knew that Henry was chiding her for her choice of partner.
“Shut up!” she mouthed silently to Henry, and accentuated her warning with a sharp glare.
He grinned, tilted his hat, and led the two horses off to be brushed down, and then watered and fed.
“Oooh,” Nelson moaned, as he stumbled on the uneven ground.
He was humiliated and angry with himself. He wished he’d never set foot on Texas soil. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of bedding and wedding Jenny Tyler and investing all that money.
“You’ll be okay,” Jenny said. “I’ll get Juana to put an ice pack on it for you and then one of the men can drive you back to your motel in Tyler.”
“I don’t think I’m up to that,” Nelson mumbled, seeing an opportunity arising from the incident. “I’m going to have to impose on your hospitality. I’ll ask Marcus if I can spend the night. My head hurts too much to consider the drive.”
Jenny wished she’d never seen Nelson Turnbull, but it was too late for that. She’d already encouraged him more than she should have, simply by going out to dinner last night in such a flamboyant manner. Offering him a bed was the least she could do after almost leaving his head on that limb back in the pasture.
“Certainly,” she said. “There’s an empty bedroom next to Marcus. You two can talk business to your heart’s content.”
Upon entering the house, Marcus began an instant commiseration at the sight of blood.
Jenny stomped off to her room, stripped herself of her clothes, and spent the next twenty minutes standing beneath the shower crying mad. She wasn’t really crying, she told herself as she blew her nose with the washcloth. It didn’t count if she cried in the shower. The tears just washed down the drain.
She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, blew her nose once more for good measure, and began to dry herself. If Nelson Turnbull isn’t gone when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll send him down the damned drain, too !
4
“ Jenny Tyler, where are you going? Your daddy’s still got company at the table.”
Jenny jumped, startled and guilty at being caught slipping out of the kitchen door.
“You scared me,” she accused, glaring at the housekeeper who was standing in the doorway.
Juana glared back. “I’m waiting for my answer.”
Jenny sighed and slumped against the kitchen door. She eyed the stubborn expression on Juana’s face. She’d seen it before.
“I’m going for a walk,” she muttered. “He doesn’t need me,” she said, tossing her head toward the dining room.
“Marcus may not agree with you, young lady,” Juana argued. “You and I both know a certain young man at that table was invited especially for your benefit.”
Jenny bristled. “I’m well aware of Marcus’s invitations. They’ve been frequent and none too subtle. Nelson Turnbull wasn’t gone two days when this man was shoved in his place. Why does he do things like this? Doesn’t he think I’m capable of finding someone on my own? I don’t want to sit across the table from any more men who spend half their time flirting, and the other half wondering how much Marcus is worth.”
“Whatever he’s doing, you’re letting it happen,” Juana said.
Jenny blanched at the truth of Juana’s accusation. Still she argued. “I’m right and you know it. But he’s crazy if he thinks he can treat me like his damned breeding stock. I am no longer on the market. And, I’ll pick my own man.” With that, Jenny pushed her way out the kitchen door, letting it slam sharply behind her.
Juana sighed as she watched Jenny stomp toward the barns. She knew the true cause of Jenny’s anger had little to do with Marcus’s manipulations. Jenny had already picked out her man. He just wasn’t cooperating.
Chance stalked through the horse barn, angrily pushing a bucket back into place against the wall, muttering under his breath about the carelessness of the horse trainer who’d been hired
“Shut up!” she mouthed silently to Henry, and accentuated her warning with a sharp glare.
He grinned, tilted his hat, and led the two horses off to be brushed down, and then watered and fed.
“Oooh,” Nelson moaned, as he stumbled on the uneven ground.
He was humiliated and angry with himself. He wished he’d never set foot on Texas soil. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of bedding and wedding Jenny Tyler and investing all that money.
“You’ll be okay,” Jenny said. “I’ll get Juana to put an ice pack on it for you and then one of the men can drive you back to your motel in Tyler.”
“I don’t think I’m up to that,” Nelson mumbled, seeing an opportunity arising from the incident. “I’m going to have to impose on your hospitality. I’ll ask Marcus if I can spend the night. My head hurts too much to consider the drive.”
Jenny wished she’d never seen Nelson Turnbull, but it was too late for that. She’d already encouraged him more than she should have, simply by going out to dinner last night in such a flamboyant manner. Offering him a bed was the least she could do after almost leaving his head on that limb back in the pasture.
“Certainly,” she said. “There’s an empty bedroom next to Marcus. You two can talk business to your heart’s content.”
Upon entering the house, Marcus began an instant commiseration at the sight of blood.
Jenny stomped off to her room, stripped herself of her clothes, and spent the next twenty minutes standing beneath the shower crying mad. She wasn’t really crying, she told herself as she blew her nose with the washcloth. It didn’t count if she cried in the shower. The tears just washed down the drain.
She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, blew her nose once more for good measure, and began to dry herself. If Nelson Turnbull isn’t gone when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll send him down the damned drain, too !
4
“ Jenny Tyler, where are you going? Your daddy’s still got company at the table.”
Jenny jumped, startled and guilty at being caught slipping out of the kitchen door.
“You scared me,” she accused, glaring at the housekeeper who was standing in the doorway.
Juana glared back. “I’m waiting for my answer.”
Jenny sighed and slumped against the kitchen door. She eyed the stubborn expression on Juana’s face. She’d seen it before.
“I’m going for a walk,” she muttered. “He doesn’t need me,” she said, tossing her head toward the dining room.
“Marcus may not agree with you, young lady,” Juana argued. “You and I both know a certain young man at that table was invited especially for your benefit.”
Jenny bristled. “I’m well aware of Marcus’s invitations. They’ve been frequent and none too subtle. Nelson Turnbull wasn’t gone two days when this man was shoved in his place. Why does he do things like this? Doesn’t he think I’m capable of finding someone on my own? I don’t want to sit across the table from any more men who spend half their time flirting, and the other half wondering how much Marcus is worth.”
“Whatever he’s doing, you’re letting it happen,” Juana said.
Jenny blanched at the truth of Juana’s accusation. Still she argued. “I’m right and you know it. But he’s crazy if he thinks he can treat me like his damned breeding stock. I am no longer on the market. And, I’ll pick my own man.” With that, Jenny pushed her way out the kitchen door, letting it slam sharply behind her.
Juana sighed as she watched Jenny stomp toward the barns. She knew the true cause of Jenny’s anger had little to do with Marcus’s manipulations. Jenny had already picked out her man. He just wasn’t cooperating.
Chance stalked through the horse barn, angrily pushing a bucket back into place against the wall, muttering under his breath about the carelessness of the horse trainer who’d been hired
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