Page 18 of The Cattleman’s Unforgettable Love: Ford and Amelia (MacFarland Ranch #11)

As Ford watched Amelia walk away from the bar with Sierra, he couldn't help smiling at the sight of her wearing his hat.

He turned when Wade elbowed him in the ribs.

"I meant it when I said I like this," Wade told him. "I knew the two of you were into each other when she first came here to see Sierra and the kids, but with everything that happened, I thought the opportunity had passed you by."

Ford nodded slowly. "So did I. I thought she might come back around to visit now and then, but... I didn't think she'd end up staying here."

Wade cocked an eyebrow at him. "And you like the idea of her staying?"

He nodded again. "I do. And don't look at me like that. I'm surprised myself, but there's something about that little lady... she gets to me."

Tanner leaned in on his other side. "Looks to me like she gets to you in a big way."

"What makes you say that?" Ford asked.

Tanner chuckled. "For starters, Boone told me that you'd taken the day off. And if that wasn't enough, I knew it when not only did you guys walk in here hand in hand, but she's wearing your hat, no less."

Ford tried to hide a smile but didn't succeed.

Tanner turned to Wade. "You know he bought Ashton his hat, right? And I think it's the kid's most prized possession – because it's exactly the same as his uncle Ford's." He turned back to Ford. "Are you going to buy her one of her own?"

He shrugged. He hadn't even thought about it.

Wade winked at him. "Seems to me you're more likely to buy yourself a new one and let her keep that."

Ford didn't even want to examine why he liked that idea better.

Ty came to join them and handed Ford a beer. "I didn't know what to get Amelia," he said, "but it looks like she might be a while." He jerked his chin toward where Amelia and Sierra were standing by one of the pillars, deep in conversation.

"Thanks," Ford said as he took the bottle. "I'll get her one when she comes back."

"Looks like your buddy's here," Ty told him.

He looked around, wondering who Ty meant.

"Brody," said Wade as he pointed to the other end of the bar.

Ford spotted his friend, who was standing, surveying the whole crowded saloon. When his gaze met Ford's, he smiled and made his way over to them.

Just before he reached them, Laney put a hand on his shoulder, but he turned and frowned at her.

"How's it going?" Ford asked him. "I didn't think we'd see you tonight. Do you want a beer?"

"I'm good, thanks." Brody looked distracted as he looked around again.

Laney stepped up beside him and poked his shoulder. "I know who you're looking for, and she's not here yet."

Ford made a face at his sister. He knew who Brody was looking for, too, but he didn't know if it was public knowledge – or if Brody would want it to be.

He relaxed a little when Brody pushed Laney's arm, remembering that the two of them had been close ever since grade school. Brody was a few years older than her; he was closer to Ford in age, but the two of them had bonded over some 4H event when Laney was just small and they’d maintained that bond ever since.

"I'm just out for a beer," he told her. "There's no need to get all up in my business."

Laney laughed. "I know there's no need, but it's what I do, and you know that.

" She took her phone out. "I've been texting with her.

She should be here soon." She scowled when she checked the screen.

"And I'm about to tell her that if she doesn't get her ass here soon, I'm going to have to go get her myself.

And then I'll be pissed, and she doesn't want that. "

Ford exchanged a look with his brothers and laughed.

Brody rolled his eyes. "I told you; I'm just out for a drink."

Laney looked up from her phone with a grin. "Well, that's a shame, because she's just about to walk in the door."

"Give him a break, Laney," Ford told her.

She just smiled at him. "I thought you'd be glad that I'm picking on him instead of you."

"I'd rather you picked on me. Everyone knows my business now. I don't want you outing Brody before he's ready."

His friend shot him a grateful smile. "It's okay. I think these guys already know."

Wade, Tanner, and Ty all nodded.

"The only thing I don't know," said Ty, "is why it's supposed to be such a big secret."

Tanner slapped the back of his head. "Think about it, squirt. Would you want to risk Blane coming after you about his little sister before you even know if she's interested?"

"Right. Yeah," said Ty.

Laney elbowed Brody. "But you don't need to worry about that. For starters, she is interested. And for another thing, if Blane's going to let anyone live after they show an interest in her, it'd be you – he likes you."

Brody chuckled as he looked at Ford. "So, can we change the subject back to you before she gets over here? What business of yours does everyone know? Because I don't."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Wade beat him to it. "He's out with Amelia tonight – Sierra's friend."

Brody met Ford's gaze. He didn't need any explanation of who Amelia was – the two of them had talked about her before.

Ford just smiled at his friend and jerked his chin toward where Brooke was now pushing her way through the crowd to join them.

~ ~ ~

"I'm so glad that you're here with him," Sierra wrapped Amelia in a hug.

"I am, too. I didn't know how this would work out, but... I like it."

"I'm a little surprised that he decided to bring you here and out with everyone else on your first date, though."

Amelia chuckled. "This wasn't the original plan, but we ran into Laney, Janey, and Frankie this afternoon, and they were all kind of protective of him. So..." She shrugged. "This way they get to see that we're not just sneaking around, I guess."

Sierra looked up at her forehead, and it took Amelia a moment to realize that she was actually looking at Ford's hat that she was still wearing. "You wearing that thing tells me that you're doing the exact opposite of sneaking around."

Amelia didn't even ask what she meant. She wasn't going to play coy. Instead, she grinned and said, "I know, and I'm surprised at myself how much I like it."

"Good," said Sierra. "I'm glad. And I won't bug you or anything, but I'm starting to get my hopes up here, Lia."

She didn't know what to say, so she didn't speak, and Sierra reached out to touch her arm. "I told you that I'm not going to bug you, but I have to say it just this once. I hope that Ford might have something to do with you keeping your promise."

She frowned. "What promise is that?"

"Do you honestly not remember?"

Amelia stared at her for a few moments before it came back to her. "Well, crap," she exclaimed. "I absolutely had forgotten, and now I feel guilty."

"There's no need to feel guilty. I wouldn't have brought it up again if I didn't think there was another reason that you might decide to move here now."

"I kind of have moved here for work."

"I know that's the reason you came, but... oh, heck, I'm going to say it. I hope that Ford might end up being the reason that you stay. I'd never try to hold you to the promise that you made me when we both thought that we might die that day, but..."

Amelia had to laugh. "Don't give me those big eyes. You might be able to pull off the sweet innocent little thing with most people, but I know you too well, remember."

Sierra laughed. "You know me better than almost anyone – and certainly well enough to know that I'd never try to manipulate you."

"I do, but I'm glad you reminded me of that promise I made."

Sierra raised her eyebrows, and Amelia smiled. "I have a feeling that there may come a point when I have to make a pros and cons list about staying here. Being able to keep a promise to you is a pretty big pro."

"Then I'm glad I brought it up," Sierra said.

She looked over at where the others were still standing in their own little crowd around the bar.

"They're good people. Not like the people we used to know back in San Francisco.

They're different, but they're good people in their own way, and I have to say, much more decent people in many ways. "

Amelia nodded. She knew exactly what her friend meant. "I'd take cowboys and ranchers over trust fund kids and hedge fund managers any day, now that I've had experience with both."

"Me too," said Sierra. "And it's not just the guys. I love all the girls, too."

"I don't really know them yet," said Amelia. "I think I'll have to reserve judgment there."

"If you like, I'll take you around to meet them, or we can have everyone over to the house if you want."

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass for now. You know me – I prefer to meet people one at a time, naturally."

Sierra laughed. "That's right. I forgot. You don't do groups of women if you can help it, do you?"

Amelia shook her head with a shudder. "I don't. These girls may well turn out to be different, but..." She glanced over to where Laney and Frankie were out dancing at the edge of the dance floor.

Sierra followed her gaze and said, "I found them intimidating too, at first."

"I don't know that I'm intimidated," Amelia told her.

"Yeah, sorry. We're different in that respect, aren't we?"

"Not necessarily." She didn't want her friend to think that she was calling her weak – too many people had told Sierra that in her life, and it really wasn't the case.

"I'm no tougher than you. We're just different.

You may even be braver than I am. You're intimidated because you're determined to stick around and face people.

I don't feel the same way because I know I can just disappear. "

Sierra laughed. "You may have a point there, although I never thought of it that way before. But, Lia, please don't disappear from here. Not yet. I love having you around, and it seems to me that Ford does too."

At the mention of his name, Amelia looked for him in the crowd at the bar, and a rush of warmth filled her chest when she spotted him – staring right back at her.