Page 130 of Wild As Her

I steel myself, preparing for the other shoe to drop with her.She's been on her best behavior lately but that doesn't mean we're over everything that has happened.

“Morning,” she says, and her voice isn’t sharp. It’s… cautious.Interesting.

“Hey,” I answer, unsure whether to go full sarcasm or play it safe. I land on cautiously neutral.

“Teresa,” Jack says with a polite nod.

She glances at him, then, surprisingly gives him a small smile. “Jack. You look well.”

“Thanks,” he replies. “Ranch life agrees with me.”

“That's good,” she says, quieter.

There’s a pause, and for once, it’s not filled with passive-aggressive daggers.

“I heard about the show,” she continues, glancing between the two of us. “The… finale. And everything that’s happened since.”

I tense, waiting for the lecture.But it doesn’t come.

She looks at me fully now, eyes softening in a way that guts me. “You look happy, Cami.”

I blink. “I… am.”

Teresa nods once. “Good. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Even if I didn’t always say it the right way.”

I stare at her, stunned.Jack rests his hand lightly on my lower back, grounding me.

“You came all the way out here just to say that?” I ask.

She huffs a small laugh. “And to see it for myself.”

There’s a beat of silence.

Then Jack, God bless him, steps forward slightly. “I love your daughter. I know we have history. But I’m not going anywhere. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure she knows she’s happy.”

Teresa studies him for a long, long moment.

Then, shockingly, she smiles. “I believe you.”

She turns to me. “You’ve grown into something strong and fierce and bright. I see it now. I just wanted you to know… I’m proud of you. Both of you."

That’s when my throat tightens.

Because that's something I never thought I’d hear from her. Maybe she’s not perfect. Maybe she’s not the warmest or easiest. But she’s trying. And right now? That’s everything.

I nod, blinking fast. “Thanks, Mom.”

She gives one more small smile, then turns back toward the car. “I’ll let you two get back to your morning. I hear there’s a party tonight?”

“At The Black Dog,” I say. “You coming?”

She pauses. “I might stop by.”

Then she gets in the car and drives away, dust trailing behind her, leaving Jack and me on the porch in stunned silence.

He bumps my shoulder. “That went better than expected.”

“She said she was proud of us.”

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