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She gave him a curious glance. “I thought you did. I swear you or someone told me you had your own ranch.”
This made him laugh. “Oh, I do. But it’s a real working ranch. Not all fancy like these.”
“I’d love to see it someday,” she said, surprising him.
Before he could figure out how to respond, the GPS announced they’d arrived at their destination. Ahead of them sat a home, surrounded by fenced fields. In the distance was an actual cattle ranch, with huge, fancy white barns, more fenced pastures and animals dotting the hillside. This place made his own small ranch look like nothing. He couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like, running this kind of operation. He supposed he would have known, had not Micheline switched him and Ace.
“Wow.” Jake slowed. “This is amazing. I wonder how much acreage they have.”
“I believe I read thousands of acres,” she said. “That’s why there are no other houses after this one.”
Gripping the wheel tightly, Jake turned into the long driveway. “Three stories and multiple wings.” He shook his head. “This makes the AAG center look like a summer camp.”
His comment made Fiona laugh. “Yes, it definitely does.”
A huge gate marked the entrance to the ranch. Three Rs were inset right in the center. “Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch,” Fiona said. “I wonder if they really have a problem with rattlesnakes.”
“That wouldn’t work with livestock,” Jake told her. “I’m sure they took care of getting rid of them.”
“Maybe.” Fiona shrugged. “But even if they wiped out the entire snake population one year, they couldn’t ever completely eradicate them. Especially if they were so numerous the ranch was named after them.”
“Annual rattlesnake roundup.” Jake squinted into the sun. “That’s what I’d do, anyway. And judging from the looks of some of those cattle, he’s got some high-value herds here.”
“Of course.” Grinning, Fiona gestured at the expansive land, the stunning house, the quality fencing. “I mean, what do you expect for a Colton, right?”
He nodded. The Colton name had always been synonymous with luxury, the kind of lifestyle many in Mustang Valley wished they could emulate. Jake’s research had revealed the family was not only wealthy, but kind. They participated in numerous charities and quietly helped many who were less fortunate. The more he learned about them, the more he realized they were to be admired.
Driving slowly, he finally pulled up close to the house. In addition to the driveway, there were separate garages with their own parking areas. He decided to park his truck there. They could walk up to the house.
They got out of the truck. As she walked to him, Fiona gazed around her. “Just think,” she murmured, squeezing his shoulder. “If things had been different, you would have grown up here.”
He grimaced, refusing to acknowledge the ache her words caused inside him. Not just the ranch or the riches or even the Colton name, but the idea of family, people who would stand by your side no matter what. Something he’d never had and never believed he would. “Probably so. I can’t imagine. I’ve never seen a ranch like this.”
“I wonder if this is why you became a rancher. Maybe it runs in your blood.”
“That’s a very real possibility.” He didn’t let on that that, too, hurt him. He’d never known the truth of his past, his heritage, his family. Now at long last, he might finally get some glimpses of understanding of some of the factors that had contributed to making him the man he was today.
Side by side, they walked up to the front door, and he pressed the doorbell, wondering if there would be servants.
Ace himself answered the door, grinning. “Welcome,” he said, clapping Jake on the back.
“This is Fiona Evans,” Jake said. “Fiona, Ace Colton.”
She held out her hand, but Ace pulled her in for a hug instead. Eyes wide, she made a face at Jake over Ace’s shoulder, making him smile and breaking up some of the tension coiled inside him.
“Come on in,” Ace invited.
When they stepped into the foyer, a delicious smell drifted their way. Mexican food, Jake thought. His favorite.
As they walked inside, Fiona’s heels clicking on the wood-look tile floors, he caught sight of several people gathered in the kitchen. His heart jumped into his throat.
Some of his unease must have shown on his face.
“Relax,” Ace murmured. “It’s all good. Just my dad and my brothers and sisters, along with their significant others.” He gave a self-conscious laugh. “Correction, your brothers and sisters. I managed to get them all to come to dinner on short notice. Please understand, my father—your father—just got out of the hospital.” He glanced toward the kitchen. “He’s still a bit weak, though don’t let him know I said that. He prides himself on being strong.”
“I remember hearing about that,” Fiona interjected. “He was shot, wasn’t he? I’m so glad to hear he’s on the mend.”
Jake glanced at Ace. Payne had been shot and in a coma at the very same hospital where Jake and Ace had been switched at birth. Ace had actually been accused of shooting him after it was discovered he wasn’t Payne’s son. As Ace had told him, the real killer had been caught, but Ace had lost his job as CEO of Colton Oil since the company’s bylaws stated the company’s CEO had to be a biological Colton.
