Night Thunder by Jill Gregory

Author:Jill Gregory
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307423221
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-12-17T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG?”

Even as Josy asked the question inside her apartment, a horrible thought chilled her blood—maybe he’d found out who she was, what she’d done, and all about Ricky and the diamond.

He was going to place her under arrest.

Cold fear grabbed her, but it turned to astonishment at his next words. “Listen to me, Josy. This is important. I want you to stay away from Chance Roper.”

“What? Why?”

“I can’t tell you that. Just do it, all right?”

Josy reached out and took her key back from him. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with my seeing Chance?”

His jaw clenched. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Chance wouldn’t hurt me. Why do you think he would?”

“How much do you know about him? Did he ever tell you his background? Why he’s here . . . what he did before getting a job at the Crystal Horseshoe?”

“He’s told me a little of it. He worked at a ranch in Tucson. He likes to move around, see different parts of the country. And he doesn’t like to get tied down to one place. So what? What’s it to you?”

“All I can tell you is that you don’t know as much about him as you think. And what you do know . . . it’s not all true.”

She bit her lip, recalling her conversations with Chance—especially during their two casual, friends-only dates.

None of it had seemed off. None of it had seemed like lies or bullshit. She would have sensed that, wouldn’t she?

Like I sensed it with Doug? Maybe she wasn’t as good at reading people as she thought.

“He isn’t married, is he?” she demanded suddenly.

“No. But you need to stay away from him, and that’s all I’m going to say.”

A ripple of anger ran through her. He had no right to push his way into her apartment just to warn her away from Chance, not without giving her a good reason. He had no right . . . and probably no basis for this stupid warning either. But then she remembered what had happened today in Casper.

Chance appearing outside the Buffalo Grill. And ignoring her.

So odd. He must have seen her wave to him, but he hadn’t acknowledged it or come inside to say hello.

He’d stared right through her and then walked away with those two men. The same two men Ty had been watching the other night outside the Tumbleweed Bar and Grill.

A disturbing thought came to her. “He hasn’t broken the law or anything? . . . ” she began, then immediately bit her lip. “Oh, please don’t tell me he’s a suspect in the rustling investigation. Is he?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you’re not denying it.” Distressed, she stared at him, thinking of Chance’s easygoing manner, his friendly flirtation with every woman under ninety. “He isn’t a rustler. Or any kind of criminal.” She shook her head. “He . . . can’t be.”

Ty was quickly reaching the conclusion that he’d only heightened her interest in Roper. He needed to distract her.

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