If Wesley Crawford was surprised to receive a visitor so early the next morning, he didn't show it. Greeting Thomas cordially, the man said nothing about the early hour, nor did he enquire about the nature of the visit, but rather let Thomas get to his point in his own time.

“Your ranch seems to be growing by the day,” Thomas acknowledged, looking out across the large herd of cattle that dotted the landscape. “Good thing there's enough business for all of us.”

“That's for certain,” Wesley replied, his Southern drawl pronounced. “I wouldn't want to be in competition with Triple Range. If it ever comes down to that, I'll be forced to pack my bags and go back to Georgia with my tail between my legs.”

Thomas grinned. “That's not likely to happen. If anything, it'll be us running back to our hometowns.”

Wesley smiled at him indulgently and invited him to walk together as he strolled toward his barn. Thomas knew he couldn't stand around chatting for much longer, so he finally got to the point.

“Uh, Mister Crawford,” he started.

“Wesley, please,” the other man insisted with a gracious smile. “Mister Crawford is a most unhappy man in a ruined plantation, refusing to believe that the North won the war. I am under no such delusions.”

For a moment, Thomas wasn’t sure what he meant, but then realized the man was referring to his own father.

“Uh, okay. Well, W-Wesley, I was wondering if you'd like to come over to Triple Range for a visit.” When Wesley gave him a peculiar look, sweat broke out along his brow. It was an odd thing to invite neighbors over for no special reason, especially to a place that wasn’t his own, so he hastened to add, “There's a—a young lady there who's interested in making your acquaintance.” It was a lie, for now. He'd convince Valerie that she'd like to meet this man before he showed up.

“I see.” His face became thoughtful. “And from where does this young lady hail? And how did she come to be here?”

The man was sharp, Thomas acknowledged, and he was tempted to lie about this as well, but he knew he would be caught in a second, so he stuck to the truth as much as was possible.

“Well, sir, she's a friend of mine, and she came out west to escape her family. She thought she wanted an adventure, and because she came out alone, she's afraid to go back. Her reputation would be tarnished. However, I can vouch for her. She's a fine woman and would make any man a good wife.”

Now Wesley's eyebrows raised ever so slightly. “Are you trying to arrange a marriage, young man? Perhaps pass her along to me because you are not inclined to take care of her yourself?”

How could he know that? Thomas hadn't given this man enough credit. “Uh, well...it's not exactly like that...”

“Ah, but I think it is, but never mind. I shall gladly come to dinner and meet your young lady. If we find each other appealing, perhaps something will come of it, but I would prefer you do not lie to me about the matter. Now, perhaps this friend of yours doesn't need to know of our meeting. I shall come over in two days’ time to discuss some matter pertaining to the ranch, and Missus Tanner, being the hospitable lady that she is, will most certainly insist on my staying to dinner. Does that suit you?”

Thomas wasn't insensitive to the fact that Wesley had gone from being cordial to cool in the span of a few seconds. Clearly the man thought he was some kind of bumbling oaf, but what did he care for the man's good opinion?

“Uh, yeah, that works. I'm, um, sorry for lying to you, but believe me when I tell you that Valerie is an amazing woman. Her family is highly respected back in New York, wealthy too.”

“You do not need to sell me on this lady's attributes. I will either see them for myself or I won't. I couldn't care less if she's rich or poor. If we are well-suited, it should become apparent rather quickly. Now, if you don't mind, I need to see to my men.”

And just like that, Thomas understood he was being dismissed. The man's superior attitude made him feel very small indeed, and he wondered if he'd made a mistake in coming here. Did he want to see Valerie married to this man? He didn't really even know Wesley Crawford. He'd just been looking for an easy way out of his situation, but there was nothing he could do to take it back.

Even if he wanted to, which of course, he didn't.

* * *

Valerie played the part of a humble worker with conviction over the next two days, but she suspected that it had little to no effect on Thomas. If anything, he seemed vastly relieved that she paid him little attention. She realized that she would have to tweak her plan a little, even though it went against her nature. Although it wasn’t the best thing, she planned to make Thomas jealous, and therefore aware of what he was giving up, but she wasn't sure who the unsuspecting man should be.

It had to be a man who wouldn't fall in love at the slightest provocation, but rather one who was completely uninterested in marriage. Such a man was hard to find among the five single men employed at Triple Range, and she was on the brink of giving up when she overheard that there was to be a dinner guest that evening.

“I'm not exactly sure why he's here,” Marge grumbled as they prepared dinner that afternoon, “but Luke claims the man is in need of advice.”

“It seems a little odd to me.” Kate added, bouncing her young son on her knee. The baby gurgled his enjoyment and reached up to grab a lock of his mother's hair. “His ranch is doing better than ours. What advice could Luke give him?”

“It could be about another matter,” Elise said thoughtfully. “The man is single, is he not? Perhaps he is seeking advice in that matter.”

The comment gave them a moment's pause, Valerie more than anyone. “How old is he?” she asked, pretending indifference as she sat down to peel potatoes, a skill she was still struggling with. By the time she was finished with a potato, it was only a fraction of the size it started out as.

“Oh, about thirty, I'd say,” Marge replied, frowning slightly. “And a right good-looking man at that, maybe too good-looking. I suspect that the only reason he's still single is that there aren't many women in the area. I'd say he's a catch, but there is something about that man that's never sat right with me. I just can't put my finger on it.”

“But I saw a number of women in town,” Valerie replied as an idea formed in her mind. “Are they all unsuitable?”

“Either that or married,” Kate commented, taking the knife away from her just before she sliced her finger. With great patience, she once again showed Valerie how to remove the skin without injuring herself or wasting the majority of the vegetable. However, she had a hard time paying attention because her mind was racing.

Was this divine intervention? Had God orchestrated this man to come over so that she could show Thomas that she was a desirable woman and perhaps invoke just enough jealousy in his heart to prompt him into action? It didn’t really seem like something God would do, knowing what she knew about His character, but perhaps she was overanalyzing things.

“Well, in any case, I've invited him to dinner, simple as it is,” Marge grumbled. “If I'd known before, I would have made something better than stew.”

“But your stew is the best,” Maddie piped up from the table where she'd been sitting, totally engrossed in a book from school. “Isn't it, Mama?”

“Absolutely,” Kate replied affectionately, reaching over to stroke her daughter's hair. “And he'll think so too.”

As the women continued to chat and speculate about the appearance of Wesley Crawford, Valerie mentally went through her wardrobe and chose an outfit that was not too ostentatious, but would hopefully turn the gentleman's head just enough.

It made sense to her that God was allowing all this to happen for a reason. Hadn't she just asked him for a sign? This had to be it.

* * *

“And your parents had no idea that you didn't get on the train for your aunt’s house?” Wesley asked her, his eyes wide with admiration. “How utterly brave of you.”

Valerie angled a demure smile in his direction. “Yes, well, I'm normally a very dutiful daughter, but I couldn't resist the opportunity.”

“Do they have any idea where you are?” His eyes were fastened to her face as though there was nothing more interesting in the whole room to look at. Valerie couldn’t help but notice Thomas avoiding looking in their direction.

She pretended to pout, but only enough to show off the fullness of her lips before smiling again. “They have an idea of my whereabouts because Kate insisted that I write to them. However, the letter was sent from another city. I did tell them not to come out and that I would return in due course.”

“What an audacious young woman you are!” he exclaimed, obviously charmed by what others might consider a shocking move. “And this man that your parents betrothed you to, he was the cause of your flight? He was so very despicable?”

Her eyes longed to seek out Thomas, but she forced herself to look at Wesley. “I could never marry a man I didn't love,” she said honestly. “I came here because Thomas had been a—a good friend to me when we were young. I believed that he would help me find a way to be happy.”

She watched as Wesley glanced at Thomas, bewilderment in his eyes. “How so?”

It was a hard question, and she wasn't sure how to answer without giving herself away. “I don't know exactly, but I feel God led me here. I'm certain I'll know the answer soon.”

Even though she didn't look in his direction once, Valerie could feel that her ploy was having some kind of effect on Thomas. She saw him shift in his seat numerous times as though deeply agitated. Good. He should be, she thought, but her conscience pricked. Had she gone far enough? Was it time to end the charade? She shouldn't allow things to get out of control.

“Would you care to go for a short walk with me?” Wesley suddenly asked, his dark eyes on hers. She was taken aback and struggling to find a way to politely decline when Thomas interfered.

“I'm afraid I can't allow that, sir,” he said boldly, causing them both to look at him. “Without her father or brothers here, I'm taking on the role of her guardian.”

Instead of looking annoyed or angry as Valerie might have suspected, Wesley appeared to be amused. “I assure you, we shall stay in sight of the house for propriety's sake. Upon my word as a gentleman, I will do the lady's reputation no harm.”

Watching Thomas' face in fascination, Valerie saw that he was fighting to say something, but how could he respond to such a reasonable reply?

“See that you do,” he finally muttered.

Wesley stood and offered her his arm. “Shall we?” he murmured and then turned his well-oiled smile on Marge and the other ladies. “I thank you for the best meal I've eaten in months. I hope you will excuse us? We shall return shortly.”

Much to everyone's surprise, he whisked Valerie away from the table and into the cool summer air. The last thing she saw was the disconcerted look on Thomas’s face. She hid a grin and allowed herself to be propelled outside, tucking the tiny morsel of joy into her heart.