11. Jack
Jack
Ode To Bourbon by Treaty Oak Revival
T here are good mornings, and then there’s "your sister just handed you legally binding documents to sign for a reality TV show you never wanted to be on" kind of mornings.
Guess which one I’m having?
I scowl at the stack of papers in my hands, flipping through them like there might be an escape clause hidden somewhere between "Rancher agrees to participate in all scheduled romantic activities" and "Rancher will not abandon the show under any circumstances."
“Jenna,” I say slowly, like I’m explaining something to a very stubborn horse, “there’s a clause in here that says I have to participate in group bonding with the contestants.”
Jenna, completely unbothered, sips her coffee. “Yep. There’s going to be a lot of that. Weston already looked everything over and signed his, too. ”
“There’s also a clause that says I cannot be verbally aggressive toward contestants.” I groan.
“Correct.”
I narrow my eyes. “Define aggressive.”
She tilts her head. “Calling someone a raging pain in your ass would probably count.”
I let out a low groan, dropping my head back. “Then we have a problem, because I call Tucker that at least four times a day.”
“Yeah, well, try flirting with the contestants instead.”
I choke on air. “Try what?”
Jenna grins, too pleased with herself. “Flirting, Jack. You know, being nice? Smiling? Engaging in lighthearted banter instead of looking like you’re planning the fastest way to escape?”
Tucker chooses this moment to wander into the barn, grinning like an idiot. “Is Jack getting a lesson on how to seduce a woman? Hold on, let me give him notes.”
I glare. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
Tucker shrugs. “Weston told me to help get the meat delivery ready, but he started doing it himself with his ‘determined older brother’ energy, and it was stressing me out. So, I came to watch your suffering instead.”
Jenna flips through another page in the contract, ignoring both of us. “Oh, and before I forget, I ran into Cami this morning.”
That gets my attention real quick. I try to keep my face neutral as I toss the contract on the table. “Oh, yeah?”
Jenna smirks. Like she knows something I don’t. “I was picking up a coffee. Funny, she mentioned you’ve been staying at her place. She also doesn’t seem to like the idea of you finding a wife.”
Something tugs at my chest, something stupid and hopeful that I have no business feeling.
I fold my arms, trying to keep my voice casual. “Oh, yeah?”
Jenna leans against a stall door, watching me too closely. “Very interesting, the dynamic between you two. Don’t let it get in the way of the show. We have a job to do here.”
Tucker lets out a low whistle. “Ohhh, does someone have a little Cami problem?”
I shoot him a warning look. “Shut up.”
Jenna laughs. “Oh, please. You think I don’t notice the way you two look at each other? It’s like watching two feral barn cats fight daily.”
Tucker leans against the wall. “So, are we just gonna ignore the fact that Jack’s been in love with Cami since we were kids?”
I grab a nearby rope and toss it at his head.
Tucker dodges, laughing. “Nice try, lover boy. How’s life at your new ranch?”
“It’s still Cami’s ranch,” I reply, not taking the bait.
Jenna shakes her head, clearly enjoying my misery. “Anyway, I also may have let the cat out of the bag about the show over at Steamy Sips this morning. Everyone in town knows now.”
I freeze and close my eyes. “Great.”
Jenna beams. “I told Maggie. Figured it was best to get people excited, make it a whole event.”
I stare at her, saying nothing.
“Now everyone is invested. This is what we wanted. We wanted the town to trust us and hopefully forget our father. This is the perfect distraction,” she says, looking excited.
“She’s right,” Tucker adds. “You should’ve seen the group of ranch wives down at the Harvest & Honey plotting ways to get their nieces and granddaughters on the show as extras. You’re a hot commodity, Jack. Who knew? ”
I groan, rubbing my temples. This is hell. This is actually hell. I live in hell.
“Look at it this way,” Jenna says, grinning. “The whole town is rooting for us now, especially you.”
I drag my hand down my face. “Fantastic. That’s exactly what I wanted, to be the town’s damn entertainment.”
Tucker claps me on the back, grinning from ear to ear. “Come on, big bro. This is gonna be fun. There will be beautiful women, and you're making money for the ranch. Don't be such an ungrateful bastard."
I shoot him a withering glare. “You know what’s fun? Running a ranch without a camera crew filming me trying to find a wife. I don't need a wife. I need to get this ranch up and going. Why couldn't we have just made a reality show about that?”
Jenna grins wider. “Too late now, Jack. The contracts are all signed. Plus, no one wants to see how a ranch actually works. They want to see the highlights and the drama. And there will be drama with you, I have no doubt.”
I look around at my siblings, one too smug, one too entertained, and let out a long, slow breath.
I am so, so screwed.
“I don’t know, man,” Ollie says, scratching the back of his neck as we stand in front of Steamy Sips in the dead of night. “Moving my sister’s coffee trailer while she’s asleep feels like a dangerous game. She always wants to kill you. But I don’t want to be on that list.”
Walker smirks. “You’re just scared of her. She won’t want to kill me. I feed her dinner.”
Ollie narrows his eyes. “You’re damn right I’m scared of her. Have you met my sister? That woman holds grudges like an Olympic sport. I heard about what she did to Granger and Jace.”
Walker shrugs. “Those bastards had it coming.”
“Exactly,” I say as I tap the side of the trailer. “Which is why this is necessary. When she's out at the ranch with the trailer, she'll be safer. No one is going to fuck with her on the Jessop Ranch."
Ollie lets out a low whistle. “When are you going to admit you have a thing for her?"
I ignore him and start unlocking the hitch. “I am not admitting anything.”
“She’s going to kill you.”
“Details,” I say with a shrug. “She’ll be grateful we moved it for her so she doesn’t have to.”
Walker chuckles. “Just so we’re clear, when she sets you on fire in retaliation, I’m gonna say I told you so.”
I wave a hand. “Shut up and help me.”
Between the three of us, it doesn’t take long to secure everything and hook up the trailer and drive it straight out to Jessop Ranch, parking it right in front of the barn like it was always meant to be there. We even set up her picnic tables.
To top it off, we left a wooden sign in town where the trailer was:
"Steamy Sips has been temporarily relocated to the Jessop Ranch and is open for business. – Management"
And then? We wait for her to kill us.
The next morning I hear her before I see her.
I purposely left and went over to the Jessop Ranch before she got up.
I skipped the ride and got started because I knew she’d be livid.
Several regulars claim they texted her and said they were waiting at her trailer at the ranch, so she knew it was moved.
The distant roar of an engine and the fury in the way tires grind gravel have the early morning crowd of nosy townsfolk gathered like they’ve been waiting for this exact moment. And she is understandably mad. But hopefully, when she sees the supportive crowd that has gathered, she’ll understand.
Maggie has already pulled up a lawn chair, and a lot of townsfolk have formed a line next to her trailer, waiting for her to get here and make coffee. Some have even brought her decorations and flowers. I love seeing the town like that she’s here.
Cami’s old red truck comes barreling down the ranch road, kicking up dust like she’s about to run me over on principle.
She screeches to a halt, slams the door, and stomps up to where I’m waiting next to the trailer, turning to face me with fire in her eyes. “What. The. Hell?”
I cross my arms, casual as can be, and smile. “Morning, Wilder.”
“Don’t you give me that, Jessop.” She waves wildly at her trailer. “Why is my coffee trailer parked here?”
I lift a brow and say, “Temporary relocation like we discussed.”
Cami leans in and glares. “You stole my trailer. I never agreed to move it out here.”
“You were thinking about it,” I shrug.
Walker, who’s leaning against a fence post, grins. “Relocated. Sounds more official.”
“You—” Cami makes a strangled sound, pointing a finger at me like she’s debating if murder is worth the legal hassle. “I cannot believe you did this."
“You’re welcome,” I say, smiling. "I just helped with your decision. Plus, look at all the people waiting for their coffee. "
She throws her hands in the air. “Oh my God, I hate you.”
“You really don’t, though.”
“I DO.”
The growing crowd of customers chuckles, thoroughly enjoying the show.
“Cami, honey,” Maggie calls from her lawn chair. “We're all really glad to see you out here at the Jessop Ranch.”
“Traitors!” Cami huffs, glaring at the crowd.
Mrs. Fernandez shrugs and winks at Jack. “Fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls. What were we supposed to do? We go where the trailer goes.”
Cami turns back to me, fuming. “Ballsy, even for you, Jessop.”
I grin. “Nah, I think it’s great.”
Cami gasps and holds up a finger. “Oh, you absolute?—”
Before she can finish, a rancher from town steps forward, asking for his coffee.
Cami glances over and sees him carrying a bag of Jessop Ranch meat that he'd purchased and a pamphlet for Jessop Ranch hanging out of his front pocket, and she softens. She knows this is already helping the ranch, her trailer being out here. We’ve already made a ton of meat sales this morning while people waited for their coffee.
“So, Jack,” he says, nodding toward Cami. “What’s she gonna do when you find yourself a wife on that TV show?”
The air shifts with the unspoken words he’s not saying.
My jaw locks so fast I almost hear it click. The easy grin I’ve been wearing? Gone.