Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1)

by Anneliese Brand

  Annie bowed her head. He watched a shudder run through her and ached to hold her. She swiped at tears.

  “As I told you before, there was a lot of fighting in the family, and discussion about where I would live. I finally told them I was getting an apartment. No one liked the idea of me being by myself, but I just wanted to be alone. For safety reasons, I agreed to the condo when my uncle showed it to me. He was the only one that I didn’t feel had some sort of agenda. He was such a huge help through all of it. You know I hate math. All of the questions and numbers were paralyzing. Being a banker, they come second nature to him. The money that was left after buying the condo, he put in bonds and stuff. I don’t know. He handled everything. What I do know, and he probably didn’t at the time, is the way he set my finances up made it possible for me to live as a writer.”

  “Annie.”

  She waved him off.

  “The interest puts fifteen hundred dollars a month in my checking and about eight hundred in my savings. With the condo paid for, there’s no rent or mortgage payment. The main expense everyone has is gone. I can live on fifteen hundred. My big thing is insurance, health, life, auto and home. What is that people say, I’m insurance poor? Oh, there’s also association fees for the condo, but that’s set up to be paid out of my savings,” she said, frowning and rubbing her forehead.

  “You don’t—”

  “Taxes suck. Being self-employed, I have to deal with that quarterly. People get all caught up in the advance money an author gets, and don’t seem to realize that otherwise we might get royalty checks four times a year. I say might because it depends on if books are selling, if you’ve earned out your advance, and a couple of other things that only lawyers and bankers would understand.”

  “Annie!”

  The tears in her eyes caught the light as she looking up, fracturing the hazel depths like a sunburst.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, softening his tone.

  “Me too,” she whispered. “I’m just so sick of people talking about me like I’m rich. That’s not who I am. I’m a writer. Yes, the interest allowed me to get started and to do what I love without the roller coaster feast or famine times of an author’s uncertain income. I’ve always thought if I got married and had a family someday, then maybe I’d do something with it. But as long as that money is tucked away in the bank, I try not to think about where it came from.” Annie wiped at her tears and took a shuddering breath. “It seems my family thinks about it a lot more than I do. What does that say?”

  “That the guilt certain members of your family have made you feel still eats at you. It’s not right, and I think maybe it’s part of the reason you’ve closed yourself off.”

  “Listen to you, Dr. Freud,” she said, a hint of humor replacing the scary flat tone of the recitation.

  “At the risk of making you think I’m the one that needs my head examined, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I was serious when I told you I can’t be half the continent away from you. It doesn’t sound as if money is the number one priority for either of us. I guess if it was, we wouldn’t be following our dreams. I know I brought home more a year working in the oil fields than I do guiding. I don’t know what I will find in Michigan. Maybe I’ll ask Hunter if he was serious about the job at his brewery. I think he was joking. Either way, I’ll find something and I‘ll pull my weight.”

  “You would do that for me?” she whispered. “You’d give up everything that you love, and have worked so hard for?”

  “I love you and I’d do anything to be with you. You’ve lost so much already. I couldn’t ask you to leave your remaining family.”

  “What about your family?”

  “It’ll be hard to be away from them. Fair warning, I’ll probably beg to spend our vacation at the lodge every year. You’re going to have to be firm if you want the beach,” he said with a wink.

  “You said that you tell clients that you can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  “That was before I met you.”

  “I don’t understand. Everything you love is in Wyoming. Why wouldn’t you just ask me to move there?” she asked warily like she suspected a trick.

  “If I can only have one I choose you.”

  Her expression softened, but she still shook her head.

  “That’s what I mean. Wyoming will always be home to you.”

  It was his turn to shake his head. She really didn’t understand.

  “The first time I saw you at the cabin I knew you were the one. It was like putting the final piece in a puzzle and finally being able to see the whole picture. It felt so right. When I went back after your launch, it didn’t feel like home. It’s just a house without you, Annie.”

  She dropped her face into her hands shaking her head.

  “I swear I’m sober and I’m not stupid. What am I missing?” she mumbled.

  Rubbing the back of his neck in frustration, CJ bit back a sigh. What part of ‘I love you more than anything’ was the woman failing to get?

  “Where am I losing you, babe?”

  Annie looked up, teary face twisted in pathetic confusion. Her free hand gestured helplessly in front of the phone.

  “Why can’t I just move to Wyoming? Then we would have everything.”

  Separated by most of four states and thirteen hundred miles, the question hung in the air between them. It seemed embarrassingly simple. What was she missing? It didn’t make sense for him to give up absolutely everything and move to Michigan to take a job he didn’t love, only to see his beloved Wyoming once a year. She could write anywhere.

  “You’ve worked hard to build a business around your passion for hunting. Your clientele is growing. That other guide is getting old. That could mean even more business for you. How many years did you daydream about that cabin? When your parents gave you the property did you stand out there and picture where you’d put your house and buildings? Your job, family, home, and heart are all in Wyoming. Why would you even consider leaving?”

  “Annie, I can’t compete with the kind of life that you lead there,” CJ said, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “What is it that you think you need to compete with?”

  “You live in a tower of steel and glass with security and every amenity at your doorstep. Simple and forty miles from anything resembling a town, my cabin doesn’t really compare. The nearest airport or Walmart is an hour away. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

  “Can I volunteer?” she asked with an incredulous laugh. “You said it yourself. It’s all about location, and your property is perfect for both of us. A wilderness refuge for you, and a writer’s retreat for me.”

  “What about your family?”

  “Crystal is the only one I’m close to, and she’s in Billings now. I’d only be a two-hour drive away.”

  “And your dreams?”

  “Are you listening to me? I can write anywhere. The cabin would be paradise. Quiet and remote, surrounded by Mother Nature, my hermit soul would be in heaven.”

  “You say that now.” He shook his head hopelessly. “Actually, I can’t even believe you’re saying it now. Teresa has lived in Buffalo her whole life and wouldn’t move up there. Diane made it eight months in town before throwing in the towel and going back to Billings.”

  “I’m not Teresa, and I don’t even know who the hell Diane is. I know I was only there a week, but I felt really at home and most importantly, I’d be with you.”

  “Annie, I love you. If we go through with this and then I lose you, it would kill me.”

  His raw emotions slashed at her heart. She felt the same. She couldn’t lose him.

  “Crystal said something earlier. If we love each other, isn’t it worth the worry and work to see where it can go?”

  “I’ve never been afraid of work,” CJ said seriously. “But I am terrified that you’ll get here and no matter how hard I try I won’t be able to make you happy. When Diane left—”

  “Who the hell is D
iane?” she asked, not even trying to keep the frustration from making her sound like a shrill harpy. At least she had a face to put to Teresa.

  “I’m sorry,” CJ sighed. “Diane is my best friend Boone’s ex-wife. She’s from Billings. They dated for about a year before he popped the question. They got married six months later. Eight months after that, she packed up and went back to Billings. She missed the clubs, fancy restaurants, and shopping. She just hated it here. I want you to be happy, Annie. That’s all I want, to be with you and for you to be happy. If that means me moving to Grand Rapids, I’ll do it.”

  “I don’t even know where to start with that one,” Annie said, squeezing the bridge of her nose to ease her headache. “They dated for a year and a half before the wedding. During that time, I’m going to assume that one or the other drove back and forth. So what stopped her from hopping in the car and driving to Billings to hook up with friends and go shopping after the wedding?”

  “I don’t know. I guess the drive intimidated her.”

  “Two or two and a half hours straight up I-90 and she can’t handle it? Which one of us has anxiety issues?” Annie asked, rolling her eyes. “I’m not a club person. Buffalo has a Chinese restaurant and a pizza place. That covers my normal takeout cravings. You grilled the best steak I’ve ever had. If I did get lonely or wanted to go shopping while you were on a job, I could throw a bag in my Jeep and go spend a couple of days with Crystal.”

  “You’ve thought about this,” CJ said softly.

  “Does that scare you?”

  “It gives me hope,” he admitted. “The cabin’s no condo. Do you really think you’d be happy here? We could always add on if it’s not big enough. Plus, I’m sure a woman’s touch would improve things dramatically. You could redecorate.”

  “Don’t stress, handsome,” she said with a grin. Damn, he was sweet. “Remember, I didn’t choose the condo or decorate most of it. The cabin is more than big enough for the two of us and, for the most part, I was impressed by your décor.”

  “For the most part? Let me guess. All taxidermy needs to be moved to the offices in the barn?”

  Annie laughed. “No. You need pillows on that leather couch that aren’t a shade of brown.”

  “Purple would look nice,” CJ chuckled.

  “I was thinking the same thing. Can I bring my purple Keurig too?”

  “Sure thing, beautiful. I think there’s plenty of room on the counter for our caffeine machines to cohabitate.”

  They stared through the phone, both mulling over the life changing decisions that were coming out as cautious jokes at the moment. Annie stretched, easing tense muscles. It was weird to be talking about these things like this on FaceTime. On the other hand, she was glad they were talking, and seeing his face helped give the awkward topic some perspective.

  “Are you still worried about money?” she asked, tugging on her bottom lip.

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’m still worried about your family’s opinion. But …” He hesitated. “Thinking about it, a lot of that could be solved with a lawyer ahead of time. Your uncle sounds savvy enough with money to know how to prevent me from touching yours.”

  “I don’t want it to be like that, mine and yours. If it bothers you, we can sit down with him and talk about the investments, but I want us to be a team. Equal. My parents discussed everything. They were on the same page. I always respected their marriage and want one just like it.”

  “It sounds like we both have good role models.”

  “Your parents must have a great bond to work together every day.”

  CJ nodded. “It’s cliché, but they’re friends as well as lovers. Spouses, whatever.” He gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Wrong word. As much as I love them, no one wants to think of their parents doing it.”

  Annie laughed with him, shaking her head. “Umm, no.”

  The picture went haywire, the phone bouncing on the bed. Half of a CJ scrubbed both hands over his face as if wiping the mental image away. Picking the phone back up, he nodded, seeming more to himself than her.

  “So, uh … I’d say our views are similar. We believe in teamwork. I’d define marriage as two people who love one another and have each other’s back. As to the money issue, maybe I’m gun-shy because of how things went down with Teresa, but I don’t want it to be a friction point. No matter how common of one it is.”

  “If I remember right, you said that she objected to the amount you put back into the business.”

  “Teresa was pissed about a lot of things. She thought I was stupid to walk away from a good income with insurance and practically unlimited overtime. Guide work can be like the feast or famine roller coaster you were talking about. Then she fell in love with a contemporary stucco in the new subdivision. I refused to sell this place. Putting earnings back into my pipedream was icing on the cake.”

  “And yet you offered to give it all up and move to Grand Rapids with me,” Annie said softly.

  CJ nodded again, staring intently at her.

  “It should probably scare me how much I love you. Instead, it’s the idea of losing you that terrifies me.” He lowered his eyes. “On the other side of the coin, I should feel guilty. It’s obvious that I short changed Teresa. I thought I loved her.”

  “Maybe a person doesn’t know what real love is until we meet the right one.”

  “When I said before that I didn’t think I’d be where I am now if I’d been married, you said part of it would depend on the woman.”

  “I still believe that. I love you enough that I don’t want to take you away from Wyoming and everything you love. I think your passion is sexy.”

  “You do know that the great outdoors isn’t the only thing I’m passionate about, right?”

  “You might have shown me that a time or two,” Annie confirmed, grinning at the waggle of his eyebrows. “When it warms up we’ll have to try that in the great outdoors.”

  CJ winced.

  “What? No nookie in nature?”

  “It’s not that. Right spot, right time with you, and we could cross a couple of things off my bucket list.”

  “Mmmm. That sounds intriguing.”

  There was a moment of silence and then CJ sighed. “I just need to tell you about the visitor I had last night.”

  Her humor faded. “Am I going to like this?”

  “Probably not. I didn’t. I ended up calling the Sheriff’s department on Teresa because she was doing a drunken striptease on my front porch.”

  “That must have been some good booze,” Annie murmured, fighting the green-eyed monster.

  “Probably tequila. It makes her stupid.”

  “Apparently, it makes her clothes fall off like the song says.”

  Another wince from CJ hinted she wasn’t doing a great job at hiding her jealousy. She took another sip from her water bottle, suddenly wishing she had something stronger. This was not CJ’s fault. He was telling her about it when he had no reason to. It played into trust. She needed to listen.

  “I’m sorry. What happened?”

  “I was upstairs in the game room and she called the house phone. It didn’t take long to figure out that she was on the front porch. I told her it was late, that I had a job in the morning, and she needed to leave. She didn’t take the hint. Her words were slurred. I didn’t want her hurting herself or someone else, so I called it in on my cell phone. Boone was working the night shift, so he took it seriously. Besides being an old friend, he’s a deputy and knows my history with Teresa. He said he’d be right out and told me to stay on the phone. Deputy Mendoza was closer, so she got here first. Once there was an officer on scene, I hung up and went and answered the door.”

  “You left her out in the cold until the cops got there?” Annie asked in disbelief. That was completely out of character for CJ. He was usually such a gentleman.

  He sighed and scrubbed at the back of his neck.

  “There’s been some stuff between Teresa and I that you don’t kno
w about.”

  “And again, am I going to like this?”

  “No.”

  The downcast eyes and the sound of defeat in his voice made bile bite the back of Annie’s throat.

  “A little over a year ago, Teresa called the police on me outside the bar.”

  “I thought that you’d split for good a year and a half ago.”

  “We did. It was New Year’s Eve. We were out celebrating, separately,” he said, emphasizing the last word. “She was drunk and started coming on strong. I shot her down, and she didn’t take it well. Arguing with her sucked all the fun out of the night, so I decided to leave. Teresa followed me out. She purposely tore her dress and threw herself against the side of the Jeep. I was trying to calm her down when the police showed up. She’d called them before she came out.”

  “She tried to say you …”Annie swallowed hard. She couldn’t even say that word in connection to CJ.

  “She said that I assaulted her. Given her appearance, that we’d been drinking, and what night it was, it didn’t take much to sell it.”

  “That bitch!”

  “I was lucky. Boone was the first officer on the scene. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever got in trouble without him by my side, but I was damn happy for his badge that night. I’m not sure anyone else would’ve looked as hard for witnesses. He talked to everyone in the bar. There were a couple of people willing to say that she was the aggressor and that I didn’t look that into her. One of the waitresses saw me leave alone, and I’ve never been happier for a drunk pissing in a parking lot. He told them he saw a crazy woman throwing herself around like she was fighting a ghost.”

  “I don’t see her angle. She couldn’t have thought that would get you back together.”

  “Per her drunken rant when I was released, she wanted me to feel the same humiliation she felt when I rejected her, dumped her, ruined her life and made her look stupid in front of the entire town. There’s probably a couple of other things she tossed out there that I can’t remember right now.”

  “She’s psychotic.”