Page 27 of The Cattleman’s Unforgettable Love: Ford and Amelia (MacFarland Ranch #11)

Ford was sitting in his office on Tuesday afternoon, scowling at the spreadsheet on the screen before him.

Not that there was anything wrong with the numbers; the ranch did well – he made sure of it.

He was scowling because this was his least favorite part of his job.

He blew out a sigh, but someone had to do it, and he wouldn't complain that it fell to him.

It wasn't as though none of his siblings would have stepped up if he'd let them.

It had been his choice – it still was. The rest of them all had passions that it made sense for them to pursue.

He smiled grudgingly as he turned to look out the window at the mountains.

They all thought that running the ranch was his passion – and they weren't entirely wrong.

He did love running the place. He loved both the responsibility and the sense of pride that came from knowing that he was the one that held the place together.

He spun his chair back to face the desk again at the sound of a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, hoping that whoever his visitor was wouldn't need too much of his time.

The door opened and Wade stuck his head around it. "You busy, bro? Can you spare a minute?" he asked.

"Sure. Come on in. What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to check in with you. Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor," he added with a smile.

Ford smiled back. "That's more like it. What can I do you for?"

"I was talking to Tanner yesterday about the geldings he brought from auction. Looks like I'll be able to use a few of them for the guests at the lodge, and..." Wade smiled. "I was hoping that you might let me have one more."

"You'd have to talk to Boone about that. We gave him his pick of them for ranch horses."

"I know," said Wade, "but it's not any of them I'm after."

Ford's heart started to pound. He had a feeling that he knew what was coming, but he didn't know what he was going to say.

"I saw Tanner working that flashy little buckskin in the round pen. He's a looker, isn't he?"

Ford nodded.

"And not just that – he's well mannered, too. I figured he'd be ideal for the guests." Wade gave him a puzzled smile. "But Tanner wouldn't let me have him. He said I have to talk to you."

Ford pursed his lips. "He didn't say why?"

"No," said Wade. "Just that I have to ask you. So, what's the deal? Is he just messing me around? Can I have him? He's a Morgan, isn't he?"

Ford shook his head slowly.

"Are you sure?" Wade asked. "He looks..."

"Yeah, he's a Morgan," Ford interrupted, "but you can't have him."

Wade looked uncertain. "Are you messing with me?"

"No. I'm serious. You can't have him. I need him."

"What for?" asked Wade. "The hands can ride anything, the Morgan’s..."

Ford finally smiled. "The Morgan's name is Delta. He's mine, and you can't have him."

Wade laughed out loud. "Okay, so this is taking me back to when we were little kids. Want to tell me what's going on? It's not like you anymore to decide that you want something and no one else can have it. So, what's the deal?"

Ford smiled, remembering how they all used to squabble over horses or dogs or pretty much anything when they were kids.

Even back then, he'd been more concerned with making sure his siblings got what they wanted most of the time, but when something was important to him, he made a stand.

Just like he was doing now over Delta – or perhaps it was over Amelia. He wasn't sure which.

Wade was still watching him with that puzzled smile on his face. "You claimed him for yourself and you named him. Is that what you're telling me? Are you going to ride him?"

Ford blew out a sigh. "I took a shine to him, yeah, and.

.." He hesitated, but this was Wade. He was closer to Wade than to anyone.

"It seems that he took a shine to me right back.

And..." He shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't had my own horse in a long while.

And besides, Amelia wants to learn to ride, and he'll be a good one for her. "

"So, you're keeping him for her? That's fine. I get it."

Of course Wade wouldn't have a problem – and wouldn't tease him about it either. "How are things going between the two of you?" he asked.

"Really well," said Ford. "We get along. She's..." He paused as he searched for the right word and smiled when it hit him. "Different."

Wade smiled back at him. "Sierra says that about her, too – that Amelia isn’t like other people.

I can see it. She's kind of self-contained and doesn't need anyone, and yet at the same time, she's always there at the center of things, helping out when someone needs it.

" Wade met his gaze. "Kind of like you, in a way. "

Ford considered that for a moment. "With her skill set, she's able to help in a way that matters."

Wade laughed. "What? And you're saying that you don’t? You hold this place together? You hold the entire family together. You might not be the smiling face of MacFarland Ranch, but there's no denying you're the heartbeat of the place."

Ford sat back in his chair to consider that. He never would have described himself that way, but it sure as hell felt good to hear.

Wade headed toward the door. "Yeah, you want to give that some thought," he said, "because it's true. And no worries about Delta. I hope you and Amelia both enjoy him." He chuckled. "And I'm sure he'll be much happier with the pair of you than he would with lodge guests on his back."

"Thanks," said Ford. "Oh, hey, wait. Before you go, has Sierra ever mentioned Amelia's brother?"

Wade shook his head slowly. "Not that I can recall, no. Why? I didn't realize she had a brother."

"She doesn't anymore," said Ford. "He died."

"Damn. That has to be tough. Do you want me to ask Sierra...?"

"No, I'd rather you didn't mention it. I was just curious."

"Everything all right?" Wade asked.

"Yeah, it's all good." Ford met his brother's gaze. "And if it turns out not to be, I'll give you a shout."

"You'd better," said Wade. "I've got your back whenever you need me."

"Thanks. I know."

After Wade had gone, Ford turned back to the window rather than the computer.

He stared out at the mountains, wondering if his theory about this Rootless2 person who'd been messaging Amelia was right.

If it was, he had a feeling it was going to hit her hard.

And if that happened, he'd be there for her.

~ ~ ~

"Fucking Sunshine Twins."

Amelia laughed out loud at the way Cash grumbled to himself as he ended the video call. She laughed harder when the screen lit up again and Mav appeared.

"I heard that."

"You were meant to," said Cash. "You and Blane are getting worse."

He had a point. Amelia had worked with the guys for a long while now. Mav and Blane could never have been described as easy-going types, but over the last year or so, they both seemed to have gotten more and more dour – or to use Cash's words, fucking miserable.

Blane's face appeared on the screen beside Mav's. "Would you quit your whining? And if you keep bitching about us like that, we might change our minds."

Amelia's gaze darted to Mav's, and he gave her a slight nod. If she wasn't mistaken, there was the ghost of a smile on his lips too, but she wouldn't put money on that.

Cash rolled his eyes at her. "They think they're a fucking comedy double act these days."

"Make your mind up," said Mav. "Are we a pair of miserable bastards or a comedy duo? Which is it?"

Cash let out a short laugh. "Most of the time I couldn't tell you from one minute to the next. So come on, we're done with the meeting. Did you come back on just to torment me? Or...?"

Amelia held her breath as she watched Mav and Blane exchange a look on the screen. She had a feeling she knew what was coming. She glanced at Cash – and she'd guess that he was thinking the same thing.

"We're doing it," said Mav.

"What? Driving me nuts?" asked Cash. "Yep, but that's not news."

"Zip it, would you?" said Blane. "Or like I said, we'll change our minds."

Amelia had to laugh. "I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them how similar working with you guys is to working with a bunch of school kids."

She laughed when all three of them glowered at her. There was a time when she first started working with them that she might have felt intimidated, but not anymore. They might be big, tough guys who put the fear of God into most people – and with good reason – but she knew she was good with them.

"What?" she asked. "Will one of you just spit it out so that we can get on with the rest of our day?"

"What's the hurry?" asked Mav. "You have a hot date tonight?"

She could feel the heat in her cheeks, but she didn't let that stop her. "As a matter of fact, I do. I've been contacted by an outfit in DC. They want to hire me, and I believe they'll treat me better than this cowboy outfit I've been working for."

Of course, she was only joking, but her words seemed to stun both Mav and Blane into silence. Even Cash turned to scowl at her.

She laughed. "Geez, guys, I'm joking. Don't look at me like that."

"Don't even say shit like that in jest, honey," Mav told her. "It's not funny."

She shrugged. "Okay, I won't do it again then." She met his gaze and held it. "If you don't pick on me."

He gave her a rueful smile. "You got yourself a deal."

She was fairly certain that they all knew that he'd been referring to Ford when he asked about her having a hot date, but she'd never allowed her private life to be a matter of discussion. She certainly wasn't going to start now that Ford was part of her private life.

"Okay, so moving on before Amelia decides she's going to leave us," said Blane. "Drum roll, please," he said to Mav, who rapped his hands on the desk in front of him. Blane smiled and said solemnly, "We've decided it's time; we're coming home."