A Baby by Chance (27 page)

Shawna put her clipboard in front of her face. “Because Chance has been about as warm and cuddly as a big old grizzly bear, that’s what!”

Her heartbeat picking up, Madison scanned the pasture where they were filming for any sign of Chance. She finally located him, deep in some sort of discussion with Vince, Ed and several crew members. To her dismay, none of the men looked happy. “He’s refusing to cooperate again?” Madison guessed on a sigh.

Shawna handed Madison a list of phone messages. “He’s cooperating. He’s also in what seems like a permanent bad mood. And I think it’s just ’cause you haven’t been around to sort of soothe the savage beast in him.”

Madison scanned the list of messages quickly, seeing if there were any that had to be returned immediately. “Surely you exaggerate.”

Shawna gave Madison a look. “I may still be in college, but there are some things I know about, Madison. And lovesick guys happens to be one of them. If you ask me, Chance has been missing you desperately.”

Just like I’ve been missing him,
Madison thought, pleased to find she wasn’t alone in that.

“And he’s been taking it out on everyone around him,” Shawna continued as Madison began walking toward the men.

“Well, we’re almost done.” Madison flipped her sunglasses over her eyes. “That ought to cheer him up.”

Shawna gave Madison a skeptical look as she struggled to keep up. “Not if it means you’re leaving and going back to Dallas permanently at the end of the week. He doesn’t seem to be looking forward to that at all.”

Madison looked up and saw them bringing in the snow machine. Thus far, they had filmed Chance driving the Ranchero on all sorts of terrain, in all sorts of weather. Except snow. Snow was on the schedule for this morning. Madison wished her schedule had allowed her and Chance a moment alone before they jumped headlong into the business part of their relationship. Alas, that wasn’t to be. The group discussion had already broken up. Vince was stepping behind the camera, and Chance was leading a horse to the pasture, where several of his top horses were already making tracks through the half foot of snow the crew had laid down earlier.

As Madison neared Chance, she saw Ursula Rodriguez look at Vince. “What about the black stallion? I thought I made it clear, AMV wants Shiloh in this snow shot.”

“Shiloh’s not well-trained enough to be part of the commercial,” Chance said as he slipped out of the pasture and closed the gate behind him.

Vince and Ursula exchanged looks. “I don’t know what the problem is,” Vince said furiously. “I saw you riding Shiloh this morning.”

“And the sun rose in the east,” Chance drawled sarcastically, his back still to Madison. Chance stared at Vince and braced his hands loosely on his waist. “What’s your point?”

The air between the men was so fraught with tension it fairly crackled. “The point is, I think Shiloh would make an excellent addition to this frame,” Vince said.

Chance shook his head curtly. “How many times and ways do I have to tell you people? I don’t mix Shiloh in with the other horses.”

“Just for a few minutes,” Ursula pleaded.

“No,” Chance said firmly.

Able to see a battle brewing, Madison lengthened her steps and joined them. “Chance is right. Shiloh is off-limits,” she told the group. Ed and Ursula looked greatly displeased. Vince stared at Madison in frustration.

Chance turned to Madison, his expression gentle and welcoming. “When did you get back?” he asked quietly.

Aware others were watching them closely, Madison ignored the yearning of her heart—which told her to throw herself into his arms and kiss him warmly—and gave Chance a look of brisk efficiency. “Just now,” she said
matter-of-factly.

If Chance was upset by her cool greeting, he did not show it. He glanced at the pasture. “Mind if I speak to you privately for a few minutes?” he said. “I’ve got some legal stuff we need to go over. It’s in the ranch house.”

Madison looked at Vince. “Five minutes and no more,” Vince snapped. He glared at Chance. “We’ll send someone to get you as soon as the shot is set up.”

Chance nodded. With snow on the ground and the temperature already inching up to seventy degrees, they’d need to move swiftly.

He wheeled around and headed for the ranch house in the distance. Madison fell in step beside him. “You know it’s taking every ounce of self-control I have not to haul you into my arms and kiss you soundly, don’t you?” Chance said, giving her a brief sidelong glance.

Madison swallowed and flashed Chance another quick, efficient smile. “I know,” she said softly.

Chance took the steps leading to the house two at a time. He charged ahead to hold the door for her. Her heart pounding, Madison walked ever so casually into the ranch house. The second they had crossed the threshold and were out of view, Chance grabbed her wrist and tugged her into the kitchen, out of view of the windows. The next thing she knew, his arms were around her, and he was kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

“Damn, but I missed you,” he whispered.

“And I missed you,” Madison whispered. So much. She trembled with the joy she felt at holding him again, even as she knew their time was limited. “You said something about legal matters.”

“I was going to ask you....” Chance stopped and grinned. “But now doesn’t really seem the time.” He bent his head and kissed her again. Even more thoroughly.

Dimly, Madison heard what sounded like pounding. Then Shawna Somersby’s youthful voice. “Madison? Chance? Are you guys in there?”

Madison flattened her hands across Chance’s chest and pushed away from him. Even as she rued the end of their private time, she struggled to pull herself together. Quickly, he scanned her face. “Better do something about your lipstick,” he whispered.

Madison swore and blotted the moisture on her lips with her fingertips. “I don’t have any here. It’s in the car.”

Chance smoothed her hair into place with his hand. “Maybe no one will notice.”

Like hell they won’t,
Madison thought.

“I’ll distract everyone. You get your purse.”

“Thanks.”

“Chance?” Shawna continued her pounding. “They’re ready to start the filming now.”

Chance strode out of the pantry and the kitchen, his boots moving commandingly across the wood floor. He opened the front door. “Sorry, Shawna. I didn’t hear you.”

“Where’s Madison?” Shawna prodded curiously.

“Right behind you,” Madison said cheerfully, hoping like heck that Shawna didn’t notice she had gone into the house with her lipstick perfectly applied, only to come out with none on at all.

Unfortunately, she knew from the look Shawna gave her that she had noticed. Damn. She could only hope for the sake of her business reputation that Shawna wouldn’t say anything to anyone.

Working to distract the young intern’s attention, Chance took her elbow and propelled her down the steps. “Now, where am I supposed to be again?” he asked.

Shawna pointed. “Over there. Where the Ranchero is. Same old drill. When they yell action, you get in and drive to where the horses are. Once you get a little closer, they’re going to start the snow machines up so it’ll look like you’re driving through a blizzard.”

“Got it.” While Chance headed for the truck, Madison hurried toward her rental car and the purse on the front seat.

Chance jumped in the pickup. The snow machines started up. And that was when they all heard it. The startled whinny. And saw the magnificent horse rear up in a flash of satiny black against the onslaught of snow. Madison and everyone else knew what had happened.

“How did Shiloh get in there?” Madison shouted. But even as she said it, she knew. Vince and Ursula had not taken no for an answer.

* * *

M
ADISON DIDN’T STOP
to think. She ran in the direction of the pickup, the snow machine and the rearing, spinning stallion.

Chance had stopped the truck and leaped out. He was running through the snow spitting out of the thunderous machine toward the beautiful stallion. “Shut it off!” he yelled. But it was too late. Shiloh, spooked beyond reason, had created a stampede among the horses in the pasture. Clearly threatened and not about to run from a fight, he was suddenly headed straight for the snow machine and the entire crew.

Marshaling powerful muscles, Shiloh soared over the pasture fence, clearing it in a single bound. Too late, Madison realized Shiloh was coming straight at her. She would not have time to get out of the way.

Chance knew it, too.

In a split second, he changed directions, lunged away from Shiloh and straight for Madison. Swearing all the while, he grabbed her around the waist, simultaneously pushing her forward and spinning them around so their bodies slammed to the ground. Barely missing Shiloh’s thundering hooves, she landed on top of him.

Shiloh shot past the cameras and headed for the distant mountains. Once he had cleared the area, the horses in the pasture settled down immediately. Among the crew, however, bedlam erupted.

“Are you all right?” Chance demanded.

Madison felt stunned. And numb. She swallowed hard. “I think so.” At least nothing felt broken.

Gently, Chance slipped from beneath her. “Call a doctor!” he shouted. “Get one out here now!”

Ursula Rodriguez strode forward. “Aren’t you overreacting a bit? She seems okay. You both do.” Beside her, Ed Connelly nodded agreement, while in the distance Vince was yelling at everyone in shouting distance.

Chance’s patience was exhausted. “You idiots! She’s pregnant!” he fumed. “Get a doctor out here! Now!”

* * *

A
HUSHED SILENCE
fell over the group gathered around Madison and Chance.

“Pregnant!” Shawna echoed softly in shock. And Madison knew, as she struggled to sit up, that she had just failed as a role model for the young intern.

“Yes, pregnant,” Chance snapped as everyone continued to blink in shock. “With my baby!” Giving her no chance to walk on her own, Chance swept Madison up in his arms and carried her to the house. He laid her gently on the sofa.

Seconds later, Shawna came dashing in, cell phone in hand. “They’ve got a doctor from the hospital emergency room on the way. He’s bringing an ambulance, too, just in case it’s needed.”

“You feeling okay?” Chance grabbed an afghan off the back of the sofa and tucked it around Madison. “You want anything? A glass of water or a cup of tea?”

How about a new reputation? Or a way to turn back the clock and erase the one terrible mistake after another that she had made? Madison shook her head as tears continued to stream down her face. “No,” she whispered hoarsely, shutting her eyes against Shawna’s curious glance. “Nothing. Thanks.”

“Are you in pain?” Chance whispered.

Madison shook her head again. “Just shaken up.”

And scared that she might lose their baby.

* * *

C
HANCE STAYED
WITH
Madison until the doctor arrived. To their mutual relief, he pronounced both Madison and the baby fine despite the tumble she had taken.

“I’m sorry about Shiloh getting mixed in with the other horses,” Madison said to Chance as soon as the doctor had left.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Chance said with gruff gentleness as he brought her a glass of milk and knelt before her. He kissed the back of her hand. “I’ll go out and let everyone know you’re okay.”

“What about Shiloh?”

Chance tensed. “He’ll be okay until I find him.”

Madison drank some more milk then swung her knees off the sofa and put her feet flat on the floor. She shoved her hands through her hair. Although she was still shaky, she also knew they had a job to do. “That snow out there is probably melting like crazy. We better try and finish—”

Chance cut her off with a sharp look. “You stay here and finish your milk,” he said heavily. “I’ll take care of that.”

While Madison sipped her milk, the sounds of activity outside picked up. Thinking the commercial filming was going to resume, she relaxed against the sofa. As soon as she finished her milk, she decided, she would go out to watch. Before she could do that, Ed came rushing in. To her dismay, he looked even more distressed than he had when Shiloh had jumped the pasture fence and thundered through the crew.

“How’s the filming going?” Madison asked, putting her empty glass on the coffee table in front of her.

“It’s not,” Ed told her tersely, his face red. Her normally cool-as-a-cucumber boss looked like he wanted to punch something. “You don’t know, do you?” he demanded furiously. Striding closer, he filled her in. “Chance Cartwright just invoked the property-damage clause in the contract. He’s refusing to let us film anything else.”

Considering what had happened to Shiloh, Madison could hardly blame him. Still, she knew what it had cost to operate the snow-making machine in the dead of summer. She put up a hand, sure she could work this out given a few minutes to talk to everyone. “He’s upset by what happened, Ed.”

“But everything’s fine. You’re fine. Your baby is fine,” Ed protested.

“I know,” Madison said, happy and relieved about that.

Madison knew from the look on Ed’s face that they were going to have to talk about her unscripted love affair with Chance. Soon. On that topic, she had a heck of a lot of explaining to do. Right now, all Ed cared about was saving the account. The ethics of the situation would come in later.

“So get him un-upset,” Ed ordered tersely.

Madison frowned. Although Chance was doing his best to keep his feelings in check around her, she knew how upset he was. “Realistically, I don’t think that’s going to happen today.”
Maybe tomorrow, or the next.

“Madison, this is a multimillion-dollar account and a major automobile manufacturer.”

Madison had only to look in Ed’s eyes to know that if she couldn’t manage a save, all hopes of her being awarded the vice presidency were down the drain. The thought she might lose everything she’d worked for in the last ten years because she’d been more concerned with her love affair with Chance than the job she was supposed to be doing cut her to the quick. She knew the accident was as much her fault as anyone’s, if not more. If she had been paying attention to what was going on instead of trying to steal a moment alone with Chance, Shiloh never would have gotten mixed up with the other horses. Madison would have seen to it.