Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) (21 page)

CJ shook his head. “Not always. She was a wild child when she
was younger. Drinking, drugs, sleeping around, you name it. Everything changed
when she got pregnant with Austin. She cleaned up her act. After the baby was
born, she moved out of her parent’s house and rented her own place. We started
dating shortly before Austin’s first birthday. She started the aerobics studio.
Everything was good.” He shrugged. “And then it wasn’t. One day she stopped
giving a shit about anyone else’s wants or needs. Like the flip of a switch,
everything was about Teresa. Family, friends, me, Austin, we were just there to
make her happy.”

“And when you didn’t like the new Teresa, that’s when she
started using Austin to keep you on a short leash,” Annie guessed.

“Pretty much. Looking back, the games and manipulations were
always there. She just quit hiding them.” 

“Wow,” she said with a low whistle. “That’s some crazy Ex
story.”

“If you decide to use it, just remember to change the names to
protect the not so smart.”  

“It’s not stupid to have a heart, CJ.”

“Thanks.”

He still wasn’t looking at her.

“Teresa’s the stupid one for letting you get away. Her loss is
my gain.”

CJ glanced up at that comment, his lips twitching in a ghost of
his aw-shucks grin.

“Are you going to be saying that in eight months?”

“If someone invites me to Wyoming, I might be saying that in
eighty years.”

CJ laughed at her sass.

“You do realize you’ll be a hundred and ten by then.”

“Didn’t I warn you that if left to natural causes the Cline
women, that’s my mom’s side of the family, live long full lives? My great
grandmother lived to a hundred and fourteen, and she doesn’t even hold the
family record.”

“So, I could be stuck with you for a while.”

“Makes you stop and think doesn’t it?”

“It makes me think I’m going to have to eat a lot more salads.”

“What?”

“I love you so much that I had a side salad with my steak
tonight instead of a potato.”

“So you’d live longer?” Annie asked, trying to hide her
amusement.

“The thought at the time was so I’d lose a few pounds, but now
I’m thinking about longevity.” 

That was just worse.

“Please don’t lose weight or forego potatoes on my behalf. I
love your bod just the way it is, and I’ve never met a spud I didn’t like.
Maybe we just need to um … exercise more,” she said, a silly grin spreading
across her face.

“There are a lot of different ways to exercise. I don’t suppose
you have something in mind?” CJ teased.

“I’ve never been one to play, um…exercise, by myself. So, maybe
having the right partner is the trick.”

CJ stroked his beard in mock thought.

“You might be onto something. I’m feeling the urge for a little
cardio right now.”

“Too bad I’m not there,” she whispered. 

CJ’s dimples made her heart do funny things.

“In case I haven’t said it, there is nothing that I would love
more than you being here with me. If you’re willing to give Wyoming and me a
shot, I will do everything in my power to make you a happy woman.”

“Still have that Simmons mattress?”

“I’m a bachelor. Not only have I not changed the mattress since
you were here, I haven’t changed the sheets.”  

Annie burst into laughter. “Oh my God, I love you.”

“I love you too, beautiful. I will change the sheets right now
if it will help get you here,” CJ said, still grinning. “Anything you want.”  

“Hmmm. This is like your dimples, I might be able to use this
to my advantage.”

“Blackmail,” CJ said, nodding his head slowly. “Sexy.”

Annie bit her bottom lip to hold back a grin.

“Let’s see. There were the heated Jeep seats, now clean sheets.
Hmm, a heat lamp in the master bathroom would be sweet. Oh! Unlimited Barrett
cocoa or no deal,” she said with a soft hum of pleasure. “Other than that, you’ve
already okayed the purple throw pillows and Keurig. If you have Wi-Fi, we’re in
business.”

“You drive a hard bargain.”

“Everything but the cocoa is negotiable.”

“Then I’m confident we can work something out.”

Their banter was so easy. No one made her laugh like CJ. He
made her feel loved, cherished, and even liked. That last one wasn’t always a
given even with the other two. CJ understood her and liked the person she was.

“Cami sent me a copy of your updated tour schedule.”

“I wasn’t sure if she would. Her nose is out of joint right
now.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’d be there if I could.” He licked his lips,
his expression turning pensive. “I hope you understand that no matter how this or
any other book does, I can’t be a pampered house husband.”

Her heart skipped painfully. The sarcastic twist of his lips,
the inflection, he was clearly quoting someone. Who? Her jaw set. Her family
was pissing her off.

“Who said that?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes. Because we might be new, but I know you better than
that.”

“Good. Then it doesn’t matter.”

“You said you’d do anything to make me happy. We only work if
we’re both happy, CJ. You made a point of telling me when you offered to move
to Michigan that you’d find a job and you’d pull your own weight. I know enough
about you to know that is important to you. That’s who you are, the kind of man
you are. So, yeah, if a member of my family is insulting you like that, it
matters,” Annie said through gritted teeth.

“She probably saw it as a joke,” he said, trying to soothe it
over.

“Who?”

CJ’s face fell and he rolled his neck uncomfortably.

“Please. I love the type of man you are. It’s one of the things
that I fell in love with. My family needs to see that.”  

“It wasn’t your family. Cami said it at the launch party. She
likely meant it as a joke, and I took it wrong. Sometimes I need thicker skin.”

“Between that and her arm-candy comment, the snide insults from
my twit of a cousin and my aunt’s crap, I can more than see where it would
grate. I’ll talk to Cami, okay?”

“As long as you understand how I feel, I’m good.”

“Of course I understand. It’s part of what I love about you and
why I want to move to Wyoming. I can write anywhere. Why mess with your
livelihood?”

“I never thought about your being able to write anywhere,” he
mumbled, literally scratching his head.  

“Obviously,” Annie teased.

CJ blushed, but then winked at her.   

“Damn, babe. If we can find a way to make you happy in Wyoming,
my life will be complete.”

“You, Wi-Fi and cocoa, in that order, and I’ll be happy.”

“That’s it? No diamond, puppy, or white picket fence?”

“Oh! We can have a puppy!” she squealed in excitement. “Another
benefit to not living in a tower of steel and glass.”

“Your building doesn’t allow pets?”

“It does, but how fair is it to a real dog to confine them to
an apartment? I’m not a fan of little purse dogs.”

“What breed are you thinking?”

“We had a chocolate lab when I was growing up. Beau was sweet
and cuddly. He went on runs with me and slept in my bed most nights. He was protective
of his family but such a sweetheart,” she said, sighing at the memories.

“We had a black lab mix for years. His name was Bear.”

“Then you know what I mean. They’re awesome dogs and not suited
for an apartment.”  

CJ shook his head, smiling.

“Even our taste in pets is in sync. This is scary.”

“It is. You know what we should do? We should make lists of
questions and topics, and talk like this every night. Or at least as often as
we can while I’m on this tour. It will keep us from being too lonely.”

“We can do that.”

“I’m glad you thought about FaceTime. Hearing your sexy voice
is great, but seeing you while we talk is even better.”

“I like seeing your smile,” CJ said.

Annie flashed him a smile and smoothed her hand over her
Chicago Bears t-shirt.

“I might need to upgrade my sleepwear.”

“Don’t. You look adorable. For the record, the Mighty Mouse
pajamas are my favorite so far.”

“My dad always called me that.”

“It’s cute.”

She tried to hold back a yawn but ended up smothering it in her
blanket.

“You should get some sleep. You have another big day tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me. Cami says the Manhattan signing is going to
be huge. Like New York City isn’t scary enough on principle alone.”

“Just picture me holding your hand and know that I’m thinking
about you.”

“Don’t think about me when you need to be thinking about cliffs
or bears or something.”

CJ laughed. “You and bears, but you have no idea how many times
today I reminded myself to keep my head in the game. All I wanted to think
about was you.”

“Focus on your job and staying safe for me. I need you.”

“I will.” He yawned. “The good thing is that it’s bedtime now.
I can dream about you all I want.”

“Every sleep is one closer to my being with you,” Annie
whispered.  

“Austin used to count sleeps when I was gone. When I could, I’d
FaceTime to tell him goodnight.”

CJ’s smile looked wistful. Annie wished she was there to give
him a hug. Her man was going to make an amazing daddy.

“Let’s add kids to the list of topics,” she said softly.

The line snaked back and forth between carefully spaced stanchions
and velvet ropes before trailing out the door. Scribbling her practiced autograph
inside the book cover, Annie leaned toward an excited fan and smiled for a
selfie. She was still blinking from the flash when another book slid in front
of her. A nervous store employee put an iced cappuccino at her elbow before
scurrying away from the table. What had Cami told them about the temperamental
author?

Annie caught the employee’s eye and mouthed a silent, “Thank
you.”

A surprised smile tipped the other woman’s lips before she
disappeared. She turned her focus back to the mother and adult daughter in
front of her. Their story of swapping paperbacks over a weekly lunch date made
Annie’s heartache. She missed her mom. Though a daddy’s girl, she’d inherited
her love of reading from her mom. The ER nurse had never left the house without
at least one paperback in her purse. How she would’ve loved the luxury of
pulling a book up on her phone.

Tucking her memories away, Annie signed both books.
To
mothers and daughters and a shared love of reading.
Greeting the next fan,
she exclaimed over a handmade book cover with her name stitched in a frayed
purple heart.

“You said in an interview that you think of yourself as Annie,”
the other woman said, beaming at the praise.

“I do. And purple is my favorite color. This is just beautiful.
Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. The last signing I came to, you were wearing a
scarf with purple hearts.”

“That’s one of my favorites. Thank you again, Jenny. I love
it,” she said, scribbling a heart beneath her signature.

“Less talking, more signing,” Cami whispered in her ear.

Annie shot her a nasty look and ignored the proffered water the
publicist was using as cover. Taking a drink of the iced cappuccino on her
other side, she plastered on a smile and continued signing and talking.

Tucking a couple of gifts and a handful of pens into the
bottom of her worn leather mail bag, Annie straightened with a groan. Several
vertebrae popped. Thankfully, her high-priced hotel had good water pressure. It
had been a long day. The past three days in New York and Boston had seemed
endless. Tomorrow was Philly then Saturday in Pittsburgh before three days off.
She was exhausted and her temper was frayed. Things were tense with Cami.  Speak
of the devil. Her publicist rolled her hand, encouraging her to wrap things up.
Annie forced a smile for the store manager and patted a stack of books in front
of her.

“I signed these so you can use them for giveaways or put them
on the shelf.” 

“Thank you so much, Ms. Brand. I’m sure they will go quickly.
We had quite the crowd today.”

“Definitely, the biggest turnout I’ve had. Thank you and your
staff for having me. Everyone was so nice.” She wiggled an empty cup before
dropping it in the trashcan. “I don’t think I would’ve made it without the
sugar and caffeine.”

“Somedays they’re the only thing that keep us going.” The
manager agreed with a weary nod. 

“Are we ready?” Cami asked.

Giving the signing area one last visual sweep, Annie nodded and
followed the publicist to the door.

“Do you want to go someplace for dinner or head straight back
to your hotel?”

“I’m tired. I think I’ll splurge and order from room service
tonight.”

“Your call,” Cami said briskly and stepped to the curb to hail
a cab. 

“I know what I’m pissed off about. Do you want to clue me in on
what your deal is today?” Annie snapped.

She’d been trying to put this off, but damn!  

“You mean besides your biting my head off at breakfast?”

“Do you mean when you made
another
snotty comment about
CJ not being here, and I had to explain
again
that he has a job?”

“Come on, Annie,” Cami said, stamping her boot in exasperation.
“You admitted that the job didn’t come up until after the launch party. He
could have said no.”

“If he had turned it down, it could’ve cost him future
business. These are movie guys from Hollywood. They are paying him good money
just to show them the Wyoming wilderness that he loves. Plus, he’s doing a
favor for another guide whose wife is in the hospital after a car accident.
Maybe you can see how that all might be a little more important than holding my
hand through a few book signings.”

Cami rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry about his friend’s wife. All
I’m saying is that CJ knows how big of a difference his presence made for you,
and he still chose not to be here. His priorities seem screwed for someone
supposedly so in love.”

“I thought I’ve been doing pretty damn good on my own. And
maybe
he wouldn’t have felt it was so important to take the job if someone hadn’t
just called him arm candy and suggested that he would become a pampered house
husband if this book did well,” Annie snarled back.

Cami actually looked surprised.

“He was upset by that? You’ve got to be kidding me. Is he so
old fashioned his male ego can’t handle the idea of a woman making more money than
him?”

A couple of twenty-somethings slowed their walk to rubberneck
and whisper. Annie ground her teeth just waiting for their cell phones to come
up. Nothing was private anymore. She lowered her voice.

“He’ll be fine if I make more than him as long as he
contributes. I don’t expect you to get it, but that’s the way CJ is wired. We
were both raised to believe that a husband and wife work as a team. Income
might not always be equal, but partners are.”

“That’s sweet,” Cami sneered. “But your cowboy needs to get a
sense of humor and join the twenty-first century. Most men would be thrilled if
they were told they never had to work again.”

“CJ’s not most men and he loves what he does. He’s every bit as
passionate about his profession as I am.”

“It was a joke, Annie. You’re making way too much out of this.”

“I wouldn’t be if he hadn’t been slammed with a multitude of
these slurs. One can be funny. When they keep piling up, they begin to hurt,”
Annie insisted. “I love him, Cami.  I don’t want to screw this up, and I
definitely don’t want something I don’t even care about to ruin my chance at
happiness.”

“This book, this tour,
this
is what is going to buy you
happiness. CJ’s not the only one that needs to wise up and look at priorities. I
don’t think you realize what you have. With the right promotion and a little
luck,
Mackinac Monday
could explode. We’re so close! I’m talking bestseller
list, celebrity shout-outs, and a movie deal.  You’ll be a household name,” Cami
said, stepping away from the curb to invade Annie’s personal space.

Anger flared in her chest. Her aunt’s words jumbled with the
publicist’s, swirling in her head along with every single person who had ever
flippantly said, ‘I’ve thought about writing a book’ like it was the easiest
thing in the world. She stumbled back, chest tightening.

“I see. With the right
marketing
and a little
luck…
”
She spat the words out, her breath coming in a pant. “
You
can make
anyone’s scribblings gold. Having to deal with the author being a real person, one
with shortcomings and fears is just an annoyance of the job. Seriously? Most of
the time I don’t know what the fuck you want from me, Cami! Your ‘Less talk,
more signing’ comment earlier made me want to slap the shit out of you. You
complain about my fears making me seem anti-social, but when I start to relax
and connect then I’m not feeding the machine fast enough. Unless I’m completely
confused, they could’ve ordered an autographed copy off Amazon, but they come
to a signing to meet the author.”

“Yes. They come to a signing to meet the author, but all of
them would like that opportunity. Not just the ones at the front of the line.”

“I would’ve stayed as long as it took. None of them will come
back if we herd them through the line in order to make an extra buck.”

“Now you care about perception? Where was this worry this
afternoon when I tried to convince you to take a little more care with your
appearance?”

Annie’s fingernails bit into her palms.

“I don’t care if this is New York City. You can put lipstick on
a pig, but it’s still a pig.”

A passerby grimaced, shrinking away from them as she hurried
past. Apparently, the discussion of makeup on farm animals was not one she
wanted to join.

“I don’t need a makeover. This is who I am,” she said waving at
the ensemble of jeans, suede boots, jacket, and scarf. “If I’m not in pajamas,
this is how I’m comfortable. I’m a writer, not a model.”

“If we are going to continue this conversation maybe we should
move it out of the middle of the sidewalk,” Cami said, eying another well-dressed
eavesdropper.

“I’m sorry. Am I embarrassing you in front of your kind?”   

“We’re both tired and hungry. I think it would be best if we
table this before one of us says something we regret.”

More gawkers loitered in her peripheral. Though a small part of
Annie wanted to argue and rail against the bullshit, Cami was right. This
wasn’t the place. Life wasn’t fair. You just had to suck it up and get on with
it. She nodded, trying to ignore the stares and calm her breathing. Stepping
back to the curb, Cami hailed a cab. When the car pulled up, Cami opened the
door for her and spoke to the driver before turning back.  

“Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you at the hotel at nine for breakfast, and
then we will go to the train station,” she said before slamming the door.  

Nodding in agreement, Annie settled back into the seat as the
car merged into traffic. Her jaw ached from the clench of her teeth. She rubbed
at her chest trying to ease the tightness there. Unlocking her jaw, she
concentrated on taking slow breaths. Who knew what cab etiquette was for stupid
tourists that hyperventilated. She could end up with an emergency room bill or sitting
on a curb in Harlem—or wherever was still scary in New York.

Rolling her neck side-to-side, she attempted to banish the
tension. It wasn’t fair to blame New York. She just wanted to go home. She
grimaced. Actually, even that wasn’t true. She wanted to go to Wyoming. She
wanted to be with CJ. And to be perfectly honest, the next time she said home,
she wanted it to mean his cabin.

Was CJ ready for that? She still had doubts. Despite his explanation,
his hesitation in seeing how perfect the cabin would be for both of them
bothered her. Why not Wyoming? Her suspicious side pointed out that if he moved
to Michigan and things didn’t work out, he had a safe place to flee. Whereas if
she moved in with him and he changed his mind, he had to deal with the
nastiness of kicking her out. As physically strong as her man was, she had a
feeling he knew he was ill-equipped for the terroristic emotional tactics women
could utilize.  

Annie frowned and rubbed her temples with light fingertips. Not
that she was that woman but, after Teresa, she more than understood how that
could be a worry of his. How did she ease his fears? Was that even possible?
They’d talked every night since Detroit. He’d been sweet and supportive, asking
all about her tour, and while they’d discussed a lot of topics, her move wasn’t
really one of them. Come to think of it, kids were still on the table as well. Something
else had come up. She couldn’t pinpoint what. There had been no shortage of
topics. Just hearing his voice erased the stress and made the words flow. Her
fingers stilled at a stray thought. Would his voice work while she was writing
too? What better sound to soothe her mind? She closed her eyes and smiled. It
was worth a try.

Damp hair pulled into a sloppy knot on top of her head Annie
plopped cross-legged on the bed and took a bite of the juicy burger. Her brows
popped up in surprise and a soft hum of approval whispered in her throat. The
bourbon burger was almost worth the twenty-five dollars plus that room service
had fleeced her out of. Snagging one of the giant beer-battered onion rings,
she peered over at her silent phone. She’d sent CJ a text before hopping in the
shower, but still no answer.  

Annie licked grease from her fingers and felt a twinge of guilt.
Could she have picked a less healthy meal? While her parents had never let her
actually diet, she’d had to be conscious of calories consumed versus burned
since elementary. Gymnastics had helped with both the exercise and the
motivation. With her build, she could’ve starved herself and never been one of
the waifs. Thankfully, her coach had helped her learn how to transform the butt
and thighs God had given her into muscle and power.

That had been a long time ago. She was far from form these
days. After her parents’ passing, she’d lost a ton of weight. It hadn’t been a
conscious thing. Grieving, she’d had no appetite that first year. She shouldn’t
have worried. Her appetite had returned and the pounds with it. She’d tried to
get back to exercising, but killing herself in the gym no longer appealed. An
elliptical machine she’d bought had ended up doubling as a clothes rack in the
back of her closet. Other than half-ass watching what she ate and using the
pool from time to time, she’d given up. It wasn’t like there had been anyone to
impress.