Page 66 of Wild As Her

My stomach dips and I clench my thighs together at the heat in his eyes. Holy shit.

Someone in the crowd actuallygasps.

Ruby watches us with fascination.

Jack, obviously enjoying this far too much, smirks. “Oh, you know. Someone who can keep up with me.”

Ruby’s mouth twitches.

I need to leave before I do something embarrassing.

Jenna, ever the professional, jumps in before a full-on brawl breaks out. “Alright, everyone! Let’s wrap up for now! Jack,Cami, great work. Contestants, maybe practice saddling before the next round.”

The girls give me apologetic smiles as they walked off, but I barely notice.

Because Jack is still watching me.

And I realize this whole “pretending not to like him” thing is going to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought.

I walk to the coffee trailer to pack up, and Savannah and Elena wait for me and offer a wave and a smile.

“Hey, ladies,” I call as I unlock the door and step in, surprised when they follow me. “Okay, come on in.”

“Okay, here’s the deal,” Savannah says. “I’m married. I’m here as a paid actress to work this show. I don’t want Jack. In fact, no offense, but none of us do. Well, except maybe Juliette. Apparently, she’s not a paid actress, she’s actually really into him.”

I open my mouth and close it, unsure what to say to that. “Okay, wow. Thanks for letting me know.”

Elena chuckles, “Cami, we like you. And Jack is so into you, it’s not even funny. We just wanted you to know that this is a job for us. Promise. So, when you watch us film, that’s all it is.”

I sigh with surprise and relief. “Okay.”

“Okay, now please for the love of God, can we get an iced coffee? I know you’re closed, but I desperately need one. No one in town has coffee like yours.” Savannah groans with a grin.

“Of course,” I answer with a smile. “Have a seat. We still on for dinner at The Black Dog?”

“Hell yeah,” Elena says. “Hannah wants to come too, but she’ll be a little late. She has to FaceTime her kid.”

I turn, confused. “She has a kid?”

“Yes, girl. We all have good reasons for being here. Hannah’s a single mom going to law school. This show is paying off all her student loans and a down payment on a new house for her and her son. We all need this job.”

Holy cow.

“Ruby is paying off her mother’s staggering medical bills. She also has a good reason, too. She has a boyfriend back home in L.A,” Elena adds.

“Wow, I didn’t know. I’m glad you guys are here,” I say softly.

I hand one of the coffees over and Savannah sighs. “Best part of this show is your coffee, Cami.”

This show might be okay after all.

Chapter 17

Jack

Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton

Iwas up before the sun, got the cattle checked, fed the horses, and even managed to fix a busted latch on the east pasture gate. Now, I’m hiding out like a damn coward. The fact is that I can’t sleep. She’s on my mind, and I can’t shake her out of it. I can’t even busy myself with work. She’s everywhere. She’s parked her trailer at my ranch and her heart in mine.

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