“She’s mean and manipulative when drunk. That’s why she stayed on the porch and I stayed on the phone until Mendoza arrived the other night.”
“Not to be judgmental, much, but has she always been like this?”
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.”
“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.
Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) Page 24