Free Camp Heat (BBW Western Romance) by Jackie South Page A

shoulder.
               
“Now, Jess,” Carol began. “I’m worried about this outcome. Too few girls. I
wonder if that ranch has opened up or not.”
               
“If it’s not too far, I can take a horse down the road to see where it is,”
Jessica offered.
               
“That’s my girl. I was hoping you’d say that. I’m too old for that,” Carol
joked. “Best take Reba before it gets too dark, though. And make sure that
owner doesn’t come near here. You know how I feel about cowboys coming around,
especially with us ladies.”
               
So Jessica did as she was told and saddled up Reba, the calmest platinum white
horse she had ever rode. Luckily, the camp’s stable was close to the gate
leading up to the camp and cabins, so Jessica didn’t have to walk too far. The
entire time she rode Reba down the pebbled stone road alongside the woods, she
watched the sun slowly grow orange and pondered about what kind of mindless
person would open up a ranch so close to a camp. She didn’t know if it was a
competition move in order to draw in money from the poor girls’ parents or
what. In the back of her mind, Jessica hoped that the girls she had counseled
over the previous summers weren’t at the ranch.
               
When she finally dismounted Reba and tied her up to a post near the ranch’s
entrance, Jessica hoped she was approaching the right place. It had a beat-up
sign out front that said: ‘Bob’s Ranch,’ which looked incomplete with only half
of it painted blue.
               
“Hey there!” a male voice yelled.
               
Jessica couldn’t see from the dull orange-y light of the sky where the voice
came from, but she could tell it traveled far.
               
“You can’t tie your horse up here,” the voice was closer.
               
In the distance near the little farmhouse up the grassy hill was where Jessica
thought she saw a bulky male figure approaching.
               
“I’m just visiting,” Jessica bellowed back. “I’m from up the road. At the
camp.”
               
The man was in full view now, and Jessica could see that he looked like more of
a city man. The only thing that threw her off was his thick drawl that still
wasn’t as intense as Carol’s but rough enough. He had a white tank on, showing
off arm muscles, but what drew Jessica’s eyes down was the bulge in his pants.
She tried to look away once he stopped in front of her. She thought it was
funny that he wasn’t the typical tan cowboy she was used to seeing around those
parts. He didn’t necessarily have pale skin, though, either. Perhaps it was his
jet-black hair that set off his olive skin and white teeth. His eyes were a mix
of light brown and light green, which was strikingly attractive as they set in
his square-shaped head. This emphasized his strong-looking jaw with the tiniest
bit of stubble. Oh, what she would do to touch his jaw. It had been a while
since she had last done anything with a gentleman…
    In that moment, she snapped herself back to reality
because the rancher could possibly not be a gentleman. He didn’t seem like it
off the bat, anyway.
               
“I’m the ranch hand here,” he said. “Who are you?”
               
Jessica was used to not being treated like a lady. “Jessica Milburn.
Co-director of the camp near the lake.” She lied. She wasn’t the co-director
yet but she didn’t care, she felt the need to impress this guy.
               
“Trenton,” he responded with an outstretched hand.
               
Jessica grabbed his warm palm without expecting such a stiff grip and rough
finger ends. His skin wasn’t smooth. His eyes, she thought, pierced through her
as if he saw her as meat and didn’t care about her feelings, the camp, or
anything.
               
“Why you opening this ranch?” Jessica wanted to get