Page 52 of Wild As Her

Cami.

Jenna snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Jack. Focus. Women. Right in front of you. Pick one to talk to first.”

I let out a low sigh, tipping my hat back.

“Well,” I mutter, forcing myself to look back at the contestants, “I guess we should get this show started.”

And deep down, I already know that no matter what happens, this is gonna be a damn disaster.

Chapter 14

Cami

Wondering Why by The Red Clay Strays

The delicious smell of fresh coffee and caramelized sugar fills the air, mixing with the morning breeze and the low hum of chatter around the coffee trailer. It’s barely past eight, and Bridger Falls is already alive and kicking, mostly becauseTheRancher Finds a Wifeproduction crew has turned our small town into their own personal circus.

People have turned up from miles around to watch the show’s spectacle. My coffee trailer has been busy nonstop ever since, with a line formed clear down Jack's driveway. They set up a makeshift parking lot, and Tucker has a ranch hand driving everyone up in a side by side. I'm not complaining. This morning, Maggie reported that Bridger Falls is overflowing with people, and all the businesses are booming. There was standing room only at The Black Dog bar last night, and the town is loving all of this attention. I'd say the Jessop reputation is getting better. No one is even talking about Jack Jessop, Sr. anymore,and rightfully so. He doesn't deserve to be talked about how he's treated everyone.Good riddance.

And maybe because everyone wants to see what happens with Jack. And I can't blame them, because I do, too. In fact, this is all killing me. I can't stand to see the way they're all flirting with him. Deep down, I hate this.

I sip my iced coffee, extra strong, because I need it today, and casually adjust the hem of my denim jacket like I don’t care about anything happening around me. Like I didn’t spend the entire night tossing and turning, replayingthatmoment in the barn.

The one where Jackheld me. The way his warm hands felt protective of me. The way he seemed to like it and not let go. I loved the way he felt, and I loved being that close to him. And I let him. I didn't fight him off or move away. I pretended it wasn't a big deal. But it was abigdeal to me.

The one where for the briefest, most unhinged second that I thoughtJack and I could be something.

Then, like an absolute idiot, I played it off like it wasnothing. Gave him a wink, a smirk, the whole nine yards. And now I have to suffer the consequences, standing here like an unbothered queen while I watch a group of intelligent and intimidatingly beautiful and put-together women flock around the man who wrecked my entire nervous system less than twenty-four hours ago. Hell, it was the reason for me staying up all night baking ten times more than I usually do, thankfully, because everything is selling out quickly. Again. I need more help. And not just Mack's help if I'm going to make this work out here while they're filming.

I crunch a piece of ice angrily.

“Easy there, killer,” Ollie mutters, stepping up beside me, coffee in hand. My brother looks half-amused, half-worried, which is the default setting for anyone who knows me well. “Haven’t seen you look this homicidal since Jack bought the ranch.”

I narrow my eyes at him at the reminder. “I wasjustadmiring the local wildlife.”

“The wildlife?” He follows my gaze to the group of contestants, all standing near Jack, talking to him, making him laugh, and having fun. Next to them are a bunch of different animals he’s introducing them to. I want tonotlike them. But every time one of them comes up to the trailer to get coffee, I realize I could be friends with these women. They’re smart, funny, and kind. Damnit. I wanted to hate them, but I simply can’t. I even made plans to eat dinner with a few of them later this week when they have a break from filming. They’re actually so sweet.

Jack stands there, arms crossed, lookingeffortlessly rugged and infuriatingly good. He’s got that"I don’t want to be here, but I look sexy anyway"energy, which is apparently catnip for women on reality television shows.

Ollie snorts into his coffee. “Damn. That’s alotof hair-flipping for the cameras.”

I exhale slowly, reminding myself that this wasnota big deal.That Jack and I arenota thing. That this whole situation is fine, totally fine, because I don’t care what he does or who he does it with.

Not at all. Nope.

“Why are you standing like that?” Ollie asks, side-eying me.

“Like what?” I glare.

“Like you’re trying to hex them with your mind.”

I take a sip of my drink. “If I were hexing them, they’d be running in the opposite direction of Jack.”

“Fair point.” Ollie pauses, his expression shifting to somethingway too observantfor my liking. “This about you and Jack's non-interest in each other?”

I almost choke on my coffee. “What are you even talking about?”

He looks at me like I just asked if cows lay eggs.

---