Ace High (Lost Creek Rodeo #6) - Heather B. Moore Page 0,3

ring.

“It’s over, Mom,” Kellie said. “Brad dropped the lawsuit, and it’s finally done.”

“Hallelujah!” her mother said. “John! It’s Kellie on the phone. She said Brad dropped the lawsuit.”

In the background, she heard her father say, “What’s that?”

To say her father was hard of hearing was an understatement. He also hated his hearing aids.

Her mom moved the phone away from her mouth, then enunciated each word very slowly in a loud, clear voice. “Brad dropped the lawsuit against Kellie.”

“About time.” Her dad’s voice was loud enough that Kellie could hear. “I never liked that lying son of a—”

“Well, dear,” her mom’s voice came back on. “We’re thrilled for you. Do something to celebrate. Wash that man right out of your hair.”

Kellie had to smile at that. Her father was still ranting about Brad in the background, but her mom’s voice stayed angel sweet. “Go do something for yourself, Kells. Maybe get your hair done at the salon. Oh, and your nails. They always look awful.”

Nothing like a mother who got right to the point.

“I’ll figure out something,” Kellie said. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, dear.”

Kellie hung up, then she headed out of her office and strode through the back door of the ranch house that she and her brother, Ryan, had been fixing up. The house was basically done, with only a few loose ends to complete, but there was still plenty of work to do on the property. It was a working ranch, and a women’s recovery facility, and Kellie’s saving grace. Working from dawn to dusk had a way of putting other matters of life into perspective. Besides, there was nothing better than falling into bed at night, exhausted and satisfied. Too tired to dream and too tired to think. Just how she liked it.

She stepped off the back porch and headed toward the barn. Its recent coat of paint glimmered in the midday light. Since the horses were out with the women and Ryan and Lars, she’d just jump on one of the four-wheelers and ride until her thoughts had untangled, leaving Brad far behind. She could eyeball the fencing as she rode, too.

As she neared the barn, she heard the sound of horse hooves. Once she rounded the barn, she saw a rider atop his horse, heading her way.

She raised a hand to shield her eyes, but she’d know that man anywhere. Lars Jackson was in town for a couple of weeks, and she’d been more than happy to put him to work. Or, correction, Ryan had. It cut his jobs by half, at least. Lars was never hesitant about pitching in, but there was one challenge. He sometimes tried to redo what Ryan had already finished.

Not that Ryan was an expert in everything, but he did a decent job.

Lars was … particular.

“Hi, there,” she said as she neared. “Where are the others?”

“Still admiring that stream of yours,” he said in that deep voice of his that every woman this side of San Antonio could appreciate. “It’s real pretty.”

Kellie smiled. “And you didn’t want to stay?”

Lars pulled his horse to a stop and was on the ground in seconds, which brought him closer to her. “Not exactly. Ryan has things under control.”

Out of Ryan’s five rodeo friends who Kellie had long considered family, Lars was the one who she couldn’t always read. His humor was dry, she got that, but there were things behind those hazel eyes of his that she knew went a lot deeper than what he showed on the surface.

“But I thought you wanted to ride out with the ladies,” Kellie said. She wasn’t putting up a fuss, not really, but one of her clients had decided to do the horse riding lessons because of Lars. Ryan was in a relationship, so he was off-limits. Not that Kellie was encouraging any of her clients to hit up the ranch hands … or her rodeo men. In fact, the women were strictly off limits to the ranch hands.

But Mallory had arrived two weeks ago at the ranch as skittish as a cat on a highway. She hadn’t left her room for three days. Yet now, she was fully participating in everything. This ride had been a turning point for the woman, Kellie believed.

“Like I said, Ryan has it covered.” His gaze met hers then, and Kellie tried not to react.

Lars Jackson’s eyes were ever-changing. Hazel, yet there was green and gold in the brown color. A woman could get lost in those eyes. A different woman—not