Page 76 of The Cattleman's Unforgettable Love

"No! You can't do that. You mustn't do that – ever. Even if he had done something, I wouldn't want you to do that. And my whole point right now is that he hasn't done anything wrong at all, okay?"

"Okay, but no, you can't come to San Francisco with me."

"But why not?"

"Because you're mad at him about something, or you're trying to avoid him, which is why you want to come. And he obviously hasn't done anything too bad, because you're still trying to protect him from me."

She shook her head at him. "I'll always try to protect him from you, because no matter what he does, whatever happens between us, it shouldn't affect his relationship with you."

She didn't understand Cash's low laugh. "What?" she asked. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"I think you might have that last bit ass backwards, honey. I'm hoping that what happens between the two of you will affect his relationship with me – in a good way, in the best way."

Amelia stared at him, wondering if she dared to ask.

Cash made the decision for her. "Whatever it is, spit it out, darlin'."

"Okay, what exactly do you mean when you say that?"

"You know what I mean, don't you?" he asked.

"I think so, but I think I need you to spell it out for me."

Cash heaved out an exaggerated sigh. "Okay, then, so I'll admit it. The end goal of my plotting and scheming is for the two of you to end up together – you know, to get married – I don't know about having babies. Neither of you strike me as the kid-friendly type, but..." He nodded. "I'll tell you because you know your own mind and won't let my meddling affect you either way. That's my hope. I'd love to see the two of you end up together – get married if that's what works for you, but, you know, be together permanently."

"What?" he asked eventually, when he realized that she was staring at him intently.

"Want to unravel it with me? If we just pretend that I'm someone else," he asked.

She gave him a small smile. "Do you think that's possible?"

"Sure it is," he said with a smile. "We're both professionals. We can talk this over as if we were assessing the motivations of clients or targets."

"Okay, then," she said eventually.

Cash grinned. "So, what did he do that upset you?"

She let out a short laugh. "Maybe it'll sound stupid when I say it out loud."

"I doubt it, but I won't know until you tell me."

"Okay. So..." She only hesitated for a moment. She needed to talk to someone. Sierra and Cassidy were her two girlfriend options here, but they weren't available, and Cash was sitting right in front of her. "You have to promise you won't judge me and you won't judge him."

Cash smiled. "Professional mode engaged, remember? No judgment, only assessment."

"Thanks. So this morning, he said something, and it reminded us both that he has..." She met Cash's gaze. "He has all of you guys. You're a big family. You're a caring family. You all look out for each other. You're in each other's lives."

Cash nodded as he listened. "Oh, shit. And you have no one. Is that where this is going?"

"Kind of, but not really."

Cash was still scowling. "He wasn't an asshole about it, was he?”

“Cash, stop it. No, he wasn't. He was trying to be sweet about it. What he said was that if I wanted, he'd be happy to share his family with me."

Cash's head snapped up at that, reassuring her that he interpreted it the same way that she had.

"Well, shit. He really said that? You guys are in deeper than I thought."