by Milly Taiden
Madelyn snagged her as she left the room and dragged her back toward the main entrance of the lodge. Bella’s forehead itched, but she was afraid to scratch it. She was afraid to touch anything. She was uncomfortable and suddenly felt ridiculous in her denim skirt with Madelyn still dressed for the city.
“Maybe I should change,” she began as the woman tugged her toward the main dining room.
“Too late now,” Madelyn said. “Come on.”
*
Denim? For dinner? Evan bit back a smile as Madelyn ushered his opponent into the lodge’s dining room, hearing his mother’s critical voice in his head. He didn’t care what women wore, but she sure had, and she’d judged every eligible girl in sight on their poise and taste whenever they left the house. He stood up while Bella took her seat, then sat down again and took his time appraising her. She’d obviously also undergone the tortures of Natalie’s ministrations, but she seemed far more uncomfortable with the results than he was. Hell, he’d been on camera dozens of times as spokesman of Mortimer Innovations. Still, he was a guy—he should be the one holding himself stiffly, afraid to even fold his hands in his lap or take a sip from his water glass. A woman ought to wear enough makeup to be familiar with the process.
He suspected Bella thought a dab of eye shadow and a rub of lip gloss were adequate for any occasion. Would Amanda be able to give her a few hints when the time came for Bella to accompany him to charity balls and other events as his wife, or would the cowgirl step up her game on her own without help? He had no idea how he’d even bring up the matter. Maybe there were classes for that kind of thing. He made a mental note to have Amanda look into it. While she was at it, she could enroll Bella in business classes as well. Anyone who lost money as a veterinarian obviously needed to revisit the basics.
He allowed himself to smile at the pretty, miserable woman across the table, who became even more miserable when the television crew snapped on a series of bright lights and aimed their cameras at them. “Hi—I’m Evan Mortimer.” He reached out his hand.
Bella glanced at Madelyn, and extended her own to take his. “Bella Chatham. Nice to meet you.”
“Fine, fine, niceties dispensed with,” Madelyn said acerbically. “Here comes Jake. Let’s get this party started.”
Jake Cramer was Can You Beat a Billionaire’s legendary British host. With his upper-crust accent, he made a trip through a jungle or a wild ride down a river on a raft sound as elite as dinner at Buckingham Palace. The show’s writers gave him plenty of face time and snappy one-liners, Evan had learned when Amanda sent him a highlight video to watch for preparation. While the contestants tended to look like drowned rats by the end of the first episode, Jake remained spotless, well-tanned, and as poised as a debutante about to make her entrance.
“Welcome Bella, Evan,” Jake boomed as he entered the dining room. He shook hands with each of them, and took the third seat at the table. The cameras caught all of this, and Evan swore at least two of them were getting close-ups of Jake’s face at any moment. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” He gave each of them a radiant smile and Evan wondered how much the man spent on his teeth. Not that he hadn’t spent a pretty penny, himself. “As you know, our contestants call this meal the last supper—because it’s the last time you’ll be well fed and indoors for the next five days. We’ve rounded up all kinds of adventures for you kids, so I hope you’re ready for the trip of a lifetime!”
He turned to face a camera. “This season, our contest pits billionaire Evan Mortimer against veterinarian Bella Chatham. As always, if Bella wins, she’ll walk away with five million dollars!” He patted Bella’s arm. “And if Evan wins,” he gave a big, toothy grin, “he’ll gain a wife for one year. That’s a different twist, isn’t it, folks?”
Evan tuned out his blather as he focused on Bella again. He had to admit her casual clothes fit her far better than the overdone television makeup did. She was worried—he could tell by her tight frown. Well, she ought to be—when it came to outdoor solo sports he bet he had a hell of a lot more experience than she did.
She glanced in his direction and her eyes widened when she saw him looking back at her. A slow blush crept up her neck and cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Even in all that makeup, her eyes were beautiful, hazel green with sweeping lashes that didn’t require any mascara.
“Evan, tell us,” Jake said, leaning forward. “If you had to pay the prize would you miss the five million dollars?”
Evan blinked. “Not at all, Jake,” he said, shifting his attention away from his adversary reluctantly. “First of all, I can find five million dollars between my couch cushions. Happened last week—true story!” He grinned for the audience. “Second of all, I’m not going to lose. I may have to slog through five days of your evil challenges, but I plan to walk out of here with my beautiful, new wife.”
The crew members grinned at each other, apparently happy with the way things were going so far. “Bella.” Jake turned his attention to her. “What about you? How will five million dollars change your life?”
“It won’t change my life very much,” Bella said. “But it will change the lives of Chance Creek, Montana’s animals a whole bunch. I’m a veterinarian who specializes in house pets—cats and dogs, things like that.” She hesitated and Jake nodded, urging her on. “Caring for the pets who have a home is no problem, but like most towns Chance Creek is filled with unwanted, stray and feral cats and dogs who would be rounded up and put down if it wasn’t for the voluntary services my clinic provides. We currently house and feed over a hundred animals and that number keeps growing. With five million dollars I could launch a spay and neutering program that would limit the number of feral cats and provide housing and health care for any animals who don’t find a forever home with a member of the public.”
“And if you lose?” Jake winked broadly at the camera. “What will it be like to be Evan Mortimer’s wife—the wife of a billionaire?”
Bella turned pale, and looked like she might be sick. “If I lose, I’ll lose my home and my clinic…and more than one hundred animals will lose their lives,” she stated baldly. “I don’t think I’ll care who my husband is if all that blood is on my hands.”
“Cut…cut!” Madelyn yelled. “For crying out loud, our audience doesn’t want to think about slaughtered animals. Try it again—you can’t say blood.”
Bella looked stunned and it was plain to Evan she hadn’t been acting, nor had she been trying to be melodramatic. She obviously believed that the animals she cared for would die if she lost. Her distress gave him a momentary pang of guilt, but he tamped it down. He’d take care of that little problem himself if he won by farming the animals out to a shelter and writing a check. Nothing to it.
Jake composed himself back into his high-eyebrowed pose. “And if you lose? What will it be like to be Evan Mortimer’s wife—the wife of a billionaire?” he repeated.
“Ummm….boring, I guess.” Bella shrugged. “I wouldn’t have anything to do.”
Boring? Evan felt like he’d been slapped. Being his wife would be boring? He was a billionaire, for crying out loud. Women would kill to marry him!
“Cut! Boring? Are you kidding me?” Madelyn stalked over to Bella. “This is television. Play to the audience. You can’t say boring. The audience doesn’t want to be bored. Never, ever say boring. Roll cameras!”
Jake leaned forward a third time as Evan tried to force a smile back to his own lips. Wouldn’t do to look like she’d surprised him. He planned to remain calm, unfluttered and completely in control at all times.
“And if you lose?” Jake boomed again. “What will it be like to be Evan Mortimer’s wife—the wife of a billionaire?”
Bella blew out a breath and looked straight at Evan.
“It’ll suck.”
*
Bella nearly laughed at loud at the look on Evan’s face. The hotshot must think every woman in the world was standing in line to marry him. What a pretentious, egotistica
l snob. Madelyn was bad enough for insinuating she’d blow her chance at five million dollars for the privilege of bedding down with Mr. Money for a year. Fat chance of that. If Fate truly hated her guts and she lost, she’d make the lawyers write it right into his precious pre-nuptial: No sex.
Evan was staring at her again, his dark eyes cold and hard. Oh, she’d ticked him off good, hadn’t she? Poor little rich boy was used to getting anything and everything he wanted at the snap of his fingers. Well, count her out of that game.
After a couple of chirpy comments about her answer, Jake launched into a description of their first day of competition.
“We will meet at the starting point tomorrow morning at eight. Good luck to both of you, get a good night’s sleep…and enjoy your final supper!”
On cue, two perky waitresses began to set platters heaped with delicious food upon the table, until the space between them was full of dishes, each one more appetizing than the last. Unfortunately, her appetite was gone, so while she scooped some salmon, new potatoes and salad onto her plate, she only picked at it. The cameras still rolled, which made her ultra-self-conscious about chewing, and she kept dabbing at her face with her cloth napkin for fear of drips.
“What made you become a veterinarian?” Evan asked, startling her so that she dropped her fork to her plate with a clatter.
“What do you mean?” she said, picking it up again. She didn’t feel like rehashing this question.
“Was there a particular incident with a pet that made you choose your line of work? A cat who met a bad end?”
“A dog, actually,” she forced herself to say, the muscles of her face tightening. “Caramel. A family pet.”
“What happened to her?”
“She was struck by a car.”
“So you decided to save all the other dogs.”
She glanced up to see if he was making fun of her, but his voice had softened, and genuine sympathy shone in his eyes. Locked with Evan’s intelligent, questioning gaze, she sensed he was someone she could open up to.
Oh, hell no.
“I decided to do my best,” she said, hoping her clipped tone would signal an end to that line of questioning.
Evan studied her intently but changed tactics. “Have you done a lot of camping?”
Camping? “I was a girl scout for years,” she said cautiously.
“So…not for the last decade?” He helped himself to a steak.
Bella thought back. The last time she spent a night in a tent she’d been ten years old. “Something like that.”
“The gear has changed a lot.”
“Really?” She pretended to be bored—screw Madelyn—but secretly began to worry. What if she couldn’t pitch her tent at night? And what would it be like sleeping alone in a tent in this…wilderness? She didn’t scare easily, but this was bear country and as much as she hated horses…she hated bears more. She slid a glance at Madelyn who conversed in whispers with Ellis in the corner of the room. What would the director do if she found out about her fears?
Exploit them to the fullest, no doubt.
Her unease grew as she considered what she’d do if one of the challenges involved riding a horse. Could she get over her old fears and do it? Or would her campaign to win the show come to a screeching halt?
Would she lose and have to marry Evan?
“Yep. It’s no biggie for me, though,” Evan continued, oblivious to her rising panic. “I camp all the time. I like to rock climb, so I get out into the wilderness every chance I get.”
“You also brag every chance you get, don’t you?”
Damn, had she said that out loud? Her mother would send her to her room for days if she heard her speak like that to a dinner companion. If there was one thing Sylvie prized, it was good manners. Her family excelled at good manners.
Evan sat back. “At least I don’t blame my greed on helpless animals.”
This time she deliberately dropped her fork. “I beg your pardon?”
“If I don’t win, hundreds of animals will be slaughtered,” he mimicked in a high-pitch whine. “Please—spare me. You think anyone’s actually going to buy that sanctimonious act?”
“There’s nothing to buy. Everything I say is for real. Not like you—you probably hired someone to write you a script for the show. I’m not worried about what’s going to happen out there tomorrow, because I bet whenever you “go camping”—she finger-quoted the words—“you take along at least five other people to cook, clean, set out your clothes, put up your tent and carry you down the path to your destination. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m tired and frankly,” she turned toward the camera crew with a defiant look, “I’m bored. I’m going to bed.” As soon as she’d crossed the room and pushed through the door to the corridor, out of sight of the cameras, she raced down the hall to her own room.
Once inside, she rushed to the bathroom, locked the door, and began to scrape the makeup off of her face. Why had she let Hannah persuade her to go on this stupid show, anyhow? She hated Madelyn and Jake…and she despised Evan Mortimer.
***
CHAPTER FOUR
Evan stood at a trailhead at eight the following morning dressed in khaki convertible hiking pants, boots, a black t-shirt and sun hat. He sipped the coffee Ellis handed him as soon as he got out of the SUV that conveyed him here from the lodge, and watched the crew scurry around to set up the morning’s first shot. Bella stood across the clearing clutching her own cup in two hands, as if she was trying to draw heat from it, although the fall morning was already getting unseasonably warm.
Madelyn barked orders to all and sundry like an army lieutenant. The sun blazed in a clear sky, throwing all the mountains surrounding them into relief. They’d seen two bears and several elk grazing by the side of the highway as they made their way here, but although he’d kept a sharp lookout, he had yet to spot any of the mountain goats the park was known for.
Another SUV pulled up and Jake Cramer stepped out, followed by Natalie the makeup artist, a hairstylist and a third assistant whose job seemed to be to get yelled at.
“Great—Jake’s here. Let’s get started!” Madelyn said. “Evan, Bella—stand here.” She pointed to a spot on the ground. “Jake—you’re here.” She indicated another spot, facing them. Ellis took the coffee out of Evan’s hands and led him to his place. A moment later Bella stood by his side.
“Ready to get your ass kicked?” Evan said to her, figuring he might as well liven things up.
“Ready to die a slow, painful death?” she returned, her glare positively venomous. Evan was momentarily taken aback—he’d just been engaging in some friendly banter—but then he grinned. When was the last time anyone had spoken so freely to him? Apart from Nick and Amanda, that was. Most people treated him with kid gloves, as if billionaires were an entirely different breed who might explode at the slightest provocation. Bella just treated him like…dirt. It was kind of refreshing.
“I’m ready if you are,” he said.
“Roll ‘em!” Madelyn shouted.
“Evan, Bella, it’s great to see your shiny, happy faces this morning—the first morning of a grueling five-day contest of strength and stamina and cunning designed to push both of you to the limits of your endurance. I suspect you won’t look quite so shiny or happy at the end of the day.” Jake grinned as if the prospect pleased him no end. “Each day you will travel a number of miles. Each morning and afternoon, you will also encounter a challenge—an activity you must complete that offers the chance to pick up five points. Once you’ve reached the finishing point for the day, you will find supplies to set up camp for the night. Do you understand?”
Evan nodded. So did Bella.
“Cut!” Madelyn pushed forward. “Nodding does not make for good television. If Jake asks you a question you answer out loud. If he doesn’t ask you a question, keep your mouth shut. Got it? Let’s take it from ‘Do you understand?’”
Jake leaned forward, his expression serious, and repeated his line.
“Do you understand?”
Enthusiasm, huh? “Yes,” Evan shouted.
“Cut!” Madelyn put her hands on her hips. “Seriously? Save the drama for later, this is only day one. Take it again,” she waved to Jake.
Jake seemed put out, too. Evan frowned. He wasn’t used to getting yelled at or taking directions. A glance at Bella told him she was enjoying this all too much.
“Do you understand?” Jake intoned a third time.
“Yes,” Evan said, hoping he sounded confident and calm.
“Yes,” Bella echoed in firm, but measured tones.
“Good. Here are your maps.” Jake moved forward to hand each of them a colorful, laminated tri-folded map. “These show your starting point, the ending point and the location of the two challenges. Grab your daypacks and set out as soon as you’re ready. Let the fun begin!”
“Cut! Okay you two—that’s your cue to cheer, shake hands and run for your packs! Roll ‘em!” Madelyn interrupted to say.
Evan exchanged a look with Bella. “Uh…right on,” he said unconvincingly.
“Yay?” she said.
“I don’t hear you!” Madelyn hollered.
“All right!” Evan said, hoping he didn’t sound like a complete idiot.
Bella let out a whoop that made his ears ring, grabbed for his hand and shook it awkwardly, and sprinted for her daypack. Evan hesitated for only a moment before he raced after her, unwilling to let her get a head start. She already had her pack on and was consulting her laminated map when he caught up. As she strode off quickly toward the trail, Madelyn bellowed, “Hold on—where are you going?”
“Um…I’m following the trail,” Bella said, halting in her tracks.
