Kentucky Groom by Jan Scarbrough Read Free Book Online Page A

help Carrie.
    Turning his back on the quiet pasture scene, he leaned against the fence and stared at the barn. He was where he wanted to be. He never wanted to go back to California—back to the rat race of Preston Computers—back to pleasing Carter. As he considered the consequences of his erratic thoughts, his breathing grew labored. He didn’t have to go back to Carter’s company. He just had to get his money out of the bank. Then he could help Carrie.
    Selling her husband’s business meant Carrie would be able to maintain her daughter’s lifestyle. All Carrie wanted to do was make her daughter happy. All Jay wanted to do was see Carrie happy.
    What he wanted more than anything was to lift the burden from Carrie’s shoulders. He wanted to protect her—love her. That was the crux of the problem. He wanted to love her, but he didn’t know how except to buy the business.
    He took a quick breath. If he bought the retail business, he must do it anonymously. Carrie would find out he’d been lying to her. He didn’t want her to know he was Carter Preston’s son and a millionaire in his own right. If he came charging in like a knight on a white horse, she’d have to thank him, and he didn’t want her gratitude. All he wanted from her was her love—for himself, not his money, faults and all.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
     
    A small Kentucky county horse show
     
     
    “Bump him back!” Mary called as Jesse and Dr. Doolittle passed by her as she stood on the rail. “Good girl. Now urge him on!”
    Carrie gripped the wooden railing. Hot June sun pelted her, causing sweat to bead on her brow. Or was it just the nerves she felt watching Jesse and four other little girls compete on five-gaited ponies? Horse shows were bad for her health. She was convinced of it.
    Horse shows and Jay Preston.
    Carrie glanced across the show ring where he was positioned on the rail calling out instructions to Jesse when she passed him by. From his days in competition, he knew a lot about showing horses. Even at this distance, Carrie saw the flame of his hair and the confidence of his stance.
    Her heartbeats matched the four-beat cadence of the horses’ racking gaits. She lifted her hand to shade her eyes from the sun. What was it about this man? He drew her into his spell. Shamelessly, she couldn’t get enough of him. Once again, she’d hung around the stable all week.
    She had allowed him to kiss her. It had been sweet and satisfying, leaving her longing for more. At the same time, she had felt a surge of guilt. Was she leading him on? Was she lying to him? To herself?
    When she had tried to ease his embarrassment over his lack of cash, she had been sincere. What did it matter that he couldn’t pay for dinner? It had been a simple mistake. She had revealed her money problems to let him know she wasn’t really rich like most of these parents. She didn’t want him to feel bad, that’s all. But her candor may have backfired. He was falling in love with her. It was flattering.
    Yet did she want the burden of his love?
    Carrie lowered her hand back to the railing and squinted against the sunshine. The awful truth was that she couldn’t afford to let her heart rule her head. She had Jesse to consider. If she truly cared for Jay, she couldn’t lead him on because the hard truth was she couldn’t let herself fall in love with a penniless groom.
    “She’s got this class won,” Mary said in a loud voice.
    Carrie glanced at her. “You think so?”
    “Yes. Here’s the line-up.”
    Five riders stopped their horses in a line facing the audience. Parked out right in front of them, Doolittle snorted and bobbed his head. Jesse settled into the saddle, stretched down her heels and smiled at them. Carrie’s heart burst with a mother’s pride. The judge started down the line inspecting each horse and rider, much as Mary had inspected Jesse in her lesson.
    “She looked great!” Jay came up beside Carrie.
    “I know.” She