Page 113 of The Cattleman's Unforgettable Love

She turned to smile up at him. "You know what? I'm so damn tired, and Hunter was right about you – you feel safe. I'm just gonna..." She lay down, resting her head and shoulder on his lap, putting her feet up on the seat beside her.

Ford tensed, hoping that this was going to be okay, and then had to laugh when she looked up at him with a cynical smile and said, "If you're going to murder me in my sleep, can you do it quietly and not wake me?"

Chapter Twenty-Five

Amelia opened her eyes the next morning and closed them again when she felt Ford's arm around her middle. She relaxed against him. She'd already gotten used to sleeping with him. He didn't crowd her in the night, but she always knew he was there. And when he first woke, he drew her to him, holding her close, making her feel protected and... at home. She wasn't sure that she'd ever felt truly unsafe in life, but somehow, he made her feel safe.

Her eyes popped open again when it all came flooding back. Hunter and Natalie hadn't been safe. It wasn't just a dream. She, Ford, Cash and all the other guys really had gone to Florida to get them – to bring them back here. They were here at the ranch right now.

She sat bolt upright in bed, and Ford scrambled up beside her. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

She turned to him. "I need to get up. I need to check on the children..."

He smiled. "Relax, Lil’ Bit. It's all okay. It's all going to be okay."

"How can you say that? How's it going to be okay? I mean, we pretty much abducted them. We forcibly removed Hunter from his foster home. We plucked Natalie out of the airport and whisked her away on a private jet. If anyone else had done what we did, they'd be hunted by the law right now. Oh, my God, Ford. Maybe we're being hunted by the law."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side. "Calm down. It's all okay. We didn't abduct them. We rescued them. You're the only family they have left." He paused, a frown on his face.

"What?" she asked. "What's wrong? What are you thinking?"

He met her gaze. "I want to say that we're the only family that they have left, but..."

She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I guess we need to talk about that, don't we?"

His eyebrows drew together, and he looked as intimidating as she'd ever seen him.

"Don't look at me like that. All I'm saying is that we need to be honest with each other. Our relationship is new. We're still getting to know each other. I... I do love you, Ford. But how can I ask you to take on two children? Two children that I don't even know." Her heart sank and she added, "And one of them hates me and I don't blame her."

Ford ran his hand over her hair. "She doesn't hate you. She's just wary. She's been through a lot in her life, and you're an easy person to take it out on – an easy target. She's had it tough, and the way she sees it, you're the one person who could have made life easier for her."

Amelia sighed. "It's not just the way she sees it, though – it's true."

He shook his head. "No, it isn't. You couldn't have made things easier for her. How could you have done that when you didn't even know that she and Hunter existed? But Lil’ Bit, the point is, she doesn't hate you. Hunter already loves you, and Nat will come around."

She pressed her lips together. She'd fallen asleep on the plane last night, and when she'd woken up to go to the bathroom, she'd been amazed to see Ford dozing in the big club chairs – hat over his face, and Natalie asleep on his lap. They hadn't had the time to talk about how that had happened. All she knew was that Natalie had softened toward him – and he was now calling her Nat.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips, seeming to understand what she was thinking. "We had a bit of a chat on the plane. I persuaded her to give us a chance, and she told me she prefers to be called Nat."

Amelia nodded. This was no time for her to start feeling left out – feeling jealous that the kids already seemed to prefer Ford to her.

"But back to your question – you're not asking me to take on two kids. I'm asking you if you'll allow me to be a part of their lives. Because, in case I haven't said it in so many words before, I'm hoping that you're going to be in my life from now on. The way I see it, you're it for me."

A rush of warmth filled her chest and tears pricked behind her eyes. "Damn it, Ford. I don't think of myself as the emotional type, but you bring it out in me."

He smiled and rested his forehead against hers as he brushed his thumbs under her eyes. "Good. I'm glad. And, are you going to answer my question?"

As she stared back into his beautiful green eyes, she nodded slowly. There was no other answer than, "Yes, of course I want to be part of your life. I already see you as the biggest part of mine. But I don't know what's going to happen with them. I don't know how..."

He put his finger over her lips. "I know you don't. How could you? Yesterday, you didn't even know they existed. But if you'll allow me to be part of it, I want us to figure it out together." He smiled. "I already offered to share my family with you. Are you saying that you don't want to share yours with me?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. "Of course I want to. I just don't want to ask too much..."

He ran his hand down her back. "You're not asking too much of me, I promise you."

"But you told me that you never wanted kids."

He lifted a shoulder. "I also said that with you, it wouldn't be a deal breaker." He gave her a small smile. "You said you didn't want kids either."

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