Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) (12 page)

“If you had any idea how many times these same people have told
me that I needed to get laid, you’d understand my confusion,” Annie grumbled.

The blonde laughed and waved her hand to get them to depart the
elevator.

“You must be CJ Barrett. It’s nice to meet you. Beautiful
flowers. I’m Cami. I’m—”

“A sadistic harpy,” Annie said in a stage whisper.

“Annie’s publicist,” Cami said as if she hadn’t even been
interrupted.

“Same thing.”  

He let out a sigh at the return of Annie’s sarcastic wit.
Snarky was much better than scared.

Shifting Annie’s coat to his other arm, he shook hands with the
publicist.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“Whoa!” the woman protested, throwing up her hands. “I’m
twenty-nine, not sixty-nine. Don’t ma’am me.”

“He’s from Wyoming. They have manners there. Get over it,”
Annie snapped. “Nice numeral innuendo and how many years are you planning on
being twenty-nine.”

“As many as I can get away with.”

Not sure what to say to any of that, CJ silently trailed the
ladies into the banquet hall. His gut twisted. Fancy. Nearly thirty stories up,
they had a fantastic view of the city. Round tables covered with white or pale
teal tablecloths filled the room. Candles in shallow dishes of sand and shells sat
in the center, and small sample boxes of Mackinac fudge graced each setting. Another
table held an artful display of the new book, flanked by gift bags with a
cursive script AB initial logo. He stopped suddenly and looked closer at the
book covers. The tension in his shoulders ratcheted up another notch. Her full
name was beautiful, elegant, but to him, she’d always be his Annie.

“They went all out,” Annie muttered, hooking a finger in the
top of one of the bags to take a peek. “Serious swag. Canvas tote, beach towel,
water bottle, SPF lip balm, travel mug, Starbucks gift card—is there anything
they can’t put cover art or a logo on?”

“You,” CJ suggested, putting a hand on her back.

“Cami tried to talk me into getting the logo tattooed on me,
but I’m afraid of needles.”

He laughed and a moment later, Annie joined him. It was good to
hear her laughter again.

“I needed that,” she whispered, stepping close to press against
his side. “This is just…it’s a lot.”

They both looked around. He nodded.

“They obviously have a lot of confidence in you.”

“Hope. They have a lot of hope in
Mackinac Monday
. Not
necessarily in me. I’m just the eccentric author that has to be pried out of my
pajamas to be paraded about a couple of times a year. Every piece of grown-up
clothing I own is on my closet floor right now because I couldn’t decide what
to wear to this thing,” Annie said, tugging on the hem of her charcoal military
style jacket.

Both wearing black jeans and boots with jackets they could’ve
coordinated their attire. At least he wasn’t going to embarrass her with his
clothing. Everything else was still up in the air. The dark gray jacket with
its shiny buttons was flattering on Annie. Of course, he thought she looked
good in anything. He’d happily pry her out of the mentioned pajamas, or cuddle
with her in them. The scarf looped around her neck and tucked into the top of
the jacket drew his eye. He leaned closer to read the printing on the fabric. The
words Dream, Create, and Inspire were scrawled in black cursive with the
occasional word in red to give a touch of color.

“You look beautiful. I love the scarf.”

She tilted her chin down to look at it, fingers caressing the
thin material.

“It’s one of my favorites. When I was having my fashion meltdown,
Finn called. She suggested I dress the way I’m comfortable and pray the
confidence bleeds over into the rest of the night.”

“Sounds like good advice. It’s your party after all.”   

“I know. I know. It’s just that I’m not very good at being the
show pony. I’m used to staying behind the curtain.”

“Welcome to the twenty-first century,” Cami said walking up and
throwing her arms wide. “Television and the internet have made mysterious
hermit scribes a thing of the past. The world wants to know who is behind their
favorite characters. And let’s not forget you were the one who decided to use
your own name.”

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“You are welcome. That was before my time. Now, we have a table
set up right over here when it’s time for the signing. I put your gorgeous
calla lilies on the table, along with the usual collection of pens, Sharpies,
bottled water and swag. Each of the books already has one of the new charm bookmarks
in it. The microphone has been double checked and there’s a barstool for the
reading, with a back, so we don’t have a repeat of Naples.”

“It was a hundred degrees in there with no air-conditioning. I
got a little lightheaded,” Annie said, irritation and embarrassment creeping
into her tone.

“You wouldn’t think I loved you if I didn’t give you a hard
time. Besides, your new boyfriend is here. Telling embarrassing stories is the
equivalent of pulling out the naked baby pictures.”    

“Be nice. I’d like for him to want to stay around.”

“Point taken. My apologies. Don’t take me too seriously, CJ.
I’ve found that just the right combination of humor and bullying works best
with Annie. It helps distract her,” Cami said, her smile and wink friendly.

“No apologies necessary. Annie’s sense of humor is one of the
things I love about her.”

“She’s a lucky girl.”

“Who is still right here,” Annie said, rolling her eyes at both
of them.

“Don’t worry. I only have eyes for you. I know exactly where
you are,” CJ promised.

Annie’s fingers twined with his.

“Speaking of the media, it is time for interviews. Fox just
walked in and I believe that’s TV8 behind them,” Cami said, her pretty face
slipping into a more practiced smile.

The tightening grip on his hand threatened circulation.

“How many?” Annie whispered.

“I invited all the Michigan stations and papers, along with a
couple of national. So, we’ll see. Having those two show up is a great sign. Mackinac’s
Town Crier will definitely be here. We’re going all out. Reviews have been
stellar and the autographed presales are beyond expectation. You probably still
have hand cramps from signing all those.”

CJ watched Annie’s throat bob. Her lips were pressed into a
grim clamp like when he’d dropped her off at the airport. She looked like she
was going to be sick. Using her grip on him, he pulled her into his arms.

“I’m right here.”

She hid her face against his chest.

“I can’t do this.”

“You can. I have faith in you.”

“I’d rather face one of those territorial black bears we were
joking about.”

He smiled into her hair.

“I know, babe. But this could be the pinnacle of everything
that you’ve dreamed about since you were a little girl. You can’t let fear stop
you now.”

“Do you know that I never dreamed of being famous? I just
wanted to write, live, and make my parents proud.”

“I didn’t know your parents, but I promise you that they’re
looking down on you tonight and they’re so proud. They’re proud of you every
day. You’re an amazing woman, Annie Brand.”

“There’s our word,” she whispered with a weak laugh. “I don’t
feel very amazing at the moment. It’s taking everything I have not to get sick.
Thank God I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.”

“That’s not healthy. I’m getting you something to eat as soon
as I can,” he said firmly.

“Better make it a smoothie. Solid food isn’t going to work
right now.”

He frowned, not sure what she wanted. A look at Cami earned a
reluctant nod even though she was eyeing the journalists. She waved someone
else over and issued orders.

“This is going to sound crazy,” Annie whispered and then gave a
slightly demented giggle.  “How many times have I said that to you already?”

“I need a little crazy in my life,” he said, stroking her hair.

“Can you just be where I can see you while I talk to them?” Her
voice cracked. “My dad used to do that for me when I was nervous at gymnastics
meets. It sounds silly, but it helped.”

“Anything for you, beautiful.”

“Annie, we need to do this,” Cami said quietly. “Time to play
author.”

Annie drew back from him and he watched her attempt to pull the
mask in place she’d used when her aunt ripped into her. It hurt his heart to
see her hide.

“Show them the real you,” he blurted, reaching out to cup her
face as she looked up in surprise. “We’re not the only ones that like real
people. Annie Brand is witty, funny, a little sarcastic, and passionate about
storytelling. Show them that.”

Her eyes darted uncertainly between his and Cami.  

“Whatever works,” Cami said. “But we need to do it now. Come
on, you used to run around in front of thousands of people in your underwear. I
know you can do this.”

“It was a leotard. I was a teenager, and I’d kill myself if I
had to do that now,” Annie muttered between gritted teeth, but her shoulders
squared and she let Cami lead her toward the media.

Not letting go of her hand, like he had a choice, CJ stayed
close beside her.

“Stand here behind the cameras and she’ll be able to look right
at you,” Cami whispered.

Stopping, he leaned down to kiss Annie.

“I’m here.”

She nodded and raised their joined hands to her lips. Kissing
his knuckles, she slowly released her grip.

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you,” he repeated.

Smoothing her jacket and wiping her palms over her denim clad
hips, she stepped into the spotlight.

Avoiding the cameramen, he made sure to stay where she could
see him. If it helped her nerves than at least one of them would be calm. More
people were starting to arrive. Sports coats, shirts and ties, pantsuits and
dresses. He felt underdressed compared to most, but at least he matched up with
Annie. She was the only reason he was here. Catering staff filled tables with
appetizers and finger foods. Some of it looked good, but like Annie, he was
beginning to think food would be a bad idea.

They were asking her questions now. Where did she get her ideas
and her vivid characters? Something twisted in between her fingers, but she met
the journalist’s gaze confidently. Bits and pieces of her answers reached him. Everyone
she met was at risk of ending up in her books, for good or bad. She’d just
returned from her cousin’s wedding and events there were sure to make it into
future books. Sometimes reality was more dramatic than fiction. The greatest
compliment a reader had paid her was that her characters were real. She was
just an average Annie. She liked real people.

Their eyes met and he grinned, giving her a wink. Her return
smile was shy but reached her eyes. She laughed at something the interviewer
said and nodded, gaze flickering back to CJ for a moment. The light caught what
was in her hand and he recognized it as one of the bookmarks with the charms
that he’d seen on the display. The shredded napkin ring flashed to mind. Nerves.
She only fidgeted when she was nervous or upset about something. Other than
after the Teresa drama, she’d been relaxed in their time together. That made
him feel good. CJ flinched as hands clamped on his bicep.

“You’re my new secret weapon,” Cami hissed, eyes locked on her
client. “She’s killing it.”

“It’s all Annie.”

“Modesty is cute and all, but I’ve seen her have a panic attack
doing a phone interview. Who is this woman?”

Painted fingernails flexed on his arm as the publicist leaned
forward, not wanting to miss a word. CJ was glad for the protection of his
leather jacket. She whipped out her phone and typed frantically. Shoving the
device back in her pocket, she leaned closer.

“Please tell me that you can make the rest of the book tour.
Keep in mind if you say no I may have to drug you.”

“Uh…” He looked down, flustered by how serious Cami sounded.
What in the hell was he supposed to say to that?

“Keep your eyes on the prize. She’s watching you.”

A frown furrowed Annie’s forehead when he looked back up. She
tilted her head to the side in question. Shaking his head, he plastered on a
smile, giving her a discreet thumbs up. They asked her a question and she
turned back, apologetically asking them to repeat it.

CJ let out his breath and muttered, “We haven’t discussed it
yet.”

“Start thinking about it, big man. If this book takes off the
way I’m banking it will, you could be a kept man from here on out.”

The room was filling up by the time she finished with the
media. Shaking hands and thanking everyone again, Annie sidestepped the camera
equipment and went right into CJ’s arms.

His lips brushed her temple and then her ear as he whispered,
“That was my Annie. Bright, beautiful and funny.”

“Somehow you make me feel like that.”

“It was all you, beautiful. You really sold it.”

“You even made me want to read it,” Cami chimed in.

Annie pulled her face away from CJ’s chest to shoot the
publicist an exasperated look. “If you haven’t read it, you’re fired.”

“I might’ve skimmed through it once or twice,” Cami relented
with a smirk. “Absolutely awesome job with the press. If I hadn’t seen it, I
would never have believed it. I already told your man that from now on he has
to come to all events and if I can get him to hold your hand during phone and
internet interviews, that would be great.” 

CJ pressed their joined hands against his chest. “Luckily, I
like holding your hand.”

Annie felt the sappy grin curve her lips. Damn. He was such a
sweetheart. What had she ever done to deserve such an amazing man? How she was going
to keep him was a better question. Her stomach rolled at the thought.  

“You did crawl out of the closet.”

The gravelly purr of Finn’s voice yanked Annie back to the here
and now. Slipping her hand from CJ’s with a tinge of regret, she turned to
greet her friend with a hug.

“You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here. How else was I going to kick your ass if
you didn’t show up?”

Ignoring the editor’s teasing, she hugged Finn’s handsome
husband.

“Thank you for coming.”

“No problem, kiddo,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Like I always
tell you, it’s less than an hour drive.”

“It was spitting sleet on my way over here.”

“Then it’s a good thing we already made a reservation or we’d
be invading your guestroom.”

“As often as I enjoy your guest suite that would be long
overdue, but the Plaza might be more your style.”

“Your condo is fine. It’s more about privacy. I’d hate to have
Finn open your next book and find us between the pages.”

Annie laughed at the lecherous waggle of his eyebrows.

“Point taken.”

She turned to introduce CJ, but Finn was already sizing him up.

“You must be Annie’s infamous CJ.”

Color infused his cheeks, but CJ chuckled and held out his
hand.

“Infamous is a first, but CJ Barrett is correct.”

“Finn, friend and editor. It’s a pleasure to meet the man that
has my favorite romance author all fired up.”

“I do try.”

CJ’s baby blues were twinkling when he glanced her way. His
grin was sexy. Puckering her lips, Annie blew him a kiss.

“Since the girls are just going to ogle you like a side of
meat, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Finn’s husband, Hunter.”

“Nice to meet you, Hunter. Got to ask. Do you hunt?”

“Every chance I get. We live in Grand Haven right on the water
so I get a lot more opportunity to fish.”

“What kind of fishing?” CJ asked.

Finn snickered as the men immediately fell into an enthusiastic
conversation about scaly aquatic life, waterways, and lures.  

“I hope you didn’t want to introduce him to anyone else.”

“As usual, your husband is a God send. I think CJ has had his
fill of listening to me talk about myself,” Annie said.

“The man didn’t travel half way across the United States to
surprise you because he’s sick of you.”

“You should see the flowers he sent,” Cami said with a Cheshire
grin. “Classy.”

“You’re away from him for half a day and he sends flowers then
jumps on a plane? What kind of romance author voodoo are you using on this poor
boy?”

Annie felt the heat flood her cheeks at the innuendo in her
friend’s voice. Her mouth opened and closed, spoken words stumping her per
usual. CJ winked at her and some of the insecurity seeped away. She still
didn’t have an answer so she shrugged with a look of exaggerated innocence.

“It’s fine if you won’t tell Mistress Finn here, but take pity
on a single girl,” Cami said pouting cutely.

“I wish I knew,” Annie said. “Trust me. I want to keep doing
it.”

“How did you two meet? I don’t think you’ve even mentioned a
date in the time I’ve known you.”

“I’ve known her much longer with only a one night stand in
Boston to speak of,” Finn said flagging down a waiter with a tray of champagne.

“We met at my cousin Crystal’s wedding. CJ is the groom’s
cousin.”

“Oh! A wedding hookup!” Cami crowed in delight.

“It wasn’t a hookup!” Annie hissed, throwing a look CJ’s way to
make sure he was still engrossed in conversation with Hunter.

“What would you call it?”

“A hookup makes it sound like we met and hopped in bed,” Annie
protested.  “We spent over a week together.”

“And how long before you hopped in bed?” Cami challenged.

Annie’s face scrunched up as she tried to separate the days in
the Bighorns. They’d spent every moment together they could. It had felt like
more than a week but had flown by at the same time.

“Six days,” she said finally. “I think it was the sixth night that
we … today is eight days.”

“What were you waiting for?”

“We were trying to get to know one another!” Annie protested.

“The night Hunter and I met, we drank and danced until they
threw us out, then went back to his place and continued our dance between the
sheets. I knew right away he was the one. I never left.”

“Why can’t I find a good looking, drunk rich guy to throw
myself at?” Cami asked, dodging the elbow Finn jabbed at her.

Annie remembered how she’d felt at CJ’s cabin. Sheltered, safe,
at home for the first time since her parent’s house. She’d never wanted to
leave. Being in his arms was even better. Maybe it wasn’t just the stuff of fairy
tales and romance novels.

“I never spent another night in my apartment. My stuff migrated
to Hunter’s house a piece or two at a time and when the lease was up, I turned
in the keys.”

“Why haven’t you written this story?” Annie asked, images and
words already tumbling over each other in her mind.

Finn shrugged. “Maybe someday.”

“Too late now. You know better than to share stuff like that
with a writer.”

“Before you two get into a knock-down, drag-out over
intellectual property, you have a reading to do,” Cami said, presenting a copy
of the book. “I marked a juicy selection so you shouldn’t have to worry about
starting another dry spell from hell.”

Annie snatched the book in horror. Opening to the marked page,
her heart dropped. It wasn’t the physical smut Cami had threatened, but worse.
The characters were pouring their hearts and souls out, trying to find a way to
make their relationship work. Talk about fiction mirroring reality. Her gaze
flew to CJ. The words here would hit way too close to home. A week wasn’t long
enough to figure this stuff out. Regardless of Finn and Hunter’s story, or CJ’s
parents and the pie, they needed more time.

She opened her mouth to tell Cami to select something else, but
the pushy publicist was already on her way to the microphone. Dropping her
head, she followed. A touch on her arm drew her up short.

“Smile, beautiful. You’ve got this.”

The brush of CJ’s lips made her forget everything else. When he
pulled back, she followed and kissed him again. He grinned and winked when she
settled back on her heels. The caressing pat he delivered to her bottom as she
turned away held a special vibe. How many times had she seen her dad’s big
hands playfully drum on her mother’s backside while he hugged her tight? Their
laughter and ease with one another had formed Annie’s vision of what a
relationship should be like.

She murmured an apology as she brushed against someone in the
press of bodies. The image of her mom’s hand slipping into her dad’s back
pocket as they navigated a crowd popped to mind. Large groups had never been
her mom’s thing either. Annie had never thought about it, but her mom had
obviously drawn comfort from her husband’s proximity like she did from CJ. The
smile that curved her lips as she stepped up to the microphone wasn’t
practiced. It felt good to be cherished. Given half a chance, she could get
used to it.

She closed her eyes in bliss as raspberry and cheesecake hit
her taste buds. The cupcake sized confection probably wasn’t what her doctor
would’ve ordered after going on twenty-four hours without food, but Annie
needed the sugar rush.

“You’re going to eat some real food when we get out of here,”
CJ said, worry carving deep furrows above the bridge of his nose.

“You too. I’m so sorry. At least I had the fruit and veggie
smoothie to get some vitamins.”

“You only had a couple swallows of it before someone ran off
with it, and I had lunch in Denver while I was waiting for my flight.”    

“I’m sorry to interrupt. I didn’t want to hold up the line
earlier, but I have to tell you how much I love your books.” 

Grabbing the napkin from her lap, Annie wiped her lips, tongue
flicking across her front teeth in search of tiny seeds. Before she could
verbalize a response, the woman continued, her knuckles whitening on the book
clutched to her chest.

“Your characters are so real and the writing is so vivid that I
get sucked into their world. You’ve undoubtedly heard readers talk about having
book boyfriends, where they fall for the hero. Well, you make me want to be
friends with your heroines. They just seem like everyday people. Someone I
could grab coffee with after carpool. Do you know what I mean?”

CJ’s hand stroked her thigh under the table. Through the media
appearance, reading, signing, and mingling, CJ had been by her side tonight.
Sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively, but he’d been there. Annie was
grateful for the anchor. The constant barrage of people wanting to talk to her
tonight was overwhelming for someone like her. She struggled to organize her thoughts
to reply to the flattering praise.   

“I do know what you mean, and thank you. That is a huge
compliment. There are definitely fictional characters that I feel the same way
about. They’re so tangible in my mind that I feel like I know them better than
flesh and blood people,” she said, nodding in understanding. Truth be told, she
liked fictional people a whole lot better than most so-called “real” people.

“Characters in your books, or in other author’s works?” the
other woman pressed.

“Both. When a story makes me lose track of time, and I look up
from the pages surprised by reality, that is the best feeling there is as a
writer or reader.”

“It is so incredible that that happens to even you,” she said
with a sigh. “I know you signed a book for me earlier, but I was wondering if I
could get a quick picture with you.”

“Um … sure,” Annie said, standing and forcing a smile as the
woman pressed their cheeks together to snap a selfie.

When she dropped back into her chair, CJ was chuckling into his
fist.

“What?” she asked, and immediately ran her finger under her top
lip. “Please tell me I did not just take a picture with food in my teeth.”

“Your teeth are fine. You just looked a little like a deer
caught in the headlights when she asked for the picture.”  

She groaned. “I hate having my picture taken. Either my eyes
squint shut when I smile, or they’re wide open so I look like a startled,
squatty vampire.”

CJ’s gut-busting laugh made everyone in the room turn their
way. Annie closed her eyes, praying for the floor to open and swallow her
whole. Nothing happened. God was probably busy laughing too. She tried to glare
at CJ. His hilarity made being mad at him difficult. Head down on the table,
his shoulders shook. She poked at him. Jerk. He wasn’t even aware of her ire. Her
lips twitched.

“It wasn’t that funny,” she muttered, nudging his shoulder.

He looked up, tears wetting his full cheeks.

“Then you didn’t get the same visual I did.”

“Cute.”

“Yes you are,” he said, still grinning.  “You worry way too
much about those pointy canines. No one else is looking at them.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Unless you have a stalker, no one spends more time looking at
your beautiful face than I do.”

“Soft-soaper,” she said, fighting a pleased smile.

“Is it working?” he asked, leaning in for a kiss.

“Was there something I could refuse you before?” she murmured
against his lips.

“Aren’t you two so adorable together?”

They jerked apart.

“Oops. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Annie looked at the woman like she was stupid. Only CJ’s hand
tightening on her thigh kept her from voicing her opinion.

“Angie.”

“This is quite the party. I was surprised when I heard about it
at work. Everyone thought it was a little odd that you didn’t invite your own
cousin.”