Page 61 of The Cattleman’s Unforgettable Love: Ford and Amelia (MacFarland Ranch #11)

Amelia sat at the table out on the back deck, her attention flitting between the open windows on her laptop in front of her and the path down to the barn.

Work had been quiet since Mav and Blane had wrapped up all the jobs they were working on and were focusing on getting everything ready to transition operations here to Montana.

Cash had been elusive since they came back from Florida.

He kept checking in to let her know that he was okay and that she didn't need to worry about the authorities in Florida.

As much as she trusted him, she felt as though she needed something a little more concrete than just his word.

Ford stuck his head out the kitchen door and called, "Do you want a brandy with me, Lil’ Bit?"

She considered it for a moment before saying, "You know what? Yes, please, I'd love one."

When he came back out with two glasses and set one down in front of her, she chuckled. "I still don't ever see you being drunk in charge of a child." She held her glass up. "But it's not as though we can wait until they go home before we have a drink, like you did with Ashton, is it?"

He smiled as he shook his head. "If you think about it, we kind of can."

Her heart stuttered to a stop. "What... what do you mean?"

He came to her and offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet as he said, "You took that the wrong way. What I meant is that they are home – here with us."

She let out a relieved laugh. "Oh, I see what you mean. For a minute there, I thought..."

"It's okay. I know what you thought, but at some point soon, you're going to have to get over that."

"I think I am over it. I know you love them just as much as I do."

"Yeah, I do." He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

She tipped her head back to smile at him. "I don't believe you have, no."

He tightened his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, pressing a kiss to her lips. She looped her arms around his neck and laughed as he swung her around. "I love you more than I ever knew it was possible for me to love someone."

"I feel the same way about you."

"Uncle Ford!"

They both turned at the sound of Hunter yelling as he came running back up toward the house. Ford set Amelia back on her feet as he called, "What's up, little man? Where's your sister?"

"She's coming," said Hunter. "She just wanted to say goodbye to Delta first, then she’ll be here. And when she comes, can we give you your lesson?"

Ford gave him a puzzled look, but Amelia smiled. She knew what he was talking about.

"You know,” Hunter continued, "your security lesson."

Ford was still none the wiser. "What kind of security are we talking about, bud?"

"Computer security and phone security. You know, cybersecurity, like Auntie Amelia does."

Amelia loved the way he came to her and wrapped his arms around her waist to hug her. "One day, I'm going to be a hacker like you."

Part of her wanted to correct the term, but she didn't. Hunter would learn.

If the kid wanted to follow her into cybersecurity, she had no doubt that he'd be far better than her within a year or two.

She was still amazed that he'd managed to find her on the TangentOps forum.

He'd never had his own computer. He told her that he'd taught himself what he knew on the shared computer in the group home and that he'd contacted her on the forum using the laptop in the foster home he'd been in.

That was why he'd had to wait a whole week before he could message her again.

Ford gave her a rueful smile. "I suppose it's only fair. You guys were all eager to learn how to ride. I suppose I should learn how to put a better pin on my phone."

Amelia rolled her eyes at him and Hunter laughed. "It's not just about the pin on your phone, Uncle Ford. There's so much more for you to learn. It's so much fun."

Amelia tried to stifle a laugh when Ford made a face at her. His idea of fun didn't include much of anything technical. She already knew that.

"Come on, Nat," Hunter called. "I can show you how to protect your phone, too. I figured it out on mine this morning. I'll show you. It's easy."

As they followed the kids inside, Amelia loved Ford all the more for the way he'd gone out on Wednesday morning and bought the kids cell phones.

He'd driven all the way up to the wireless store in town and forked out for the latest, greatest phones they had – those were his words, not hers.

She thought the kids could have done with something more basic – might even have been better off without all the bells and whistles.

But she understood where he was coming from.

He hated how little they'd had in life until now, and he was trying to make up for it.

Rather than all trying to crowd around her laptop at the kitchen table, Ford suggested that they should sit in the great room.

Much to the kids' amusement, he picked her up and sat her in his spot – in the corner seat of the sectional – so that they could all sit on either side of her and be able to see what was going on.

When she opened her laptop, she saw that the TangentOps forum was still open. She'd been helping a former colleague out on there this morning and had left it up just in case she needed any further assistance.

Hunter grinned and pointed at it when he spotted it. "That's how I found you."

"It is," she agreed.

"What's up, Ford?" Nat asked, and Amelia had to wonder, too. He did not look happy about something.

"I'm not mad," he assured them quickly. "I was just thinking about your username, Hunter. When I first saw it, I thought it was something to do with root." He gave them a rueful smile. "I don't even know what that means. Just that it's something to do with computers, right?"

Amelia nodded, wondering where he was going.

"It is," said Hunter, "but do you know what it really is?"

"I think I do," said Ford. "And I think you're going to have to change it."

Amelia wasn't following. He still looked far from happy, but Hunter was grinning. "Does one of you want to tell me what's going on?" she asked.

"I will," said Nat, "since this is probably the one and only time I'll ever know something more about computer stuff than you do."

Amelia smiled. "Okay, then, go on."

"Well, it's not really computer stuff. It's just that I know that when Hunter used 'rootless,' he meant the two of us." She pushed her brother's shoulder gently. "Didn't you?"

"Yeah.” He nodded happily. "I did. And you weren't wrong, Uncle Ford figured it out. But it meant both things. Like, we have no roots. Nat and me."

Amelia's heart clenched in her chest when he said that, but he carried on, oblivious to the look she exchanged with Ford. "And it's 'root' in computer talk, too, since I had no basic access."

Ford patted his lap, and the little guy climbed on. "So, how would you feel about changing your name?"

Amelia's breath caught in her chest. Was he saying...? She felt foolish as he continued. "Because you guys aren't rootless anymore. I hope that you're putting down roots here."

Hunter wrapped his arms around Ford's neck and Nat nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"And I've never thought about it before, Lil’ Bit. But what does your username mean?"

She pursed her lips, not sure that she wanted to explain.

Of course, Hunter was happy to explain it for her.

“It's like... okay, so when the main program needs help with something specific, it calls a subroutine to do that one job.

And when the subroutine finishes, it goes back to waiting until it's needed again.

Like Auntie Amelia – she gets called to help and then she goes away until someone needs her again. "

Amelia smiled. "You know, like what I do for work," she explained.

"I get called in to solve specific problems. Finding missing people, tracing stalkers, locating.

.." She hesitated over saying all of this in front of the kids, but they were both smiling and watching her intently.

"I complete the task and then I disappear back into the background and the main program takes over again…

And what's wrong with that?" she asked Ford when she saw him frown.

"I think you need to change your name, too."

She gave him a puzzled smile. "Why?"

"Because you're not just a... a routine that comes out and does something, then goes away again – however that all works." He looked at both kids and smiled as he said, "She is the main program, right?"

Amelia's heart felt as though it melted in her chest when they both agreed with big smiles on their faces.

"I don't know about that," she said. "I..."

"It's true," said Nat. "We love Ford, too. But you're the reason that we're all together."

Her expression turned more serious, but she didn't get the chance to continue before Hunter hugged Amelia and said, "I'm so glad we're here now with you and Uncle Ford."

She hugged him back. "I am too, sweetie."

She jumped, and Ford started to get to his feet when a voice called, "Knock, knock," and then Cash appeared in the doorway from the kitchen. He waved a hand at Ford. "Stay right where you are. Don't get up." He grinned at them. "I like seeing this. It does my heart good."

Amelia laughed when Hunter asked, "Do you have a bad heart, Uncle Cash?"

Cash chuckled. "I'm sure there are some who'd say I do, but I don't like to think so."

~ ~ ~

Ford's heart felt as though it might beat right out of his chest as he met his brother's gaze. Cash wasn't just here for a casual visit. Whatever he wanted, it was serious. He could tell. Nat picked up on it as well.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she eyed the folder under Cash's arm. "What's that?"