Kentucky Groom

by Jan Scarbrough

  His mind and body revved with the contact. Carrie’s whole leg trembled at his touch. He deliberately ran both his hands down her calf to her ankle. Then he let his fingers linger on the heel of her boot. He gazed up at her, telling himself that seducing her wasn’t safe, not here and now.

  She was staring at him with a transfixed look. “Are my hands okay?” Her voice was husky.

  Her question came to him as if far away. He felt a strange tingle as if he were floating through another dimension. “No, they should be higher.” He touched her gloved hands in an intimate way. “Now look between the horse’s ears.”

  Carrie complied, and he stepped back as much to relieve his tension as to play the horse show game. He made himself circle behind the horse, noticing Carrie’s erect posture and the heavy blond braid hanging down her back.

  “And the winner is....Carrie Mercer, riding Dr. Doolittle,” he said coming to the left side of the horse.

  “Class is rigged. Judge was bribed,” Jesse teased.

  Taking a ragged breath, Jay glanced quickly at the child, but was drawn back to her mother. Carrie watched him. She also seemed to be having trouble breathing. He hoped he was having an effect on her, just as she was having on him.

  “Let me help you down.” He took the horse’s reins in his left hand and stood to the side.

  Carrie swung her leg over the saddle, balanced for a second, and then dropped to the sawdust. When she turned, she turned right into his arms. Jay battled the urge to kiss her, to run his fingers along the soft angle of her jaw, to sweep her off her feet and carry her to some secluded hideaway like an Arab sheik.

  “Hey, don’t you two get goofy on me,” Jesse whined.

  Carrie blushed and laughed, breaking apart. With Jay leading the pony, together they turned to walk out of the arena. “Goofy” was a good word to describe how he felt. Goofy and reckless. And a whole lot lucky.

  * * * *

  Carrie felt the thrill of the final night of the Lexington Junior League Horse Show. This prestigious show brought glamour and excitement and bright lights to the Bluegrass. It brought out the equine stars and the human ones. It attracted the rich and the not-so rich, even drawing an eighth grade school teacher and her date, a lowly stable groom.

  The thought made Carrie smile to herself and grow warm with a glow of love. For some reason, the disparity in their background didn’t mean as much to her as it once did. Perhaps she was getting to know him too well for that kind of thing to matter.

  They made a handsome couple, Carrie decided as she glanced sideways at Jay. With his shock of copper-colored hair and her honey blond braid, they had already caught the attention of several passers-by. But maybe it was more than that. Maybe it was his navy blazer, khaki trousers, pale blue Oxford cloth shirt and maroon patterned tie. Or maybe it was just the looks of love he showered on her as freely as a happy dog wags his tail. Carrie felt surrounded by Jay’s love, protected and warm, as if enveloped in a cushioned cocoon of his own making. She knew she responded to his show of love by a glow that seemed to well within her, transforming itself to the dreamy smile on her face.

  “Do you want a corn dog?” he asked somberly.

  “You’ve got to be kidding. Ruin our image?” She glanced down at her own elegant, black cocktail dress and spiky heels.

  Jay shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re hungry.” She was being selfish because of her enthusiasm about seeing the show.

  “You know us growing boys,” he tossed back.

  “Growing boys, my foot.” Carrie poked him in the arm with her fingertip.

  “Hey, what can I say?” The twinkle in his eye was infectious.

  Carrie sighed. “Okay. I’m not interested in the fine harness horses. Let’s go find something to eat, but not corn dogs.”

  “And this time, I do have money.”

  That grin again. Carrie shook her head pretending to be put out with him. She rose to her feet. What a charmer.

  They excused themselves and left the box seats Mary had given them. Wildwood Stables didn’t have any riders competing at the Lexington show, so not having to work, Jay had surprised Carrie with Mary’s unused tickets. It was a special date. Not only because Carrie had never seen this fine horse show, but because she was alone, once again, with Jay. Jesse was back in Louisville with a babysitter.

  They picked their way up the stairs. Held at the Red Mile, a harness horse track, the area behind the stands was covered with booths displaying every conceivable item guaranteed to attract the attention of wealthy horse lovers. A counter of gold jewelry caught Carrie’s eye, and she glanced up at Jay.

  “Go ahead. I’ll see how long the wait is at the restaurant.”

  Carrie wandered from the cases of earrings to the table full of sweaters and other riding apparel. She lost herself in looking, a pastime she rarely allowed herself, and reflected about how comfortable her relationship with Jay had become. Sometimes she thought it was too good to be true. Sometimes she thought she would wake up and all of the happiness she felt would be a mere dream.

  After fifteen minutes, when Jay didn’t return, she grew anxious. Searching the crowded area for him was like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. With a sigh, she strolled toward the restaurant.

  She saw him from a distance. Who could miss his striking hair? But as she sped up to cross the room to him, she also noticed the woman by his side—a striking blond with a puff of hair the color of champagne. Her heart took a dive. The woman clutched Jay’s arm like a magnet and stared up at him with calf-like eyes. Even from the distance, she recognized the smugness on the woman’s face.

  Stopping, Carrie caught her breath. The woman’s flashy designer dress put her own out-of-date sheathe to shame. With her plain braid and unpolished nails, Carrie suddenly felt dowdy and a bit like the widow she was. Who had she been kidding anyway? Jay was young and single after all. What had made her think he would care about a woman tied down with a child?

  Just as her heart began to rip, the woman turned from Jay toward a balding man old enough to be her father. As Carrie saw the woman clutch this man’s arm possessively, she felt relief. Now she saw it. The massive diamond on the other woman’s finger shouted “married” as clearly as the look in her eyes.

  With another sigh, Carrie focused on the older man. There was something familiar about him. She had seen him somewhere. Curious, she walked nearer, realizing she’d seen his picture several times in Saddlebred magazines. He was a millionaire who had owned a stable of expensive champions, the kind that won the biggest and best shows. He was from California. But that’s all she could remember. She couldn’t think of his name.

  Dismissing him, she turned her attention back to Jay and for the first time noticed the strained look in his eyes and the tense line of his lips. Something was wrong. Her natural instinct to defend her own kicked in.

  “Jay.” She approached the trio.

  Jay looked uncomfortable but held out his hand to her. A few steps away, she took his hand and moved possessively to stand by his side. His fingers felt damp.

  “Jay, is this your lovely date?” The old man’s eyes seemed to show appreciation.

  “Yes, this is Carrie.”

  Carrie thought his tone sounded constrained. She glanced at him.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” the other woman purred.

  Jay cleared his throat. “Carrie, this is my stepmother Lori, and this is my father Carter Preston.”

  Chapter Seven

  Carrie was dumbfounded. She stood still, her gaze flicking back and forth between Jay and his father. The silence among them was eerie. She couldn’t speak herself, couldn’t move. She felt the steel grip of Jay’s fingers and heard his raspy breathing.

  It didn’t matter that she could see the similarity to Jay in his father’s eyes or recognize the tinge of red mixed in the white of his father’s hair. All that mattered was the sense of betrayal that ate at her the way
acid ate the face of a penny.

  Jay’s father inclined his head cordially. “We’re about to have dinner. Will you and Jay join us, Miss?”

  “It’s Mrs. Mercer.” Carrie quickly filled in the blank. Jay had not told his father her name.

  “Ah, Mrs. Mercer.” His father nodded as if understanding some deep, dark secret.

  “We were just going back to our seats.” Jay began to pull her away.

  “Well, happy to meet you, Mrs. Mercer. Maybe we’ll meet again soon.” The words Jay’s father spoke fell over them like a shadow.

  “Yes, maybe we will,” Jay answered for them, tugging once more on her hand.

  Carrie allowed herself to be drawn away, then shuffled down the steps and into her seat. Picking up her program, she gripped it for support.

  Jay was nervous. She could tell by the way he ran his hand through his hair and sent sharp glances her way. Carrie couldn’t say a word. She couldn’t vent the anger and hurt that was beginning to boil inside her like a rumbling volcano. These revelations were too fresh. She had to readjust her perspective—her view of the man beside her.

  Slowly, her fingers curled around the pages of the program as the impact of the revelation began to sink in. Jay Preston was the son of Carter Preston, a multi-millionaire. Jay was not a penniless groom. He was filthy rich like his father. She should have known the truth, because of his appearance at summer camp that year. He was Carter’s son and probably had ridden expensive champions all his life. He must have laughed at her devotion to a cheap pony.

  Besides, the story he had told her about being at odds with his father appeared to be blatantly untrue. Why would the man stand before them smiling, asking them to dinner, if he had severed his relationship with his son? More importantly, why had Jay lied to her pretending to be Mary Wilder’s groom? Anger surged through her, cramping her stomach. Mary had hinted about Jay not being so down on his luck. She’d known the truth. That betrayal chaffed too.

  His whole charade of being a groom had been an ugly game. Carrie’s heart seemed to stop. She had been the playing piece shoved across the game board. She let out a slow breath. If Jay had lied about his background, what else had he lied about? His love?

  “I want to go home.” Carrie’s voice sounded like dead weight.

  Jay looked down at Carrie. He knew what was coming and he feared it. Of all the dumb luck to run into his father. He wanted to kick the old man and his flashy blond wife all the way back to California.

  “I want to go home,” she repeated.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  She walked ahead of him up the stairs. He caught up with her at the head of the stairs and tried to take her hand.

  Carrie jerked away from his attempted contact. “I’m finished playing games.”

  Damn. He couldn’t talk to her as she purposely marched from the crowded horse show facility. He was out of control, and reduced to the groveling idiot he’d always been around Carter. Or at least that’s how he felt in the wake of Carrie’s anger. He could sense the chill that had settled over her by the tenseness in her shoulders and the grim line of her mouth. Heck, the way she walked, as if trying to flee him, was indication enough.

  They reached his Mustang. He unlocked the door and Carrie shouldered past him into the seat. Jay shut the door and took a cleansing breath. As he walked around the back of the car, he glanced up at the twinkling stars, tiny flickers of light in the vast summer sky. When he reached the driver’s side, Jay took hold of the door handle and stood quietly a moment. He would not bow and scrape to Carrie. His days of abasing himself were over when he had left Preston Computers. Maybe Carrie would understand when he explained himself.

  Resolved, he slipped into the car where the atmosphere was decidedly chilly. Jay put the key into the ignition and then placed both his hands firmly on the stirring wheel.

  “My father and I had disagreed. He’d disowned me. That is why I’m in Kentucky,” he said.

  “You were having a cozy conversation just now. It seems your father has had a change of heart.” Carrie’s tone was blistering. She stared straight ahead.

  “Yes, it seems so.”

  “You lied to me.”

  “No I didn’t.”

  Carrie turned on him, her eyes blazing. “Oh, don’t give me that. You misrepresented yourself.”

  “No, I didn’t. When I came to Kentucky, I had no family, and I needed a job. Mary was kind enough to give me one.”

  “Mary,” Carrie spat. “She knew who you were. She didn’t tell me.”

  “I asked her to keep my background confidential. She was just doing what I asked.”

  Carrie sat back and threw up her hands. “That’s just great.”

  Jay removed his hands from the wheel and shifted in the seat to focus on her. “Look, Carrie, I was trying to start fresh. I was sick and tired of my father and everything he represented. I wanted a simpler lifestyle.”

  “Great,” she restated. “But did that give you the right to lie to me?”

  “I didn’t lie.”

  “You didn’t tell me the truth.”

  “It wasn’t important.” He touched her arm.

  Carrie flinched. “Not important? You completely hid one of the most important parts of your life and let me believe you were a stable groom.”

  Jay drew back. “I am a stable groom, and I didn’t think my background mattered. I wanted someone to care about me for myself, not because I was the son of a wealthy man.”

  “You hid your identity and tricked me and my daughter.”

  “I just hid the fact that my father has money. I didn’t lie to you about who I am. You know the real me. You knew me from summer camp.” Jay felt his face growing hot. This was harder than he imagined. “What if you’d known about my father’s wealth? You’d have been just like the other women in my life who said they cared about me because of my father’s money.”

  She considered him for a moment. “You don’t get it, do you?”

  Jay’s gaze connected with hers for an instant. She wore a look of earnestness and hurt. He sighed. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re so caught up in your selfish view of things that you don’t understand I can never trust you again. If you can lie to me about something as important as this, how will I know you haven’t lied to me about your love?”

  Carrie’s indictment blew him away. Jay slid a hand through his hair. “You have to take my word for it.”

  “Your word isn’t good enough anymore.” Carrie’s voice was like a knife in his back.

  How would he convince her? How could he express the ache of love he felt for her all the time? He swallowed a knot of agony and wiped his damp palms on his khakis. Resigned, he turned on the ignition.

  “I never wanted your gratitude,” he told her as he pulled out of the parking lot. “Just your love.”

  She didn’t say anything. He drove onto the Lexington street and then turned right to head home. Damn. He’d made such a mess of things already that he’d better tell her the whole truth. He steeled himself against her coming fury.

  “That’s why I didn’t tell you about Tate’s business.”

  “What does Tate’s business have to do with this?”

  “I bought it,” Jay admitted.

  “You bought it?” Carrie practically shot out of her seat she was so angry. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I wanted to help you.” He glanced at her quickly and then returned his concentration to the roadway.

  “Help me?”

  “Yes, you told me you couldn’t keep Doolittle for Jesse if you didn’t sell the business,” he reminded her.

  “But I didn’t expect you to buy it.”

  “I know you didn’t, but I wanted to. I told you I loved you. I didn’t want to see you worried about money.”

  “But I thought you didn’t have money.” Her statement was a challenge. “Remember, you didn’t even have money to pay the dinner bill.”

  “But I did.
It was just tied up in a California bank. I didn’t want to use it here in Kentucky. I wanted another way of life.” Jay’s hands tightened on the wheel.

  “So, now you have money. Do you expect this sob story about being a poor little rich boy to change the fact you lied to me?”

  “No, nothing can change the fact I didn’t tell you everything.” He refused to concede her point.

  “You draw a fine line.”

  “I suppose so, but you must admit if you’d known about the money, our relationship wouldn’t be the same. As it is, you’ve chosen to work on a relationship with me. By doing so, you put your trust in me when you had no assurance I’d improve my lot in life beyond that of a stable groom.”

  “That’s not a fair assessment,” she stated.

  “It is and the fact that I didn’t have money was affecting your decision at first. Now does the fact I may inherit millions make a difference?” Jay pressed his point.

  “What makes a difference is that you lied to me.” Carrie’s statement was cool and precise.

  “That’s your take on it.”

  “And my opinion is what counts with me,” she said firmly.

  “Even if it’s not true?”

  “That’s what you believe. As it is, I can’t justify continuing our relationship.”

  Jay didn’t want to quibble. He left the field of battle momentarily, his stomach churning from the disagreement. Turning left onto the Interstate, he accelerated and wished he could race away from his problems as quickly as the car traveled the darkened highway.

  * * * *

  Surviving the trip back to Louisville was the hardest thing Carrie had done since Tate’s death. She sat with her hands clasped on her lap, her eyes focused on the approaching headlights. The strained silence was heavy with Jay’s unspoken recriminations.

  She had trusted the man. Trusted him enough to tell him about her finances and her fears for her child. Trusted him enough to open her heart and take a chance. He said he had his reasons for deceiving her. She had been a schoolteacher long enough to have heard excuses from her pupils, and she had known when to quit listening to them, to force the student to accept responsibility for his actions. Just as Jay now had to be accountable for his lie.