herself for giving in to the feeling and angry with him for causing it.
Chance groaned. He’d seen the tears, and he knew she didn’t deserve pain.
“You don’t have to remind me,” Jenny said, and spun around, intent on putting as much space between them as possible before the tears began to run.
“Wait!”
She stopped but refused to turn around.
“What?” Anger kept her back straight and defiant.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “But there are things in my life that you don’t understand. There are things I can’t change.” The pain was thick in his voice as he finished. “I wish to hell I could…but I can’t. And as for Walters and his son…don’t mess with them…. Okay?”
Her pause showed him that she’d gotten the message.
“Okay,” she said. When she turned around, he was gone.
Jenny stuffed her hands into her jacket pocket, stepped off the porch, and wandered down toward the barns. She’d been aware of the activity in the main corrals all afternoon but had been stuck inside the house entertaining the latest of Marcus’s friends who’d come calling. The horse show had come and gone, but Marcus had obviously not given up. Neither had Jenny. She was back to her old plan of trying to make Chance jealous.
Today, it seemed hopeless. He kept ignoring her and the silent treatment she was receiving was breaking her heart. After the incident at the horse show, he’d dodged her with precision and determination.
“How’s it going?” she asked, smiling at Henry.
She rested her chin on her forearms and leaned against the top rail, watching the last of the mares being led out to the corral where Cheyenne was standing at stud.
“’Bout the same as usual,” Henry drawled. It didn’t take a mind reader to figure out what had been going on up at the house. And it was obvious from the look on his Jenny’s face that she was less than excited about the prospective son-in-laws her father had paraded through the Triple T. “How ’bout you?”
Jenny snorted. It was enough said.
Chance came around the corner of the barns. The surge of excitement at seeing her dimmed as he realized what she’d been enduring. She hadn’t been lying to him. After the array of men Marcus had paraded before her the other day, Chance had no doubts that he was serious. Marcus Tyler really was searching for a husband for his daughter. What hurt Chance most was the fact that Jenny didn’t seem to give a damn who won the prize, the prize being her. This passive Jenny was not the woman he knew.
“Is this the last one?” Henry asked, as Chance walked up beside them.
Chance nodded. The trio stood in silence as the mare was led to the impatiently waiting stallion, then whinnied apprehensively even though she was ready to be bred. Her shrill scream sounded of panic, and Jenny blinked back tears as she watched the powerful stallion dancing and circling the mare, finally cornering her as he mounted, biting sharply at the back of her neck as the mating began.
“What’s wrong, Jenny?” Henry asked. He’d seen the sudden spurt of tears and been shocked by the fact that she had then buried her head in her arms, refusing to watch what had always been commonplace for her.
“It doesn’t matter to Marcus whether or not I love the man I marry. It only matters that I live with him, sleep with him, and produce offspring…hopefully a boy. He’s never asked me if I liked any of these men, or even loved one. As far as Marcus is concerned, I’m just a damned brood mare for the Triple T. That’s what’s the matter. Dammit, Henry. He doesn’t even know me!”
Henry’s mouth twisted with concern as he turned to stare at Chance.
Chance returned the stare, unblinking, giving away nothing of the pain shooting through him.
Henry shrugged, patted Jenny awkwardly on the shoulder and walked away, unable to alleviate any of her fears. He’d like to punch Marcus Tyler in the nose. The man couldn’t see what was right in
Chance groaned. He’d seen the tears, and he knew she didn’t deserve pain.
“You don’t have to remind me,” Jenny said, and spun around, intent on putting as much space between them as possible before the tears began to run.
“Wait!”
She stopped but refused to turn around.
“What?” Anger kept her back straight and defiant.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “But there are things in my life that you don’t understand. There are things I can’t change.” The pain was thick in his voice as he finished. “I wish to hell I could…but I can’t. And as for Walters and his son…don’t mess with them…. Okay?”
Her pause showed him that she’d gotten the message.
“Okay,” she said. When she turned around, he was gone.
Jenny stuffed her hands into her jacket pocket, stepped off the porch, and wandered down toward the barns. She’d been aware of the activity in the main corrals all afternoon but had been stuck inside the house entertaining the latest of Marcus’s friends who’d come calling. The horse show had come and gone, but Marcus had obviously not given up. Neither had Jenny. She was back to her old plan of trying to make Chance jealous.
Today, it seemed hopeless. He kept ignoring her and the silent treatment she was receiving was breaking her heart. After the incident at the horse show, he’d dodged her with precision and determination.
“How’s it going?” she asked, smiling at Henry.
She rested her chin on her forearms and leaned against the top rail, watching the last of the mares being led out to the corral where Cheyenne was standing at stud.
“’Bout the same as usual,” Henry drawled. It didn’t take a mind reader to figure out what had been going on up at the house. And it was obvious from the look on his Jenny’s face that she was less than excited about the prospective son-in-laws her father had paraded through the Triple T. “How ’bout you?”
Jenny snorted. It was enough said.
Chance came around the corner of the barns. The surge of excitement at seeing her dimmed as he realized what she’d been enduring. She hadn’t been lying to him. After the array of men Marcus had paraded before her the other day, Chance had no doubts that he was serious. Marcus Tyler really was searching for a husband for his daughter. What hurt Chance most was the fact that Jenny didn’t seem to give a damn who won the prize, the prize being her. This passive Jenny was not the woman he knew.
“Is this the last one?” Henry asked, as Chance walked up beside them.
Chance nodded. The trio stood in silence as the mare was led to the impatiently waiting stallion, then whinnied apprehensively even though she was ready to be bred. Her shrill scream sounded of panic, and Jenny blinked back tears as she watched the powerful stallion dancing and circling the mare, finally cornering her as he mounted, biting sharply at the back of her neck as the mating began.
“What’s wrong, Jenny?” Henry asked. He’d seen the sudden spurt of tears and been shocked by the fact that she had then buried her head in her arms, refusing to watch what had always been commonplace for her.
“It doesn’t matter to Marcus whether or not I love the man I marry. It only matters that I live with him, sleep with him, and produce offspring…hopefully a boy. He’s never asked me if I liked any of these men, or even loved one. As far as Marcus is concerned, I’m just a damned brood mare for the Triple T. That’s what’s the matter. Dammit, Henry. He doesn’t even know me!”
Henry’s mouth twisted with concern as he turned to stare at Chance.
Chance returned the stare, unblinking, giving away nothing of the pain shooting through him.
Henry shrugged, patted Jenny awkwardly on the shoulder and walked away, unable to alleviate any of her fears. He’d like to punch Marcus Tyler in the nose. The man couldn’t see what was right in
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