Page 119 of The Cattleman's Unforgettable Love

"Yeah. I don't know if Nat will take to them in the same way, but I reckon she might feel more able to relate to them." He gave his brothers a rueful smile. "She keeps calling the kids around here cow kids."

Tanner laughed. "And she thinks that's an insult?"

Ford shrugged. "It is in her mind. I'm just hoping that with time, she'll find her feet."

"Did you guys decide about them going to school?" Wade asked. "I think that would be better for them."

"We're still trying to figure it out. Hunter doesn't want to go, but you're right – I think it would be the best thing for him. I think Nat would like to go to school, just not that one – at least not a school in Montana full of cow kids. But she's prepared to go for Hunter's sake. The thing is, she's in middle school, and he should still be in grade school, going by his age. But she reckons, and I tend to agree with her, that if they let him test in, he'd probably end up just one grade below her and be right there in middle school with her where she can keep an eye on him."

Wade frowned. "She may well be right about his abilities, at least in the classroom. But there’s more to it than that – there’s the social side. From what I've seen of the little guy, I think sending him into middle school would be a disaster."

"Yep," said Ford. "That's what I told her. It's just one more of the battles we're having. There's no easy solution."

Tanner chuckled. "Speaking from experience, I can tell you that with kids there rarely is."

"We're not going to solve all of it today," said Wade. "It really does come down to just giving it time and seeing how things shake out. But one thing we can do is set up this bakery visit."

"When do we want to go?"

"Definitely not on a Friday," said Ford.

"I think Tuesdays are usually quietest," said Tanner. "If you bring Nat and Hunter over, and we bring Ash and Mateo and Maya straight after school, we might be the only people in there."

"Okay," said Ford. "Let's do that."

"Are you going to talk to Emmett about Tanya coming?" Wade asked.

"Yeah, I think I will," said Ford.

"And are we skipping the lunch this Sunday?" Tanner asked.

Ford blew out a sigh. "Yeah, if you guys don't mind. I know we'll have to get them used to it at some point, but for the time being, we're still figuring out how to be the four of us. There's enough issues to deal with there before we start trying to interact with everyone else."

"It makes sense to me," said Wade.

"And me," said Tanner, "although I can't promise that I'll be able to stop Ash from coming over to see you guys."

Ford smiled. "That might even be a good thing. Maybe he and Hunter can get to know each other a little. Hunter was scared to death the other day when the three of you stopped by, but maybe if Ash just sneaks by, they'll figure something out between themselves."

Tanner nodded. "Okay. I'm sure if I just tell him not to come, he'll figure out a way to do it."

"Okay then.” Wade tapped at his keyboard and his computer screen lit up. "Now that we've sorted out our kid business, are we ready to move on to lodge and ranch business?"

Ford nodded happily. He was glad to move on to matters where he was on more familiar footing. But he was even happier that the first order of business for their meeting had been family business, and he was looking forward to that being normal from now on. His smile faded. He just hoped that as time passed, the problems that his new little family faced would become less.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"You okay, Lil’ Bit?"

Amelia closed her eyes. They'd just come to bed, and Ford had curled his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. When she didn't answer, he rubbed his chin on her shoulder, making her laugh and reach up to touch his beard.

"I think I understand why Delta does that now – now that your chin is as furry as his, it feels even more affectionate."

Ford kissed the back of her neck. "I didn't realize you'd come to see me as just a furry creature already."

She rolled over to face him. "No, I haven't, and I think you know that."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I kind of do, but I'm also aware that there hasn't been much time for you and me since the kids arrived. We've become partners in the face of adversity – and I think we're pretty good partners. But..." He slid his hand down over her ass. "I still want us to be more than that. There needs to be time for you and me." He made a face. "Okay, so maybe hoping for more than five minutes here and there isn't realistic at the moment. But whenever we do get five minutes, I want to remind you how much I love you."