Kentucky Groom by Jan Scarbrough Page A

underneath the flaps. What a kick in the pants. He was glad Carter couldn’t see him now. His father would roll on the floor with laughter because he had broken Carter’s number one rule—never let a woman get to you.
    Carrie’s cell phone played a loud, jingling ringtone, breaking the strained silence. Jay didn’t turn around as she answered it. He lifted the saddle and placed it in a tack trunk.
    “Oh my, I’m stunned.” Jay heard Carrie say. “Thank you. Yes, I’ll call you Monday.”
    He heard the snap as she closed the phone. Turning around, he found her face had paled beneath her tan. Quickly, he went to her. “Carrie, what’s wrong?” He grasped her hands, connecting to her. “Is it bad news?”
    “No, it’s good news actually.” Her gaze leveled on his.
    “Can you tell me?”
    “My lawyer says someone has bought Tate’s business.”
    “Did he say who?”
    “No, he doesn’t know. He dealt with another lawyer.”
    Jay was silent. He gently rubbed her hands with his thumbs. Her skin felt like soft velvet. After a long moment, he drew a deep breath. “I suppose this eases your financial pressure a little.”
    She searched his face. “I guess so. I’ll have to think this through. It’s so sudden.”
    “You’ll be able to keep Dr. Doolittle now.”
    Carrie nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.”
    “Maybe now you’ll be able to give me that chance I asked for.” His whisper was a plea from his heart. “Remember, I won’t always be a caretaker of horses. I’m ambitious.”
    She hesitated. As if in slow motion she stood. Taking her hands from his, she slipped her arms around his neck. She felt so good. She smelled of suntan lotion. Jay clutched her to his chest. The rise and fall of her breast was like a welcome homecoming.
    “Jay, taking a chance is hard for me,” Carrie murmured into his ear, “but at this moment, I’ll be happy to let my heart have its lead.”

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
     
    Wildwood Stables
Days later
     
     
    “Have you ever ridden a five-gaited horse?” Jay asked.
    “No.” Carrie looked steadily into his hazel eyes. She sensed his nearness, the soft touch of his breath upon her face, the tangy scent of his aftershave. She felt a familiar tug at her heart and a longing so large that made her insides ache.
    “It’s easy, Mom,” Jesse spoke up.
    Carrie turned an amused glance at her daughter who had just saved her from falling into an intimate situation, one she’d prefer to avoid at the moment. “Easy for you to say. You’re younger than I am.”
    “Aw, c’mon. Don’t be afraid.”
    Carrie knew she wasn’t actually afraid, just a bit nervous. She’d always wanted to ride Dr. Doolittle and try out his wonderful slow, four-beat gait. With Mary out of town, Jay had volunteered to teach her weekly riding lesson, so Carrie found herself standing next to this virile man and fighting to avoid what could become a compromising situation.
    “You need to be a bit of a cowboy to ride a five-gaited horse.” Jay slid the stirrup iron down the leather with a sharp pop.
    “Cowboy? I’ll disregard that politically incorrect remark.”
    Jay rolled his eyes. “Okay, cowgirl. I’m ready for you to mount.”
    “Yes, sir.” Carrie didn’t mind his good-natured ribbing.
    Jay held the horse’s head. “You don’t need a leg-up do you?”
    “No way!”
    Doolittle, at just an inch short of full horse status, was able to compete as a pony in children’s classes. In all honesty, she could have used a leg-up, but Carrie was not sure she could survive the intimacy of one from Jay—not with her daughter watching. The thought of him touching her leg and tossing her into the saddle did crazy things to her insides. Carrie put her left foot into the stirrup and pulled herself into the saddle.
    “Graceful,” Jay remarked under his breath.
    “Oh, go shovel horse manure,” Carrie shot back.
    He grinned up at her. Because she had made a conscious decision to let Jay