I don’t exactly know how to describe it, other than magical. Watching Chris look up at Ford with wide, almost scared eyes, then seeing the realisation spark in them like he’s always known the cowboy, has my heart cracking and reforming with something I never thought I’d feel towards anyone.
Love.
The only man I thought I’d ever love is Christopher. I’d do anything for my son. Would do anything to protect him.
But I feel my heart warm for my accidental husband, too. Because Ilovehim, more than I ever thought possible.
Just as it’s instant for Chris, it’s as quick for Ford, too.
He wraps one arm around Chris’s back and with the other, gently pushes his mused hair back. “Hey, there, little man,” Ford murmurs, voice low. Christopher leans into that touch, already enamoured. “I’m your dad.”
My knees buckle, and I land on the sofa beside him, watching the two of them. It’s like they’ve both found their missing piece, and I don’t know whether to smile or cry.
“I’m sorry I missed so much of your life,” Ford continues. “I never meant to. Had I known…I would have been with you and your mom from the very beginning. I need you to know that. I’ve loved your mother since the start, and you…I love you so much.”
I blink hard, but I can’t stop the tears from falling.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Ford whispers, running the back of his fingers over Christopher’s red cheek. “Never again. I’m your dad, no matter what. Okay? And you’re my boy. And your mom…” He looks at me then, tears still spilling down his cheeks, a hopeful look glinting in his eyes. “Your mom is still my wife.”
“I am?” I ask, voice thick with emotion. “I mean, yes. But you don’t want the annulment?”
“Do you?”
I don’t even have to think about it. Immediately, I shake my head. “No. No, I don’t.”
He gives me a half smile before releasing a shaky breath. “Good. Because I want to be a family, darlin’. You, me, and our son. It doesn’t matter where. When I said I’d quit the ranch, I meant it. Let’s take Chris and move to Colorado so you can be closer to your sister. Or we can stay here, and I can move in with you until we find a place that can be ours. It doesn’t matter. We could move somewhere entirely new to us and start over. But I’m not going anywhere, because I love you. I love both of you.”
Relief hits me like a tidal wave, washing away any regret, guilt, and uncertainty I had left. Finding Ford had never beenabout looking for a family. I’d been happy with just me and Christopher.
But I also can’t deny how damn good it feels to know my husband wants our son, wants to share a life with us.
“How does that sound?” I say, looking at Chris. “You think you can make some room here for your daddy?”
Our boy looks between us before babbling something and throwing himself into Ford’s chest, making us both laugh. “I want to take that as a yes,” Ford whispers. “Do you?”
I glance up and meet his stare. “I think that’s a yes.”
ELEVEN
FORD
3WEEKS LATER
I never thought finding the woman of my dreams would lead to also getting the life I never thought I’d have.
But here I am, cleaning a shitty diaper and loving every moment of it.
“You know, you’re actually a natural at this,” Olivia says from the doorway with a chuckle. “It took me a while to get the hang of the smell.”
I match her laugh with one of my own. “I’ll be honest, once you work as a ranch hand in the sweltering summer heat, this smells like fresh air.”
It might be bad, but it isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever encountered. I’ll take one of Christopher’s dirty diapers over mucking a horse’s stall during summer in Texas any day. Especially if I’m stuck with one of the other ranch hands, who’d smell like he hadn’t showered in days.
I shudder just thinking about it.
“So,” Olivia hedges, moving into the nursery. “Have you had time to think about it?”
I look up from the clean diaper I’m putting on Chris and give her a smile. “Don’t need to.”
