Ashley seemed to be avoiding him. He could be paranoid but he always seemed to end up being paired with Bill or Henry, sometimes even Mack, but never Ashley. Bill was alright, but he couldn’t stand Henry. The man seemed to think he was number one on every woman’s wish list. Adam was used to the vulgar talk from the band scene but if his mam caught Henry speaking the way he did, she’d be likely to wash his mouth out with bleach.

Ashley rode with them if a group of them were going out but never near him. The other ranch hands teased her over being a cowgirl. They suggested she should become a real woman in their eyes, someone who was married, had kids and did the household chores. She handled them brilliantly. She constantly showed them she was as good, if not better, than they were.

One day, Mack called an end to work early. They had an hour or so before dinner so the ranch hands decided to hold a shooting contest. Ashley outshot everyone apart from Mack. The guests weren’t allowed to have a gun but even if they had, Adam wouldn’t have dared try. He had never handled a gun before, never mind shot one. He would make a right fool of himself.

He found himself watching her, the way she spoke to the other guests. All of them were there for reasons similar to his. So he didn’t understand why she wasn’t as friendly to him. Had he blown it when he asked her about her sister?

* * *

Adam cleaned out the stables. It was his turn at the filthy job, only it wasn’t that bad once you got used to the smell. He liked the physical labor—it took his mind off his problems and it meant once he hit the bed, sleep came relatively easy. Well, that was the theory anyway. In reality, he was lying awake most nights thinking of Ashley Baker. She reminded him so much of his mother and sister, their neighbors and friends. She was a real person. She wasn’t full of airs and graces, and she didn’t play games. She didn’t lie like most women did. What she said, she meant. Or at least he thought she did.

“We don’t pay you extra for daydreaming, you know.”

“You don’t pay me at all,” Adam joked back to Mack.

“You seemed miles away. Were you thinking of home?”

“Yes.” Adam wasn’t lying exactly. He had been thinking of his mother and sister.

“I thought you might be thinking of someone else. A tall strawberry-blonde, for instance.”

“Not me. I’m off women for life. They’re too much trouble.”

“You’re a bit young for that attitude. Believe me, son, when you find the right woman your life will be better than anything you ever hoped for.”

Adam worked harder hoping Mack would take the hint. He didn’t want to talk about this. Not now, not ever.

“So this girl, the one who broke your heart? She the reason you’re here?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. You know why I’m here. I got caught.”

Mack rubbed the side of his nose as his eyes studied Adam. The sweat trickled down his chest under the intense scrutiny.

“What do you want me to do next?” Adam asked as the silence between them grew too tense.

“What are you looking for, Adam? Why here? You could have asked to be sent back to Ireland, couldn’t you? I don’t know much about the law but for a first-time offense, I would have thought it was possible. Likely even.”

“My mam and da will kill me when they get their hands on me. I let them both down.”

“Never mind your parents, they’ll deal with it. What about you? What was missing from your life that you had to turn to drugs?”

Now wasn’t the time to admit he had only ever taken prescription drugs. He had a cover to maintain.

“There was a girl,” he admitted hoping that would be enough to satisfy Mack’s curiosity.

“There usually is.”

“No. I mean, I was serious about this one. I thought I had it all. I was ready to settle down and get married. I wanted to have what my parents have. You know? Like you and Charity.” Adam paused trying to keep his voice calm. “I thought Camilla wanted the same.”

“Only she didn’t?”

“She wanted Adam Malone the rock star. She had no more intention of settling down and having children than she planned on living a simple life. That whole thing, the crazy nights, the fans, Hello magazine, et cetera, that was her dream. She wanted to be the next Kardashian. I should have seen it earlier, but I was blind. Never again.”

“You can’t judge all women by the actions of this Camilla woman. It sounds like you had a lucky escape to me. Marriage is hard work. I think the best marriages last because the husband and wife are best friends and one hundred percent supportive of each other. You can have that with someone else.”

“Yeah, maybe.” It was funny how it didn’t hurt to think of Camilla now. Thinking of her just made him angry. She had nearly destroyed his life and he’d been stupid enough to let her. Eager to change the subject, he asked, “What chore do you want to be done next?”

“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Just chill for a while. Maybe call your mom? I have no idea what time it is in Ireland.”

“It’s the middle of the night over there. But thanks. I have a book I’ve been wanting to finish.”

“Adam, don’t give up on life. Being single is fine if that’s your choice for the right reasons. Personally, I think people are like animals, they like to live in pairs. We all make mistakes. Some of us more than others. It’s what we learn from them that counts.”

Mack walked off as Adam tidied up the last of his chores. It was a pity Mack didn’t have children. He would have made a great dad. As he walked back to the lodge, his thoughts turned to Ashley again. Was Mack hinting that he had a chance with Ashley? No. He couldn’t be. Why would she ever want a screw-up like him?