10. Cami #2
That’s when I turn and hit him square in the face with the spray as well.
I’m not even sorry when it gets in his mouth.
Actually? I’m thrilled. Serves them right.
These windows on my trailer are vintage and hard to find, impossible to replace, and too pretty for idiots like Jace and Granger to go smashing.
“You stupid bitch!” Jace screams, clutching his face.
“Oh, I thought it was ‘dumb bitch.’ You want seconds?” I snap, holding the canister up again.
He jumps back like I just threatened him with a chainsaw, and honestly, it makes my night. Good. Serves him right for trying to destroy my business.
Granger takes off down the street like his pants are on fire, Jace stumbling after him, both using their shirts to wipe their eyes and gagging like I sprayed them with acid instead of glorified pepper mist. They left their truck behind. Idiots.
I roll my eyes, lock up the trailer, and stroll over like I’ve got all the time in the world. Even better? They left the keys in the ignition. I yank the keys out and tuck them into my back pocket. A little souvenir. Hope he has a spare.
Granger’s truck still reeks of skunk, so strong I have to turn my head to keep from gagging.
“How anyone drives that thing without permanently losing brain cells is beyond me,” I mutter.Glad to see that Granger is driving around in the consequences of his actions .
I lock up the trailer and head home to get a few hours of sleep, pleased with my results. I can't wait to show Poppy how that went down. The trail cam was her idea. She's not going to even believe it.
I might even take it to Sheriff Matthews. I haven’t decided yet. I haven’t found them to be much help. When people started stealing and poking around my ranch, he said there wasn’t much he could do. The law hasn’t been on my side, and I’m tired of asking for help and not getting it.
I pull into my driveway at the Wilder Ranch, and Jack is standing in front of the barn, waiting, his arms crossed.
He's shirtless, in jeans, barefoot, and his hair is tousled.
And damn if he doesn't look so sexy right now.
I squint at him and realize he looks really mad right now.
But that just so happens to be sexy, too.
"Good evening, Jack," I call cheerfully as I exit the truck, locking the door. Can never be too sure these days. Skunks appear out of thin air.
"Where have you been?" he asks, arms crossed, looking pissed.
"Jack, we are not at the point where we know each other's comings and goings." I yawn and stroll past him, and he reaches out and catches my arm, spinning me to face him.
He leans down and says in my ear in his sexy rough voice, "Where. Have. You. Been?"
The air whooshes out of my chest, and heat pools through my body at his touch.
"Okay, okay. Granger and Jace tried to break the windows out in my trailer, and I taught them a lesson."
He opens his mouth and then closes it. He stares at me for a moment, his expression unreadable. "And just how did you teach them a lesson?"
"Bear spray," I add cheerfully .
He looks up at the sky like he’s looking for patience, and I'm not sure what's happening right now, but he's still holding my arm, and it feels hot under his touch.
In fact, I wonder what it would feel like to have those hands all over my body and not just holding my arm firmly.
My dreams were full of Jack last night and the night before, and having him under the same roof isn't helping.
"You're not my dad," I scoff. "You don't get to tell me what to do."
"You want a daddy?" he says, edging closer.
Oh, shit.
"Because I'll be whatever I need to be to keep you safe." His voice drops lower, his gaze darker.
Why are my panties so soaked? Holy shit, that was hot.
"Come on," he grunts as he guides me gently towards the house and up the porch stairs.
Angry Jack is sexy. That's what I'm taking from this evening. I like sexy angry Jack.
The next morning I come downstairs to Jack, bent down, messing with my coffee maker, trying to figure it out. He looks frustrated, and he glances over at me and says, "What's the secret, Cami? Just tell me. Why does it taste so good?"
I chuckle and move beside him, reaching into a jar I have tucked off to the side. I hold it up. "Cinnamon. Just a pinch."
He sighs with relief. "Whatever it is, I need it."
I suck in my breath when he says that and smile as I finish making the coffee.
"What are you smiling about?" he asks.
"Nothing. Just making coffee." I hum.
"You scared the shit out of me last night," he says softly.
"You don't have to worry about me," I say confidently. "I can take care of myself. Have been all my life."
“You can take care of yourself,” Jack says, calm and maddeningly reasonable. “But that doesn’t mean you have to.”
I sigh and cross my arms. “Jack, those idiots carry bats. I carry bear spray and a meat tenderizer.”
He blinks like I just spoke in tongues. “Wait, why a meat tenderizer?”
I reach into my tote bag and pull out the massive orange canister like it’s a trophy. “Industrial strength. This baby’s meant for grizzlies. Works just as well on dumbasses named Jace and Granger.”
Jack stares at me as if he’s visibly concerned for the population of Wyoming.
“The meat tenderizer is aluminum. Spiked. Lives under my truck seat. You never know when someone needs tenderizing.”
His mouth opens. Closes. Then he drags his hand down his face. “You are… completely unhinged.”
I grin. “No, I’m just a woman who refuses to be messed with and has excellent aim.”
He’s still staring at me like he’s equal parts turned on and afraid. “You know, normal people carry pepper spray, right?”
“Pepper spray doesn’t stop a bear or Granger. You see, Jack, Some people were put on this planet to evolve. And Granger is a reminder of what it looks like if you don’t.”
He laughs, deep and rough, and mutters under his breath, “God help me.”
The coffee finishes brewing, and I top off our thermos.
"I don't know if I'm more scared of you or for you right now," he admits.
The back door opens, and my mom walks in uninvited, and she surveys the kitchen, taking in Jack standing next to me as we get our coffees ready.
And this is how I know it’s not going to be a good morning.
"Well, aren't you two just cozy," she remarks as she glares at Jack and me.
I glare back at my mom. "You know, you should knock when you come over to someone's house. You know, a house you don't live in."
“Well, you don’t live here, either,” she says as she puts her hands on her hips and stares at me with a look of disappointment.
Her usual look for me. I'm used to it by now.
I could never do anything right in her eyes.
My brother can do anything he wants, though.
Me? I get a master's degree, work at the family's ranch while starting my own business, and yet she still finds things about me to pick apart.
She's never supported me. And the fact that she's here uninvited starting shit this early in the morning is pissing me off. I haven’t had enough sleep or coffee yet for this.
"What?" I clip as I glare at her in frustration.
"What is he doing here?" she huffs. “And why can’t you just walk away from this place like we did? No, you have to stay here and be the savior. Save it," she mimics in her mean voice.
"Do you have a reason for coming here?" I ask, my voice rising.
Jack sets the coffee down and reaches for my arm. I glance down at it and back at her.
"Actually, yes," she sighs. "Do you know anything about two men who were pepper-sprayed last night? They came into the hospital claiming that you assaulted them. I swear, Cami…" She shakes her head and sighs again for good measure.
I snort with laughter, "Oh, really? That’s what they said?"
"Really," she says dryly. "Why would you even do a thing like that?"
"You know, Mom, it’s funny you’ll take the word of two strangers over your own daughter. "
Jack is tense next to me, but he says nothing, just watching all of this unfold.
But somehow, oddly, I feel like he has my back.
Weirdly, come to think of it, he’s always had my back.
But I’ve learned that people have your back until they don’t.
Then you’re left all alone again. This is why I trust no one.
"I wish you'd let this all go. I don't even know what you're doing here," she says as she glares at Jack.
I can't wait for her to finally hear that he bought the ranch.
She continues, not even bothering to read the room. "You need to find a place in town, start over. Stop squatting here at the ranch. Sometimes things just come to an end, Cami. When are you going to let this go?"
I glare at her, thinking what a disappointment she would be to my grandpa.
I think about the memories I made with him at the ranch before he died.
I remember his promise on the back porch not to sell the ranch.
He'd told me that my momma would try the first chance she got, and he was almost right.
Only she ran it into the ground, then let the bank take it. She really screwed it up.
Jack clears his throat and glances at me and to the door. We have to get our sunrise ride in.
"You know what, Mom," I say, steering her out the door and onto the porch as Jack pulls the door behind him, locking it. "We have to go."
"I'm not done talking to you," she sputters.
"It's time you know the truth, Mom. Jack bought the ranch."
"What?" she roars at Jack.
Jack stares at her and says firmly, "I think you need to go, Teresa."
She puts a finger in my face. "Your grandpa is turning in his grave for letting a Jessop in this house."
“Oh, yeah? Well, Grandpa is the one who welcomed Jack to this ranch in the first place. He loved Jack. And you ruined that after he died by getting in stupid feuds with Jack Sr,” I say angrily.
“Why do you even care? You wanted to sell it, now it’s sold.
You don’t get to come back here and act like you’re the victim. ”
"If you want to keep that finger, get it out of her face," Jack clips, coming between my mom and me.
She stands back. "You are trash! Just like your daddy! And you..." She shakes her head in disgust and turns and walks to her car, not finishing that sentence.
“Mom,” I yell towards her back. She turns, and I call out, “For the record, it was bear spray, not pepper spray, and they were vandalizing my business, not that you care!”
He puts an arm around my shoulders and steers me towards the barn. "Let's go."
One thing I’ve noticed about Jack is that he and I can spar. But if anyone gets near me, he goes practically feral. We may be enemies, but he protects me. So, what does that make us, exactly?
That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?