.

“Why don’t you just leave her alone?” It was Wilder who had said that, and Celia whipped her head to look at him. This wasn’t something that she had expected him to say. Conrad broke into a loud laugh.

“Practice what you preach big brother.” He said, munching on his food.

“How are you feeling grandpa?” Celia spoke directly to him, ignoring the two quarreling brothers on either side of her.

Her grandfather looked tired, barely touching his food. He was drinking too much water and staring at his hands instead of concentrating on his dinner. He looked up at Celia and tried to smile when she spoke to him, but she could see it in his eyes that he was ready for bed, his illness had already got the better of him.

“Just tired, dear girl. I’ll be better in the morning.” He said, and Celia nodded her head.

“Of course. I’ll tuck you in whenever you want to go.” She said, holding her grandfather’s gaze.

“If Jack could have it, he’ll sleep all day, won’t you old sport?” Conrad said. Celia whipped her head to look at him in disgust. She wanted to say something, she was desperate to find the right words to say to this man who was hiding his true personality behind a curtain of fake friendliness.

“He’s sick Conrad. Show him the respect he deserves for his years of service to our family.” Wilder growled, this time he banged the table with a clenched fist. The glass beside his hand shook from the force.

“No, no, I’m fine. Let’s keep eating.” Her grandfather said, while Celia’s nostrils flared from the agony of it all. She was pained for her grandfather. How long did he have to endure this sort of treatment? Had he lived his whole life being treated by the Moore’s this way?

“I am showing him the respect he deserves. Ask him what I’ve offered him. We’re paying for his medical bills, aren’t we? Put a roof over his head.” Conrad’s voice had lost the friendly baritone now and he was snarling his words out at his brother. Wilder stood up, pushing the chair behind him. He was furious, more furious than Celia was.

“That’s enough Conrad. You will shut up right now.” He thundered and Celia clasped the necklace hanging from her neck tightly. What had she found herself in the middle of? What was this world her grandfather was living in?

“Or what? You’ll banish me from your kingdom?” Conrad said and laughed loudly. Celia stared at her grandfather who had turned his eyes to his lap again. He didn’t want to look at what was going on. He didn’t want to be a part of this.

“Conrad, the man is sick!” Wilder continued, placing his clenched fists on the table and leaning forward down the length of it. The table was so long however that he was nowhere close to reaching his brother. Conrad was still laughing; his laugh was ringing manically in Celia’s ears.

“What do you want me to do about it? Change his diapers?” He said, holding his belly as he laughed some more.

Celia couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up with a jerk from the table and threw the napkin from her lap on to the table.

“I’m taking grandpa away, to New York. This is insane.” She cried.

“No, no, Celia, sit down child.” Her grandfather said, but she wasn’t looking at him.

“He doesn’t deserve this. I’m taking him away from this horrid place.” She cried and ran out of the dining room. She could feel hot tears pressing against her eyelids as she ran. Straight through the living room, then through the foyer and out of the house, down the porch…running.

“Celia!” She heard Wilder’s voice behind her. She hadn’t expected anyone to follow her. She needed to be by herself.

“Please leave me alone. I’ve seen enough.” She cried, still keeping her pace up. She wasn’t quite sure where she was going. It had gotten dark by now, she could feel the dusty ground underneath her feet, but all she wanted to do was get as far away from the house as possible.

“Celia. Will you just stop running!” His voice was getting closer; he was catching up to her.

Then she felt his hands on her waist and he had whipped her around. Her body crashed against his wide chest, her hands pressing against his shoulders. He was holding her by her hips, close to himself. In the dark she could see his blue eyes sparkling as he stared straight at her.

“Stop running, Celia.” He said, in a much softer voice. She was out of breath, but nothing before had felt this way before, to just be in his arms.

He was strong, his body was muscular and hard. She could feel the strength in his grip, the rigidity of his thighs against her own soft curves. He released her as suddenly as he had caught her, but she could still barely breathe. The last thing she wanted was to be aroused by Wilder Moore, but that was exactly what was happening.

“I can’t…he needs to come with me.” She said, still breathless from the running. As her eyes adjusted in the dark, she found him staring at her, contemplating her face, her body. His look had changed; he didn’t seem as frightening as before.

“Do what you need to do, Celia. He’s your family. But I want you to know that he will always be welcome in my house. He is like a father to me.” She heard him say the words but she couldn’t believe what he was saying. This was a softer side of Wilder that she could never have imagined in him. Her heartbeat was evening, she licked her lips and gulped.

“That was painful to watch. The way Conrad, the way you…how you were fighting about him, right in front of him.” Celia said, screaming a little, and pointing at the house. Wilder remained calm, he hung his head as though he was ashamed.

“I know. I apologize. I can’t control him, he’s a nuisance. A spoilt brat.” He said harshly. Celia took a few steps towards him, catching his gaze, forcing him to look into her eyes. She didn’t know where she had suddenly manufactured this new strength from. She had been afraid of Wilder, but not anymore. Now she had seen exactly what he was made of.

“You were rude to me. I can handle that. But cruelty towards my dying grandfather…” She said and before she could finish her sentence, Wilder had caught her mouth with his lips. His hands were on her waist again, he had pulled her close to himself and was kissing her, wildly, just like his name. She could feel the scratching of his coarse beard on her cheeks and Celia closed her eyes against the world, she could feel her knees buckling and her heart melting. She had wanted this from the first moment she saw him.

* * *

Wilder was kissing her ferociously, like he had been waiting to kiss her all day. But she barely knew this man, and yet she couldn’t resist him. He was the man of her dreams. She could feel his tongue inside her mouth as he explored it. His hands were on her hips as he held her close, their bodies were pressing against each other.

He pulled away from her, leaving her breathless, and she said his name…Wilder…

“I’m sorry Celia.” She heard his soft heavy voice, while he was tugging his hand away from her. She grabbed him and pulled him to herself again.

“I want this. I want you now.” She said, holding his gaze, asserting herself. She wanted him to see just how much she wanted him. How she hadn’t wanted any man before like this. She hadn’t had anyone before him.

He was kissing her again. Her cheeks, her chin, his lips tracing her skin as he tasted her long pale neck. She arched her back to make space for him. When she opened her eyes, she could see the stars above her, it was night already, and they were all alone in the dark, with the lights from the house visible in the distance.

She felt his chest under her fingertips, and she was slowly undoing his buttons one by one. His shirt flapped open and revealed a strong wide chest. A light dusting of hair lined the middle and she ran her fingers through it.

Slowly she felt his fingers graze her thighs, lift up her dress up to her hips.

“Celia…” He breathed her name in her ears, then bit on her earlobe, taking it into his mouth gently and sucking it. Her fingernails dug into his flesh as she held him. He was making her wet. She had never felt this wet between her legs. The boys she had been with, whom she had kissed, whom she had allowed to touch her breasts…none of them had managed to make her feel like this. She hadn’t wanted to give her virginity to anybody before, not like she wanted to give it to this stranger.

His mouth found its way down her throat to the neck of her dress. He was tracing a wet line down her cleavage, dragging down the fabric with his teeth. She felt the cool night breeze against the flesh of her breasts as he pulled down her lace bra with his mouth. She moved against him, stuck to his hips, while his right hand softly touched the inside of her thigh.

“Wilder, take me now.” She said, with her eyes pressed close. She couldn’t bare it any more. She wanted to feel him against her, feel his hardness in her hands. She could feel the knots in her belly tightening. What was this feeling? An incredible urge to grind her hips against his, invite him in.

His hand found her blazing hot wetness. He stroked her and she winced. Nobody had touched her there before, but somehow this felt natural, like he had always been there, like his fingers had touched her center before. He slipped his forefinger in, slowly at first, his mouth still on her breast. Celia moved in his arms, bending backwards, enjoying the sensation of having a part of him inside her.

Then his mouth was on her nipple. It had hardened from her arousal and he sucked on it, tugging it with his teeth. She yelped with joy at the feeling of having the wetness of his mouth on her nipple. He was pushing his finger deeper into her, preparing her for what was to come. Then his stroking became more powerful, and her wetness grew.

“Do you like that?” He asked, raising his head to look at her. Celia nodded her head at him, her face flushed with desire, her breathing constricted. It was too much to bare, he was torturing her, she wanted him inside her not just his finger.

“I’m ready for you, please, take me now.” She cried, in a breathy whisper. Wilder slid out his finger and in one swift movement unbuckled his belt and undid his jeans. They fell to his ankles, revealing what she had been waiting for. A thick throbbing dick that she couldn’t take her eyes off of. It was strong and erect, calling out to her and never before had Celia wanted something so much.

He pulled her to himself again and lifted her up. It was amazing how light and small she felt in his arms. He held her facing him, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hardness was against her soft wet core; she could feel it throbbing against her skin. Celia bit down on her lip as he adjusted her, gripping her waist, pressing her against him.

Then he slid in without warning.

“You wanted this, Celia.” He said as she arched her back again, closing her eyes to feel the full power of him inside her. It was painfully pleasurable, the kind of feeling she had never felt before. He was big and throbbing inside her, she could feel his full length. He had thrust himself in completely, he hadn’t been tender with her this time. And he was right, this was what she had wanted.

She dug her nails into his arms as she clung on to him. He started pumping. She bounced in his arms as he pushed himself in and out of her. His face was darkened; his eyes were strained. It was like he couldn’t control himself when he knew he shouldn’t have been doing what he was doing. She wanted him to want her, just as much as she wanted him, but he was looking at her with anger, like she had made him do this.

He pumped inside her repeatedly, grunting with every thrust. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, knowing that she would never be the same again after this night. But this is how she had wanted to feel; this is how good she wanted a man to make her feel. So, wet that she couldn’t wait to have him inside her, so full to the brim with desire that she never wanted him to stop.

While Celia ran out of breath, Wilder only grunted, he could have gone on all night long. But he was reaching her deep inside, to her core where nobody had ever reached. He pumped and he pumped, while she bounced up and down in his arms, her strawberry blonde curls falling over her bare breasts that he had revealed.

A new feeling overtook her suddenly, she could feel her belly contracting, knotting up tightly, waiting to be released. He was bringing her to orgasm, using himself to manipulate her so that she would never feel this good again.

Celia let out a cry when she came. She hadn’t expected an orgasm to feel like this, this explosive. So, uncontrollable that her juices flowed out of her. Wilder didn’t stop thrusting, deep inside her so that her body shook beyond control. She yelped again as her toes curled in her sandals, and then she felt him explode inside her. His grip on her waist tightened, she felt like he might actually crush her to death. He clutched her hard and he growled like a wild beast as he came, releasing himself, shooting deep within her.

They were both out of breath now, as they began to climb down from their release. Celia was spent, and sweating and lay her head on his bare chest. He held her head to his heart as he breathed hard. He was still inside her.

They remained like that for several moments, their bodies cooling slowly, till she felt him slipping out of her. He released her gently so that her feet touched the ground, she was unsteady on her feet and tried to balance herself like she had just gotten off a rollercoaster.

“You should straighten your clothes.” He said, while keeping his eyes on his own clothes. He pulled his jeans up and started buttoning up his shirt.

Celia licked her lips, suddenly conscious of her exposed breasts and her messed up hair. She hoped against hope that her grandfather would have already gone to bed by now. She didn’t want him to see her like this.

They tidied themselves up in silence, keeping their eyes averted from each other. They both knew that it had been an unplanned surprise, that they barely knew each other, that this shouldn’t have happened. Wilder had resumed his usual annoyed tone of voice; Celia was meek again.

“About this…” He began to say, as he buttoned up the last one near his collar. Celia jerked her head up to look at him, some locks of her hair fell over her eyes and she blew them away.

“We don’t have to discuss it if you don’t want to.” She said, averting her eyes from him again. She could still feel him inside her, she still remembered how good she felt just being in his arms. But he had gone back to being his old self, closed up and unwilling to talk. There was no point dragging this out.

“Good. I’ll see you in the morning. Hope you sleep well.” He said, suddenly turning around and walking back towards the mansion. He had left Celia standing in the dark, staring after him.

She could hear the crickets chirping in the grass now, as she watched him walking up to the mansion, opening the door and going in. It was only then that she started to make her way towards the house. She wanted to avoid him, at least for the night. Because clearly he was avoiding her. She didn’t know what to think. She felt so hot and heavy, so confused with mixed emotions, the desire for Wilder still coursing through her veins. If he returned to her, came to her bed at night she would invite him in, she wanted to taste his mouth again.

Celia walked slowly back to the house, opened the door and found Wilder nowhere in sight. She didn’t even know where his room was, where he slept or what he might be doing.

“Where did you two run off to?” She heard Conrad’s voice behind her. She whipped around with her hand on her heart.

“You scared me!” She cried, her nose twitching at the mere sight of him. He had his hands thrust into the pockets of his pants and he took a few steps in her direction.

“So, did you have a good chat with my respectable brother?” He asked menacingly, it was clear that Conrad had a point to make. Had he seen them? Had he guessed it?

“I haven’t seen Wilder. He must have lost me when I left the house.” Celia said, brushing past him as she tried to get away; but Conrad had caught her hand and yanked her close to him.

“Don’t be in a hurry to leave, Celia. We all love Jack and we love having you here. You are very welcome.” He said with the same smiling face, but this time his face was unnervingly close to hers. She could smell the whisky on his breath that she hadn’t detected earlier. She tugged at her hand, trying to get it free. He held on tightly, smiling at her with a shining face. After a few moments, he finally let her go.

“Jack has gone to bed, so you’re free to do what you want now.” He said as she rubbed her wrist where he had been violently clutching her. “If you’re bored you should come to me, I don’t sleep till the early hours of the morning.” He added.

“I’m very tired. Good night Conrad.” Celia said, before whipping around and rushing to her room. She closed the door behind her and locked it from the inside, silently thankful that he hadn’t followed her. She detested Conrad now more than ever, especially because she knew that she was falling in love with his brother.

* * *

When Celia woke up next morning, she took another shower and changed into a fresh floral dress before leaving her room. It was nine in the morning, but she wasn’t sure what time anybody else in the household woke up. The house looked empty, she couldn’t hear another soul move anywhere.

Eventually, walking around the rooms she caught sight of her grandfather sitting on a rocking chair at the back porch. She joined him outside, placing a hand on his weary shoulder.

“Good morning, sweet child. How did you sleep?” He asked her. She gave him her hand and he held it tightly.

“Very well thank you.” Celia said, smiling at him.

“Sorry I didn’t wait up for you, Mr. Moore, the younger one, he put me to bed.” He explained.

“Good. Sorry I ran out like that. I couldn’t bear to be in the room with them, with both of them there.” She told him, shielding her face against the sun with her hand again.

“I understand, but Celia child, I hope you didn’t mean it when you said that you want to take me away from here.” He continued, staring up at her like a child would look up at a parent.

Celia pressed her grandfather’s hand, unwilling to commit to a response this quickly. She wanted to take him away from here for his own good, and he didn’t seem to understand it.

“I’ve lived here, in this town all my life. This is where I had my family, this ranch is where I worked and what I dedicated my life to. I don’t want to die anywhere else.” He said, looking at her with his watery eyes.

She breathed in deeply and nodded her head.

“I understand grandpa, I just can’t stand that they talk to you like this. That Conrad talks to you like this.” She said, patting his frail hand. “And don’t talk about dying, you’ll be fine.” She added a weak smile. They both knew the truth; he wasn’t recovering from this.

“Tempers were flying last night. Trust me my dear, I’ve been very happy here. Those two boys are like my own grandchildren.” He said, smiling at her the best he could.

The sound of horse hooves distracted them both at that moment and Celia turned to find Wilder on a beautiful chestnut horse, riding towards them like he didn’t mean to stop. He was in a brown shirt, tough jeans, boots and the same hat. He looked like a pro, strong and brave on his horse; and even from this distance Celia could see that he had an actual smile on his face! She was so surprised to see him smiling that she nearly clapped.

He came closer, slowing down now that he saw them on the porch.

“Morning.” He said, tipping his hat at Celia and turning a smiling face at her grandfather.

“Where is my brother?” He asked, stroking the neck of his horse as he steadied himself in front of them. Celia noticed how he was still avoiding her eyes, while she couldn’t think of anything else other than how he had slid into her the previous night. How she had seen him naked, knew how his chest felt under her fingertips.

“He must be sleeping.” Her grandfather said, and Celia could see in his eyes how much he admired the younger man. Wilder clenched his jaws and looked up at one of the windows.

“Celia, pass me that pebble.” He said suddenly, and she nearly stumbled in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to even acknowledge her, leave alone ask her to do something. She saw the pebble he was talking about and she stepped down from the porch and handed it over to him.

Their hands touched when they exchanged the piece of rock. It reminded her in a flash how rough and course his hands were, how large they felt on her body, how he had used that very same finger to make her feel beautiful the previous night.

But Wilder didn’t seem to notice their touch, instead he aimed the pebble at the window he was looking at and threw it. It fell to the ground and he tipped his head to it again, Celia picked it up and handed it to him, a smile forming on her face. He threw it at the window again. It clattered against the pane. They did it all over again a third time till the pane was being lifted up; Conrad’s head stuck out. His dark hair was a mess, his face looked thin and sleepy and he rubbed his eyes as he looked down at them.

“What?” He snapped at his brother.

“You better put on some clothes, little brother. The cattle aren’t going to herd themselves.” Wilder looked up at Conrad, with a bored look on his face. Celia was biting down on her lip, staring at Wilder. He looked handsome in the sun, unrealistically good looking. She couldn’t believe that he had made love to her the previous night, that he had left a little part of himself inside her.

“You are such a pain in the…” Conrad was saying and then he waved at Celia. “Morning Celia, you look beautiful in that dress.”

She forced herself to look up and smile at him.

“Good morning Conrad.” She said and looked away at her grandfather immediately.

“I’ll come down if Celia cooks me some scrambled eggs. That is the only way I’ll get out of bed.” Conrad said with that same wide smile on his face. Celia chuckled at the absurdity of it, and then she looked at her grandfather and at Wilder, with her widened brown eyes. She couldn’t believe that they actually expected her to do it.

“Just give him what he wants. Consider it your chore for the day.” Wilder said and before she could reply to him, he was riding away on his horse again.

“Two toasts, scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice. You’ll find a tray in the kitchen for them. Bring them up to my room.” Conrad called out to her, before he disappeared back into his room again.

Celia huffed, her mouth hanging open a little as she turned to her grandfather in complete surprise.

“Thank you dear. He’s the baby of the family, quite spoilt. But a good boy you’ll see.” He said, his voice strained, but at least he sounded happy; Celia thought. She sighed deeply, patted his hand and walked back into the house. She couldn’t remember the last time she had made breakfast for anybody but herself.

The eggs and toast were ready in fifteen minutes. She arranged them on a heavy tray, placed a glass of orange juice next to them and started carrying it to the stairs. At the foot of the steps she breathed in deeply and licked her lips. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, she thought. She didn’t want to be alone with Conrad, she didn’t want to be anywhere near him. But it was too late now, she should have said something to Wilder before.

She took the stairs slowly, stretching out time as much as she could till she finally reached the first floor, and to the door of Conrad’s bedroom. How spoilt was he? While his brother worked away at the ranch, without a single air of being wealthy; Conrad on the other hand behaved like he was some sort of prince.

Celia knocked on the door twice, before she heard his voice asking her to come in. The tray shook a little in her hand when she entered.

Conrad’s room was good enough to belong to a prince. With Wilder, it was easy for her to forget just how much money the two brothers had inherited, but Conrad clearly didn’t have any qualms about showing it off.

His bed cover was in a deep red velvet, to match the curtains as well as the upholstery on the chairs that dotted the room. His carpet was thick and Arabian. There were gold fixtures on everything, and an elaborately embroidered dressing gown hung from the back of the door which Celia shut as she entered his room.

Conrad smiled at her, his face still a mess, as he straightened to sit himself up on his bed.

“Smells great, you’re a doll.” Conrad said as she brought the tray closer to him.

“Leave it on my lap.” He said and she placed it gently on his outspread legs. Then he patted the bed next to him, the smile still on his face. Celia remained standing in front of him and tucked a few strands of her curls behind her ears.

“Have a seat Celia.” He insisted, but she didn’t budge.

“I’ll go attend to my grandfather now. Enjoy your meal.” She said curtly and just when she was about to turn around, he stopped her.

“Be careful of my brother.” He had said.

Celia’s brows crossed and she looked at him, remaining still where she stood.

“What are you talking about?” She asked him, watching his every movement closely now. Conrad had begun to scoop spoonsful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, and held a buttered toast in his other hand.

“I mean exactly what I just said, that you should be careful of Wilder. I’ve seen the way you look at him.” He said, munching on his toast. Celia straightened her neck and raised her chin.

“You really shouldn’t accuse me of things you don’t know about. I hardly know your brother, or you. I’m here for my grandfather, to look after him.” She said, making sure that she sounded calm and confident. The last thing she wanted Conrad to smell, was fear.

“Sure, that’s why you came here. But wouldn’t you want to be looked after yourself?” He asked, smirking at her again. Celia kept her mouth pressed close. She couldn’t be sure what he was talking about and she wanted him to explain.

“You quit your job, a promising career. You can’t be sure how long old Jack will live, what will you do when you go back to New York after a year? Two years? You’ll be too old for the fashion industry, some new twenty-three-year-old would have taken your job.” Conrad continued, enjoying himself on her account.

“I’m not sure where you’re going with this.” Celia interrupted him before he could say anything else.

Conrad gave a small laugh.

“Just that you’ve had a chance to get a look around the house, and I know you like what you see. It could be yours.” He said. Celia’s head jerked up sharply to him, what did he mean? What was he talking about? She didn’t get a good feeling from all this.

“Don’t look so surprised honey. I’m only offering you a position by my side.” Conrad laughed again.

“What does that mean?” She cried, losing her temper at him.

“Be with me, give me company in this lonely deserted place. Maybe someday we could marry, have children…who knows? For now, you could have this whole house at your disposal and my protection from my brother, just by sleeping with me.” Conrad had pushed his tray away from himself and was looking at Celia with glittering blue eyes.

She could feel her cheeks flush; her nostrils were flaring.

“Why would I need protection from Wilder?” She asked him, ready to throw a lamp at his head because of the things that he was saying.

“Because ever since Wilder’s wife left him, he has hated women. You won’t be safe around him alone.” Conrad said, his face was serious and he wasn’t smiling any more.

But Celia was running out of the room. The door shut with a bang behind her as she ran down the stairs. She wished she had never gotten on that train from Austin.

* * *

Celia knew she needed to talk with Wilder. She hadn’t, she didn’t want to believe a word that Conrad had said to her. The fact that Wilder could be dangerous, that he had a wife who had left him…none of that made sense. The way she had felt the previous night in Wilder’s arms, she couldn’t have felt if she was afraid of him, if he was the kind of person who might hurt her.

Wilder was nowhere in sight. Celia prepared a bowl of soup for her grandfather and then set off towards the back of the house to look for him. She crossed the porch, then walked along the stables, she thought she could hear his voice in the back, talking to the animals. She needed to see him. This was happening too fast, she had only just met him, but she had given him her virginity, she was falling in love with a man she barely knew. But even if she didn’t know him, she knew that Conrad couldn’t be truthful. Wilder wasn’t the man his brother thought he was.

Celia stopped when she saw him. Wilder was several feet deep in a pit of wet mud with a rope in his hand. He had rubber boots on, but his jeans were nonetheless stained and muddy. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and his hat was tipped back on his head. He was oblivious to the scorching sun.

She called out to him, but he didn’t seem to hear her.

“Wilder!” She yelled again, and this time he turned slowly where he was standing. Even from the distance Celia noticed how his eyes changed when he saw her. He remained standing where he was, not making a move in her direction. He wanted her to come to him.

“Can I talk to you?” She asked, panting. Her nerves were wrecked, she didn’t want Conrad to see them talking…and mostly, she was excited to see him. That was the effect that Wilder had on her, every time she laid her eyes on him.

Wilder had still not moved, waved or said a word. Almost like he couldn’t understand her.

“Wilder! Can we talk?” She said again.

“Sure.” She heard him say, but he still wasn’t willing to come to her.

Celia lifted up her dress with both her hands and confidently stepped into the pit, her feet sinking several inches. She was wearing a pair of leather sandals which were sure to be ruined by what she was doing now, but she didn’t care. She needed to get this over with.

She strode towards him, dragging her feet through the mud, aware that it was staining her long pale calves. Aware also that Wilder was looking at her, with a strange smile on his face. Why did he like to watch her embarrass herself?

“This is ridiculous. Why wouldn’t you just come over there?” She said, as she walked towards him. The wet mud splashed on her dress too and Celia had to try very hard not to wince. When she looked up she noticed that Wilder was studying her dress, her mud stained legs, her body.

“You wanted to talk to me, I didn’t see the point of going to you.” He said, tugging at his rope, at the other end of which a muddy sheep was tied.

Celia sighed and met his gaze. His deep blue eyes were boring into her, she licked her lips and noticed the way he watched her every movement.

“I just wanted to ask you, well I wanted to talk to you.” Celia said, fumbling with her words. She was convinced that she needed to talk to him, but when it came to it she didn’t know exactly what she was going to say. She hadn’t come prepared for this conversation.

“You’ve mentioned that already. What did you want to say?” Wilder asked. His brows had crossed and he looked irritated, like she was wasting his time.

“Just…well, about…” She tried to form the words again, looking about her, trying to find the right way to broach the subject. But Wilder interrupted her.

“Is this about what happened last night? Because I thought you were fine with us not talking about it.” He said sternly, like he was losing his patience with a naughty child. Celia felt offended. She had expected him to treat her with a little more respect after what had happened, after he had made it so clear to her that he wanted her.

“It is in a way.” She said sharply, still clutching her dress up above her knees. Wilder shook his head, like he was disappointed and then looked away from her.

“I thought you weren’t going to be one of those girls.” He said, with a sarcastic smirk on his face.

“What girls?” Celia asked, her pride had been wounded by now.

“Who would care about something like that.” He continued and their gazes met again.

“How dare you? You thought I was the kind of girl who just spreads her legs for anybody?” She said, her voice tearing as she spoke. Didn’t he know that he had taken her virginity? That there had been nobody before him? How could he say something like this?

She heard him laugh. A small laugh, but one that hurt her soul. He thought all of this was a joke!

“So it meant nothing to you? It was done, gone, a thing of the past for you?” Celia was yelling now, trying to hold back her temper but she couldn’t.

“What else was it supposed to be? We had just met. I don’t even know you.” Wilder said, clicking his tongue at his sheep. He still had that smirk on his face that was driving Celia crazy. She couldn’t believe it. Could Conrad actually have been right?

“If I did know you I would have known that you have a wife.” She said, a little more calmly now. Wilder’s face changed instantly. The smirk disappeared and he lunged at her. The rope had dropped from his hand and he was holding her, his hands on both her arms. Squeezing tightly. She could feel the strength in his arms, how easy it would be for him to hurt her.

But Celia looked back at him boldly, meeting his eyes directly.

“What did you just say to me?” He asked, growled.

“That I know about your wife, now. I know you’re a married man. You drove your wife away. She left you.” Celia continued. Her voice was choking in her throat as she felt the pressure of his hands on her arms. It wasn’t painful yet but it would be if he kept holding her like that any longer.

Wilder’s teeth were gritted as he looked at her. Their faces were mere inches apart. She could see the small dark pupils in the center of his blue eyes, how his thin red lips curved on the sides, how his jaw was peppered with a soft dark beard that he hadn’t shaved today.

“Who told you this? Conrad?” Wilder growled again, his grip tightening on her arms. Celia was breathing heavily again. A few more seconds and she decided she would scream, scream at the top of her lungs and hope that someone might hear her.

“Let me go, you brute!” She said. And suddenly he did.

Wilder released his grip on her arms and Celia breathed in deeply. She used her hands to rub the spots where he had been holding her. Red spots marked her pale skin there as she looked at him with violent eyes.

“So it is true.” She said, her nostrils were flaring. Wilder stepped away from her, unwilling to look at her face any more.

“Just get out of my sight.” He said in a low haggard voice.

“So you hate women because your wife left you? What did you do to her?” Celia asked, unconcerned that her dress was now trailing the mud and was essentially ruined.

“I don’t want to talk about my wife with you. Just get out of here!” This time he had yelled, barked at her. She could see that his face had turned red and the veins on the sides of his neck had popped out. He was angry, enraged and now she could see how frightening Wilder could be when he was actually mad at someone.

“You don’t want to talk about her with me because I mean nothing to you!” She yelled back at him, her own throat beginning to grow hoarse now.

“That’s right. You mean nothing! Just leave!” He yelled again, and Celia turned on her heels and started wading back through the muddy pit towards dry land. She didn’t bother to hitch her dress up. She didn’t care about anything anymore. She was so ashamed of herself, so disappointed in thinking that the previous night had meant something to both of them. Conrad was right. His brother was a maniac.

“You’ve come here to look after your grandfather.” Wilder called out to her just as she stepped out of the pit. Celia turned to look at him once more, her breasts were rising and falling with every painful breath that she took.

“That is what you’re here for, and don’t forget that he just works for us. Remember your place here.” Wilder said and then turned around, tugging his sheep out of the pit on the other side.

She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. The things he had just told her. He wanted to remind her that she was beneath them. That he had slept with her only because he could, not because of any other reason. At least Conrad was asking permission, he wanted to make a deal, he wasn’t just seducing her and then flinging her to the side after it was done.

Celia started walking back to the house, leaving a trail of drying mud as she went. She wanted to cry, to scream, to punch a wall…anything to make this feeling of humiliation go away. Wilder had violently put her in her place. He had a wife. He hated women, he couldn’t stand her. What was she even thinking? That a man like him could want anything more than a one night stand in the dark?

Her grandfather was still sitting on the porch when Celia climbed the steps back.

“Where have you been? You’re all muddy. Were you in the pig sty?” He asked her, a humorous smile appearing on his face. She tried to smile back at him. He was the reason she was here. Wilder had reminded her of it, she needed to stick to her duties. But Celia couldn’t smile, she couldn’t forget the way he had gripped her arms, like he didn’t care if she got hurt or not.

“I was just talking to Wilder. I’m going to quickly wash up and then we can go for a walk out front. You can be in your wheelchair.” She said, wiping her soiled hands on her dress.

“I would like that very much. I’ll wait for you here.” Her grandfather said as she pushed open the screen door and stepped back in the house.

“Oh, Celia. How is your day coming along?” She had bumped into Conrad who had just climbed down the stairs. It had been at least an hour or more since breakfast. He had taken that much time to get ready, and he wasn’t even dressed for a day out in the fields with the animals. He looked like he was ready for a game of golf.

“I’m taking grandpa for a walk. Do you want to join us?” She found herself asking him.

* * *

“I’m sorry if I came across as mean to you and Jack last night.” Conrad said.

The three of them were walking at snail’s pace, with Celia pushing her grandfather’s wheelchair. Conrad was beside her, being his usual pleasant self.

“Apology accepted.” She said curtly. Celia still hadn’t quite forgotten about the things Wilder had said, and she still felt like her ego was bruised. However, Conrad’s politeness and the attention he was giving her was helping the situation. Her grandfather kept dozing off as they walked, giving Conrad and her enough freedom to talk.

He had been telling her about the ranch, how his grandfather had built it from scratch. The stories from his childhood sounded like a lot of fun, like the kind of childhood any kid would be envious of. He also spoke very little of his older brother which was good for her because Celia didn’t exactly want to talk about him.

“I’m glad because I felt very bad about it, and also how I behaved with you.” He continued, in a softer voice. He was being careful of how much her grandfather could hear, although the old man had fallen asleep again, enjoying the lulling motion of being walked in peace.

Celia looked ahead of her and nodded her head.

“I was just shocked by it all. I guess I was tired from the journey too, and I didn’t know what to expect.” She replied.

“I imagine you just wanted to spend some time with your grandfather, and instead you were stuck with two rogue men.” Conrad said with a laugh, and Celia smiled.

“I wouldn’t call you that.” She said with a glitter in her eyes as she turned to him. He was handsome, very handsome she noted. His dark hair shone brilliantly, and he shared the same blue eyes as his brother. Conrad’s looks were just softer; he was more pale and dressed more luxuriously. And around Conrad, Celia didn’t feel afraid.

But what was also missing was the thrill. She could feel it. There was no electricity in the air, a look from Conrad didn’t send shivers down her spine, she wasn’t undressing him with her eyes, the way she did Wilder.

“Did you give it any thought?” He interrupted her thoughts. Celia cleared her throat and crossed her brows at him.

“Give what any thought?”

“What I proposed to you this morning.” He said, and she immediately felt silent. He wasn’t being offensive this time, he was saying it more gently, like he was being earnest in his request.

“I can’t give it any thought till I fully understand what your intentions are.” Celia said, in a whisper. She too was now conscious of her grandfather overhearing their conversation. He was lightly snoring in the wheelchair now as they walked, but she couldn’t be too careful.

“Well, my intentions are to have you by my side. Spend time with you, much like we are doing now, except that of course…I would want more.” Conrad said and she interrupted him.

“I understand, but what I don’t get is why you’re asking me. I’m sure you have the money and the capacity to go to a different city, live elsewhere…if you’re this lonely, and if you need company.” Celia said, her brows still crossed. She was calming down now. It was nice being able to have a proper conversation with someone without being threatened or shooed away. Conrad was definitely much better behaved than his brother.

Conrad gave a short laugh, and he looked at Celia again, shrugging his shoulders.

“I have no other choice but to be here. If I leave the ranch now, my brother will take everything. He will work behind my back and make sure I don’t get what is rightfully mine. I can’t just leave all this behind. He hates me. He’s always detested me because my parents loved me more.” Conrad explained.

Celia licked her lips and looked ahead again. She didn’t know what to think. She knew what Conrad wanted from her, but what was it worth to her? Why would she do this? Wouldn’t she have to like him first? Be attracted to him if she was going to get into an arranged relationship with him?

He had noticed her thinking and he suddenly placed a hand on her waist. Celia looked up at him sharply, but she didn’t draw herself away.

“Look, Celia.” He said, ignoring the surprise in her eyes. He was comfortable touching her, and she forced herself to feel comfortable in it as well. If she was thinking about giving this relationship a shot, she had to try and coach herself to like him. What did she have to lose?

“I can take care of you, for as long as you want to stay here. I will take care of Jack, and I want to care for you too.” He continued, and she blinked at him.

“You mean, you want to pay me for my services?” She said sharply, and now tugged herself away from him so that his hands dropped to his sides. What was wrong with these two brothers? She thought, biting down on her lip, why did they both have the completely wrong impression of her?

“No, not like that. Not pay you. Just take care of your cost of living here, for as long as you need. Maybe you can start saving some money for later, if you want to go back to New York. And if you don’t want to go back, you can stay here for as long as you like.” Conrad reached for Celia’s hand and held it tightly in his. He squeezed it, looking kindly into her eyes. She stared back at him, her nose twitching with confusion.

“I’ll have to think about it.” She said, drawing her hand away sharply.

Conrad smiled at her and nodded his head.

“Of course. And in answer to your question about why I chose you, and not someone else…well, isn’t that easy to see? You’re beautiful. The most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I think I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. There’s no use in denying that.” He went on, and Celia felt her cheeks flush. She looked away from him, suppressing a smile as best she could.

“I can see you’re glad to hear that. You should be, because that is the truth.” Conrad continued and Celia pushed the wheelchair harder.

“Thank you for the compliment, Conrad. But I don’t want to make a decision in a hurry. It’s not something that comes to me naturally.” Celia replied, keeping her eyes on the road. They had made a turn in the direction of the house again. She wanted to get started on dinner. Wilder hadn’t asked her to, but she wanted to cook her family’s recipe of spicy sausage casserole for her grandfather.

“Of course, I didn’t think it did come to you naturally. I just wanted us both to benefit out of this. I don’t see any reason why not. Neither of us will have anything to lose.” He said hurriedly as they walked along. Celia pursed her lips and drew in a deep breath. He was right, she had nothing to lose. Especially now when Wilder had made it very clear to her that she needed to stay away from him.

When they reached the house, Wilder was standing on the porch with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs set apart.

Celia could see the fury in his eyes, just from the way he was glaring at them. Her grandfather had begun stirring in the wheelchair, slowly waking up from the deep peaceful sleep he just had.

“Where have you been?” Wilder snarled when they came into earshot. Celia’s muscles grew tight; her body was reacting to his presence again. More than afraid, she wanted to hate him. And Wilder was making it very easy for her to do so.

“We just took old Jack for a walk there, where have you been brother?” Conrad asked cheerily, ignoring Wilder’s obvious rage.

“That is what Celia was doing. What were you doing Conrad? When you should have been tending to the pigs? The horses needed to be groomed too. You’ve been missing since the morning. It’s past lunch now.” Wilder took a few steps down towards them, his arms still crossed, his chest heaving. He hadn’t looked at Celia once.

“Actually, I asked him to join us.” She said, and the two brothers turned to her. Conrad had a smile on his face, while Wilder’s nostrils were flared. He was looking at her with disgust, like she had just said something filthy.

“Why? He needs to be helping me with the running of the ranch.” Wilder said, taking a few steps in her direction. Celia felt the instant appearance of goosebumps on her arms, the hair at the back of her neck stood up. The moment Wilder had looked at her directly, she felt like her knees would buckle. She clutched the handle bars of her grandfather’s wheelchair tightly for support.

“I didn’t know my way around, so I asked Conrad to show me. One day won’t make much of a difference, will it?” Celia looked past Wilder’s shoulder at Conrad who looked back at her with a pleased expression on his face. She raised her chin up at Wilder, who was glaring at her still.

“You had Jack with you. Jack knows these parts better than Conrad. My brother rarely leaves his room unless he wants something.” Wilder spat the words out, and without waiting for Celia to reply he whipped around at Conrad.

“You need to start pulling your weight around here Conrad, this is the last time I’m telling you.” Wilder said, walking up to his brother’s face now.

Celia saw her grandfather move in his wheelchair. She could see that he was beginning to grow uncomfortable. He didn’t want to see the boys fighting.

“I’m going to cook us some sausage casserole for dinner. You’re relieved of your cooking duties for tonight, Wilder.” Celia said, turning up the cheer in her voice. Wilder and Conrad both looked at her and she forced a smile on her face.

“Sausage casserole?” It was her grandfather who spoke.

“Yeah, the one grandma taught mama, remember? I’ll make it just the way you like it grandpa.” Celia bent forward to smile at her grandfather, who tickled her chin and she giggled.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if anybody needs me.” She said as she climbed up the porch steps, leaving all the men behind.

“I can’t wait for dinner, Celia.” She heard Conrad say and she turned to smile at him. Wilder grunted and walked away, shoving his brother in the shoulder as he did it. After Wilder, had walked away from them, Conrad raised his eyebrows at her and shook his head. She was still standing on the porch, looking at Wilder’s brooding figure disappear into the distance. He hadn’t once turned to look at any of them.

“What did I tell you? If he could he would see me drown in a puddle.” Conrad said and smacked his lips. Celia turned and walked back into the house. She needed to think. She needed to seriously think about everything that was happening.

While walking to the kitchen she tried to lay out the points of detail. She was attracted to Wilder, but he didn’t want her. He wanted to be left alone. The person who wanted her, who wanted her madly; was Conrad. In fact, Wilder might even be dangerous, while Conrad could be good for her. Wasn’t it a better decision to be with the person who wants you? Instead of yearning for the man who doesn’t even care that you exist?

Celia shook her head as she walked into the kitchen, grabbing Wilder’s apron off the hook and tying it around her waist. Tonight, she was just going to concentrate on cooking a hearty meal for her grandfather, the rest could wait till the next day.

* * *

By the time Celia had finished cooking dinner it was dark outside again. Her grandfather had joined her in the kitchen and she was having a great time chatting with him. Celia had nearly forgotten all her troubles with the two brothers, laughing and joking with her beloved grandpa. When she laid out the plates on the dining table, and had placed the casserole in the center; she left her grandfather in the room and went in search of the two Moore brothers.

They had to be outside, she thought, and wiping her hands on the apron Celia walked to the back of the house towards the porch. But she stopped in her tracks when she heard raised voices. They were fighting again. It was Wilder’s enraged voice that had made her stop in her tracks and she pressed her back to the wall and stood to listen.

“Watch your step, little brother.” She could sense that Wilder was speaking through gritted teeth.

“You’re just jealous because you know that Celia will accept my offer.” Conrad’s light hearted voice came through. This time too it was Wilder who was the more furious one, while Conrad was more calm and relaxed. Surprisingly, he wasn’t very afraid of his brother.

“She will not, and if she does then you’re doomed.” Wilder spoke, still angry, still yelling but trying to keep his voice low at the same time. Conrad gave out a shrill laugh.

“What is even your problem, Wilder? It’s not like you can have her.” Conrad said, sending a thrill down Celia’s spine. It was still their little secret. The truth was that Wilder did have her, he had her virginity, he was the only man she had given in to. She wanted to hear what he had to say, wanted to hear it in his voice. Wilder was silent for a few moments, while Celia tried to suppress a smile.

“What makes you think I even want her?” He spat out, wiping the smile off Celia’s face. She felt her lips twitch, she had heard the hatred in Wilder’s voice. He really didn’t care. He regretted what had happened that night. And he wasn’t about to confess to his brother.

“Because nobody else wants you. Because your wife left you and you have nothing to look forward to in your life.” Conrad said, still with the laugh in his voice. His words had stung Celia as well. They were harsh words, words nobody deserved to hear. But perhaps Wilder deserved it. Perhaps he was the kind of man who deserved to have his brother say this to him.

“Don’t talk about Katherine. You have no right to talk about Katherine.” Wilder’s voice was even more enraged now. Celia heard a light thud, Wilder had pushed Conrad to the wall. But Conrad only laughed. He enjoyed inciting violence in his brother, he enjoyed the reaction. Celia’s breath was caught in her throat. She was eavesdropping on a private conversation. She shouldn’t have been listening to any of this.

“I have as much right to talk about Katherine as you do.” Conrad said when he stopped laughing.

“Shut up. Stop talking about her.” Wilder was yelling.

“You made Katherine so unhappy that she had no other choice. She was so lonely and angry with you that…” Conrad continued, ignoring his brother’s rage.

“You were eighteen. You were a child. She had no right. You didn’t know what you were doing, but she did.” Wilder was yelling again, but Celia could tell that he wasn’t yelling at his brother. He was yelling at the world, at himself.

“I was old enough to know that she wanted me. And you made that happen. You pushed her towards me.” Conrad continued, and Celia gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand. Wilder’s wife had slept with his brother. That was why she left. That was why Wilder was so bitter.

“That’s enough, Conrad.” Wilder said, he was breathing hard but his voice had dropped.

“Are you ashamed, big brother? That your beautiful new bride wanted your eighteen-year-old brother more than she wanted you?” Conrad continued, laughing a little.

Celia was at the verge of tears. She couldn’t stand the things that Conrad was saying. She couldn’t imagine the pain that Wilder was in.

“I said, that’s enough.” Wilder growled, but Conrad only laughed.

“You’ll never get over it. And you’ll never have Celia. Because she doesn’t want you.” Conrad added.

“And I don’t want her!” Wilder yelled, his voice thick with emotion and anger. Celia wanted to scream too, but she couldn’t.

“Good. Because it’s not happening.” She heard Conrad say and then the shuffle of his feet. He was climbing down the porch and walking away from Wilder. He had left his older brother to stand and brood by himself.

Celia allowed a few minutes to pass. She could sense that Wilder was still out there. He was breathing loudly, harshly; like he was trying to force himself to calm down. Like he was trying to forget the things that Conrad had just said to him. Then she snuck out from her position behind the wall and opened the porch door.

“Wilder?” She called out to him in a soft voice.

She could see him standing at the edge of the porch, looking out at the ranch. He was leaning slumped against a wooden arch, completely unaware of Celia’s presence there. When he heard her voice, he whipped around to find her. Even in the dark dusky light she could see that his eyes were bloodshot and red, he hardly had any control over his breathing.

“What do you want, Celia?” He hurled the words at her.

“I just wanted to speak with you for a bit. I just wanted to see how you were doing.” She said kindly, hoping that he would see that she was there in peace. She didn’t want to fight with him. She had felt just as hurt by Conrad’s words as he probably was. She could physically feel his pain.

Wilder’s sandy blonde hair fell thickly over his eyes; he wasn’t wearing his hat. His blue eyes looked small and dark. He was breathing heavily, with his lips parted.

“No, Celia, what do you really want?” He repeated himself. She was confused, her brows were furrowed. What was he asking her? She took a few steps towards him, and he straightened himself, watching her every move.

“You know what I want. You felt it.” She said softly, walking up close to him now. She could see that his gaze had dropped to her breasts. Was he as aroused as she was? Did he feel the same way around her as she did when he was near? Were there goosebumps on his flesh too? She wished he knew the effect he had on her, even with just his voice.

Wilder remained quiet, and Celia extended her hand, gently daring to touch his cheek. His skin was ruddy, tanned and rough. He hadn’t shaved still, and his emerging beard was rough but still quite short. She stroked it delicately, enjoying the tingling feeling of its coarseness on her skin. She wanted his mouth on hers. She wanted to thrust her tongue into his mouth. She wanted that beard to chafe her skin as he licked her neck.

“Wilder…” She breathed his name. He didn’t move, he was standing very still, looking at her face, at her body.

She placed another hand on his chest, slipping in a finger through the gap in his shirt so that she could feel the solid muscles on his chest. Celia felt herself growing wet immediately. She wanted him again. She wanted to feel him inside her. He was the most delicious man she had ever met.

“I do want you. Conrad doesn’t know what I want.” She dared to say, and watched as his eyes grew wild. He looked angrier than before, but only licked his lips, studying the curves of her jaw, her lips. She could see he wanted her, he was growing in his pants. She dropped her gaze to watch it grow. She liked the power she had on him, as much as he tried to resist her, he couldn’t. His body wouldn’t let him.

She turned her face to him and smiled.

“Say you want me too.” She whispered. He hadn’t said a word yet, but focused his attention on her cleavage. Celia dropped her hand from his chest to the bulge in his pants and he grabbed her by the wrist. That same strength had returned to his arm, and Celia nearly gasped.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Wilder hissed, bringing his face close to her face.

“I know you want me, Wilder.” Celia cried, her voice tearing as she squirmed under his fiery gaze.

“You are making plans with my brother. You’re going to be Conrad’s woman, what are you doing touching me?” Wilder hissed again. Celia tried jerking her hand out of his grip but he held her tightly.

“That isn’t true, I haven’t told him anything. He says he wants me, but I want you.” She tried explaining, but Wilder was holding her close to him, tightening his grip on her hand.

“No, you listen to me Celia. I won’t allow you to play us. I’m not as foolish as Conrad. You can have each other, you both deserve it. Just leave me alone. You hear?” He let go of her hand suddenly, and the force of it nearly threw Celia off her balance. She rocked back gently and then Conrad pushed past her, back into the house.

She was left out in the porch, alone again in the dark, for a second time by him. She couldn’t understand it. Why was he treating her like this? What did he want from her? Why was he so afraid of admitting that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him?

Footsteps up ahead distracted her, and Celia drew in quick breaths. It was Conrad coming up to the porch again, and she ran her fingers through her strawberry blonde curls in impatience. At least he was a friendly face.

“There you are, my beautiful girl.” Conrad climbed up to the porch two steps at a time. Before she had the chance to say anything he had pulled her in close to himself and was kissing her. Celia’s face froze as their lips pressed together. She wasn’t kissing him back but Conrad didn’t seem to notice. He kissed her, and she noticed that he had cold lips, but she didn’t struggle in his arms.

“Jack needs his dinner.” Wilder’s voice broke them apart, and Celia gasped, hiding her face away from him. He was standing behind her. He had crept up on them quietly. His voice was calm now, accepting and resigned.

“Sure, let’s go have dinner.” Conrad said with a flourish and she felt his hand on hers, tugging her in his direction. Celia kept her face hidden from Wilder as she was pulled past him into the house. She couldn’t bear to look at him. He had caught her kissing Conrad, mere minutes after she had claimed that she wanted him instead, after she had just tried to seduce him.

“That smells great.” Conrad said, tugging her gently towards the dining room. Celia smiled quickly and turned her face away from him. She had avoided looking at Wilder successfully, but it also meant that she didn’t know what he was thinking, she hadn’t seen his eyes. He must really hate her now, she thought, now his suspicions were definitely proven correctly. Now Wilder would be sure that she was playing the two brothers, that she was only trying to seduce him for her own gains.

Celia could barely breathe. She didn’t know how she would share dinner in the middle of these two men.

* * *

They were eating their dinner in complete silence. Not one of them had spoken a word yet, except Celia’s grandfather who was so happy to taste the casserole that he couldn’t hide the glow from his face.

“This is exactly like my wife’s, your grandma’s. Thank you, Celia, my child you have made me so happy.” Jack was happy, smacking his lips as he took each bite of his dinner. Celia pushed the food around in her plate in silence, only acknowledging her grandfather’s compliments with a weak smile.

Conrad was sitting next to her, not bothering to hide the smug smile on his face. He had just stolen a kiss from her, and had seated himself beside her. In his mind, it was all but accepted that she and him were going to be together.

Wilder was at the head of the table again, concentrating on his food, not looking at anybody. Celia couldn’t look at him either. She was too ashamed, too upset, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. She wished she hadn’t come here, that she had never met Wilder…then a man like Conrad would have been more than good enough for her.

Jack finished his food and pushed his plate away from him.

“I’m stuffed. That was brilliant.” He said, rubbing his stomach energetically.

“You are a star.” Conrad turned to her, wiping the corners of his mouth with a tissue paper. Celia smiled again, looking at Wilder with short bursts of glances. He had still not finished his food; he wasn’t looking up.

“You have a talented granddaughter, Jack. She really knows her stuff.” Conrad continued with the compliments. Celia wasn’t blushing, she wasn’t even paying attention to his words.

Wilder suddenly stood up from his chair, picking the half-eaten plate of casserole from in front of him.

“I’ll do it.” Celia stood up too.

“No, I’ll tidy up.” Wilder said, without looking at her.

“But you haven’t even finished it. Didn’t you like it? Was it too spicy?” Celia asked, wringing her hands together.

“Don’t be offended by Wilder, Celia. He doesn’t appreciate anything that anyone does for him.” Conrad commented. The two brothers exchanged bitter looks, while Conrad remained seated. Wilder took his plate and his empty glass from the table and disappeared into the kitchen.

Jack was still clutching belly, and he smiled at his grand-daughter.

“Why don’t I get you ready for bed instead then, grandpa?” Celia asked him.

“Before you do that, can we have a private chat first, Celia?” Conrad had placed a hand on hers, and she looked at him. His blue eyes sparkled in their friendliness. His dark hair was brushed back and glistening in the light from the yellow lamps in the dining room.

“Do you mind, grandpa? To wait a bit?” Celia asked him.

Jack looked at her, with concern in his eyes. Then he looked at Conrad. He wasn’t sure what to think of the whole thing.

“Oh don’t look so frightened, Jack! I’m not going to gobble up your grand-daughter.” Conrad stood up from his chair with an accomplished laugh.

“Of course I don’t mind. But what are you two going to talk about?” Jack asked, turning to Celia again. She gulped, aware that her grandfather had his suspicions. Moreover, there was no way that she was going to tell him about the little arrangement she was discussing with Conrad. What would he think of her?

“You don’t have to concern yourself with that, old sport.” Conrad said and grabbed Celia’s hand again, leading her out of the drawing room into the living room.

When they got there, Celia pulled her hand away from his.

“You can’t behave like that in front of grandpa.” She said, twisting her eyebrows in annoyance at him. She was trying so hard to like him, trying so hard to appreciate his affection for her…but she couldn’t, not when she was feeling the way she did about Wilder.

“Behave like what?” Conrad asked, standing very close to her.

“I don’t want him to know about us.” Celia said, looking about her nervously. Conrad smiled and then placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Does that mean you’re saying yes?” He asked. Celia licked her lips and looked at him.

“No, not yet. I’m still thinking about it.” She said.

Conrad’s face darkened immediately. The smile had disappeared and was replaced by a sour scorn.

“What is taking you so much time to decide? I’m just handing over an easy-going life to you, for almost nothing more in return. I know you enjoyed that kiss. I know you want to sleep with me. Teasing me isn’t working, Celia.” He spoke quickly, harshly and she flinched from the words he was flinging at her. She suddenly wanted to cry.

“I’m not teasing you. It’s just not easy for me. I feel like a prostitute doing this.” She said and Conrad smiled, squeezing her shoulder.

“No…don’t think like that.” He said and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face up at him. “That is not who you will be to me. This is a chance at a legitimate relationship. I need you and you need me.” He said, but she didn’t reply.

“Make up your mind Celia. I’ll be waiting for you in my room, otherwise we will have to make different living arrangements for you and Jack.” He said and drew his hand away from her quickly. Celia gulped again as she watched Conrad leave the room in a hurry. He was threatening her now! He was going to have her grandfather and her thrown out of their home if she didn’t comply with him. Where would they go? Back to New York? But her grandfather didn’t want to be anywhere else but here. Such a thing would break his heart. She felt like crying, she was growing desperate. What had she gotten herself into?

She turned on her heels and walked back into the dining room to be with her grandfather. Celia was fighting back tears, keeping them back for his sake.

But he wasn’t there.

“Grandpa!” She yelled out, in a sudden fear that something had happened to him.

Celia ran out of the dining room, towards his bedroom, her feet sliding over the oak floors as she rushed. Celia flung open the door to his bedroom. And there he was, and so was Wilder. Her grandfather was sitting on the edge of his bed, with his feet dipped into a broad bucket of water. Wilder was at his feet, scrubbing the older man’s feet with a coarse sponge. They had both looked up at Celia when she burst in through the door.

She couldn’t stop the tumult of emotions that rushed into her heart when she saw them there. Never in her wildest dreams would she had imagined Wilder like this, so gentle and caring towards anyone. They were natural in each other’s company. It was evident that Wilder had done this for her grandfather before, that he probably even did it quite often.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared at them. She knew that her eyes were watering.

“Come in dear, Mr. Moore is just scrubbing my feet. I can’t reach them when I take my bath you see.” Her grandfather said kindly.

Celia was looking at Wilder, her brown eyes wide, and he was looking back at her too, innocently.

“Do you need some help?” She managed to say.

Wilder turned around, gave the older man’s feet a final scrub and then stood up, lifting the bucket up by its handle.

“Thank you, but we’re all done here. You can tuck him in if you like. I’ve helped him change already.” Wilder said and walked past her and out of the bedroom.

Her grandfather silently lifted his feet up on the bed and straightened them. Celia walked over, tugging the covers over him and then tucking them into the sides of his bed. She knelt down by his side and her grandfather reached for her face with both his hands.

“Thank you dear, thank you for being here. I know what kind of sacrifice it is for you, leaving your life and your job behind in New York.” He said, his voice breaking as he spoke to her. Celia’s eyes were still watery. She was looking into the face of a very sick man. A man she loved dearly, but whom she had ignored for the past few years.

“I would do it all over again if I had to, grandpa. This is what families do, and you are my family.” She said, touching his hand where it rested on his cheek.

Her grandfather stared into his eyes for a few moments and then spoke again.

“I don’t want to interfere in your life, my child, but the Moore’s…they are different from us. Especially…especially…” He said.

“Conrad?” She asked, and he didn’t reply. But his silence spoke volumes.

“But Conrad says that Wilder is jealous of him, that he wants to take away his inheritance.” Celia said. Her grandfather’s eyebrows crossed.

“What inheritance? Their father left the ranch and all the property to Wilder alone.” He said, flatly, like it was an obvious statement. Celia’s lips had turned dry. She couldn’t understand what her grandfather was saying.

“Why would he do that? Isn’t Conrad his brother? An equal member of the family? I don’t understand.” Celia said.

“Conrad was a rebel, the black sheep of the family. He never wanted any part in the ranch. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and went away to New York. His father disowned him. And then he came back when his father died.” Her grandfather explained. Celia licked her lips in confusion. But Conrad had said that he was an equal share holder in the ranch, in the family’s properties…that Wilder would try and steal his inheritance if he left the ranch.

Her grandfather was studying her closely. They were both silent for a few moments.

“I don’t know what Conrad has been telling you dear. But the truth is that Wilder is supporting Conrad. He feels guilty…” He was saying, but fumbling with his words. Celia had heard the guilt in Wilder’s voice earlier on the porch.

“Wilder feels guilty because his wife slept with Conrad. Because he blames himself for his wife’s seduction of his younger brother?” She suggested. Again, her grandfather said nothing, but that was enough for her to understand. She breathed in deeply. Wilder was looking after his disowned younger brother, after everything Conrad had done to the family, to Wilder.

“Thank you for telling me, grandpa.” She said, patting his hand and straightening back up.

“I told you because I don’t want you to make a mistake. The same mistake that Katherine made. I’ve seen the way Wilder Moore looks at you, the way you look at him. Don’t let Conrad manipulate you into something that you’ll later regret.” He said.

“Did Katherine later regret it?” Celia asked. She had never loved her grandfather more, now she was learning the true worth of family. This was the greatest gift that her grandfather had ever given her. The gift of the truth.

“Of course she did. She was young and foolish and didn’t have the capacity to appreciate Wilder Moore for the man he is. When she regretted it, it was too late. He wouldn’t have his brother’s seconds, even if she was his wife to begin with.” He replied and Celia nodded her head.