Captured by Cowboys (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 1)

out the truth about her because she so plainly needed to know.

“I’m terrified, guys. What if I’ve done something awful? I’m not sure finding out who I really am is a great idea.”

“Sweetheart,” he said softly, hoping to quell her fears. “It’s going to be okay. You may be scared but deep down you want to know the truth. Right?”

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“They’ll go look for your car. When they find it, I’m sure they’ll also find your identification inside. Once we know your real name, I’m betting it will jog your memory free.”

“I thought it was too difficult for the horses to trek out there.”

“Only to the south, sweetheart. If need be, they can set out on foot that direction,” Emmett said.

Bryant stroked her hair. Clearly he was gone for her as much as Cody was. Hell, as much as Emmett was, too. “He’s right, love. You need to know and so do we. Don’t fret. This is going to work out.”

“But what if it doesn’t? What if the past I’ve forgotten comes crashing in on us, destroying any chance of…us having…” Amber blinked several times as if trying to find the right words. “I just don’t want this to end. Can you understand that, Emmett?”

“I understand more than you can even imagine. Just because we might not like what Bryant and Cody find doesn’t mean we should avoid it. Whatever you left, we’ll deal with it. Together. Trust me.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay. I will trust you.”

Chapter Nine

Amber finished packing up the basket she’d found under the sink with sandwiches and fruit. Cody and Bryant had returned the night before with nothing to report of their search, which had troubled her and the three Stone brothers. The rains had caused a rockslide that the twins couldn’t get past. This morning they’d packed up some camping gear, vowing not to return until they had exhausted all efforts to get around the debris and to find something that would help them discover Amber’s real identity. They even said they might ride all the way to town, if they could find a way around the blockage in the road, to talk to the sheriff if their search came up empty. That could mean at least another day, maybe two, before they returned.

“What’s this?” Emmett said, returning from brushing down his horse.

“I’m tired of just wringing my hands and waiting. I need to get out and see more than these cabin walls. I made us a picnic lunch.”

“And what makes you think I am willing to take you away from here, missy?”

She laughed. He’d been pacing the floor ever since the big discussion around the kitchen table yesterday. “You’re as stir-crazy as I am.”

“What about the roads? Did you think of that?”

“We don’t have to go far, cowboy. Surely there’s some place on this ranch we can get to without much trouble.”

His manly lips turned up into the sexiest smile. “I can think of one, Amber. I would love to show it to you, too. I think you’d like the view.”

She’d thought it would be more difficult to convince him to take her out for lunch. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll have to saddle up Bullet first. I’ll be back in a flash.”

“Sounds terrific.”

The big, muscled cowboy walked back out the door, heading to the barn.

Learning Emmett was truly interested in her had lifted her spirits some. Still, until more was known about her past, her worries remained. His demeanor had softened much since the big discussion, but he still kept himself reticent around her. He’d made it clear that the right thing to do was wait.

She knew he was right but hated it. She still couldn’t believe that behind the wall in her mind was a man who was the love of her life. It just wasn’t possible. Love wasn’t a stranger to her any longer. She’d fallen for Bryant, Cody, and yes, even Emmett.

She set the picnic basket down on the kitchen table and walked to the shelf where she’d placed the wedding photo of her cowboys’ parents. Gazing at Mrs. Stone and her two grooms had become a frequent practice for her whenever she was alone. She’d studied the woman’s face and could almost feel her utter joy and overwhelming contentment. The dads, too, were totally in love with her.

She closed her eyes and dreamed of a future with the Stone brothers, her cowboys. How would such an arrangement work? What would be the everyday ins and outs of a poly family? She wasn’t certain. Still, if the three in the photo could figure out how to live and be happy, she and her three cowboys could do the same.

An image of her standing in a white gown with Cody, Bryant, and Emmett surrounding her floated in her mind’s eye. Her heart leapt up in her chest. This was real. This was her life. This was her future. She loved her three rescuers. Real love. Total and unfaltering.

No. There could be no man in her past. It just wasn’t possible.