the phone. “Hey,” he said. He held back from immediately launching into another sentence. He’d said everything he wanted to say in the texts. Cactus was the one who’d called.
He sighed and said, “You have nothing to apologize for, Ace.”
Ace nodded, his throat tight. He didn’t want to blame Cactus for anything, so he said nothing.
“I’m…a mess, frankly,” Cactus said. “I’ve talked to Judge, but he’s not a real therapist.”
“No, he’s not.”
“Would you—could you help me with something?”
“Of course.”
“I can’t seem to make myself call a real counselor, and I know I need to. I’ll even let you drive me to the appointments.”
Ace smiled as a ray of light filled his soul. “You’ll let me drive you?” He scoffed and gave a light laugh that only lasted a moment. “I’ll drive you, otherwise you won’t go.”
“That too,” Cactus whispered.
Ace’s heart tore and bled for his cousin. “We’ll get it done tomorrow, okay, Cactus?”
Cactus didn’t answer, probably because his own throat was too dang tight.
“Okay,” Ace said, hearing a car pull up to the barn. “I think someone just got here, and it might be Holly Ann.”
“Good luck with her,” Cactus said, every ounce of sincerity he owned in the words.
“Thank you, Cactus,” Ace said, meaning it too. “I’m trying not to be too pathetic with her.”
“Just be yourself,” he said. “I think you and Bishop told me that once.”
“Yeah, and you got a date,” Ace said, though he knew he wouldn’t get a date with Holly Ann unless he hired her again. Which wasn’t a bad idea…. They were forever having parties up here, and Ace could simply say he’d take care of the food.
“I did not get a date,” Cactus said. “I got a phone number for a twenty-three-year-old.”
Ace chuckled, glad when Cactus did too. “We’re going to find the right woman for you,” he said as Holly Ann entered the barn. His heartbeat rioted, and with the sunlight shining into the barn behind her, haloing her in light, she was an angel straight from heaven.
Ace thought she was his One, and he felt it way down deep in his soul. If he had to wait for her to realize that he was her One, he could do it. He absolutely could do it.
“You’ve gone silent. Go talk to your girl,” Cactus said, and the call ended.
Ace shoved his phone in his back pocket and smiled at Holly Ann. “Hey,” he said, wishing he could add baby or sweetheart to that sentence. Instead, he added, “Do you need help bringing things in?”
“Yes, please,” she said, returning his smile. She’d pulled her dark hair into a ponytail that sat on top of her head, and she wore a pair of shorts that were barely long enough to cover the pockets and a black sleeveless shirt with a floral print.
Ace followed her back to her van, where she started directing him which bins to take. She worked with him, and he asked her how the business was going, how her father and sister were, and what her next job was.
They’d never had a problem keeping the conversation going, and Ace did love talking to her. He loved the sound of her lower voice and rolled Texan accent. He loved learning about her and feeding off her excitement for things like ham and cheese sandwiches and brown sugar squares.
Once she had everything she needed in the kitchen, she sighed and faced it all. “Thanks, Ace.” Her eyes met his, and Ace’s throat turned dry.
They had gone out a few times over the winter, but not for a while now. She knew he liked her though, and when she looked at him with that glinting sparkle in her dark eyes, he suspected she liked him too.
“Sure,” he said. “Bishop put the best of everything in this kitchen, so you should have everything you need.”
“It’s seriously the nicest kitchen I’ve ever seen.” She gazed around at all the stainless steel and sturdy oak cabinets. “Your brother is somethin’ else.”
“He’s my cousin,” Ace said. “Just the two brothers, remember?”
Holly Ann’s face flushed, and that only made her more attractive to Ace. “Oh, right,” she said. “Sorry. I just think of you guys up here like one big, happy family.”
He smiled at her, so she’d know he understood. “Well, that kind of fits too.” He tucked his hands in his pockets and told himself to leave. She had what she needed, and he didn’t need to hang around. He’d only be in her way, and she’d