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.