AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She exhaled. “No, I’m sorry for the attitude. I guess I just never thought the day would come that I was here in Lyntacky. Or that I’d be brave enough to actually start searching. But when I arrived, I tensed up.”
“It’s okay, and you had reason. Why don’t you just get a feel for the place? We’ll go into town, and you can meet some of the locals. There will likely be a record of people who lived here, or were born here, somewhere. Maybe you can see if there’s a record of an Asher and Robyn who were siblings.”
“I like that idea. Then if I find anything, I can start making inquiries. Thanks, Ford.”
“Welcome.” Lifting an arm, he wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
“Ford?”
“Yes.”
“The sheriff of Lyntacky and then Linda from the diner thought I looked like someone they knew.”
“Well then, to me that says it’s even more important you do some digging.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. If felt good, right, and a whole host of words. He nudged her chin up and kissed her.
Her lips were soft, and her scent wrapped around him. He wanted to touch her, but he wasn’t an animal—he could refrain even though she made him feel desperate. Made him feel like he needed to touch her, pull her under him and take her.
“I’ve lived with the belief, right or wrong, that relationships weren’t for me, Autumn.” He rested his forehead on hers. “Then I slept with you and realized I was wrong. Now I’m convinced my thinking was screwed up all these years.”
Her fingers were in his hair, and suddenly he got why cats purred.
“Ritchie. I can’t allow him to be hurt.”
“You think I’d hurt him?”
“Not intentionally, no.”
“Maybe we’ll take it day by day and see where it goes. I won’t touch you in front of Ritchie if that’s what you want.”
She shook her head. “No. I mean, he needs to know that I may be with a man… That came out wrong.”
“I understood.” But he didn’t want her with any man but him. “Now how about you shut up and let me kiss you good night?”
Ford lifted her onto his lap, and then every thought left his head.
Chapter27
Autumn couldn’t sleep after leaving Ford. She lay there on her side, watching her son breathe, thinking about the man in the room next door and the fact that her father might be in this town right now.
Ford was special to her; she wasn’t going to deny that. More than special. She loved everything about him.
Rolling to her back, she looked up at the ceiling. Her thoughts were keeping her awake. Was Ford the same?
She heard his voice through the wall. He was talking. Who was he talking to at this time of night? His brother maybe?
“No!”
His roar had her getting out of bed. She would just listen at the door to make sure he was okay. Maybe someone had gotten into his room and wanted to hurt him. Luna and Nash were down at the end of the hallway, and she could get them if she needed to.
She hurried to Ford’s room and pressed her ear to the door.
“Wake up!”
His second roar had her trying the handle. It turned so she opened the door and entered. Moonlight streamed in through the window, and she could see that Ford lay on his back, hands fisted on his chest. He was rolling his head from side to side, clearly deep in a nightmare.
“Oh, Ford.” She moved to the bed and bent over him. Touching his cheek softly, she spoke. “Ford. It’s okay now. Open your eyes.”
