Saddled Bearback

By Becca Fanning

Jamie Campbell loves the family ranch, but a recent family tragedy has hung a dark cloud over the place. The cattle still graze, but her father has been a knot of worry and his whiskey is never far away. Her cousin Oliver has a knack for business, but when it comes to managing the herd of cattle, Jamie is in over her head. Not that she'd ever admit to needing help, of course. No matter how tall or handsome that help turned out to be...
Jesse Crowe thought this would just be another normal gig. Help a local ranch get back on their feet and make a little spare change on the side. It looked like a win/win situation. Of course, as soon as he laid eyes on the rancher's daughter, his primal bear Shifter needs erupted. Oh yeah, this just turned into a win/win/win situation.
Too blind to see the looming threat in their midst, could they have any chance of finding love when their lives were at risk?
This 13,000 word novella features a Happily Ever After, No Cheating, No Cliffhanger and lots of graphic primal hotness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gizmo Media
• Release date: May 23, 2021

Book preview

Fanning

Chapter 1

Three Months Ago.

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It was raining on his body. The drops that should have felt cold against his skin felt oddly warm as they slid over and he realized with sudden horror, into him. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be real. Not now. Not while he had so much life left in him.

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Andrew tried to sit up, tried to move and put the bits back in that were now lying out. They shouldn’t be out in the rain, they’ll spoil, he thought and then realized how ridiculous that was. He was dying, his guts were spilling onto the ground and the early morning thunderstorm was washing it all away.

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He heard his mother’s voice. She was pleading, crying. Her face appeared above his for a moment, tear stained and with muddy streaks. He wanted to tell her it was okay, he couldn’t feel a thing, not a thing. But she was screaming, a high pitched terror scream that went on far too long. Andrew wanted her to go away. This was his last moment, surely the noise was unnecessary.

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Something wet and heavy landed next to him. Andrew turned his head slowly. It weighed more than an SUV packed full of elephants. His eyes were going dim, the image of the world he had lived in for twenty-nine years fading from view from the outside inwards. It was only an illusion anyway. But he saw her there, lying in the grass, her lovely green eyes staring at him in panic and horror. Then a paw with long sharp claws came down on the side of her head. He heard the crack of her skull and closed his eyes. They would go on together. It felt good to know that she would meet him in a few seconds in the other place, and all this silliness would become someone else’s problem.

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For the briefest second Andrew felt concern for his sister, it would all fall to Jamie now. Oh well she was a big girl, she’d handle it.

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And with the resignation of the dying, Andrew slipped away.

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The giant beast, it’s muzzle covered with blood, licked its lips and padded away while the rain fell cleaning up the mess.

Chapter 2

Jamie watched the rain falling in a steady stream. It was unusual. Colorado generally didn’t have many days that began and ended with constant, unrelenting rain. But this was one of those days. Her thoughts turned to her mother then. Joslyn had been a wonderful woman, tall with fiery red hair, green eyes like the grass of late summer and skin that freckled in the sun. She had loved the rain.

It’s really pouring out, her father said. He was a big man, tall and broad shouldered with grey hair and hazel eyes. His skin was tanned golden brown and he placed a gentle hand on his daughter’s shoulder as he leaned down to peer out at the grey day.

Not a good day for farming, but at least it gives us a bit of a break, he said and chuckled. And I have the new cowhand starting today.

I can take him round if you like? Jamie offered. She was sitting on a window seat with her legs tucked up under her, a cup of coffee cooling on the window sill. Let him get the lay of the land.

That might be a good idea, her father said smiling. But you have paperwork to do, don’t you? Maybe Oliver could take him around.

Oliver and I did the paperwork last night, dad. Anyway we wouldn’t want him to get his hair wet now would we? Jamie said, a sly grin on her lips. To her mind her cousin was ill suited to farm life, having been raised in the city.

"Play nice with the boys, Hon. I know you’re tougher than