Read Online Kentucky Groom by Jan Scarbrough - Free Book Online Page B

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