Wild Action by Dawn Stewardson Page A

if you’re working with him?”
    Naturally, she’d assured him it would be, but she suspected he’d have tried to back out of their contract if he’d been able to line up another trained bear on short notice.
    “What’s with this scene where Attila chases the boys?” Nick asked.
    “Oh, that’s the pivotal one I mentioned yesterday.”
    “No, I mean what’s with him chasing them? Youtold me people should never run away from bears. You said it excites their predatory instincts.”
    “Well, the boys won’t really be running away from Attila. I know the notes call it the scene where he chases them, but Jay will do separate takes of them running and Attila running. Then they’ll edit the sequences so it looks as if he’s chasing them.”
    “Ahh.”
    When Nick went back to his reading, she sat watching him, still not quite able to believe that he was actually helping her. Of course she realized it was to his benefit, as well as hers, if things worked out with Jay. But most men would never have stayed when they’d been in the midst of looking for a place to live.
    Even fewer would have agreed to work with a bear, no matter how much it might prove to be worth to them financially. Especially when they already had a good job. Which added up to the fact that she felt very, very grateful. And despite her resolve to keep their relationship strictly business, she was aware of feeling more than simple gratitude.
    As hard as she’d tried to fall asleep last night, she’d lain awake for a long time, extremely conscious that Nick was in the bedroom right across the hall—and that both their doors were open to allow what little breeze there was through the house. Then, at breakfast this morning, before he’d shaved, it had been impossible to ignore how sexy he looked.
    Just as she was ordering herself to think about anything other than him, he tossed down the script and glanced over at her. “Here they come.”
    Trying to quell a fresh surge of anxiety, she rose and looked across the clearing. Sure enough, there they were, just rounding the curve in the road.
    Three black stretch limos led the way, followed by a convoy of trucks, trailers and RVs that would be home to the cast and crew while they were on location here.
    The noise sent the rabbits scurrying under the safety of the porch, and in the house the Marx brothers began barking. They hated being shut inside, but she couldn’t chance letting them out until everyone was safely parked. All in all, there was such a commotion that she half expected to see Rocky Raccoon peering down from the porch roof—even though it took a lot to rouse a coon from his day’s sleep.
    “Looks like an invasion,” Nick said.
    She glanced at him and forced a smile, hoping he couldn’t tell how nervous she was. It would do nothing for his self-confidence.
    The trucks began turning off into the field where she’d told Jay to set up camp, while the limos pulled up in front of the house.
    The third one had barely stopped before the back door flew open and two boys leapt out
    “I guess those would be our ten-year-olds,” she murmured as they headed for the porch.
    “Hi, I’m Kyle,” the blond one said, grinning at her. “And this is Brock,” he added, pointing at the dark-haired one.
    Brock produced a grin of his own.
    “Well, hi. This is Nick and I’m Carly.” She glanced at the two frazzled women who’d hurried after the boys—their mothers were on location with them, she knew.
    “They’ve been sitting in the limo too long,” one of the women said. “Would you mind if they looked around a little? Burned off some of their energy?”
    “We’ll keep an eye on them,” the other woman promised.
    “Sure. Go ahead. Just don’t let them stick their fingers into the aviary.”
    By the time Carly turned her attention back to the limos, the drivers of the remaining two had opened the back doors. A couple of men were getting out of the first one, while Sarina Westlake and Garth