Free Bearly Apart (Big Paw Security Book 5) by Becca Fanning Page B

accepted and insisted on helping to cook. It was the first time the Campbells had entertained company in a long time. They sat around the kitchen table and laughed, joked and ate. Even Ander let his guard down, guffawing as Tyler spun a raunchy tale.

    Jamie noticed though, that Oliver was not joining in like everyone else. He seemed a little sour, watching the were-bears over the rim of his glass. He pretended not to hear Wyatt when the latter asked him to pass the salt. She reached across the table and helped Wyatt.

    It was just his way, Jamie decided. Her cousin was a passive aggressive little shit most of the time. And of course anything that made her and her father happy seemed to make him unhappy, so why would this be different? He sulked until the meal was over and then went up to his room.  

    Her father watched him go and shook his head. “He isn’t used to farm life,” he said making an excuse for Oliver. Why couldn’t her father see the little jerk for what he was?  

    The evening ended too soon for Jamie, but she was beat. So when Jesse and the gang had helped clear up and walked out of the door, she accepted a rather chaste goodnight kiss from him and watched them drive away.  

    That night she slept in the guest room downstairs, her room not being a place she wanted to be in yet, after the accident.  

Next morning Jamie woke to rain pattering on the windows. Dressed, she found her father in the kitchen muttering to himself.  

    “If I’d wanted wet feet I would have moved to Canada,” he moaned.  

    “We need the rain, dad,” she said.  

    “We need the sun too,” he said.  

    Jesse arrived just after breakfast and they set about making plans for the day. The cattle had all made it through the night, but they needed the feed taken up to them. Jamie and Jesse were just pulling their ponchos on to go and take care of that when there was a knock on the front door.  

    Her father went to open it.  

    “Okay, well hopefully we won’t get too wet,” Jamie smiled up at Jesse who planted a quick kiss on the tip of her nose.  

    “You know I am an adult,” she said, “You won’t be the first man my father has had to watch me kiss.”  

    Jesse pretended to be shocked, “I’m not the first?”

    She looked at him.  

    “No really, I’m just a little old fashioned about that sort of thing,” Jesse said. “I feel I should write a letter stating my intensions or something.”  

    “And those are?” she asked coyly.  

    “Well,” Jesse said pulling her towards him.

    Just then Ander came storming into the kitchen.  

    “Jamie!” he yelled.  

    Jesse and Jamie jumped apart like two teens caught making out under the bleachers.  

    Recovering slightly Jamie turned to her father. “Dad?” she asked.  

    He was angry, his face flushed, his nostrils flaring. “What is the meaning of this?”

    He shoved a sheaf of paper in front of her face.  

    Jamie took it looking blank. She had no idea what he was handing her. She looked down at the paper in her hands. It was the accounts.  

    “Dad?” she said. “These are the accounts aren’t they?”

    “How could you do this?”

    “Do what?”

    “I knew you blamed me for what happened…but sabotage?”

    Jamie felt her knees go weak. She stumbled to the table and sat down. “What are you talking about?”

    “It’s just too much!” her father roared. “Joe, please. You deal with her. I’m not sure I can control myself. My own flesh and blood!” he stormed out of the room revealing a small man, grey haired and bespectacled who stood clutching a brief case to his chest.  

    “Hello, Jamie,” he said sitting opposite her.  

    Jamie stared at him. “Joe,” she said tears building in the back of her throat. “What is going on?”

    Jesse was next to her taking her hand. “You want me to stay?”

    She shook her head. “The cattle need to be fed,” she said, “take my dad’s truck, it’s all loaded.”

    She gave