knelt beside Madison. “Think it was something you had for lunch?” she asked gently.
“Maybe.” Madison took a small sip of water, rested her forehead on her upraised hand. She sighed. This wasn’t the first time she’d battled nausea recently. “Then again, maybe it’s just stress. I’ve been feeling strange for weeks now.” Deciding she felt better, Madison struggled to her feet with Kit’s help.
Kit helped Madison, who was now shivering slightly, put her jacket on. “Ill how?”
Madison shrugged and walked, albeit a little unsteadily, to the sink. “Woozy, dizzy, tired.” She bent and rinsed her mouth, then rummaged around for the travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste she carried in her purse. “All I want to do is sleep.”
Kit shook her head. “If I didn’t know better, kiddo, I’d think you were pregnant, but you’d need a man in your life for that. Unless—” Kit paused. “You didn’t go the artificial insemination route, did you?”
No. But she had recklessly made love with Chance at what would have been her most fertile time of month, Madison realized uncomfortably. They’d used a condom, of course. But...was it possible? Pushing the unsettling thought away, Madison threw the paper towel in the trash, put her toothbrush and toothpaste back in her purse.
“Maybe you should see your doctor before you head back to Wyoming,” Kit suggested.
“Good idea,” Madison said. One way or another, she had to know.
* * *
T HE SUN WAS shining brightly as Madison drove through the gates of Chance Cartwright’s Double Diamond Ranch shortly after noon the next day. The meadows in the distance were alive with tall yellow grass and multicolored wildflowers, and the tops of the granite mountains were white against the bold blue of the summer sky. Late July, it was hotter than it had been when she had been there before, the temperature inching into the eighties. As Madison neared the house, she saw a van from the Lost Springs Ranch and a group of teenage boys in T-shirts, boots, jeans and hats mucking out stalls and grooming the horses with long, patient strokes. Chance was standing in the pasture closest to the house, instructing two of his part-time workers as they exercised his horses. They looked as if they were having the time of their lives. Chance looked equally happy. Until he saw her, that was.
He said something to the boys, then turned and strode toward her as two blue jays swooped down on them from overhead and disappeared in the cottonwood trees by the ranch house.
Her heart racing, a million butterflies jumping around inside her stomach, Madison emerged from the car, deliberately keeping her sunglasses on. Wanting to immediately telegraph the fact she’d come to make peace with him, she’d taken care to dress in jeans, boots and cotton shirt. Still, her hands were sweaty as his long legs ate up the ground between them.
Sweat dripped down his face, and the fabric of his blue chambray shirt was damp in patches. He was more deeply suntanned than he had been the last time she had seen him. And there was a wariness in his eyes when he looked at her that was new, too.
He tipped his hat in cursory politeness as he neared her. “Miss Burnes.”
Madison nodded, dismayed to realize he wasn’t nearly as happy to see her again as she was to see him. Because despite everything, she still desired him. “Mr. Cartwright.” Her tone was the low, exceedingly pleasant one she reserved for her most difficult clients.
He regarded her grimly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
Madison gave him a parody of a smile as she whipped off her sunglasses so he could see her eyes. “I figured if you’d known I was coming, you would have been sure to duck out.”
Chance rubbed his jaw and tried not to grin at her cheeky attitude. “Missed a few of your phone calls, have I?” he taunted.
“As well as a command appearance in Dallas.” Which you very well know. He let his gaze rove insolently over her
“Maybe.” Madison took a small sip of water, rested her forehead on her upraised hand. She sighed. This wasn’t the first time she’d battled nausea recently. “Then again, maybe it’s just stress. I’ve been feeling strange for weeks now.” Deciding she felt better, Madison struggled to her feet with Kit’s help.
Kit helped Madison, who was now shivering slightly, put her jacket on. “Ill how?”
Madison shrugged and walked, albeit a little unsteadily, to the sink. “Woozy, dizzy, tired.” She bent and rinsed her mouth, then rummaged around for the travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste she carried in her purse. “All I want to do is sleep.”
Kit shook her head. “If I didn’t know better, kiddo, I’d think you were pregnant, but you’d need a man in your life for that. Unless—” Kit paused. “You didn’t go the artificial insemination route, did you?”
No. But she had recklessly made love with Chance at what would have been her most fertile time of month, Madison realized uncomfortably. They’d used a condom, of course. But...was it possible? Pushing the unsettling thought away, Madison threw the paper towel in the trash, put her toothbrush and toothpaste back in her purse.
“Maybe you should see your doctor before you head back to Wyoming,” Kit suggested.
“Good idea,” Madison said. One way or another, she had to know.
* * *
T HE SUN WAS shining brightly as Madison drove through the gates of Chance Cartwright’s Double Diamond Ranch shortly after noon the next day. The meadows in the distance were alive with tall yellow grass and multicolored wildflowers, and the tops of the granite mountains were white against the bold blue of the summer sky. Late July, it was hotter than it had been when she had been there before, the temperature inching into the eighties. As Madison neared the house, she saw a van from the Lost Springs Ranch and a group of teenage boys in T-shirts, boots, jeans and hats mucking out stalls and grooming the horses with long, patient strokes. Chance was standing in the pasture closest to the house, instructing two of his part-time workers as they exercised his horses. They looked as if they were having the time of their lives. Chance looked equally happy. Until he saw her, that was.
He said something to the boys, then turned and strode toward her as two blue jays swooped down on them from overhead and disappeared in the cottonwood trees by the ranch house.
Her heart racing, a million butterflies jumping around inside her stomach, Madison emerged from the car, deliberately keeping her sunglasses on. Wanting to immediately telegraph the fact she’d come to make peace with him, she’d taken care to dress in jeans, boots and cotton shirt. Still, her hands were sweaty as his long legs ate up the ground between them.
Sweat dripped down his face, and the fabric of his blue chambray shirt was damp in patches. He was more deeply suntanned than he had been the last time she had seen him. And there was a wariness in his eyes when he looked at her that was new, too.
He tipped his hat in cursory politeness as he neared her. “Miss Burnes.”
Madison nodded, dismayed to realize he wasn’t nearly as happy to see her again as she was to see him. Because despite everything, she still desired him. “Mr. Cartwright.” Her tone was the low, exceedingly pleasant one she reserved for her most difficult clients.
He regarded her grimly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
Madison gave him a parody of a smile as she whipped off her sunglasses so he could see her eyes. “I figured if you’d known I was coming, you would have been sure to duck out.”
Chance rubbed his jaw and tried not to grin at her cheeky attitude. “Missed a few of your phone calls, have I?” he taunted.
“As well as a command appearance in Dallas.” Which you very well know. He let his gaze rove insolently over her
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