Page 135 of Wild As Her

Which, historically, means either he’s building me something… or he’s about to emotionally body-slam me with some other surprise that will make me want to take off all his clothes and climb him like a tree.

I pull up the long gravel drive just as the sky’s starting to burn orange and gold over the mountains, ready to figure out what he’s up to when I see the gate. I hit the brakes so hard the truck lurches.

Because the old sign, the monstrosity that was over the top and loomed over this ranch forever, bold blocky letters spelling out “Jessop Ranch” like a branding iron across the sky isgone.

In its place is something new. And beautiful. A wooden sign, simple and hand-carved, stained in warm cedar and mounted between two beams. And across the front, burned into the wood in clean, elegant lettering:Wilder Ranch.

My breath leaves my body. I don’t move.

Jack stands beneath the sign, hands in his back pockets.

My boots hit the gravel before I know what I’m doing.

He doesn’t say anything right away. Just watches me walk toward him like he’s nervous to hear my reaction.

“What… what is this?” I manage. “Did they put it up at the wrong ranch?”

“This is your name,” he says softly. “Your legacy. And now… it’s ours. The Jessop Ranch is no more, and now they’re both just Wilder Ranch.”

My heart does a full somersault. “Jack,” I whisper, staring up at the sign again. “You changed the name of your ranch?”

He nods, a little breathless. “It’s ours.”

The sunset glows behind him. His hair is tousled, his sleeves rolled, and he’s got that look in his eyes, the one that used to make me nervous. That makes me feelsafenow.

He steps forward, pulling something from behind the fence post. It’s another sign. A matching one.

“For the other gate,” he says. “We’ll hang it tomorrow.”

I press my fingers to my mouth. “You… you made matching signs.”

“We’re merging everything,” he says. “Your land. My land. The cattle operations. The dairy setup. All of it. It’s Wilder. To honor your grandparents. And to build something thatfeelslike all of us.”

Tears spring to my eyes so fast it shocks me.

“We’re expanding,” he continues, voice catching. “Meat store’s been busier than ever. We’re gonna open the B&B by next fall with the restaurant, farm to table, Bridger Falls-style. Weston’s already working on the building plans. Tucker’s got Maggie’s whole chili operation in his pocket and is going to do some fundraising. And Jenna says she can rebrand all of it by next week. We’re going big, Cami. Together. All of us.”

I blink hard, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Why would you give up your ranch’s name?”

He steps closer, hand brushing mine. “Because I’m so in love with you,” he says quietly. “And I want a future with you. This land. This town. This…life.It’s all better with you.”

I laugh through the tears and shove him, just a little. “You’re amazing.”

“I know. You love me,” he grins.

I look up at him, smiling through everything pouring out of me. “Ido.”

He takes my hand fully now. “There’s a future here,” he says. “Not just for us. For Weston. For Tucker. Jenna too, if she sticks around. And for every kid who wants to grow up on land like this and make something good.”

I blink again. “And Weston, Tucker, and Jenna are good with all of this?”

“More than good with it. They came up with the idea. Apparently, your grandparents weren’t just special to me. They were special people to them, too.”

That’s when I fully lose it. Like, ugly tears. No warning.

Jack just pulls me in and holds me tight, forehead resting against mine.

“I know what this place meant to you,” he whispers. “What itstillmeans. And I want to build a life where that never fades.”

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