“Morning, Ashley. Did you get into night school?” Mack, her boss and foreman of the ranch, asked.

“Morning Mack. No, I don’t fit the entry requirements. I would have to be working with special needs children during the day. Anyway it was a pipe dream, the fees are too high.”

“Too bad, college would be good for you. You could meet friends your own age, live it up a little, maybe start dating?”

Ashley shook her head. Date? She didn’t have time for romance. The image of their new guest flicked into her mind. No, he was most definitely out of bounds. Not only because he was a guest where she worked, but his clothes screamed of wealth and that put him in a different league. She was a plain hamburger whereas he was more a prime rib style kind of guy. Mostly, though, he was involved with drugs and therefore the least likely man she would ever date.

Mack coughed, bringing her back to reality. Mack, her boss, was the reason she still worked on the ranch. Despite her numerous late starts, he never fired her.

“Sorry I’m late but it was partially the fault of the new guest this time. He got lost and needed directions to the lodge,” she said.

“Something wrong with his eyesight? It’s not like you could miss it.” Mack gave the huge ranch house a significant glance.

“I dunno. Anyway, what do you want done today?”

“Can you take the two new guys through their orientation? I would, but Charity isn’t feeling too well and I want to stay nearby. I have paperwork to do for the boss.”

Ashley smiled at the expression on Mack’s face. He would rather be cleaning out stables full of manure than deal with the accounts. Charity, his disabled wife, usually helped him, but it sounded like today was one of her bad days. On the rare days her pain became intolerable, she took to her bed.

“Sure, I can do that. I want to check the tack, too,” she said.

“Great. See you later.” Mack walked back in the direction of his house, leaving Ashley to collect the latest recruits.

* * *

Adam surveyed his room, pleasantly surprised by his surroundings. It wasn’t the Hilton but it was much better than the inside of a cell. He had a bed, a closet, and a desk. It would be perfect for his Mac if the police hadn’t seized it. They didn’t completely trust him not to tip Camilla off. As if he would do that.

His eyes closed, he couldn’t believe he had come so close to landing in jail. If he hadn’t noticed Camilla was bringing drugs in and the police happened to catch them, this would all be real. All because of one stupid mistake. How could he have been so naïve to trust a woman so much?

“Adam, you ready? Tyler is out back already. Ashley should be here any minute with your horse.”

“Coming,” Adam called, hoping he had misheard. Did the woman really say horse? He hoped not. He had never been near a horse unless you counted the dray horses you sometimes saw around Dublin city. What did they want him to do? Clean it? He knew he had to do some work out here but he hadn’t read any of the information he’d been given. He’d been too relieved he wasn’t going to prison and too devastated about what happened.

“Oh, there you are. Mack, he’s the foreman, he doesn’t like to be kept waiting. Off you go now.”

“But I can’t.” Adam protested, staring at the middle-aged woman. It was hard to tell her exact age. Her clothes and gray hair suggested she was older, but her face was remarkably unwrinkled. He only saw a few laugh lines around her eyes, although she definitely wasn’t laughing now.

“Why?” Loretta asked, her unforgiving expression not suggesting he could have a real reason.

“I don’t know how to ride.”

She threw her eyes up to Heaven as if to say “another one”. He hadn’t been found so wanting in a long time. It wasn’t a nice feeling.

“Oh, don’t worry, you will be fine. Ashley could have been born on a horse and between her and Mack, there is little they don’t know. Just do as they say and you will be fine.”

Adam glanced at the housekeeper. She seemed sure of what she was saying. Maybe it wasn’t too hard but then he saw the horses coming toward him. They were huge.

“Seriously? I could break my neck.”

“You could and I could fall down the stairs. Don’t live your life based on could. You know the drill. You are here to work. Work on a ranch involves being able to ride. Tyler, the other guest, is already outside. Go on, get,” Loretta chided. It appeared the housekeeper wasn’t the type to stand for any nonsense.

Adam left the safety of the kitchen feeling like a badly behaved child. He exchanged a glance with Tyler. He didn’t look scared, more like bored as he took a drag of his cigarette.

Adam broke the silence. “It’s my first time on a horse.”

“Me, too,” Tyler said. But he didn’t elaborate. He clearly didn’t want to chat. Adam turned away to look at the ranch hand bringing up the horses. He had to do a double-take when he saw it was the girl he’d met that morning. He smiled the Malone smile, hoping it would break some ice. She briefly acknowledged him before turning to the other guy.

“Be careful to put that thing out right. The last thing we need is a fire.”

“I don’t need a girl telling me what to do,” Tyler snapped.

Adam recognized his type; he had met his fair share of them. Sons and daughters of rich men who never worked a day in their lives. They expected everyone around them to wait on them hand and foot.

“As long as you’re here, you will do as you’re told,” the girl said.

“Nice try, missy, but you aren’t the boss around here.”

“No, but I am. My name is Mitchel McDonagh but you can call me Mack. You listen to Ashley or pay the price. Understood?” The man who spoke in a no-nonsense tone could have walked off one of his brother’s movies. From his weather-beaten skin under the black hat to the tips of his boots, he was all cowboy.

Tyler grunted and ground the cigarette out under his boots. Proper cowboy boots. Adam looked at his trainers.

“Guess I should change my shoes?” Adam said in an effort to change the topic. He hated confrontation. His time at the Double R would drag if he had to put up with Tyler for long.

“Good idea. You’ll ruin those cleaning the stables. You aren’t riding wearing those, either. The horses are patient, but not when you don’t wear the right gear. Loretta can lend you some. She’s bound to have some castoffs in her closet. Some of our previous guests felt they didn’t need them once they left here.”

His breath caught as she smiled, not at him but at the monster of an animal she sat on. She caressed the horse’s neck as if he were a puppy or something. She glanced up, catching him staring at her.

“Waiting for a written invitation?”

“No, sorry,” he muttered before going back into the house in search of boots. Was she always that sarcastic or was it solely for his benefit? He had offended her in some way but, despite racking his brains, he had no idea how.

“You back already?” Loretta glanced at him.

“Guess I didn’t see the memo about needing riding boots. Stupid, given where I am but recently, me and stupid tend to go hand in hand.”

Loretta smiled, changing her whole face. Then it was gone.

“What size?”

“Nine.”

She rummaged around in the closet before coming back with a dusty looking pair.

“There you go. Be careful. I will have hot water for baths when you come back,” Loretta said, sounding human for the first time since he’d arrived.

“That’s kind of you. Thank you.”

Again, his legendary Irish charm failed dismally. She didn’t even try to smile. It was as if he had imagined that first smile she gave him.

“Not kind, practical. You won’t be able to move a muscle when you get back here.”