She slid a shiny Visa out from behind insurance cards and tapped it uncertainly with her fingernail. Speaking of money, she needed to get arrangements out of the way so she could start enjoying her vacation. As a rule, she paid for everything with her debit card figuring that if she had to transfer funds from savings it forced her to stop and think about the purchase. A week at a hundred and forty-seven dollars a night was—Annie hesitated, frowned, and rounded up, uh … roughly a thousand and fifty bucks. God, she hated math. She shook her head to clear the annoying numbers. It was just best to use the credit card and worry about paying it off when she got home. Unlike the rest of the family, the almighty dollar gave her a headache.
Downstairs proved to be no different. Why did money matters have to be difficult?
“Your room is paid in full for the next week.”
At least this was a good problem as problems went. Annie craned her neck, trying to look at the computer screen the girl was getting her information from. If this was CJ’s doing, she couldn’t accept. The plastic card tapped loudly against the counter as she slowly turned it in her fingers.
“I think there’s been a mistake. As a member of the wedding party, my room should have been paid for through last night by the bride and groom or their parents. Whoever, and however, that was handled. Now, I need to give you my personal credit card information for the next week,” she tried to explain.
“I do see that your room’s account was cleared this morning, and then this reservation was made for the next seven days. Ellie, Mrs. Barrett, entered the transaction and gave you a discounted rate. If you could give me just a moment, I will be happy to check with her and clear this up for you.”
“Is there a problem, Carley?”
Annie was relieved to see Carley relax at her boss’s question instead of tense. She didn’t want to cause the girl any problems but did want this taken care of before CJ got back.
“Miss Brand is going to be staying with us for another week but when I went to enter her reservation, I found we already have one for her. The last four of the credit card on file don’t match Miss Brand’s.”
Ellie Barrett turned her smile on Annie. CJ had his mom’s dimples.
“Sorry for the confusion, hon. Your aunt took care of it before she left. She wanted to thank you for everything you did for Crystal. I tried to tell her that you were staying on as CJ’s guest, that there was no charge, but she wouldn’t hear of it.”
“I wouldn’t have either,” Annie said, smiling back at the woman. “But thank you. That’s really sweet. You’ve done enough already with hosting the wedding.”
“We were honored Ty wanted to get married up here. Anything for family and, like it or not, we’re family of sorts now so I slipped the friends and family discount on there. You and your aunt will just have to live with it,” Ellie said with an unrepentant wink.
Annie shook her head at the sweet stubbornness. CJ’s mother was one of those people that you just couldn’t argue with. There was nothing to do but accept the generosity and hope to return it someday.
“I appreciate that. Thank you again. I’m really excited about staying and getting a chance to see more of Wyoming.”
“CJ’s looking forward to showing it off. You couldn’t ask for a better guide. If you need anything during your stay, just say the word, hon.”
“I will. Thank you,” Annie reassured her with a little wave as she turned to head back upstairs.
She loved the woman’s warmth and sass. It was so much like—Annie hesitated mid-step, stumbling on the next tread. She gripped the banister. Ellie reminded her of her mom. A fist wrapped around her heart, giving it a painful squeeze. Forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other, she climbed the handful of stairs to the landing and small observation area. The last thing she needed right now was Ellie or Carley thinking she was having a heart attack or something. How fun would it be to explain it was only an emotional meltdown?
She closed her eyes to the winter wonderland outside. It had been a long time since the memories had hurt. These days, it was usually the little things that popped into her head at the craziest times and made her smile. The similarities between the two women had just caught her off guard was all. She took a steadying breath. This wasn’t something to get all weepy about. This was a good thing. She should look at the positive. CJ was lucky and he knew it. His love for his parents was just another amazing quality in the man she was falling for.
Annie groaned and opened her eyes. Her brain thankfully shifted gears. Falling for? She sounded like a teenage girl instead of the grown ass woman she’d been wanting to shout about this morning. Her stomach rolled with the new line of thinking. Her family’s skepticism gnawed at her. Were they right? Was she kidding herself? How well could you know someone in four days? She chewed her bottom lip. That was the point, wasn’t it? To get to know CJ better. She was playing it smart, staying at the lodge, not at his place. Of course, his family owned the lodge. They would probably look the other way if their son decided to rape, murder, and feed her to bears. The fact that the pessimistic scenario made her snort in amusement said a lot about her writer’s brain.
Sobering, she frowned. Was it wrong to want to see if she could have something more? From the time her parents had passed away, the rest of the world had been reminding her that she needed to grow up, that no one was going to take care of her now. Overnight, she’d became an adult. Looking back, sometimes she wondered what fun she’d missed. At the time she’d numbly kept her nose to the grindstone and graduated high school on time, all while dealing with the massive fallout of her parent’s accident.
After graduation she hadn’t missed a beat, selling the house, dealing with all the stuff, buying and moving into the condo. All hell hadn’t threatened to break loose until her family figured out she planned to skip college and be an author. Even at eighteen, she’d been smart enough to know it was a huge step from publishing a handful of short stories to writing and selling a novel, but her dad had always told her she could do anything she set her mind to. She’d stubbornly decided to hold him to that, even in death.
She pushed herself off the rail. Maybe now, with her books doing pretty well and ends meeting, it was past time she took a little me time. Who could blame her? She bit her lip as the sarcastic voice in her head answered her rhetorical question with a snide, ‘a lot of people.’ Well, screw them. Taking a deep breath, she forced her feet into motion once again. She needed to go through her email and get replies back to her agent and publicist before CJ got back. Once the work was out of the way, she’d be free to play. It was me time.
CJ turned as a hand slid across his back. He raised a questioning eyebrow at his cousin. Ty stepped in closer, glancing back over his shoulder as if to assure the privacy of their conversation.
“Are you going to be okay with Crystal’s cousin staying?”
Frowning, CJ tried to sort out the question. What in the hell was he asking? “Uh, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, Crystal said that Annie really hasn’t had a boyfriend since her high school sweetheart joined the Army. I don’t want her going all stalkerish on you just because you were nice to her.”
CJ didn’t know whether to slug his cousin or laugh. Was he blind or just that wrapped up in his own life that he wasn’t paying attention to what was right in front of him? Putting the last suitcase on the luggage cart, he closed the Jeep’s tailgate and looked back up at Ty.
“I’m going to chalk this crazy talk up to you being in a honeymoon haze. Bora Bora is calling. Get on the plane, Cuz. All is good here.”
“You never know, man.”
“Trust me. It’s all good.”
“Alright. I’m just looking out for you,” Tyler said, pulling him into a back thumping hug. “Thanks again for everything. Crystal and I want to do something nice for your mom and dad. They really pulled through for us. Let me know if you have any ideas.”
“They were happy to do it, Ty.”
&n
bsp; “Still, be thinking about it, please,” Crystal said stepping down off the curb. “Everything was so perfect, even with the weather surprise. Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough.”
CJ nodded, not sure how much she’d heard. He felt a stab of envy as the willowy blonde slid easily into the crook of Ty’s arm. The way she fit there seemed so natural. Sometimes his cousin projected a sense of entitlement that rubbed CJ the wrong way, but the way he was looking down at his new wife was a type of claim CJ wanted to feel. He wanted that belonging and connection.
“Come on, sweetheart. We better get checked in,” Ty said, looking around at the growing crowd in the tiny airport.
CJ froze as Crystal suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips pressed to his ear.
“I’m not sure what’s going on with you and Annie, but you could do a hell of a lot worse. Don’t hurt her.”
She punctuated the words with a quick peck on his cheek before turning away. CJ couldn’t help wondering if it was meant as a warning, like the kiss of death if he messed up with her cousin. That wasn’t going to happen if he could help it. Watching her and Ty skirt through the snow and slush, he smiled. Queen Crystal had just jumped up several notches in his estimation.
Breathless and exhilarated, Annie stumbled into the lodge. She was sure the smile was frozen on her face. How she wished she could take the pictures in her mind and put them to film. The natural beauty of the Bighorns was awe-inspiring. CJ caught her arm to steady her as she struggled to remove her heavy outerwear. Annie beamed up at him. He was another thing she wanted a forever picture of. Breath frozen in his dark beard, cheeks red and wind chapped and blazing blue eyes sparkling, CJ was her definition of ruggedly handsome.
His mouth came down to cover hers. Chilled lips moved eagerly over each other, their combined breath melting the frost in his mustache. Annie shivered as a drop ran down her chin and followed the slope of her neck. Still, CJ pulled back all too soon. His chuckle was shy as he pulled the sleeve of his sweatshirt over his hand to gently wipe the water from her face.
“Sorry. Just one of the hazards of facial hair and the fairer sex.”
“Hey! I do not have facial hair,” Annie protested.
CJ’s mouth dropped open, his head already shaking side to side in silent denial.
“That’s not—”
Her burst of laughter cut off his words. She squeaked as he caught her up in a bear hug. The squeak turned into a squeal when he burrowed his cold face into the crook of her neck with a growl and swung her around. Clinging to his broad shoulders, tears of amusement streaked her cheeks. When he finally put her down, Annie clutched at his shirt for balance.
“You’re evil!”
“Paybacks are hell,” he said smugly.
“The saying is they’re a bitch. Remember that. You have one coming,” she said, wiping her neck against her shoulder and shivering.
“Technically, I was paying you back but if you want to start a feud, bring it.”
“Oh! Bring it? That’s how you feel about it is it, big man? Game on.”
CJ grinned down at her, looking completely unconcerned. Dimples were deadly. She couldn’t resist reaching up to wipe the last of the snow away. Turning his head slightly, he kissed her hand. Leaning there against the front of him in the coat room, she was really glad she’d stayed. A rumbling growl interrupted their moment. CJ pushed her back a bit and looked down at her stomach.
“Did that tiny little thing really make all that noise?” he teased.
The heat flooding her cheeks was welcome. “Afraid so. It must have been all that mountain fresh air. I’m starving.”
Rubbing on the outside of her arms, she missed his body heat and shivered.
“Come on. We’ll get you fed. I know the warmest seat in the house.”
The large horseshoe booth tucked in a corner of the lodge’s kitchen lived up to the hype. Warmed by the ovens and a huge plate of beef stroganoff with fresh bread, Annie was in heaven. The silence between them was comfortable.
“I don’t remember when I’ve had as much fun as today. Your Wyoming really is spectacular,” she said softly.
“You only saw a small part of it. Growing up here, the Bighorns are near to my heart, but each of our mountain ranges has their high points, so to speak. The Teton’s are brutal and beautiful. The Wind River Range has our highest peak. Most people are wowed by the majesty of the mountains, but there is more to Wyoming. The plains have a stark beauty. Our streams and rivers are crystal clear, clean, and full of Rainbow, Brownies, and Brook trout. It’s a little more commercialized, but Yellowstone has their springs and geysers, stunning waterfalls, and Lamar Valley is an amazing place to see wildlife.” He stopped abruptly and gave a sheepish shrug. “Sorry.”
“Did I mention that my guide made the entire day that much better? Besides his unbelievable passion and knowledge of absolutely everything Wyoming, he was funny, sweet and solicitous, repeatedly making sure I was warm enough and having a good time.”
“He sounds like a hell of a guy.”
“He really is.”
CJ lowered his gaze, shaking his head. “You really had a good time?”
Annie reached over, topping his hand with her smaller one. “I seriously can’t think of a better one. Ever. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I had a great day too,” he said, turning his hand over and lacing their fingers. “Though, I will have to say that it’s the first time I’ve ever spent the day fighting the urge to kiss my client.”
“Then it’s a good thing I wasn’t a paying customer. I definitely would’ve felt cheated without a kiss.”
CJ nodded, dimples flashing. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind on future excursions.”
“My urbanite ways didn’t scare you away?”
“A lot of my clientele are city dwellers that want to get in touch with their inner caveman. Between you and me, you out-toughed a good seventy percent of them today.”
“In their defense, they probably can’t get away with hiding behind you, using your studly bod for a windbreak and nose warmer,” she said with a coy flutter of her lashes.
“You’d be surprised.”
Annie lost it at the deadpan delivery. Ellie poked her head around the corner at the hysterics. Her quizzical expression just made Annie laugh harder and cracked CJ up.
Flapping a hand frantically in front of her face and forcing deep breaths, she struggled to pull herself back together.
“Oh my God, you are so funny,” she choked out.
His thumb stroked over her hand he still held.
“You’re really beautiful when you laugh.”
The compliment helped sober her the rest of the way. She hesitated, searching his face. He seemed completely sincere.
“Thank you. I hate my smile because of my teeth. I guess I just assumed laughing would just showcase them more.”
“You have a great smile. What’s wrong with your teeth?”
“I have fangs,” she said, drawing her lips back in a toothy smile to show off the pointy canines. “I’ve been told I could get veneers and fix it, but my dad liked them so I never did.”
“I think they’re adorable. They make your smile a little wicked. Veneers and all that are okay if they’re actually needed, but I like real.”
“Real, huh? No falsies, fillers or fakes for you?”
“I like my women real. Shoot me,” he said with a cavalier shrug.
“That’s sweet. Lucky for you or me, putting occasional highlights in my hair is about the extent of my bogus beauty secrets.”
He studied her hair. “What color?”
“Completely depends on my mood, but usually a dark cherry for just a little contrast in the sun. I’ve done honey, flame red, breast cancer pink, a really pretty plum. It’s just hair. Why not have a little fun with it.”
“Very pretty hair and I never thought of it that way, as something to have fun with.”
“I’m su
re it is lovely right now. Hat head is all the rage,” Annie said running her fingers through her hair. “Up until now, you’ve seen it on its best behavior.”
CJ snorted and had to lean forward over his plate not to lose the last bite down the front of his shirt. Grabbing a napkin, he cleared his throat.
“I have a lot to learn when it comes to the fairer sex and their hair. I was not aware of the behavioral challenges.”
Wiping her lips daintily, Annie hid her grin.
“Bad hair days aren’t a pretty fable. They’re the real deal and happen more often than we want men to know,” she said with a sage nod. “I’ve had to put some serious effort into taming this tangle for polite company this week. Working at home in my jammies I can usually get away with the go-to ponytail or blanket fort pigtails.”
CJ’s napkin flew up to cover his lips, but there was no hiding the shaking of his broad shoulders. His eyes sparkled at her over the top of the linen.
“Blanket fort pigtails?” he asked, voice strained.
“Reserved for those days when I just can’t face the world and want to hide away in my fuzzy fort of solitude like a little girl.”
“Sounds a lot cozier than Superman’s.”
“I always thought that ice castle needed a woman’s touch.”
He shook his head, gazing at her across the table. His expression radiated amusement, warmth and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She twirled her fork, trying not to fidget.
“Just when I think you can’t get any more adorable,” he said softly.
Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) Page 7