Page 132 of The Cattleman's Unforgettable Love

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."