Page 26 of The Cattleman’s Unforgettable Love: Ford and Amelia (MacFarland Ranch #11)

"It's going really well," said Amelia. "I worked remotely most of the time before I hooked up with Cash and Mav, so that's nothing new to me. And I'm not exactly out here by myself anyway, since Cash is here."

Ford tried to keep his expression neutral when both Kolby and Callie glanced at him.

He knew what they were thinking – and it was understandable.

He and Cash had their differences, so he could see why people would be curious how things might work between him and Amelia when she was already so close to Cash.

The moment didn't have the chance to get too awkward – it was interrupted by the sound of Callie's phone.

She frowned as she took it out of her pocket.

"Sorry, guys. I need to take this. It's my mama.

" She smiled at Amelia. "I hope we'll see more of you now.

Any chance that you might come down to the bakery on Friday afternoon? "

When Amelia looked surprised by the request and didn't answer immediately, Ford stepped in to explain.

"You take your call, Callie," he said, before turning to Amelia.

"It's kind of a tradition in the valley that folks meet up at the bakery on Friday afternoon when they can.

It started out with people putting in their orders for bread and pastries for the weekend and turned into pretty much the social event of the week in the valley. "

Kolby chuckled. "It's true. People seem to like their cake served with a side of gossip around here."

Ford frowned, hoping that description wouldn't put Amelia off. He was relieved when she smiled at him. "Is that where you got the coffee cake from?"

"It is."

"Then I'd love to go. Obviously, depending on how work pans out." She turned back to Ford. "Do you go? Will you be there?"

Kolby smirked at him when he said, "I haven't been for a while, but I'll see what I can do on Friday."

He knew damn well that his brother would give him shit for that just as soon as he could.

Kolby – and everyone else – knew that Ford didn't usually join their group of friends and family who gathered at the bakery on Friday afternoons.

He was generally too busy, but on the rare occasion that he could spare the time, hanging out gossiping over coffee and pastries wouldn't be how he chose to spend it.

~ ~ ~

Ford took hold of her hand as they walked down the aisle between the stalls, and Amelia couldn't keep the big, silly grin off her face.

It seemed out of character for him – she never would have had him down as a hand holder.

Then again, she certainly wouldn't have described herself that way either.

But she loved the feel of his big, rough hand wrapped around hers.

He turned to smile at her when the horse in the end stall – the one they'd come to see yesterday – stuck its head out and let out a low nickering sound when it saw them.

She smiled back at him and said, "Isn't it cool that he already knows you?

I want to ask if they're all like that – if that's a horse thing – but I'm guessing that it's more a personality thing.

" She chuckled. "Or should that be a horse-onality?

Either way, you know what I mean? Does he come out to greet you like that because it's just who he is and he likes you? "

Ford nodded happily. "It seems that way, although I'm not so sure that it's me he's happy to see." He chuckled, and a buzz of happiness filled Amelia's chest when the horse stretched its neck out and nuzzled its lips into her hair.

"Well, hello, big guy. I'm happy to see you, too.

" She felt a little nervous as it brushed its lips over her face.

For all she knew, it could mistake her nose for a carrot and want to bite it, but for some reason, even though she had no experience with horses, she trusted this one.

Even so, she relaxed when it turned its head to Ford and greeted him by resting its chin on his shoulder.

"Oh, look at that," she said. "He loves you to pieces. You can tell."

Ford reached up and patted the horse's neck. "He took me by surprise, this one, but I have to say, the feeling's mutual."

As Amelia watched him with the horse, she had to wonder if she was getting to see a side of him that he kept hidden most of the time.

Everyone described him as dark and broody, but she hadn't seen that in him at all.

Maybe in his looks and the formidable expression that he'd described as resting bitch face, but the man himself?

He was sweet, considerate, and not only good with animals, but kind and gentle around them.

As she watched him, she realized that even more than his way with animals, what she liked was seeing the effect the horse had on him.

He seemed to blossom under the affection it showed him.

Maybe blossom was an odd word to choose – a little more poetic than her usual – but she couldn't think of anything else that would describe what she was seeing.

He cleared his throat and stood back a little when he noticed that she was watching him.

"Sorry. I brought you out here to see if you're ready to give him a name yet."

"Please don't apologize. I'm enjoying this."

He gave her a rueful smile. "Okay, so maybe I'm a bit soft sometimes. Just don't go telling anyone, okay?"

She laughed. "Not if you don't want me to. I promise."

He chuckled and hunched his shoulders up as the horse nuzzled at the back of his neck. "Quit it, would you?"

"Are you sure you don't want to name him? He seems to have chosen you as his person."

Ford shook his head. "I'm hoping that you and he will form a bond of your own, but either way, I'd like you to name him."

She stood back so that she could get a better view of the horse.

He really was beautiful. She wracked her brain trying to come up with something that might fit.

She had no clue what naming conventions for horses might be, but then she smiled as she remembered Ford's confession about wanting to name them by numbers. That made her feel better.

He smiled. "You're thinking about me numbering them, aren't you?" he asked.

She laughed. "How did you know that? How could you tell?"

"Because of the look on your face. You were thinking that no matter what you came up with, you couldn't do worse than I did."

She touched his arm. "Not true. Not true at all. I was actually thinking that you're less likely to laugh at me because you won't expect me to follow convention, or at least you'll understand why I wouldn't."

He nodded. "So... did you come up with something?"

She looked at the horse again and smiled. "Did you say he'd come from an auction?"

"That's right. Tanner picked him up there with a bunch of others. Why?"

"Do you have any idea what his life was like before he went to auction?"

"I don't. I'd say he had a good life. Judging by his condition, he was well taken care of, and I'd guess that he maybe came from a ranch. He seems to know what's what around here, and he's picky about his people."

She gave him a puzzled look, and he frowned as he explained. "Usually on a ranch, some of the hands are better with the horses than others."

She scowled. "You mean some of them are cruel?"

"Hopefully they don't take it as far as cruel – they'd find themselves on their way down the road if they did. Let's just say that some hands are kinder to the animals than others."

Amelia went to the horse and rubbed its nose. "I hope no one's been cruel to you," she said.

"Well, if they were," said Ford, "all that's changed now. Things will be different for him here."

"Delta," said Amelia.

Ford let out a short laugh. "Excuse me?"

She laughed with him. "Sorry, it just came to me. When you said that things have changed for him, that they'll be different here – that's his name."

She smiled at the horse. "Hi, Delta. It’s nice to meet you."

Ford looked from her to the horse and back again.

A small smile played on his lips as he nodded.

"I like it. It works. Delta." He patted the horse's neck.

"Good to meet you, Delta." He turned back to Amelia.

"Mind if I ask where it came from? It seemed to strike you out of nowhere, but I think I know you well enough to know that you have good reasons behind everything you do. So...?"

She had to smile at the way he understood her. "Okay, you're right that it came out of nowhere, but it makes all the sense in the world when you understand."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"In my world, delta represents change," she explained.

"When you're analyzing data or code, the delta shows you what's different from one point to another.

Seemed fitting for a horse who's had so much change in his life recently.

It was when you said that things will be different for him here – that all that has changed – that's when it hit me.

" She chuckled. "And honestly, I'm relieved that it's something from the phonetic alphabet – even Cash can't give me a hard time about it. "

She stopped short when she saw his smile vanish. "Not that he'd give me a hard time. I just mean, he'd tease me," she added.

"Right." Ford smiled, but it seemed forced.

She decided it was probably safer to change the subject than end up digging a hole by asking him what exactly the problem was between him and Cash.

"So, Delta," she addressed the horse. "The most important consideration is whether you like your new name."

He nodded his head a couple of times before turning to nudge Ford's shoulder. He did it with such force that Ford took a step forward. Amelia laughed when he almost stumbled into her and wrapped his arms around her.

He looked back over his shoulder. "Are you trying to tell me you'll be my wingman?"

They both laughed when Delta nodded his head again.