Page 24 of Wild As Her

Actually, shit, that’s not a bad idea. Cami could help me act as a liaison with the town. Get them to trust me if they see us working together.

“I have my hands full at the coffee trailer,” shesays as she looks over at me and realizes I’m serious. “I don’t have time for another job. And I’d never work for you, Jessop.”

“What if you moved Steamy Sips out to the Jessop Ranch? You could even use the kitchen to bake at the house while you work the trailer, so you’re not burning the candle at both ends,” I offer.

She stares at me suspiciously as if wondering how I know she bakes in the evening. But it’s the only thing that makes sense, because she keeps up with a massive crowd and works her trailer in town during the day. “Why would I help you, Jessop?”

“Steamy Sips will draw a crowd out to the ranch and might make more of the town trust us when they see we’re trying to do things the right way,” I add, as I glance over at her to see what she’s thinking. “It would help bring people out to shop, and we could really use the meat sales.”

She stops and stares at me for a beat. “I’ll think about it.”

Really? Wow. Cami grew up working her own ranch. She knows what to do. She knows what not to do, that’s for sure. And I can use people around me who will give it to me straight. I need loyal people who have my back. And while Cami and I have a different sort of relationship, I know deep down she would do anything for me, and she knows I would do the same for her. We just don’t admit it.

“I’m not taking your shit, Jack,” she says firmly, staring at me.

“What shit?” I scoff. I wait for the jab, but it doesn’t come. She’s serious.

“If I don’t take shit from a thousand-pound animal with a mind of its own, you better believe I won’t put up with your shit or any other person shit out at your ranch. No one,” she swears as she shakes her head with finality.

I point at her, feeling excited that she is on the same page as me. “See? That’s what I need. No bullshit.”

Cami just watches me and raises her eyebrows as if to tell me to continue.

“I’ve got my hands full cleaning up the ranch. Figuring out where the snakes are and getting rid of them. Can’t trust a snake. They only shed their skins and become bigger snakes. I don’t do second chances, Cami,” I tell her as I reach into my back pocket for my tools to tighten the fence and twist it.

Her eyes snap to mine when I add that last part, and she watches me curiously.

“Have you been to see your dad at all?” she asks quietly.

“No. I don’t have anything to say to him,” I mutter. But that’s a lie. I do have a lot to say to him. I just don’t want to see him.

She just gives me a look and stays silent.

“Have you heard from your dad lately?” I ask, putting the ball back in her court. I know fathers are a sore subject for both of us.

“Nope. He pops up when he needs money or a place to stay. Now that the ranch isn’t an option for him anymore, he’ll probably move on to siphon off someone else,” she sighs.

We continue to ride and check the fence, and it feels good to be with her.

“I guess it’s good that mine can’t just pop up at any time. At least mine is right where he needs to be, behind bars,” I say with disdain for the man who tormented me and my siblings for most of our lives.

“Stay out of trouble, asshole,” she says as she takes off, Love reluctantly following her as she stops to gaze back at me and Pesto. I watch as she makes her way across the pasture.

And I wonder to myself how many times we went on rides in this exact same spot. I think the first time we met up out here we were twelve. We always had to meet in secret at our tree that we used to climb and hang out in because our parents didn’t getalong and didn’t want us kids to be friends. One time, my father caught us out here riding our horses, and he beat me with a belt so badly that I couldn’t hardly walk for two days. That’s the kind of man my father is. A real winner.

Tessa always tried to cover for me and my siblings, and I’ll be forever grateful for that. She always looked out for us kids. While she was semi-loyal to my father and probably knew of most of his dirty dealings, I never doubted her love and loyalty to us kids. Without her, I’m not sure any of us would have ever made it out and be who we are today.

I think of what Weston said about building our own homes and making this ranch clean and our own. I look around at the pasture and realize this is the spot where I’d build a home. I can see it now. A big home with a wrap-around front porch that faces the mountains. A barn off to the east. The ranch has never felt like a home to me. But right here in this spot, I can feel it. And it’s on the Wilder side of the fence, so that’s probably why.

I turn and make my way back to the ranch to get Pesto situated for the day. I have a feeling that Granger took my cattle. And I’ll be handling that. A few of the wranglers are in the barn, but not one of them acknowledges me when I walk in, not one “good morning” or “hello.”

And that speaks volumes to me. Yeah, I need to clean house.

I get to the lodge and smell food when I walk in. Jenna and Tessa are in the kitchen. Jenna looks tired, and she’s cradling a mug of coffee in her hands, and looks up at me when I walk in.

“Good morning,” she murmurs.

“Good morning,” and I pause as I realize she must have stayed here. “Did you stay here?”

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