Page 13 of Wild As Her

I glare at him. “Because he’s not invited. And he stole my dog, too. He’s a jerk.”

I turn, and he’s smiling at me as he says, “Oh, yeah?”

I groan. “Not you, too. Why does everyone give me shit when it comes to Jack?”

“You know why, Cami,” he says with a grin.

I do know why. But I’m an expert at pretending that I don’t.

Chapter 5

Jack

Wait In The Truck by Hardy, Lainey Wilson

“You got it?” I ask Ollie as I pick him up on the edge of the property in one of the old farm trucks that barely runs.

“Oh, yeah,” Ollie grins. “She’s a ripe one, too.” He picks up a cage with a thick tarp bungee corded over it and places it in the back of the truck, then slides in next to me. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a paper bag.

“What’s that?” I nod to the bag.

“Cami’s pumpkin scones. I know they’re your favorite,” he says as he hands me the bag.

I won’t admit to him that I go to the coffee truck most days and get her scones or send Tessa when she goes to town for supplies to get more. I love everything Cami makes. “Thanks, man.”

We eat as we drive to the edge of our properties, and I try not to think about how her scones even taste like home.

“You think he’ll learn his lesson?” Ollie asks as we pull in and park on the edge of Granger’s property.

“He’d better. He really won’t like the next one,” I say as I get out, step into coveralls, and zip them up.

“Is that a beekeeper costume?” Ollie teases, side-eying me as he laughs.

“Yep, I’m not smelling like that thing,” I say as I slide on the hood. I grab the top of the cage and carry it. I can feel it wiggling around in the cage.

“I hate to be the one to tell you, buddy, but that beekeeper costume isn’t going to keep the stank off you if she sprays,” he says as he follows me.

Whatever, at least it’s something.

We work under the light of the moon, turning off our flashlights and headlights. We quietly walk to the driveway where Granger’s souped-up, obnoxious, older-model white pickup is parked.

Ollie grins as he opens the driver’s side door and ducks his head in. “He even left the keys in it.”

“Idiot,” I mutter.

Ollie picks up the keys and tosses them about twenty feet off into the brush.

Good luck finding those, buddy.

I unlatch the cage and put it up to the truck, and the skunk rushes into the cab. I shut the door. It’s really mad and starts spraying all over the inside.

We both gag and cough. Ugh. It’s so strong even with the door shut.

“Shit, that stinks,” Ollie mutters, covering his mouth with his shirt. If we can smell it outside the truck, I can only imagine what it smells like inside.

“Yeah, it does,” I say as I let the skunk finish before we open the door and let her run freeagain.

We just needed her for her lovely scent in there for Granger. That’ll teach that stupid bastard to mess with Cami or Wilder Ranch. My blood still boils that he pulled a knife on her. He should be glad he’s getting a skunk and not my fists.

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