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Nathan stood over the stove, frying the meat to go into the sauce bubbling on the next burner. A big pot of water was boiling for the noodles, and he had French bread buttered with what looked like a garlic spread on it, ready to go in the oven.
The man knew how to cook, and Cal always enjoyed when he prepared their dinner. But where was Lillian?
He wanted to tell her his grandfather wanted to see Paul and that there was something they were hiding. Something that would hurt her grandfather, so she should back off and let the past remain hidden.
“I spoke to my parents today. They were in Italy exploring Rome. My father said that years ago, there were rumors that the ranch was lost in a weekly poker game and that Paul Bradley was a drunk who liked women. The rumors were that Ronald decided to get even with Paul for having an affair with his wife. He’d always wanted the ranch, so he got him drunk, and the stupid man gambled away his family’s home. Ronald insisted that Paul and his family be out as soon as possible. After they left town, the rumors died, except for the one about Ronald and his wife. Not long after the supposed affair, she died.”
Cal stared at his friend. “Your father said that Paul was a drunk who lost the ranch in a poker game to my grandfather? That my grandmother died not long after that? Grandfather said she never lived here.”
If she had been alive, why had she never moved in with him? Where had she lived? His father and grandfather had not gotten along because of the drugs, but his grandfather and grandmother had lived in separate houses. She died not long after Grandpa obtained the ranch, but he’d never heard they weren’t living together.
“There is something not right here. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Lillian could be right in finding out what happened,” Nathan said, putting the bread into the oven.
Fear twirled through Cal. What if she could prove that her grandfather had been wronged by the man that he adored? Sure, he was a stubborn old cuss, but he’d taken him in when he had no place left to go. He’d raised him. Fed and clothed him and seemed like a good man, right up until the day of the accident that eventually put him in the nursing home.
“I can’t lose the ranch,” Cal said, fear gripping him. “It’s my life.”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Nathan assured him.
“And I really like Lillian. How could I ever have a lasting relationship with her if our families are tearing us apart? This is worse than Emily’s father kidnapping her from our wedding.”
As much as he hated to admit it, he was glad now that it had happened, and yet, he wanted Lillian something fierce. Just thinking about her had him hard once again. There was an attraction between them that his heart was getting involved in. He loved to hear her laugh, the way she sounded when she came apart in his arms. The way she snuggled against him at night.
There were so many facets of her that he wanted to explore more, and yet how could he with them fighting for the ranch?
“We’re still investigating. Let’s wait and see what happens before we jump to any conclusions. In some ways, I’m glad we’re getting this resolved. After this, we’ll never have to question who owns the ranch again.”
Maybe so, but Cal was worried. As much as he loved and trusted his grandfather, he’d seen something in him today that triggered an alarm. That had him leaving the nursing home concerned that somehow the old man had done something wrong.
“How did your grandmother die?”
Strange, he didn’t know. His grandfather had only said she died but hadn’t told him how.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“I’ll look at the death certificate tomorrow and see what I find out,” Nathan said, putting the noodles in the boiling water. “I wish Lillian would come on. We need to eat, and then we need to talk.”
Cal sank down at the table. Just then, they heard the door open and shut.
“Is anyone home?” she called.
“In the kitchen,” Nathan called.
When she walked in, all Cal could do was stare at her and dream of taking her up to the bedroom, putting in the last butt plug, and taking her right there. Right now, before they talked, he was afraid that once they started telling what they had learned today, she would leave.
And he didn’t want her to go.
“Hey,” she said, walking into the room. “Something smells delicious.”
“We’re going to have spaghetti, and afterward, we’re going to talk,” Nathan said.
“Good. I’ve had a busy afternoon,” she said, setting her purse on the counter.
Cal wanted her to tell them now, but Nathan sent him a warning glance.
“Let’s wait until after we have dinner because I fear what everyone has learned today is going to be explosive, and then we won’t eat. So let’s have a nice dinner first.”
Oh, how Cal just wanted to carry her up the stairs and finish what they had done in the field this morning. Or start over and do it all over again. Instead, he settled for pulling her into his arms and layering his mouth over hers.
