Chance McCall by Sharon Sala

was deceptively soft.
    The younger man shivered. He saw pure, unadulterated anger boiling behind those dark eyes and wished he’d stayed at home.
    “It’ll hurt a hell of a lot,” Chance continued. “If your son goes anywhere near Jenny Tyler, I’ll tell her what you said. And if by some wild, off-chance, you decide to try me and take her out anyway…you’d better pray to God that she comes back in the same condition in which she left.” He stared pointedly at the younger Walters and whispered, “You touch her…I’ll break your neck.”
    Devlin Walters blustered. He was furious they’d been caught out, and furious that a mere hired hand was reading him the riot act. If it had come from Marcus himself, that would have been another matter altogether.
    “Look here,” he said. “You have no right talking to us like that. What we said…why…it was just in jest, you understand. But that’s beside the point. Miss Tyler’s welfare is none of your business.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong,” Chance said softly. Jenny is my business. Has been since she was eleven years old. And don’t you forget it.”
    Jason Walters decided that if he made it home in one piece today, he didn’t give a tinker’s damn what his father wanted, he was going back to college. Another degree never hurt anyone…and it was a lot less painful than what this implied.
    Devlin Walters might have tried to push the boundaries of good conscience and continue the argument, but Marcus and Jenny were coming toward them.
    For one long moment, the three men stared at one another, each waiting to see if another was willing to stir up trouble.
    “So, Dev,” Marcus said, as he slapped the elder Walters jovially, “I see you’ve met Chance. I was going to introduce you, but I see you’ve beat me to it.” He smiled at Chance as he continued, unaware of the undercurrents seething between the men. “He’s my other right hand,” Marcus said. “The Triple T wouldn’t be half the place it is without him. And don’t get Jenny started on his accomplishments…she’ll never shut up. She thinks he can do no wrong.”
    Jenny saw the looks the men were exchanging. Something had happened, of that she was certain. But what remained a mystery.
    “We introduced ourselves,” Chance said, then gave Jenny a long, telling look and walked away without looking back.
    Jason Walters breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s been really nice meeting you, Jenny,” he said. “But my dad and I were just saying that Mom is expecting us. In fact, she expected us home over an hour ago. We’ve got to be going, right, Dad?”
    Devlin shook hands with his host, winked at Jenny just to prove to himself that that damned foreman didn’t own all the rights, and let his son lead him away.
    “I’ll be right back,” Marcus said. “I’ll just walk them to their car.”
    Jenny nodded. She had no intention of following him. Her sights were set on locating Chance and finding out what had been going on. It didn’t take her long. He was slamming saddles and bridles around the tack room as if he’d just lost his mind.
    “What’s wrong with you?” Jenny asked, as she grabbed a bridle out of his hand before he flung it across the room.
    His hungry gaze swept over her like wildfire. Her slim waist and flared hips were nothing but a reminder of what he’d overheard. It made him crazy to think about any man putting his hands…or anything else…on her.
    “Nothing,” he said, turning away.
    She shoved a fist against his chest and stopped his retreat. “Bull! Don’t give me that,” she said. “I saw the looks…I heard what you weren’t saying. I want to know, and I want to know now.”
    “Well, sometimes you don’t always get what you want, Miss Tyler.” Chance’s drawl was slow and cruel.
    Jenny gasped. It was the first time in their entire relationship that Chance had ever…knowingly…insulted her. Tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked furiously, angry with