Mack came back with the horses, but his bad mood was still evident.

“You go on, Mack. Check on Henry and Bill—see what type of day they had. I’ll bring in these two.”

“Thanks, Ashley. I don’t think I’m trustworthy around that idiot. I might just shoot him.”

Ashley caught the look on Tyler’s face. He looked the color of Loretta’s freshly laundered sheets. It wouldn’t do him any harm to believe Mack would shoot him.

She sent her boss off and then counted backward from twenty, trying to cool her own temper. When she saw the horse tied to the tree, she had nearly been sick. Not just because it was a valuable animal and her hide would be on the line if anything happened to it, but the way it was struggling it could have injured itself. She’d been amazed by Adam’s bravery. The last thing she expected was a drug suspect to think of anyone but themselves, least of all an animal. She’d been impressed, too, by his ability to calm Greybird so quickly. She made a mental note to ask him later how he had done it.

She rode quietly back, thankful Tyler decided to keep his mouth shut. One word from him and she’d shoot him herself.

They reached the stables in silence. Dismounting, she outlined to both of them what they needed to do. Tyler, rather predictably, refused.

“I told you, I’m nobody’s servant. Get someone else to work out the horse. I’m starving, sore and tired.”

She was tempted to insist but in reality, it was better he disappear. Tempers would run high when word spread among the ranch hands. One thing they all shared was a deep love for the animals in their care. None of them could afford to lose their jobs if they were caught giving one of their guests a lesson he wouldn’t forget in a hurry.

Sighing, she grabbed Greybird’s reins and led her into the stables. Adam followed in silence. He listened to what she’d said. She knew he was watching her so she deliberately moved slower than usual. She liked spending time with the horses. They calmed her down. They were trustworthy. They wouldn’t turn on you like a person.

“You love them, don’t you?” he asked.

She looked at him to find he was staring at her. It didn’t make her uncomfortable, the way it always did when the other guests looked at her.

“Yes, I do. They’re beautiful animals. Strong, loyal and caring. Everything you could want.”

She waited a couple of seconds for him to say something but he didn’t.

“What did you say to Greybird to make her trust you? You know, at the tree?” To her amazement, he blushed.

“I sang to her.”

“Really? I didn’t expect that.”

“Why? You don’t think men can sing?”

“No. Not at all. It’s just you don’t look like a singer,” she said.

“What do I look like?” he asked, smiling.

Why had she started this? He looked like a movie star. But she wasn’t about to admit that.

“I don’t know. A fashioner designer or model or something.”

He laughed a nice sound. It was rather infectious.

“Don’t let my sister hear you say that. She thinks I’m the least fashionable person around.”

“That’s families for you,” she said, trying to concentrate on the job at hand, but it was difficult. His nearness did funny things to her stomach.

“You got a sister, too?”

Her heart dropped as Kayleigh’s picture popped into her head. She rubbed Devil down gently, trying to resist the urge to cry. She refused to show weakness.

“Sorry, did I say something wrong?”

“I had. A sister. She died a few years back.”

“Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t know. Don’t worry about it. We best hurry up. Loretta isn’t happy if we turn up late for meals.” She had to get a grip. Nobody was allowed to see her cry.

“You eat here, too?”

“Yes, all hands eat together in the kitchen. Loretta is strict about timekeeping and grooming. She expects us to wash up before setting foot in her kitchen.”

“Sure thing. I’ll grab a shower.”

“You won’t have time. Dinner is in ten minutes. Wash your hands and face at the sink.”

He looked so bemused she was tempted to laugh, but she didn’t.

* * *

Adam walked over to the sink where the water was even colder than expected. He washed quickly, his thoughts on Ashley. The face she had made when she mentioned her sister…he really had stuck his foot in his mouth. He hated causing pain to other people. Which was rich, given what he had inflicted on his family over the last year.