Cowboy Famous: Book 4 (Cowboy Justice Association)

by Olivia Jaymes

  “I was in Afghanistan for a year with only a backpack and a rifle.”

  “I left my gun at home.” She tried to laugh despite the blanket of fatigue that lay heavy on top of her. “Men are lucky that way. You don’t need as much stuff.”

  “I guess so. Well, good night.” He turned to go but then paused. “Do you need anything?”

  Trying to be a good host. Maybe he wasn’t such a hard ass after all.

  “Just a good night’s sleep. Thank you, though.” She realized she’d never introduced herself. “I’m Jazz, by the way. Jazz Oliver.”

  “Jazz? That shouldn’t be difficult to remember. You’re the first one I’ve met.” His tone was tinged with amusement and she almost explained that she’d wanted something exotic and different. Something far away from the girl she’d grown up as.

  But it was none of his business.

  “That’s the point,” she answered lightly. “Good night, Sheriff.”

  The sheriff tipped his hat and was gone into the night, shutting the door firmly behind him. She toed off her shoes and stripped her clothes from her body. She ought to take the time to brush her teeth or comb her hair but she was exhausted in body and spirit. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

  Jazz was here and there was no turning back. This show would make or break her career. No pressure. It only meant everything in the world to her. She wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her dream. It was all she had.

  Chapter Four

  The cameras had yet to roll and Griffin was already slightly pissed off, his legendary patience stretched thin. What should have been a quiet, pre-show meeting had turned into a three-ring circus with half the town pressing their faces onto the big picture window of the diner. The contestants and the producers had bought out the place for the morning so everyone could go over the rules of the game. Otis had informed Griffin that the sheriff and deputies were supposed to be there too.

  That little piece of news was delivered after midnight last night. Otis withholding information until the last minute seemed to be a trend. Griffin hadn’t learned he would be expected to meet the bus that carried the crew and contestants until a few hours before they arrived, so needless to say he hadn’t been in the best of moods when Otis had dropped another bombshell. All Griffin had wanted to do was go home, eat some dinner, and get some sleep. That hadn’t happened. He’d spent the evening in his office waiting for people he didn’t even want to come to arrive.

  His mood this morning hadn’t improved with a few hours of sleep and a couple of cups of coffee. He’d driven up to the diner and seen the crowd of people waiting and almost turned the truck around and kept driving. If yesterday had been peaceful and calm, today was going to be the opposite.

  With no end in sight.

  Now Griffin, Dare, and Adam were sitting at a table fighting the urge to disperse the crowd and tell the Hollywood types who had tried to order espresso for fuck’s sake that this whole idea was off.

  “I like espresso,” Adam said, taking a deep drink of his coffee. Blond haired and blue eyed, he was handsome enough to be one of the actors in the show. He’d been a deputy for almost six months and so far seemed to know what the hell he was doing. He did his job and didn’t take any crap without being an asshole.

  “Drink your fucking coffee,” Dare growled, an even deeper scowl scoring his features. Blunt and to the point, the deputy hated anything disorderly. The crowd outside was being managed by the junior deputies and none too well. Griffin might have to lash Dare to the table to keep him seated. “How long is this supposed to last? I’ve got shit to do.”

  “We’ve all got shit to do,” Griffin growled. “As of now, we’re in hell. But we’re in this together. Got it?”

  “Speak for yourself.” Adam grinned and signaled for a refill. “I think this is really cool, personally. I can’t wait to see myself on television. Don’t you want that?”

  “I could go happily to my grave and never see myself. Hell, they put that waterskiing squirrel on TV so it don’t seem like such an accomplishment really.” Griffin hated the crowds and the noise. The next few months weren’t going to be easy.

  “I saw that on YouTube. Still, it is cool. I’m going to record the shows on my DVR.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Dare snarled but Adam just laughed. Everyone knew how Dare was and nobody took his bark seriously. He was always in a bad mood—it didn’t matter what was going on.

  Griffin studied the six contestants over the rim of his coffee cup. He’d been given a short bio on each one of them and had made sure to memorize the names with the faces. They all came from diverse backgrounds but no one stood out as possible deputy material except for one.

  Wayne. In his mid-thirties, he was retired military which was usually a good sign. Watching him, Griffin noticed the man was an observer, not saying too much. That was also a good sign. He would be one to keep an eye on.

  Then Danny. A construction worker in his late twenties, he grinned a lot and seemed more interested in showing off for the females and the producers than doing any real work. A man like that could get someone killed in a dangerous situation.

  Levi. A laid-off software engineer, but there didn’t appear to be anything soft about the man. Around forty, he had the rough around the edges look of a man who had seen some bad shit but came out the other side. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any military or law enforcement experience. If he could learn quickly, he might be a candidate.

  Peggy. Mid-thirties and newly divorced, her bio said she was here to prove something to herself. She would certainly be tested by the demands of the job. At least she didn’t stare down at her fucking phone every second of the day.

  Like Sandy. A tall brunette in her early twenties, she was quite vocal about wanting to make her life “easier.” She’d dropped out of college because it was “hard” and “useless”. If she thought this was going to be a cakewalk, Griffin had bad news for her.

  Then there was the tiny Jazz Oliver. She probably shouldn’t have told him her last name, but they’d all been tired last night. She didn’t even reach his shoulders she was so little. A breath of wind could blow her away. And that pretty blonde hair and angelic blue eyes wouldn’t intimidate a toddler. No way would she be able to handle a deputy’s job, but then it wasn’t his place to question the recruits they’d sent.

  Shit, he didn’t even get to choose the winner. All he could do was put them through their paces and hope that the right one was selected. His money was on the cute little Jazz to go first. She might not even make it through the morning. Griffin had a wild day planned that should shake up these tenderfoots.

  “Ahem.” The producer slash director, Tony Albright, cleared his throat and stood at the head of the room, not seeming to notice the throng of people pressed to the window and entrance. “Let’s get started, shall we? We wanted to go over the rules and schedule quickly so that everyone is on the same page. Gordon?”

  Gordon Schofield, a slightly younger but pale-faced man and Tony’s assistant, handed him a tablet and the producer swiped at the screen a few times.

  “Here we are. First, please remember that physical violence towards each other is strictly forbidden. Anyone breaking that rule will be immediately disqualified. Sex, on the other hand,” Tony grinned, “is completely okay. Especially romance for the cameras. Remember, drama raises interest, and interest raises the ratings. There’s a bonus in it for everyone if the show goes Top Ten.”

  Griffin inwardly groaned at the producer’s words. He’d been right when he’d told Otis that nothing good could come from this. Was the money really worth it?

  Tony droned on about the rules, of which there weren’t many. The little tidbit that they’d signed a waiver absolving the production company and the town of Hope Lake should they receive physical or mental damage or even death was actually good news. At least he wouldn’t be sued when this was all over.

  “The show will be a standard thirteen episode season. Each week we will f
ilm Saturday through Thursday. That will be edited down to a one hour show aired on Friday night. At the end of the airing if it’s an elimination week, the viewers will see phone numbers and a website where they can vote. By the next morning, we’ll know who is going home. We’ll film you leaving and show it the next week at the beginning of the show. However, you won’t be going anywhere. You’ll stick around this area until the finale. Remember, some weeks we may or may not have someone going home. Some weeks more than one person might get the boot. We’ll keep changing it up to keep the viewers guessing. The last four weeks of the challenge will be the final two contestants competing directly against one another. That’s where we’ll get some merchandising going with team t-shirts and so forth. Also, there will be lots of bonus footage on the website, so flash those pearlies, people. Remember we’re trying to make great television here.”

  Tony’s voice boomed in the small area and the contestants and crew nodded, murmuring among themselves.

  “Keep this in mind. You don’t necessarily have to be the best to not get voted off by the viewers. Be interesting. Be compelling. Whatever you do, don’t be boring. You’ll get booted off in a heartbeat. Now let’s quickly go over the schedule of challenges.”

  Tony ran through the competitions, a much different list than what Griffin had been given at the beginning. Luckily the producers were open to making changes and Griffin had availed himself until the original plan was barely recognizable.

  “I’ll turn things over to Sheriff Sawyer now. If you have any concerns, please let us know.” The assistant tugged on Tony’s sleeve and whispered something into his ear. “Oh yes, Gordon just reminded me. The competition starts right now so we’ll need your cell phones. No contact with the outside world for the next three months that is not supervised. Gordon, pass the box around.”

  The six contestants looked none too happy about handing over their phones but they did it one by one. The box was folded shut and shoved under Gordon’s arm while Sandy complained loudly. Her hands were fluttering and her cheeks were red as if she didn’t know what to do with herself if her phone wasn’t in her fingers.

  “Sheriff?” Tony nodded toward him. “They’re all yours. Let them know what this week’s challenge is going to be and then we can go film the arrival of the contestants first.”

  Griffin walked to the head of the room, trying not to outwardly show his frustration and cynicism about the entire situation. This wasn’t their fault. It wasn’t their problem that he had a desk full of work and deputies that were going to have to pull double shifts for weeks while they were here. It was his job to make all of this work somehow.

  “Today we’re going to do the obstacle course. All recruits need to be able to complete it within five minutes. That’s a goal to work toward. I don’t necessarily expect that today or even by the end of the week. Myself and Deputy Turner will be working with all of you this morning. Then this afternoon we’ll start working in your handbooks. Here in Montana we use several, but for this short period we’re going to concentrate on police procedure which will include arrests, searches, interviews, and privacy expectations. Any questions?”

  Danny raised his hand with a grin. “When do I get my gun?”

  Everyone laughed but Griffin and Dare.

  “You don’t,” Griffin retorted. “Deputies in Training are not issued firearms. Now are there any more questions?”

  This time they all shook their heads and kept their mouths closed. Good. They were beginning to understand what they needed to do. Close their mouths and listen. Learn.

  Griffin stepped back so Dare could take charge. Griffin almost felt a little guilty that he was putting them in his second in command’s hands on the very first day.

  Almost.

  “Recruits!” Dare bellowed, making a few people cringe as the sound reverberated off the walls. No one could pull off that narrow-eyed scowl like Dare. A few people looked like they wanted to dart away and escape.

  But there wouldn’t be any of that.

  “Recruits!” he yelled again. “Line up single file at the door! No talking! No whining!” The contestants sat motionless as if they couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “Move it!” Dare hollered and Griffin thought his ears might bleed. But it got their attention and the entire room shifted, the only sound the scraping of chairs on the tile.

  “You’re a total bastard,” Griffin whispered low. “I think they peed themselves.”

  Dare just shrugged, his expression implacable. “This is the least of their problems today. If I don’t have all of them puking up their breakfasts by ten in the morning, I’ve failed.”

  Chapter Five

  The obstacle course didn’t look that bad.

  It didn’t look like fun either.

  There was crawling under nets, climbing walls, hurdles to jump, a rope to swing over a large muddy area and a few other items to ruin their day. It reminded her of a boot camp fitness class she’d signed up for a few years back. Jazz was glad that staying in shape was part and parcel of being an actress these days. She didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of the cameras. Or the sheriff and his deputies.

  Sheriff Sawyer, out of uniform and dressed in blue sweats and matching tank top, was currently wearing an expression that clearly showed he wasn’t impressed with his so-called recruits and she couldn’t really blame him. Sandy was complaining about losing her phone. Danny was busy trying to charm Sandy and all the other pretty female crew members. Wayne was lagging behind the entire group and constantly had to be herded as he would wander away if they weren’t watching. Peggy had taken one look at the course and almost burst into tears and was being comforted by Levi. His eyes had gleamed when he’d gotten a look at the challenging obstacles. It looked like he was ready to go for it.

  Jazz was in Levi’s camp. The sooner they did it the sooner it would be over. She needed to practice and do the best she could. On Thursday she would be competing with the other five and only the winner would be safe from elimination.

  She had to win.

  The cameras were stationed along the course as the competitors warmed up and stretched their muscles. Despite some morning yoga in her hotel room, Jazz was still a little stiff from the traveling yesterday and the last hour hadn’t helped. She’d spent most of it waiting around while the production crew filmed the contestants “arriving.”

  They’d all been cleaned up with hair and makeup which wasn’t going to help them in the least now. Jazz’s three coats of mascara were going to run and turn her into a raccoon no matter how waterproof the package said it was. It was hot and there was going to be sweat. End of story.

  “Line up and we’ll let you go one by one, giving the person ahead of you some time. We don’t want you to bunch up. For this first run just take your time and get familiar with the course,” the scowling Deputy Turner said. Jazz wondered if the man ever smiled. He appeared to be mad about basically everything all the time. Maybe his tightie whities were way too tight.

  Trying to muffle her giggle, Jazz got in line behind everyone but Wayne. As usual he was pulling up the rear.

  Danny went first, diving down so he could crawl under the netting on his belly. When he cleared that obstacle, he grabbed the rope and sailed over the mud pit without a problem. The climbing wall was where he found an issue. Already winded, he didn’t have the strength to pull himself up and over. Bent over with his hands on his knees, he sucked in some air and then stepped back to try again.

  This time the handsome sheriff leaned over and said something to Danny before he got a running start. Whatever it was, it must have made a difference because he easily cleared the wall and was on to the rest of the course.

  “What do you think the sheriff told him?” Wayne asked, his brows knitted together. “Whatever it is, I want to know too.”

  Levi went next, and despite having a supposed desk job he made the course look damn easy. Well, crap.

  Peggy struggled and required coaching
from the sheriff and deputy, as did Sandy, and then it was Jazz’s turn. She took off at a run and dove to the grass, banging her knees and elbows on the ground. Bruising easily, she was sure to have some black and blue marks from this activity.

  Grunting as she propelled herself forward on her belly, her ponytail got caught in the netting overhead. Jazz cursed and reached up to free herself but a set of larger, rougher hands were already there. His palm gently pressed on the back of her head so her nose was millimeters from the dirt.

  “Keep your head down and use your hands, elbows, and feet to push yourself along. Don’t worry about looking up.”

  His commanding tone left her in no doubt he knew what he was talking about. Keeping her head down, she managed to clear the net and sprang to her feet.

  “Easy. Pace yourself this first time out, Jazz.”

  The sheriff was following her along the course and she wasn’t sure if she was glad or annoyed. Having him watch her so closely was slightly unnerving, but if he could help her compete then it would be worth it.

  “Get a running start for the rope swing.”

  Jazz paused about ten feet from the mud pit before speeding up. She grabbed the rope and sailed over the muck but landed awkwardly, stumbling and having to right herself.

  “Are you okay? You look like you twisted your ankle. Do you need a medic?”

  Geez, he was right next to her wearing a concerned frown. After last night’s issues with her luggage, he must think she was a total weakling. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she shook her head.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Now for the wall, you’re going to want–”

  “I’ve got this,” she interrupted.

  Determined to show him she wasn’t useless, she lunged at the wall six foot wall built with logs but missed grabbing the rope and landed in a heap on the ground. The dirt and grass stuck to her damp skin and her knee was scraped and bleeding.