No other has ever come close to being anything like him. To being the perfect amount of soft and hard all at the same time. Only Ford can pull that off and make me want him every time.
“You can live in the main house, I’ll live in the little house. That way we’re close, but it doesn’t feel like we’re jumping right into anything.”
I think about his words. I like his idea, no, I love it. It’s exactly what I need, especially with everything that has been going on and the back and forth we’ve had in just the past few weeks. Nodding, I lift my hand and tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear.
“I’ll live in the little house though. I only have my clothes in my suitcase. The rest of my stuff won’t be packed up and moved until the house is sold.”
“I can’t have you out there, it’s too small.”
I laugh, shaking my head a couple of times. “I agree to your compromise, but you need to agree to my terms within that.”
He lifts his hand, I’m not sure what he’s going to do next, but signaling the waiter definitely wasn’t what I thought he was going to do.
“We’re ready to order,” he mutters as soon as the waiter arrives, his eyes never leaving mine.
I personally haven’t even looked at the menu, but I don’t need it. It’s Italian, and while I need to keep a semblance of my shape for the movie coming up in a few months, I don’t need to watch every morsel that passes my lips tonight, so pasta it is.
Ford orders enough for two people, which doesn’t surprise me in the least. It’s obvious that he works out on the ranch, hard, but also that he enjoys food. He is every bit a hard-working man’s man, every damn inch of him.
Once we’ve ordered, only then does Ford continue our conversation. “Okay, you win.”
“I win?”
“You can stay in the tiny house. For now.”
Smiling, I shake my head, my eyes finding his and holding them. “I’m ready for the future.”
“It’s going to be a lot of hard work.”
Nodding, I reach across the table and take his hand, again. This time, he laces his fingers with mine, we hold on to one another for a moment before I speak.
“I know that it is. I’ve never looked forward to hard work like I am to this new endeavor with you.”
“Can’t just turn your back and run, not when we’re going to build a life, a family and a future together.”
“No more running,” I whisper.
His lips curve up into a smile. “Thank fuck. It’s about time you came to your senses came back home, to the Matthews ranch where you were always meant to be.”
“It is, isn’t it?” I ask with a giggle.
He dips his chin, his eyes focused on mine, and holds my gaze. “Yeah, honey. It’s your home, it’s always been where you belong.”
My eyes fill with tears, but I don’t let them fall, I swallow them down as our food arrives. We don’t talk about the past for the rest of the dinner. Instead, I tell him everything about my latest conversation with the Russian mob boss in an attempt to ease his mind about that.
I can tell by the way he clenches his jaw, that it doesn’t ease anything. I remind him that I’m here, with him, and I’ll be living on his ranch, which only relaxes him marginally.
Chapter Thirty-One
FORD
Normally, this would be where I’d try to get my date to either come home with me or go around the back of the building so I could get into her panties. I don’t do either. Holding her hand, I walk her to her rental car. This time it’s a red sports car instead of black.
“You got a thing for expensive fast cars, honey,” I point out as we approach.
“It wasn’t me, it was Damion.”
Arching a brow, my heart squeezes at her mention of another man’s name, even if I know exactly who he is, and that he has no desire for Stephanie.
“He’s my assistant, he’s never been to Texas and wanted to come with me. Just in…”
My fingers squeeze hers. “Just in case I was a major asshole and kicked you to the curb?” I ask.
Stephanie laughs softly. “Basically, yeah.”
I hum, guiding her so that her ass presses against the driver’s side of the car. Dipping my chin, I look into her pretty blue eyes. Lifting my hand, I tuck her hair behind her ear before trailing my fingers down the side of her face and cupping her jaw.
“I’ll follow you to the hotel, make sure you get in safe. Tomorrow you’ll bring him to the ranch and move in. He can stay in the main house, got plenty of bedrooms,” I murmur.
“I couldn’t, Ford. I don’t think you’d be comfortable.”
“Why? You fuck him?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
She jerks away from me, or at least attempts to, but I don’t allow it. “Absolutely not. I’m not his type. But you are.”
My lips twitch into a smile before I let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, I kind of got that impression at Beaumont’s. So you think because I was raised in this small town that I got some small-town bullshit mentality? Is that what you’re implying? Did I treat him badly when I was in LA?”
“No, but Ford,” she warns.
“Sorry, honey. You should know me better than that. My parents were good people, who raised me to love all people. Sure, there’s some small-minded folks around here, but they’re everywhere else, too. You stick around here and Gallup is going to prove you wrong on that shit.”
“I know you’re not like that, I just…”
“You just thought that I would have a problem with your friend because he’s gay, right?”
Her eyes widen at my frankness. It’s what she thought. It’s probably why she didn’t bring him the first time she came swinging into town a few weeks ago.
“People will talk, Stephanie. They always talk. You gotta figure out if they’re talking because they just like to know who’s who or if they’re bein’ downright mean. Some people were downright mean to Channing a few years ago, but most were just talkin’ to fuckin’ flap their lips because not much happens here.
“It’ll be the same with your friend and with you, because you ain’t been around for a while and you’re famous. Is that going to bother you? Upset you? You’re made of sterner shit than that, Stephanie LaRue.”
“Okay,” she snaps. “I get it.”
“Do you?”
She licks her lips, her eyes searching mine. “We’ll be by in the morning.”
“And all our friends will come over in the evening for grilling and hanging out.”
“Ford,” she sighs.
“They’ll want to see you and meet him.”
“They will,” she says, nodding her head.
Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to hers. “I’ll see you tomorrow, honey.”
“Okay,” she breathes.
I don’t deepen the kiss, instead I keep it soft, light and chaste. Straightening, I take a step back. Her eyes slowly open and she licks her lips. They’re a little swollen and sexy as fuck. I watch as she reaches for the handle of her car door and tugs it open before sinking inside.