by Jill Snow
“Fine thanks.”
“Funny, you didn’t sound fine a few seconds ago. If I were a betting man, I would think you were close to tears.”
“Typical man. Just because I’m a woman you think I’m going to ball my eyes out?”
“No, it’s not like that. Only I thought I heard—”
“You heard nothing. What are you doing in here anyway? I thought you were mending fences with Henry.”
“I was. Only I got a bit clumsy.” He held out his hand.
She sucked in her breath at the sight of his bruised and swelling fingers.
“They look broken.”
“I don’t know. Henry said to come find Loretta, but I don’t know where she is. I thought she might be in here.”
“In the barn? Not likely. Anyway, you need that hand x-rayed. Come on,” she said.
“Where?”
“I’ll take you to the local hospital. My car is out back.”
“I know you have lots of work to do. I can get a cab,” he said.
“No, you can’t. I have to take you. Or at least, someone here does. You’re not allowed off the ranch without supervision, remember?”
“But surely to the hospital is okay. It’s not like I’m going to go dancing or anything.”
“Rules are rules. Do you need anything?”
“Just my wallet.”
“Right, meet you outside the house in five.”
She watched as he walked back to the house. He must be in agony, yet he hadn’t complained. In fact, he didn’t moan about anything, unlike some of the other guests. She admired the way he just got on with it. It didn’t faze him when Henry decided to test him by giving him a string of the dirtiest jobs on the ranch. He didn’t complain once. He seemed like a nice guy. Since when were drug dealers ever nice? Even cute ones with fantastic accents?
Chapter 20
He remained silent on the ride to the ER, no doubt due the amount of pain he must be in. Luckily, when they got there it didn’t seem too busy. The whoosh of the automatic doors combined with that distinctive hospital smell took her back years. She waited while the nurse took his details. She smiled her encouragement as he made his way through the doors to triage.
The smile fell from her face as soon as he disappeared. She hated hospitals, had done since Kayleigh died. She closed her eyes and tried to take her mind off the whole experience. It must have worked, as he woke her up a couple of hours later.
“Sorry. You’re exhausted and the last thing you need is to have to babysit me.”
“It’s okay. What did they say?”
“Two broken fingers, one broke in two different places. Hence the splint. They can’t plaster it until the swelling goes down which means I have to come back in two to three days. Want to be the first to autograph my cast when I get it?”
She looked at him, wondering what he meant when she saw he was teasing.
“Sorry, I didn’t want any pain meds, so the pain is making me a little weird.” He spoke while rubbing her hand with his unbroken one. She liked the way her body responded to his touch.
“Or it’s made you realize you were always that way.” She was flirting. She couldn’t believe it. Not only with an injured man, but a drug smuggler. What was she doing? Abruptly she stood up, leaving him looking perplexed. She made her way to the nurse’s station asking if they could leave.
“He’s been discharged, but here is a prescription for pain medication,” the ER receptionist said, handing Ashley a script. “He’s refused them so far, says he never takes drugs, but he might change his mind.”
She nodded, wondering why he had refused treatment. Was it part of his bail conditions? She didn’t want to ask, though. She had been too familiar with him already.
Adam watched her at the nurse’s station. Why did she keep going all cold on him? He couldn’t work out what it was. But then it was hard to think while he was in agony. What he wouldn’t do for some codeine right now but he didn’t want to take any drugs. Eventually, the pain would wear off.
He thanked the nurses again for being so nice to him. He had autographed a few books and t-shirts at their request. He hoped they didn’t ask him for anything like that in front of Ashley. He could tell she wouldn’t be impressed. Why was her opinion so important to him anyway? He wouldn’t see her again once his time on the ranch was up.
The thought saddened him. He was enjoying living there. He looked at his hand, only then realizing his time was probably up already. Who wanted a one-handed ranch hand?
They drove back to the ranch in silence. He wasn’t going to say another word as she was clearly angry over something. It could only be him as the ER staff had been fabulous. They pulled up outside the main house and, to his horror, Loretta, Mack and a few others came out to greet him.
“You okay man? That was something else.” Bill’s face turned white at the sight of the bandaged hand.
“I am so sorry son. I didn’t even see your hand.” Mack apologized.
“Leave him alone. You are crowding him. Come in son and let’s get you situated,” Loretta ordered.
Adam bit his lip as the pain shot daggers through his body. Loretta put her arm firmly under his elbow and led him inside.
“I’m fine, thank you everyone,” he managed to croak. All he wanted to do was sit down. The sweat was pouring down his back as his fingers screamed in agony.
“It doesn’t look fine. What did they say?” Loretta asked, concern written all over her face.
“He has three breaks in two fingers. They’ll put him in a cast when the swelling goes down. They didn’t give him anything for being stupid enough to put his fingers under the hammer.”
He smiled at her attempt at a joke but Mack obviously didn’t think she was being funny.
“No, he didn’t, Ashley. I was showing one of the guys how to do something. I got distracted and Adam pushed my hand out of the way. If it weren’t for his quick thinking, it would have been me in the hospital.”
Ashley colored but stayed silent. Adam caught the surprise in her eyes. Why would she be so surprised he had come to someone’s aid? She really didn’t like him, did she?
“It was nothing, Mack. Anyone would have done the same. If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to lie down.”
“He refused pain meds at the hospital,” Ashley said. “And said he didn’t take drugs ever.”
“Why would you do that son? Best take something for the swelling if nothing else.”
“No thank you, Loretta. Mack, could I have a word in private please?”
“Sure son. Be right with you.”
Adam walked toward his room. He didn’t want anyone to hear him asking about what happened next.
Chapter 21
Ashley drove home slowly, her thoughts on Adam. Why was he refusing pain meds and why had he helped Mack, a man he barely knew? He was an enigma for sure. She pulled up outside of her parents’ home hoping that tonight would be a good night.
Her mom was in her bedroom, the door closed. She could still hear her sobbing. She stood at the door for a few seconds wondering whether she should go in and try to comfort her but turned away. Her mom was better left alone when the dark feelings hit.
Her dad was sitting in his chair, staring at a letter in his hands. She could see it was from the bank due to the stationery. She didn’t ask what it was about, that was obvious from her dad’s reaction. Had he told her mom? Was that why she had taken to her bed or was it because Kayleigh’s anniversary was coming up?
She went through to the kitchen and made some coffee. She handed it to her dad with a smile.
“You’re a good girl, do you know that? I know your mom never tells you, but she loves you too.”
Ashley didn’t respond. They both knew it wasn’t true. Kayleigh had been Mom’s favorite since the day she was born. Her mom held Ashley responsible for Kayleigh’s death, said she could have stopped her sister from going to the party. Not that she’d known anything about it until the cop
s called.
“We had a big row, Ashley. She thinks I am a loser.”
“Dad, that’s not fair. None of this is your fault. The herd, Kayleigh, everything else. Nobody could handle all the bad luck you’ve had these past few years. Don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? Now you have a chance to move on. Sell the house and land and buy something smaller if you can afford it.”
“But what about you, Ashley? This was supposed to be yours. Yours and Kayleigh, although she was never interested in it.”
No, her sister had preferred getting dressed up and going out than working with animals. Ashley could picture her face when they had to clean out the stables. She smiled at the memories. Sometimes she could think of Kayleigh and it wasn’t so painful.
“Dad, Kayleigh is watching us now. It will get better. You need a good night’s sleep and then we’ll start sorting things tomorrow. I’m just going to call Mack and tell him what happened and that I’ll be in late again. In the morning the three of us will sit down and talk.”
“No Ashley, sweetheart. You need that job. You have to prioritize yourself. I’m the man of the house and it’s my job to protect you, as well as your mother. Which is something I haven’t paid attention to. This is my mess and I’ll clear it up. It’s time you got to live your own life, darling. I’m so proud of you and the way you turned out.”
“Oh, Dad.” She put her arms around her dad and held him as they both cried a few tears. Then she released him. She thought she heard her mom coming down. She would leave them to talk.
“Goodnight Dad. Love you.”
She didn’t wait for his reply but headed to her room. Turning her music on, she climbed onto her bed fully dressed. Only then did she let the tears fall onto Kayleigh’s favorite teddy.
Chapter 22
Adam sat on his bed going over what he needed to tell Mack. Someone had to contact Detective Anderson. His bedroom door opened and Mack came in, shutting it behind him.
“Thanks son, for what you did out there today.”
“It was nothing,” Adam replied. “Anyone would have done the same. Listen, Mack, I need your help.”
“Sure.”
“Do you know the real reason I’m here?”
Mack looked confused. “Sure, you got caught with drugs, first offense, fancy lawyer, landed here.”
“That’s the story the papers got but I thought you might know the truth.”
“No son, why don’t you tell me?”
By the look on Mack’s face, he expected Adam to plead his case by saying it wasn’t a lot of drugs or whatever.
“The truth is, I’ve never taken drugs in my life. I have been on pain meds for my back—I hurt it in an accident some time ago and you can’t drum properly if your back’s hurting.”
“So why are you here?”
“I was caught smuggling drugs in a private plane.”
Mack sat straighter, his expression full of distaste.
“They weren’t my drugs and, thankfully, I had suspected something and warned the police before it happened.”
“You expect me to believe you turned yourself in?”
“No Mack. I don’t expect you to believe anything. You don’t know me. I am telling you the truth though. There was someone, well, I thought I was in love with her. I thought I had found the one. You know, wife, family et cetera. I was such an idiot. Seems she not only didn’t love me, but found me extremely useful for her drug smuggling business. It wasn’t the first time she had used my fame to hide her little business. Anyway, I won’t go into the details but, suffice it to say, she isn’t sitting on a dude ranch anywhere. The case against her is still pending. I had to be seen to be convicted of something so here I am. But I need to speak to Detective Anderson. He’s in charge of the operation. This,” Adam held up his hand, “is going to complicate matters.”
“Why?”
“I can’t work on a ranch. Who needs a one-handed ranch hand?”
“I see.” Mack’s guilty expression was hard to watch. He really was a nice man. “I really landed you in it, didn’t I?”
“It wasn’t your fault. I keep telling you that,” Adam reassured him again. “Look, it’s important this stays between us. I have a friend who used to be a Green Beret, he knew some people to talk to in the drug unit. I met with them and agreed to help them close this particular drug ring. They know Camilla, my so-called girlfriend, isn’t working alone. They think there must be a drug network, not just the dealers and smugglers but also people in the legal system. Dirty cops, lawyers, maybe even judges.”
Adam waited a few seconds for Mack to process what he was saying. “Do you believe me?”
“Yes, son I believe you. Explains a lot really. Your lack of attitude is one thing. So how do I contact this policeman?”
“I need a cell phone to call him. It’s probably best if you don’t get involved. They think there’s a leak in the system.”
“There’s nobody on our ranch who isn’t who they say they are,” Mack growled.
“I know that but the same can’t be said for the guests. Now can I borrow your cell?”
“Okay, but what about coming over to my house to meet my wife? You can use it in private there and we can tell them my wife wants to say thank you.”
“Good idea,” Adam winced as he stood up.
“Painful?”
“A bit, but let’s not talk about it.”
As they walked to Mack’s house, Adam debated asking him about Ashley. The temptation got too big.
“Mack, what’s the score with Ashley?”
“She’s not your leak, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Mack’s protective tone confirmed Adam’s observation that the two were very close friends.
“No sir, I didn’t mean it that way but she seems, well sometimes she’s very friendly and other times it’s as if she hates me. She blows hot and cold.”
“Don’t most women?” Mack said evasively.
“Yes, I guess they do but this seems more personal or something. I can’t think what I did, but I seem to have upset her.”
“Not you son, but who she thinks you are.”
“A drug smuggler?”
Mack nodded.
“But she’s surrounded by them. It’s her job yet she doesn’t seem as frosty to the others.”
“I caught that too. I think it’s because you seem more normal than most of the guys we get. Tyler was more typical of our guests. You know, rich parents, born with an entitlement attitude.”
“But the rest of the guys here seem okay.”
“Some of them are. The ones who made a genuine mistake. The ones this type of program was designed for. They want to get clean and return to living their lives.” Mack spat on the ground. “Lately it’s become a little more of a rich players paradise. The rich kids whose parents can afford the fancy lawyers. They come here, play the part, go home and go straight back to drugs as if nothing happened. That’s frustrating. Meanwhile, the kids that could really benefit from this type of rehab are stuck in jail where they learn other skills. Ever heard the expression prison is a great training ground? Well, you don’t come out of there knowing how to love and look after animals.”
Adam nodded. He had heard similar things from Detective Anderson. But it didn’t quite explain Ashley’s attitude toward him.
“Like her, do you?” Mack asked.
“Who? Ashley? I just wondered why she was the way she was.”
“You wouldn’t be worried unless you liked her. If you ask me, part of the reason she’s blowing hot and cold is, despite her feelings about drugs, she likes you too.”
“Do you think?” Adam hated the hopeful expression in his voice. He had thought after Camilla, he wouldn’t touch another woman in a thousand years. But Ashley was the complete opposite of his former lover. Not only was she not a groupie, she wasn’t blonde and plastic. She was all woman with a tender heart. He had seen her around the animals often enough to see that.
“Thought you didn�
��t like her.” Mack grinned as he pushed open the door to his house. He smacked Adam on the back, obviously forgetting about Adam’s hand. The stars he saw took his mind off Ashley very quickly.
Chapter 23
Later, Ashley woke despite being exhausted mentally and physically. Her thoughts turned to Adam. She hoped his hand would be okay. Her feelings about him were so conflicting. She hated him being a drug smuggler, yet he seemed like such a nice guy. The animals loved him and they said animals knew people. He had acted without thought for himself today by saving Mack’s hand. Mack being older would have probably suffered more and taken longer to heal.
There was something weird about him being at the ranch. Not the fact he was rich, that was obvious. Or famous. She had finally given in and looked him up online. She’d listened to his music before and loved it but hadn’t connected his name with the band. The online reports said his family had distanced themselves from him. His mother, being very anti-drugs, was reported as saying he wasn’t welcome in her home again. That must be tough. To lose your job and your family over something so stupid as drugs. Why would someone that rich need to smuggle drugs? He couldn’t need the money. Was it because he thought he was above the law? She could see someone like Tyler thinking that, but Adam? She didn’t think he was the type. But then what did she know? It wasn’t as if she were an expert on humans. She had chosen Kayleigh’s boyfriend. Her sister had been determined to have him and won, as usual. But it was Ashley who had introduced Scott to their family. If she had listened to her gut, he would never have met her sister and maybe her family would still be intact.
She punched the pillow in frustration, all hope of sleep now gone. It wouldn’t matter how long she stayed in bed. Once she started thinking about the “what if’s”, she was better off up and about. She pulled on her clothes without showering and headed downstairs. She made her parents some food in case her mom wanted a break. Dad was just about capable of using the microwave to heat up their lunch.
