Adam let her leave. He had to. There was no way to explain what had happened without blowing his cover and that would jeopardize the whole operation. He couldn’t do that. He’d made a promise and one thing he’d learned after the crazy years in the pop industry was he only had his word. Everything else was fleeting.

He wished he had never met Ashley, but immediately regretted thinking it. She was an incredible woman. She was strong, feisty, not scared to stand up for herself or what she felt was right. She was…real. That was the word for her. There wasn’t anything fake about her. She didn’t even dye her hair. She was so different from the women he had dated over the past few years. Women who didn’t give two cents for anyone but themselves. They were more concerned with how they looked, how much they earned and how many views their selfies got on the various social network sites. Until Camilla. He really thought she was different, but she’d been the worst of them.

How come he hadn’t seen what she was like until it was almost too late? His parents hated her from the minute he had introduced them at some after-gig party. Caitlin refused to be in the same room as her. His brothers tolerated her but even Nathan, the most laid back of them, ended up avoiding her. Yet Adam had been totally infatuated with her. He’d even thought of proposing.

“Adam, earth to Adam.” Mack’s voice interrupted his musings.

“Sorry Mack. I was miles away.”

“You certainly were. I was shouting at you. You got a call. I told them you would ring back. The missus is expecting you. She made cookies.”

“Thank you, Mack.”

Adam headed toward Mack’s home. His wife was an incredible lady. She had such an enthusiasm for life. Her wheelchair prevented her from doing lots of things, but she refused to let it imprison her. She idolized her husband who, in return, adored her. It made him think of his ma and da. He couldn’t wait until this was all over and he could explain to them. He could tell them the truth and maybe after his ma hit him a few times with her wooden spoon, she would give him a hug.

“Detective Anderson, sorry I wasn’t here earlier. Did Mack explain my problem?”

“He did but he also said he could carry you for a few weeks until you get better or we come get you.”

Adam smiled. He was glad to hear he wouldn’t have to leave.

“You there, Malone?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Any sign of the press?”

“No sir. Seems I’ve flown under the radar.”

“For now but keep your wits about you. Don’t take any chances, you understand?”

“Like heading down to the local town and performing live?”

“It’s not a joke kid. You may be in deeper than you think.”

“Sorry.” Adam didn’t like being called a kid. He may look nineteen, but he was twenty-six already.

“I’ll call you in a week or so. Hang tight.”

“Yes, sir.” Adam hung up. Mrs. McDonough was waiting in the kitchen when he came out of the living room. “Thanks for the cell.”

“No problem. Want some cookies now?”

“Yes, please. My stomach is about to start growling.”

The morning passed slowly. He enjoyed hanging out with Charity. She clearly loved the ranch and the people in it as much as her husband, Mack, did. She didn’t know much about the owner, but her facial expressions spoke volumes. Clearly, the man didn’t care about anything but the bottom line. She was fed up with the burden he placed on Mack. “My husband isn’t getting any younger, Adam. He’s a fine man but one of these days the work will get to him. I have tried telling him he needs to slow down but he has selective deafness. Won’t even listen to Ashley.”

“He’s very close to her isn’t he?”

“Yes, she’s like a daughter to both of us. God didn’t bless us with children of our own. Ashley is part of our family. Poor kid. Life has been tough on her.”

“She mentioned her sister.”

“Kayleigh was a stubborn young thing. Still, she didn’t deserve to die so young. Her mom hasn’t forgiven Ashley, which is just ridiculous. It had nothing to do with the poor girl.”

Adam stayed quiet. He didn’t know the story and hopefully by staying silent Charity would fill him in. But she fell quiet. She seemed to realize it wasn’t her story to tell.

Adam didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. “I best be getting back. There must be something I can do one-handed.”

“Mack has some painting jobs. You might be able to manage them in a couple of days but for now, you should rest. The swelling is nasty. Ask Loretta for one of her cures. She is a great believer in traditional medicines.”

“Thank you, Charity.”

“Adam, call back another time and chat. Please. It gets lonely out here with Mack gone all day. I don’t like to bother people but it’s nice to have a conversation once in a while.”

“I’d love to. Thank you.”

He nicked a cookie on his way out to munch as he made his way back to the big house.