The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire

by Cora Seton

  A fish!

  She stuffed it in the nylon bag, grabbed hold of the paddle again and drove for the second container. The current seemed weaker now and she saw why Evan had an easier time getting the next several fish. Unfortunately, she got too cocky and overshot the fourth container. She hung on for a moment, paddling backward furiously before she remembered the rule against going back for fish. She had to give in and let the current drag her forward again.

  The final container was where that tricky current jerked Evan away at the last moment. How could she get past it? Since the container sat right at the edge of the course, she couldn’t try to pass it on the far side—she had to approach it in the same way Evan had. All she could do was count on her ability to dig in and fight the current.

  With little hope of actually accomplishing this, she paddled toward the end of the course. When she approached the final container she put on a burst of speed, digging her paddle far into the water as she got close. She felt the current grab the kayak and realized why Evan hadn’t been able to overcome it—she felt like a giant hand had closed on the prow and yanked her off course. With desperate strokes she paddled in the opposite direction—she still had a shot. The current jerked her around and she gave up fighting it. Instead she hurled the paddle away and lunged toward the container. Her right hand closed on the hard plastic shape of a fish as she overbalanced and hit the water, the cold shock of it forcing the air from her lungs.

  She windmilled her arms, but her body was still snapped into the kayak, and without a paddle she had no way of righting herself. She thrashed impotently, the coldness quickly dulling the strength in her limbs. She could see the sunlight on the surface of the water above her, bisected by the dark line of the kayak, but she had no way to reach it. The skirt still clung to her. She knew she was supposed to do something to release it—pull something—but she couldn’t stop thrashing long enough to do so. She had to get out, had to…

  …save Caramel, had to reach her before the awful thing happened, had to stop her from dying, stop Cyclone from dying, stop her family from losing their land…

  The kayak jerked, something plunged into the water next to her and fought with the snaps on the seal that held her in place. Hands grabbed her arms, her shoulders, and the next thing she knew she broke the surface and air seared down her throat and through her lungs. She coughed, spit, and cried out as she was pulled atop another kayak unceremoniously. Seconds later she was hauled to shore.

  Lying on the banks of the Athabasca, she let tears run down her face without shame. She’d discovered one thing was worse than losing her job and her fight to save her animals.

  Losing her own life.

  * * * * *

  “She’s got a fish!” one of the crew members cried out. “Look—she got the fifth fish!”

  Evan scraped a hand across his stubbled jaw and turned aside in the hopes all the cameras were trained on Bella, newly rescued from the river, and wouldn’t catch him wiping his eyes.

  She’d nearly drowned.

  Hell, he wasn’t one to cry. He couldn’t remember the last time he had, so it freaked him out to find water seeping from the corners of his eyes now. He couldn’t believe how Bella attacked the kayak course, like she’d been born to the sport. She put his puny efforts to shame. He preferred land sports to water ones, but he’d kayaked before and he thought he knew what he was doing. The variances in the current completely threw him off, though. Bella must have watched his efforts and learned from them.

  The lovely, vibrant woman who’d shared his tent last night—part of the night—had nearly drowned.

  He wasn’t prepared for the pain that thought brought him. If she hadn’t been breathing when they rescued her… If she wasn’t lying on the shore now, responding to her rescuers questions…

  He couldn’t even imagine how he’d feel.

  Evan crossed his arms over his chest, not knowing what else to do with his hands. Thank God everyone was focused on Bella right now because he was making a fool out of himself. Over a woman he barely knew.

  He couldn’t remember feeling like this.

  He couldn’t remember feeling…

  Evan dragged his attention away from that direction and refocused on his adversary. Because that’s all she was—an adversary.

  And she was one hell of an adversary—going for the last fish like that, throwing away her paddle, for God’s sake. Or was she just reckless? She’d managed to hang on to the darn fish, too. He shook his head in disbelief. She’d made up two points in this challenge. He had to beat her good on the next one.

  Beat her good. Hell, he sounded like his father.

  A wry laugh escaped him. Bella was practically unconscious, lying on the shore near the water. She might be out of the contest for good and he was plotting his strategy to win. The acorn surely didn’t fall far from the tree.

  He didn’t want to beat Bella. He wanted to scoop her into his arms, press his ear against her chest to hear the heartbeat that would confirm she did indeed live, and cover her with kisses from her lips to her…

  He turned his back on the river—on Bella—and struggled to get himself together. Whether or not she was beautiful or vibrant or wonderful or took his breath away, or any of the other trite things men thought about the women they wanted, she was still his enemy. She still stood between him and a dignified—well, somewhat dignified—way to maintain control of his company.

  He was glad she was alive, but he still planned to crush her in this game.

  A ragged cheer escaped from the camera crew, and he turned back around to see two of them helping Bella to her feet. She walked under her own power up from the bank toward him. Jake appeared by Evan’s side. “She’s still in it, thank God.”

  Evan shot him a quizzical look.

  “Can you imagine the expense of finding a backup competitor now? Starting all over?”

  No, he couldn’t. In fact, the thought left him cold. He didn’t want another competitor—he wanted Bella. He wanted to win this competition and he wanted Bella for his wife.

  No other woman would do.

  Evan watched her approach.

  He wanted Bella? He wanted to spend a whole year with one woman? He waited for the surge of claustrophobia the thought should bring, but it didn’t come. Bella was beautiful, kind, smart… real. She wasn’t plastic, like all the California girls were—too beautiful, too grasping—and she wasn’t like his mother, either, always demanding he stay close, always preventing him from doing what he wanted to do. Bella was independent. Best of all, she didn’t want anything from him. The women he usually dated wanted to control all of his cash and they wanted to control him, too.

  Still, he’d been plenty claustrophobic in that tent last night, so he hadn’t done some mental turnaround in the last twelve hours. He was still Evan, and he doubted anything could make him comfortable with a long-term relationship—even Bella.

  Best to keep her at arm’s length.

  Jake kept the point score announcement ceremony short and simple, while Bella shivered in the blanket the first aid worker wrapped around her shoulders. All too soon, it was time to move on.

  Evan followed the crew toward the SUVs, knowing something had changed today—something in his heart—and he was going to have a hell of a time changing it back again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Bella was grateful they didn’t have to hike to the next challenge. As she rode in the backseat of one of the SUVs next to Evan, the dull ache from the raw spot at the back of her ankle couldn’t compare to the pervasive tiredness in the rest of her body. Evan seemed subdued as well, but maybe watching your opponent nearly die would do that to you. Back at the river, the show’s physician had checked her out thoroughly and declared her fit to continue. She wasn’t sure she agreed with his diagnosis. More than anything she wanted to lie down and go to sleep.

  She must have slept a little, for the next thing she knew the SUV came to a stop and a bustle began all around her. Evan opene
d the door and climbed out, and Bella forced herself to wake up and survey the activity. They had pulled up near a square wooden structure with a green metal roof. The camera crew was busy getting its gear together and Madelyn came into view, as polished as usual, barking orders at everyone.

  “All right, sleepy time is over,” she said, ducking her head in through the open door of the SUV. “Chop-chop, let’s go.”

  “Where are we?” She climbed out of the vehicle as Madelyn pulled back. “Oh,” she added as she spotted the small boxy green metal cars attached to cables going up the side of the mountain in front of them.

  “The Jasper Tramway,” Madelyn said. “A seven minute ride to 7700 feet.” She smirked as Bella’s face fell. “Don’t worry—it’s perfectly safe.” Her tone said it wasn’t anything of the kind, but Bella squashed the panic rising in her gut. A tram was far safer than a zip line and she’d done just fine with that yesterday.

  “What’s the challenge?”

  “You’ll find out when we get to the top.”

  “When’s lunch?” Evan materialized by her side and as usual, Bella felt the stirrings of desire. Good to know a dousing in cold water hadn’t put out that flame. If anything it had sharpened it.

  “Soon,” was all Madelyn said before stalking off and shouting to a cameraman.

  “How are you doing?” Evan asked her. Glancing up, she noticed several cameras trained on her and stifled a sigh.

  “Fine. Tired.” Shoot, she wasn’t supposed to admit that to him.

  “I’ll bet. It really scared me, seeing you go under like that. It’s a good thing they had extra personnel out on the river with you.” He touched her arm gently. “You know, I want to win this thing, but if you die in the process it kind of spoils things for me.”

  She looked up sharply, caught his grin and melted a little inside. “I guess so.” Usually his closeness unnerved her, but this time she felt herself draw strength from his presence. He was so calm and sane in the midst of the craziness of the film shoot, and in a way he was her ally—the only other person around who wasn’t part of the crew. “What’s up with that marriage thing anyway? Why not marry someone you love?”

  He shrugged and looked away. “I don’t love anyone enough for that.”

  “Really? No steady girlfriend?”

  “Hell, no.” He laughed and glanced at her sheepishly. “That kind of came out wrong. I’m not the settling-down type of guy, but in order to maintain control of Mortimer Innovations, I have to be married by the end of the month, and I have to stay married for a year.”

  “You couldn’t spend a little of your billions and just buy a fake wife?”

  “Nah, I’m too cheap for that. If I win this thing I get you for free,” he said, laughter glinting in his dark eyes.

  “Wouldn’t it be simpler not to spend five days gallivanting around Jasper?”

  “I suppose, but it would be less fun. I guess if I lose, that’s what I’ll do.”

  “Why not just do it to begin with?” she pressed.

  He glanced away from her, then back. “This is going to sound bad no matter how I phrase it, but it’s the truth. I’ve always known women aren’t dating me—they’re dating my money. They’re dating the possibility of becoming Mrs. Billionaire. I learned very early on that women are experts at pretending to love you when you have something they want. I also learned that they’re experts at sinking their claws into you and not letting go, even when you want them to. My competition would have a field day if I bought a wife and I doubt I’d be able to shake the woman when the year was up. She’d claim she was truly in love when we married, and say that I’d duped her about my intentions, and the courts might take her side. After all, I’m just a nasty billionaire.”

  “Wow,” Bella said. Poor little rich guy, indeed. The desire she’d felt a moment ago melted away under the cynicism of his words.

  “I told you it would sound bad.”

  “I don’t want to meet the women you hang out with.” She took a step back from him.

  “No, you don’t.” He watched Madelyn usher a herd of crew members into a tram and send them up the mountain. The director scanned the area and headed their way. Evan frowned. “Look—I know there are good women out there, but I’m so messed up at this point I won’t make a good husband no matter who I’m with. So I’m doing it this way. If you lose, you’ve already agreed to sign an airtight prenuptial agreement. You’ll get an all-expenses-paid yearlong vacation among the high rollers of the business world, with accommodations in the best hotels and homes on the West Coast. We’ll throw in some travel to exotic locals, and I promise I’ll always be a gentleman. It’ll be great, I swear.”

  It’ll be great? Was he for real? Bella laughed derisively. “You are unbelievable. You think you can tell me that sad little story and I’ll just stop competing and join you in false matrimony? Hello—I’m here to win five million dollars because I’m about to go broke and lose my business. There are animals depending on me—real, live creatures who have no one else to turn to, and who are going to die if I don’t win. I’m not rolling over and playing wifey, Moneybuns. I’m going to win this thing!”

  “Did you get that?” Madelyn snapped at Paul the cameraman as she strode up to them.

  “Sure did.” Paul scratched his stomach.

  “Excellent. Great television. Bella, Evan, come on—your turn in the tram.”

  Bella’s rising anger at Evan’s insensitivity drained away as she trailed after Madelyn to the small, green metal car. Engrossed in evaluating how she really felt about riding in one of these things, she felt rather than saw Evan fall back. Madelyn noticed, too.

  “Keep up. What’s the matter with you?” she snapped at him.

  “I’d prefer to hike up,” he said. Bella thought he looked a little pale. Had her words hurt him that much? She doubted it. Something else must be bugging him.

  “You’d prefer to hike up?” Madelyn put her hands on her hips. “Well, I’d prefer to get this television show filmed sometime in the next century. Get in the tram!”

  “No.”

  Bella raised an eyebrow. Evan didn’t like the tram, either? Was he afraid of heights? That made no sense; he’d been fine on the zip line the previous day, and didn’t he say he liked rock climbing?

  “What do you mean, no? I said get in the tram and I mean it, mister—we have a schedule to keep.” Madelyn stepped forward menacingly.

  “No.”

  Biting back a smile, Bella waited for Madelyn’s response.

  “Are you forfeiting the game? Ellis—get Legal on the line!” she called, and leaned in toward Evan with an icy look. “You have ten seconds to decide, Mr. Mortimer. Contestants must participate in every contest or they forfeit and lose the game. Five…four…three…two…”

  Bella held her breath. Was this it? Was she about to win five million dollars, all because Evan wouldn’t—or couldn’t—get on a tram? She glanced over the small metal contraption again. Small. Was Evan claustrophobic?

  Of course he was—he couldn’t stay in the tent with her, either.

  She turned back to him just in time to see a muscle in his jaw ticking like crazy before he opened his mouth and said, “I’m not forfeiting. Fine, I’ll ride the tram.” He stalked off toward it and disappeared around the back end. A moment later Bella could make out his profile through one of the large windows.

  He didn’t look happy.

  A smile curved her lips. Time for her to make some headway—she wouldn’t let this opportunity slip through her fingers. Forgetting her own qualms, she decided to put his to very good use. Whatever the next challenge was, it obviously was going to take place on top this mountain. She needed to make sure he was thoroughly freaked out by the time they got off that tram.

  * * * * *

  Evan kept his fingers wrapped tightly around the railing as the tram filled with passengers. Bella squeezed in beside him and various crew members took up the rest of the space with their bodies and equipment.
He could feel them using up all the oxygen. Already the metal walls pressed back upon him and they hadn’t even left the ground. The only thing he had going for him was the knowledge that the ride was only seven minutes long. He could stand anything for seven minutes.

  Bella pressed up against him, as if the crush of bodies gave her no other choice. She leaned into him heavily and although normally he’d relish the feeling of her soft breasts pressed against his arm, right this moment it felt like someone had tossed a woolen blanket over his head and was about to smother him. The image of his mother flashed into his mind, rushing to pull him into her arms just when he’d been about to escape outside to play with his friends. “No, Evan, stay with me. Mommy needs you.”

  He brushed the memory aside and stared out the window as the tram lurched forward.

  Breathe. Just breathe. In. Out. Empty your mind.

  Bella slipped an arm around his waist and pressed closer. “You know sometimes they overload these little cars,” she said conversationally. “They don’t mean to, but they have to make as much money as possible, so they make sure to get as many people on as they can. Sometimes they only count the number of people—not their weight. North Americans are getting heavier all the time, so even though 10 people might have fit just fine in here a century ago, they don’t really fit now, do they?” She crowded him against the wall.

  Evan wanted to push back. In fact, he wanted to shove Bella as hard as he could against the other riders. A sheen of sweat coated his hands and the back of his neck and he was beginning to find it hard to breathe. “Back up a little, would you?” he managed to ask instead.

  “What?” She crowded even closer. “This is just like riding in a really crowded elevator, isn’t it? Do you ever worry about elevators stopping in between floors and you’d get stuck and you’d have to wait for hours and hours until someone came along and rescued you?”

  Hell, getting stuck in an elevator was his worst fear. He never took elevators if he could help it. He passed off his obsession with taking the stairs as part of his dedication to staying fit. “Good practice for climbing mountains,” he always said just before he disappeared into the stairwell of a high rise. Luckily he was too rich for people to question him too closely.