Wylde (Arizona Vengeance 7)

I put my hand to the lock, glancing over my shoulder at Clarke and Pepper. “You two ready?”

“Ready,” Pepper says with a sound nod of confidence. Clarke looks like she’s ready to throw up, but for a completely different reason now. She’s no longer worried about no one showing up. Instead, she’s now freaking out about taking care of the people amassed outside.

I give her a wink and unlock the door, pulling it wide open. As I stand there, people stream in. I look out the window and down the street. Holy shit… the line’s down to the end of the block, and it disappears down the side.

Maybe the boys and I were a little too effusive in our posts yesterday. I had reached out to Tacker, Dax, and Erik and asked if they would share about the book signing on their social media accounts. I didn’t bother asking Bishop, who is still back in the Virgin Islands on his honeymoon. I also didn’t ask Dominik, because he runs multibillion-dollar businesses and has better things to do. And I certainly didn’t need to ask Legend, who had already been posting everywhere about his wife’s book signing. But between Tacker, Dax, Erik, and me, we have a social media reach well into the hundreds of thousands, many of whom are here in the Phoenix area. It was my hope we’d interest more than a handful of people to come out, but, turns out, many seem inspired to check out Clarke’s store and Pepper’s books.

I may have gotten a little personal in my post. On my Instagram, I’d posted a selfie I’d taken of Clarke and me together on the beach at the resort last week. We were leaning in toward each other from our beach chairs, both with big silly grins on our faces. We were sunkissed and carefree looking, but, just before I snapped the picture, I had turned to look at her. My expression could only be described as adoring while Clarke stared right into the camera with a wide smile.

On my post, I’d typed, Me and my girl in St. John last week. Come by and check out her store, Clarke’s Corner. I’d then put that Pepper would be signing her children’s books there, and tagged both Pepper and Legend’s accounts. I couldn’t tag Clarke as she doesn’t have any social media, and I can’t say I blame her. I think she realized that what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her, and it’s better to just not look at that stuff.

Regardless, I don’t regret my actions since it’s evident Pepper’s book signing is going to be a huge success while Clarke is going to amass a lot of new customers.

Legend shows up within a few moments of the doors opening, giving Pepper a quick apology for being late. He ran into some traffic issues while dropping Charlie off at her grandparents. He ended up sitting at the table with Pepper and Clarke, sometimes joining Pepper in a picture if a fan requested it. But, for the most part, I’m impressed the people genuinely seem to be here for the author and the bookstore.

I help direct shoppers around the store, having become intimately familiar with where everything is located over the last several weeks of hanging out and helping on occasion. Veronica stays busy at the register. Many customers buy knickknacks or other books after getting their books signed by Pepper.

The signing itself is only supposed to last from nine to twelve, but there is no stopping the influx of people that keep arriving. Pepper generously stays until two. We actually had to cut the line off and lock the doors at one-thirty to stop more people from coming in.

After, we turn out most of the store’s interior lights, put the closed sign on the door, and plop down in the reading chairs. Veronica brings a few bottles of champagne she had chilling in the fridge in the back for—in her words, an occasion to celebrate—and pops them effortlessly. She pours plastic cups for herself, Clarke, Legend, Pepper, and me, and we sip while ruminating on the success of the day.

Seeing the satisfaction and joy—albeit in an exhaustingly satisfied type of way—on Clarke’s face, I know it’s going to be my joy to try to help her in any way I can, whenever I can. It is important she succeeds, so aiding her is now a firm goal of mine.

Clarke leans forward in her chair, still behind the signing table, and looks past Pepper to Legend. “I’m going to assume you might have had something to do with that crowd,” she teases him. “Bragging about your wife to all your fans, huh?”

Of course, Clarke would think that. Many people who came in today knew Legend, as evidenced by the fact they asked for pictures with him, too, after Pepper signed their book. I don’t say a word, completely fine with letting Legend take full credit for this.