Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1)

by Anneliese Brand

  He looked down at his watch and cursed. Was it really that late? Shit. Shit. SHIT. As in he was in it deep. It had been early, before noon, when they had made it back to the truck. Happy with the locales they’d scoped out, his clients had wanted a drink and some fun before heading back to Los Angeles. They’d refused his excuses and directions, insisting he accompany them. The shit had really started flying when he’d tried to explain about Annie. He wasn’t sure if it was the good-natured ball-busting that had finally broken his will, or the hefty bonus, but he’d ended up chauffeuring them a couple of hours over to the new Yellowstone Casino. That had been over eight hours ago.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry.” He’d forgotten she was there. “It’s a quarter after eight.”

  “The night is young.”

  “Not young enough,” he muttered.

  “It sounds like you’re having a rough day,” she said, bottom lip pooching out in an exaggerated pout of sympathy. She stroked her hand up his thigh. “I’m a really good listener.”

  Lifting her hand off his leg, CJ gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m really late calling my girlfriend. I think I better make that call and hope she still wants to listen.”

  “Ouch. I understand, honey. Tell her it’s the casino’s fault. I wasn’t kidding. They actually do screw with your head through the lighting and the music and stuff so you don’t realize how much time is passing.”

  “Good idea. If nothing else, maybe she’ll get distracted Googling to see if it’s true and forget to be mad at me,” CJ said hitting the button on the slot machine to cash out.

  She gave a little wave. “Good luck.”

  Pitching his warm beer, CJ headed for the lobby where it would be quieter. He glanced back, still looking for his new client buddies. He didn’t see them, but the redhead was leaning in to talk to another guy, tapping her wrist in the universal mime to ask for the time. He shook his head. Smooth. Taking a deep breath, he hit Annie’s number.

  “Hello?”

  She sounded out of breath.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hey. Are you…Is Jon okay?”

  “He’s fine. We made it down the mountain, and now he is self-medicating.”

  “I saw that they were getting snow in Buffalo and Sheridan. I wasn’t sure what it might be doing at the higher elevations.”

  “It wasn’t too bad.”

  Hoots and hollers echoed through the lobby. CJ watched a couple of girls chase after fluttering bills as another one made it rain with her winnings.

  “It’s noisy. Are you in a bar?”

  The question was hesitant. Was she judging? How upset was she? The phone crackled.

  “Jon and Steve got everything that they needed and wanted to celebrate before they head back to L.A. They talked me into chauffeuring them over to the Yellowstone Casino.”

  “That’s quite a drive.”

  Yep. He was in trouble.

  “I know. I’m sorry. The guys wanted to buy me dinner. With the bonus they gave me, it was hard to say no. I figured it would be late by the time you finished up with the signing and dinner. Then your train wasn’t until eight…” he explained, trailing off.

  “It’s fine.”

  CJ cringed. He was smart enough to know when a woman said something was fine, it was usually anything but.

  “I figured you’d text me when you were done. I kind of lost track of time in here. The casino’s artificial lighting and lack of clocks got me,” he said, knowing the excuse was weak.

  “It’s all part of their scheme,” she agreed, woodenly.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. She was just agreeing to keep the conversation rolling. How did he fix this?

  “Are you playing the skill games or just feeding the machines?” she asked.

  “I uh … I played a few spins of roulette, but mostly slots. I didn’t fall for the bait when the guys wanted me to join them at the poker table to win back my bonus.”

  “Not a poker player?”

  “I don’t mind a friendly game over a case of beer and a lot of bull-shitting, but I’ve seen too many guys sit down on payday and lose it all,” CJ said shaking his head. “How do you look your wife in the eye and tell her the bills aren’t getting paid and you’re living on what’s in the cupboards and freezer for the next two weeks?”

  “Never bet more than you can afford to lose,” Annie murmured.

  “Yep. That’s why I’ve been sitting here playing the Wheel of Fortune quarter slots. They’re much more my speed.”

  “They’re my favorite!” she said, excitement chasing away the chill stilting their conversation.

  “You didn’t strike me as a gambler,” he teased, playing along.

  “I blame Crystal. What else was I supposed to do sitting in Vegas while she pranced around in a bikini and discussed world peace? Then when I came home from Sin City, I realized that you can’t throw a rock in Michigan without hitting a casino. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay there. Slots are addictive.”

  “Do I need to look for Gambler’s Anonymous meetings in the area?”

  Annie laughed and he breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Nah. I’m just careful not to go too often and, when I do, I go with a set amount to spend. When that’s gone, I’m done.”

  “Smart woman. What’s the most you’ve ever won?”

  “Hmm … I usually play until I run out of money, or come home with a little left and consider it a win,” Annie said. “The only time I’ve hit it big was a couple of years ago. I came home eight hundred dollars up from Firekeepers in Battle Creek. I was on fire that night. I’d been up by as much as much as twelve hundred before starting to lose. What about you?”

  “I came to the grand opening weekend for this place last year and won three grand on the first spin.”

  “Holy cow! What did you do?”

  “I cashed it out, put the ticket in my pocket, and spent the rest of the night playing with the hundred and fifty I’d brought with me. I didn’t turn in the ticket until I was leaving because I knew if I did, I’d think of it as free money and sink it back into the machines.”

  “Wow. It sounds like you’re the smart one.”

  “It wasn’t easy, especially with three buddies begging me to blow it. They knew I was going to do something boring with it.”

  “Did you put it into the business?”

  “I paid off my Jeep early.”

  “One less monthly payment and you saved whatever you would’ve shelled out in interest,” Annie said.

  “I know, boring.”

  “I think it was a good call. We’ve already established I’m no money expert, but you took an unexpected windfall and made it work for you. Sounds smart to me.”

  “You wouldn’t have wanted to go on a vacation or something?” CJ asked uncertainly.

  “I don’t know. Lowering your monthly debt would allow for smaller treats more often. You could do things like a nice dinner out, a casino night, or a weekend getaway,” Annie suggested.

  “I love the way you think.”

  “Not boring?” she teased, tossing his word back at him.

  “Life would never be boring with you.”

  “You’re still a soft-soaper.”

  “And you still don’t know how to take a compliment.”

  Static crackled between them.

  “So you’re done with the job?” she finally asked.

  “Once I get them to the airport tomorrow. Then I’m taking out a group of snowmobilers for Mom and Dad in the afternoon.”

  “That should be fun,” she mumbled, the spark gone again.

  “Barrett!” Jon roared, staggering across the lobby. “What are you doing hiding out here like an old woman? Stevie just won four grand!”

  Steve hoisted his tray of chips.

  “Forty-two hundred!” he crowed.

  “That’s great,” CJ said, groaning as they invaded his hideaway bench among the fer
ns. He pushed Jon out of his lap.

  “What about you, dude? Did lady luck screw you?”

  “Are you as broke as I am?”

  “Have a chip.”

  “Is that your girlfriend?”

  CJ leaned back as Jon reached for the phone. A hundred-dollar chip landed in his lap.

  “Come on guys.”

  “I better let you go,” Annie said.

  “No. It’s okay. Just let me get rid of them,” CJ protested.

  “Come on, dude. Grow a set.”

  “Tell the little woman that it’s guys’ night,” Steve said, tossing another chip in his lap. “Let’s go.”

  “Tell them your girlfriend said you have a rocking set and go have fun,” Annie said with a wicked laugh.

  “No offense, but I’m not telling them that,” he said with a snort of laughter.

  “Just go,” Annie insisted. “I don’t want to be that girlfriend.”

  “You’re not. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

  “Okay. I’m just glad to know you’re down off that mountain. I love you. Have fun and be safe.”

  “I love yo—”

  CJ jerked his phone away as Jon made another lunge for it. Steve grabbed his wrist making kissing noises into the phone.

  “He loves youuu!” he crooned. “You better get your sweet booty here soon. He’s so horny the mountain goats are running away!”

  “Steve! I’m going to kick your ass,” CJ growled, giving him a shove.

  The lanky cameraman fell off the bench roaring with laughter. His boot caught the tray of chips in the scuffle. The colorful currency scattering all over the floor quickly sobered both visitors from Los Angeles. CJ shook his head as they scrambled on hands and knees to recover the rolling chips.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry.”

  No answer. Pulling the phone away from his ear he groaned at the picture of Annie with Aries that was his wallpaper. She’d hung up. Not that he blamed her. He glared at the goofballs still crawling around the lobby floor. He could screw up with a woman all on his own. He didn’t need their damn help. Running a hand over his face, he stared at the picture in front of him. Annie’s smile seemed to jump off the screen. Her despised fangs were showing. Damn, she was adorable.

  He tugged on his short beard, replaying her words and inflections. There was no doubt. He’d screwed up. Figuring Annie wouldn’t have her phone with her while signing, he’d sent a text to Cami when they’d reached the truck. He’d assumed Annie would text or call him when she was done. He sighed, remembering where assuming got you. She’d seemed a little prickly about the casino as well. What was that about? Was she just upset that she wasn’t with him? It couldn’t be a money thing. He frowned. Unless it was. CJ pursed his lips. She’d started to warm up when he shared his feelings on not losing more than a man could afford. Maybe she’d thought he was blowing the money he’d made after leaving her to take a job. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did trying to understand a woman feel like stumbling through a minefield drunk? He flinched as another casino chip bounced off his chest.

  “Come on, Barrett. There’s nothing you can do tonight. Come have fun. She’ll get over it,” Jon said.

  “If you go home with a little extra cash in your pocket she’ll be all smiles,” Steve added, hoisting the chip tray over his head like a trophy.

  CJ shook his head at their sly smiles and insidious whispers. They were like the little devil on your shoulder. But they were right in the fact that there was nothing he could do tonight. All the sitting and brooding lately was killing him. Shooting Annie a quick text apologizing and telling her that he loved her and that they’d talk tomorrow, he pocketed the phone and headed to turn the three chips into cash. Maybe he’d get lucky in gambling if not love.

  Heart hammering, Annie slammed the stall door. Tears destroyed the makeup she’d applied so carefully on the train. Her watery gaze darted from the toilet seat to the floor, before turning her back to the wall and sliding down into a squat. Pressing her forehead to her knees, she fought to get herself under control. Not again. Come on. Her nails dug into her palms. Hurt, fear, betrayal, rage—they all rushed and tumbled through her like rapids before the falls.

  Her skin crawled with the stares of people she’d passed as she practically ran through the station. She shuddered, rubbing the heel of her hand over her sternum in an effort to ease the pressure. It was stupid. She knew it. What in the hell was wrong with her? She was hurt and mad. People got pissed off in public all the time. So what if people gawked at her. It was nothing to get freaked out about. She pounded her forehead against her knees. It was all so stupid.

  She’d thought Cami was her friend. Maybe that was childish, but she didn’t care. All she’d had to do was whisper, ‘CJ messaged me. He’s safe.’ Then everything would’ve been good. She wouldn’t have worried during the signing or been short with him later. That was all she’d wanted, just to know he was safe. Instead, the bitch had glared at her every time she checked her phone! She wasn’t buying that the text had slipped the publicist’s mind in the chaos. Wouldn’t it have popped back in the next time she saw Annie looking at her phone?

  “Annie?”

  “Leave me alone.”

  There was no doubt that sounded childish, but it was probably better than the unfiltered ‘fuck off’ that had popped to mind first. Leaning her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes and focused on a breathing exercise.

  “When I first got the text I assumed he’d texted both of us.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Cami sighed. “I don’t know. I was busy and just glanced at it. My brain absorbed the who, what, when and missed the part where I was supposed to pass it on.”

  Annie ground her teeth at the publicist’s blasé tone and reconsidered the fuck off. Cami could play dumb all she liked, but it boiled down to respect. Even if CJ was not a priority to Cami, she should have had the respect for Annie to relay the message. The publicist had seen how worried she was. They’d discussed it on the way to the signing. She’d seen her keep checking her phone. What in the hell had she thought they were doing? Sexting?

  “I honestly didn’t realize until this morning that I was supposed to have passed on the information,” the publicist continued. “I’m sorry, but you’ve talked to him now and you know he’s okay, so what is the problem?”

  Seething anger pushed the panic aside. A repressed scream clawed up Annie’s throat.

  “Fucking really, Cami?” she snarled. “What is it you were so damn busy doing that you couldn’t relay a simple message? You were standing over there, staring at your phone when you weren’t shooting me nasty looks. What was so urgent that you couldn’t be bothered to tell me that the man I love was safe and not buried in an avalanche or eaten by a fucking bear?”

  “I was doing my job, making sure the event went smoothly, and that you and Mackinac Monday were presented in the best light possible. You checking your phone every ten minutes for a message from your new boy toy didn’t really help my case.”

  “Stop and think about that statement. If you’d delivered the message, I wouldn’t have needed to look at my phone!” Annie growled out like she was talking to a simpleton. “You didn’t hesitate to come over and tell me ‘Less talking and more signing.’ Make up my mind for me here, Cami. What in the hell do you want from me? Do you want me focused? Do you want me to interact with the readers? Do you want me here at all? I’m lost. What is it you want?”

  “I want my funny, easy-going, neurotic author back. I need you to be a team player and show me that you want this as badly as I do. What I don’t need is this.”

  “Tough. This is me. I’ve spent half my life trying not to rock the boat. I’m done. Grab a life preserver,” Annie said flatly.

  She would’ve loved to see the look on Cami’s face, but the stunned silence on the other side of the door was still satisfying. Shoving hair out of her face, Annie dug in her purse for a tissue. She blew her nose forcefull
y and took a deep breath. As liberating as it was to throw off the shackles of amenableness, she needed to pull her shit together. What was it with her lately? It was like meeting CJ and daring to open up had ripped all her armor away. She felt on edge, raw.

  “I’ve apologized. I don’t know what else you want. You’re not the one that just got told off in front of hundreds of people, so I’m not sure why you’re freaking out. I need you to pull on the author mask and be a professional for four more hours. Then, you can be as pissed off as you want at me for three days.”

  Annie’s jaw ached from grinding her teeth. She was so damn tired of the mask. Blowing out a slow breath, she rolled her neck and tried to ease tense muscles. At least the panic attack had been relatively mild. The rage had seemed to cancel out some of the pressure. Maybe getting pissed off was more beneficial than she knew. Good. From now on she was going to fight for what she wanted, and she couldn’t think of anything she’d ever wanted more than CJ. Digging her phone out of her pocket, she pulled up her itinerary.

  “Come on, Annie. What are your fans going to think if you show up all red eyed and blotchy faced?”

  “That I’ve been on a train all night? That I’m human and have good and bad days just like everyone else,” Annie said sarcastically.

  A repetitive thump against the stall door signaled the end of her publicist’s patience.

  “If you get out here and wash up and fix your makeup, we’ll have plenty of time for breakfast or brunch before the signing.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  There was more thumping. The movement of the door almost made Annie smile.

  “You have to eat or you’re going to faint, collapse, or whatever,” Cami said, changing tactics and playing up CJ’s concerns.

  “And you need to stop pounding your head against the door or you’re going to give yourself a concussion,” Annie fired back and pushed herself up the wall.

  Cami almost fell into the stall when she unlocked the door. Squeezing past her, Annie went to the sink and washed her face. Shooting the paper towels into the trash, she grabbed her stuff.