After their shift ended the next day, Ashley took Adam to see her parent’s ranch. He had seen the house but she wanted him to see the land. Where she and Kayleigh had played as children. Where she dreamed her kids would also play someday.

He might as well know from the start who she was. There was no way any woman’s magazine would be lining up to photograph her on their cover.

“It’s big,” he said when they got there. “Much bigger than I expected. For some reason, I thought it would be just the house and about half an acre.”

“I told you I lived on a ranch. Not much ranching done in a place that small.”

He held her hand as they walked. She pointed out various things to him and then came to a stop as they reached the large trees near the river.

“Is that a treehouse?”

“Yes, Kayleigh and I used to play down here in the summer. Dad built it for us. Want to see it?”

“Sure.”

“Can you manage with your hand?”

“I can if you help me,” he grinned at her. “I am fine but it gives me an excuse to keep holding your hand.”

He was trying to make her laugh and she thanked him for it. She hadn’t been up in the treehouse since Kayleigh died. Why had she suggested showing it to him?

“Wow, it’s bigger than it looks. You girls were lucky.”

Ashley moved closer to the bookstand her dad had carved into one of tree limbs. It only held four books. They were still in good condition.

“We were. Dad was always doing nice things for us. Kayleigh didn’t appreciate the books though. Dad was always trying to get her to read. Said it would widen her horizons but she figured they were wide enough already.”

She fingered the books and then spotted Kayleigh’s cup. It was one she had gotten when opening an Easter egg as a kid. She refused to use it once she was a teenager but kept it in the tree house as a memento. Ashley’s eyes filled with tears.

“You doing ok?”

“I miss her. Some days are better than others. But sometimes it feels like she died yesterday.”

He pulled her close and held her as she let the tears fall. He didn’t say a word but waited for her sobs to subside.

“Sorry, your shirt is all wet.”

“It will dry.” He kissed the top of her forehead. “I am sorry you had to go through this. Life is so unfair.”

She couldn’t speak. She stared into the distance trying to pull herself together.

“What do you use the land for now?” Adam asked in a rather obvious attempt to change the subject.

“Nothing really.” She frowned. “Which is a real pity. Dad could rent it to some local ranchers, but he can’t bear to see any animals on it. He dreams of replacing his own herd but that’s never going to happen.”

“What will he do if you sell this place?”

“I don’t know. It all depends on Mom. I guess dad wants to get away from the memories.”

“What was your family like before Kayleigh died?”

“You mean were we normal? We were just the same as every other ranching family. But we pulled together. We saw what we thought were some tough times. We had a couple of hiccups, but Mom and Dad were strong then. They relied on each other and they made it through. Then the herd was destroyed. We thought that was the worst that could happen. But it was only the start. I …”

Her voice trailed off and as he watched, her face contorted with pain.

“Ashley you don’t need to talk about it. Want to head back? Loretta made a pie this evening.”

Her stomach twisted into knots making breathing painful and difficult. Sweat ran down the back of her neck. She needed to tell him but what if he rejected her. Blamed her just like her mom did.

“No, I need to tell you. It was my fault Kayleigh died.”

“How are you responsible?”

“I introduced her to Scott. I thought he was so cool. You know, the kid in town everyone wants to be with him. That was Scott. He was danger with a capital D but I was too stupid to see it. Mom and Dad banned him from the house, but I used to sneak out to see him. One night Kayleigh came too. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Ashley, you were a kid. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Yeah, it was. If I had listened to Mom, I would have stayed home. Kayleigh would never have met Scott. They became inseparable after that. Kayleigh skipped school to see him. Every chance she got, she was with him. There were rumors about drugs, but I didn’t think she would be that stupid. I was wrong.”

“How did she die?”

“They both got high at some party. He decided to drive his motorbike home. She was on the back. They didn’t stand a chance.”

He put his arms around her as she sobbed her heart out. “It isn’t your fault Ashley, none of it. Kayleigh made her own decisions.”

“She was barely sixteen. I should have protected her.”

“But you couldn’t. You didn’t know what choices she would make. You weren’t much older yourself. Kayleigh wasn’t a child, like Gracie or David. She wasn’t old either, but at sixteen she knew the risks.”

Ashley pulled away from him. “I don’t understand you. You act so kind and you were brilliant with the children but then I remember why we met. I know you’ve told me you weren’t involved with the drug smuggling but how did you come to be on the ranch. Someone you knew could have brought the drugs that killed my sister into this country. What am I doing? What am I thinking?”

“It’s not like that. It—”

“Don’t tell me it’s not the same. That it was some Mexican drug lord who’s responsible for the drugs. Drugs are drugs. Doesn’t matter what you call them. They kill and destroy people’s lives. How could you become involved with something like that?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer but climbed down out of the treehouse.