Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1)

by Anneliese Brand

  “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.”

  “And yet here you are,” Annie said before she could stop herself.

  CJ frowned at her quizzically.

  “Luckily for me, working at the TV station meant it wasn’t too difficult to get in. Are things frosty with the rest of the family again? It’s not like our aunt to miss something like this, and Crystal is usually your taller, prettier shadow.”

  Annie ignored the jab, but CJ sat up straighter.

  “Crystal is on her honeymoon, but then you knew that.”

  “We’re not going to get into this again, are we? I wasn’t considered important enough to be a member of the wedding party. Why should I change my plans to attend her hoedown?”

  “The wedding was in a stunning ski lodge, Angie. Not a barn.”

  “And you’re always going to stand up for her.”

  “Yeah, probably. Now, is there something you actually want or are you just here to discuss our family dysfunction?”

  “Since I seem to have fallen off your Christmas list, I thought I’d pick up a book and get it signed. It could be worth something someday.”

  Biting her tongue, Annie took the book from her cousin’s hands and signed it.

  “Always a pleasure, Angie.”

  “Normally I’d have been a little hurt that I didn’t know you were seeing someone, but then the whispers are that no one knew about him. What’s wrong little cousin, are you slumming?”

  The touch on her thigh turned into a restraint as she tried to bolt to her feet. A feral growl rumbled in her chest as Angie flounced off with a satisfied smirk.

  “Wow,” CJ said, looking stunned.

  “UnF’ing believable,” Annie mumbled, keeping things PG as someone else edged up to the table with a tentative smile.

  Rage pounding in her ears, she missed the initial greeting but managed to smile enough that the poor woman continued.

  “So I was wondering if you could share how you craft your characters without using real people. My sister-in-law was less than flattered to discover herself in my manuscript.”

  “Family can be difficult like that,” Annie muttered and then took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. “To a degree, I think it’s impossible for real life not to seep into your writing, but we don’t want to be sued. Sometimes you have to do more than change the name to protect the not so innocent. Um … one trick is to make your character a combination of people. When I see people on the street, at the store, at airports, I’m always wondering what their story is. My brain starts making one up from the clues that I can see. At the same time, it’s picking out words to describe them, looking for things that make them different. I file these, profiles I guess you’d call them, away for later. When later comes, and the junkie whore character that gets eaten by a bear shares too much resemblance to my cousin, I blend other details like the facial piercings on the girl at the drive-thru window.”

  CJ snorted and reached for his drink.

  “So you really meant it when you said anyone you see could end up in your books.”

  Annie nodded. “Or at least influencing someone in my books.”

  “Thank you so much. I’m going to try that. Do you write the profiles down or are they just in your head?”

  “If someone really strikes me, or if I have snapped a picture of them, I might make some notes.”

  “You take pictures?”

  “Not often. That can be a touchy situation. But I was taking pictures of a lighthouse, and there was an older gentleman sitting on the rocks. There was something about him. So when I printed the pictures out for my bulletin board, I printed one of him and tucked it in a notebook with some scribbles.” She shrugged self-consciously. “These are just things that work for me.”

  “No. I understand. I appreciate you sharing with a beginner like me. Thank you again.”

  Watching the budding writer retreat, Annie sighed and picked up her fork. A hand landed on her shoulder and she tensed.

  “You are really good for her. I’ve never seen her talk so much. We’ve definitely got to keep you around,” Cami said.

  Annie tossed the publicist a look. She was leaning between them with her other hand on CJ’s shoulder. The next four words were aimed at her.

  “Don’t screw this up.”

  Funny, she’d been saying the same thing to herself for a week.

  “I’m trying. My family isn’t helping.”

  “She works for the TV station. It wouldn’t have looked good to deny her access. At least she didn’t ask for an interview.”

  “Hell no,” Annie gritted out. “And if you need a reason, she’s the weekend weather girl.”

  The publicist patted her shoulder. “I think it’s getting close to someone’s bedtime.”

  Annie turned to glare. Cami threw up her hands.

  “I’m teasing. Things are winding down. Just hang in here with me a little while longer. Neal did want to have a word with you before you bolt. So why don’t you get that out of the way?”

  Annie stood, searching out the publishing house bigwig in the remaining crowd. What was he doing here? They’d exchanged greetings earlier and she’d smiled through his rah-rah small talk. What could this be about? She twisted her napkin and looked around for her agent. If it was serious business, she’d handle it.

  “Stop looking like I’m sending you to your death,” Cami chastised, snatching the napkin away. “The suits are all happy with you. The presale numbers are fabulous, and if the release goes half as great as I think it will, you’re going to be earned out in no time.”

  “If they’re so sure, what is he doing here?”

  “Why should I be the only one that has to venture into the wilds of Michigan? Until we get you moved to civilization, here we are.”

  Shaking her head at her crazy publicist, Annie couldn’t help wondering what Cami would think of Wyoming. She could picture her wandering around holding up her ever-present phone looking for a signal. She would definitely hate it. Annie smirked and opened her mouth to offer CJ another apology. They hadn’t managed an uninterrupted minute since the elevator. Cami looped her arm through CJ’s.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your arm candy for a while. Go talk to Neal and say nice things about me.”

  The look on CJ’s face was priceless as Cami led him off. Annie wondered if it was the arm candy comment or the publicist’s brass that bewildered him. Cami was an a
cquired taste, but she was damn good at her job. Working her way toward the windows where she’d last seen Neal, she took a couple of deep breaths to settle her nerves.

  “There’s the lady of the night,” the executive said raising his glass.

  “Neal!” his companion gasped.

  “Careful what you call me, sir. I don’t write that kind of books.”

  “What?” he asked, looking between Annie and the laughing brunette standing on his other side.

  Trying not to laugh in the face of the man who could crush her dreams, Annie covered her mouth and gave the sophisticated brunette a pleading look.

  “You just called her a prostitute, darling.”

  Neal’s eyes widened in horror, his head already shaking a denial.

  “I’m terribly sorry. Annie. Shit. I just meant that you were … that this evening was in celebration of your talents. Your literary talents.”

  Shaking her head in desperation, Annie clamped her hand tighter over her mouth and grabbed the back of a chair with the other one in a bid to stay upright. The other woman leaned on Neal for support.

  “Darling, please stop talking,” she gasped. “You’re making it worse.”

  He downed the rest of his drink in a single gulp and looked around for more. When she could breathe again and was sure her bladder was going to hold, Annie wiped her eyes and straightened her jacket.

  “I’m sorry, Neal. It has been a long day. Can we chalk that up to jet lag?”

  “I heard you got caught up in that blizzard out west and just made it home today. But I’m the one that needs to apologize for that unfortunate turn of phrase.”

  “Apology accepted,” Annie said, smiling at the snicker from Neal’s female companion.

  He shot her a look but wrapped his arm around her.

  “This is my wife, Valarie.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine. I’m a big fan of your literary talents,” Valerie said giving her husband a sidelong look.

  “I’m never going to live this down,” Neal groaned.

  “Cami said that you needed to talk to me,” Annie said, trying to cut the poor man a break. Besides, it was better to get things out of the way while he was still feeling guilty.