Kentucky Bride/Kentucky Heat: Bluegrass Reunion Series, #3

By Jan Scarbrough

KENTUCKY BRIDE

Champion equestrienne Aimee Elliott is tired of being Daddy's pampered only child. Working as a horse trainer at an American Saddlebred farm in Kentucky feeds her need for independence, even if it's scary to see if she can make it on her own without her father's millions. But Aimee never expected a past sweetheart to turn up again, especially after she'd rejected him all those years ago.

CEO of a heavy equipment company, Camden Brennan is out to prove his worth to his adopted father. He just needs to get the contract with construction company owner Ray Elliott, but the man is too preoccupied with his wayward daughter to think about business. If Cam can capture the heart of Ray's daughter, he'll not only land the biggest deal of his life, and he might be able to exact revenge on the only woman who ever dumped him. Aimee Elliott holds the key to everything. Does she also still hold the key to his heart?

Aimee's determined to marry for love, but how will she ever know which a man loves more: her or her daddy's money? And how far is Cam willing to go for his business? Can he turn a skittish Kentucky horse trainer into his Kentucky bride?

KENTUCKY HEAT

Playboy Hank Brennan has lived too long in the shadow of his superhero stepbrother. Why keep trying to please his critical father when his stepbrother's running the family business so well? Hank may be a talented painter, but even his mother's small trust fund isn't enough to keep him from being a starving artist, living in his father's pool house in Louisville, Kentucky. Where better to drown his self-pity than a country bar? And who better to understand his pain than a woman with an angelic voice, crooning the sorrowful, blue tunes of another time?

By day, Raylynn Walker trains horses. By night, she sings in a country bar, channeling her inner Patsy Cline, finding healing for her own wounded spirit. The last thing she needs is to try to fix some poor lost soul, acting like a jerk and wallowing in his sorrows. But there's no denying the man is a talented artist. And tempting. Is she crazy to think she can convince Hank he's more than just his daddy's name and fortune, without getting tangled up in his alluring Kentucky heat?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saddle Horse Press
• Release date: Aug 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9780997192087

Jan Scarbrough

Whether it is the Bluegrass of Kentucky, the mountains of Montana, or Medieval England, Jan Scarbrough brings you home with romances from the heart. Jan Scarbrough is the author of two popular Bluegrass series, writing heartwarming contemporary romances about home and family, single moms and children. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town, Southern charm to her books and the excitement of a Bluegrass horse race or a competitive horse show. Leaving her contemporary voice behind, Jan has written paranormal gothic romances: Tangled Memories, a Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart finalist, and Timeless. Her medieval romance, My Lord Raven is a story of honor and betrayal. A member of Novelist, Inc., Jan self-publishes her books with the help of her husband. She has published 26 romances. Jan lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with one rescued dog, one rescued cat, and a husband she rescued 23 years ago. When she isn't writing, she loves to ride American Saddlebred horses, drive grandchildren to activities, and volunteer with Alley Cat Advocates. There is nothing she enjoys more than curling up with a good book. Subscribe to Jan’s monthly newsletter and receive a free eBook.https://janscarbrough.com/contact/

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Kentucky Bride & Kentucky Heat

Kentucky Bride & Kentucky Heat

Bluegrass Reunion Series - Book 3

Jan Scarbrough

Saddle Horse Press

Copyright © 2018 Jan Scarbrough

Scarbrough, Jan

Kentucky Bride & Kentucky Heat

Media > Books > Fiction > Romance Novels

Category/Tags: romance, Kentucky Bluegrass, horses, horse trainer, adopted father, country bar, lost soul

Digital ISBN: 978-0-9971920-8-7

1 st Digital Release: August, 2018

Print ISBN 978-1-7343714-0-6

1 st Print Release January, 2021

Edited by Karen Block

Cover Design by The Killion Group Inc.

All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work, in whole or part, by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is illegal and forbidden.

This is a work of fiction. Characters, settings, names, and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination and bear no resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, places or settings, and/or occurrences. Any incidences of resemblance are purely coincidental.

This edition is published by agreement with Saddle Horse Press, PO Box 221543, Louisville, KY 40252.

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Contents

Kentucky Bride

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Kentucky Heat

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Also by Jan Scarbrough

About the Author

The Bluegrass Reunion Series Returns!

Chapter One - Betting On Love

Thank you!

Kentucky Bride

Champion equestrienne Aimee Elliott is tired of being Daddy’s pampered only child. Working as a horse trainer at an American Saddlebred farm in Kentucky feeds her need for independence, even if it’s scary to see if she can make it on her own without her father’s millions. But Aimee never expected a past sweetheart to turn up again, especially after she’d rejected him all those years ago.

CEO of a heavy equipment company, Camden Brennan is out to prove his worth to his adopted father. He just needs to get the contract with construction company owner Ray Elliott, but the man is too preoccupied with his wayward daughter to think about business. If Cam can capture the heart of Ray’s daughter, he’ll not only land the biggest deal of his life, and he might be able to exact revenge on the only woman who ever dumped him. Aimee Elliott holds the key to everything. Does she also still hold the key to his heart?

Aimee’s determined to marry for love, but how will she ever know which a man loves more: her or her daddy’s money? And how far is Cam willing to go for his business? Can he turn a skittish Kentucky horse trainer into his Kentucky bride?

The Bluegrass Reunion series: Contemporary romances about second chances that can be read as standalone novels with happily ever after endings and no cliffhangers.

Chapter One

Downtown Chicago

Hell, Brennan, this is a nice deal. Construction company owner Ray Elliott riffled through the pages of the thick business proposal with the diligence of a general readying for a campaign.

Relaxing his shoulders, Camden Brennan sank back into the plush leather chair across from Elliott’s polished cherry office desk. He crossed one crisply-pressed trouser leg over the other and brought his fingertips up to touch his lips in a thoughtful steeple as he studied the man who held the future of Brennan Equipment Company in his hands.

With practiced indifference, he hid his true feelings. Half-closed eyes shrouded the gleam of excitement he knew to be in them. Slow and even breathing belied the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Not yet time to celebrate. He was willing to wait for Elliott’s decision, willing to bide his time like a cat stalking its prey. The rewards were huge. A multi-million-dollar deal was in the works; a deal which, if he landed it, would restore a longtime customer to the Brennan fold and prove to his adoptive father that the fifty-year-old company tradition was safe in Cam’s hands.

Winning the Elliott contract had been too important to leave to a mere salesman. With the stiff competition for this project and over two hundred employees depending upon him for work, Cam brought the bid to Chicago himself. Brought it straight into the lion’s den with the confidence of a biblical Daniel.

Ray Elliott was a cagey and worthy foe. Cam knew him well. Elliott hadn’t built the biggest road construction company in the Midwest by being timid. That’s why playing it cool was important. It was part of the game and prelude to the incredible rush Cam always felt when he landed a big contract.

Yet there was more at stake this time. His mother’s cancer and subsequent long recovery had taxed even her second husband’s ability to pay. Cam owed it to the man who adopted him to make the company succeed.

Elliott looked up from the paperwork, his gaze steady and thoughtful, gauging Cam’s reaction. Vince Clayton submitted a bid yesterday that was equally as attractive as yours.

Never flinching to show his surprise, Cam let the words sink in. He wouldn’t put it past Elliott to play bidder against bidder with both heavy equipment companies vying for the business. Cam dropped his hands and sat forward, striving to keep his face blank. Only the trace of movement in his jaw hinted at his anger.

My offer is solid.

Why should I do business with Brennan Equipment when I’ve bought from Clayton for five years? Elliott asked in a clipped voice.

Why? Because you can’t turn me down. I’ve waited for this big deal all my life.

The question was a direct challenge to Cam. To his management of his father’s company. Okay. If Elliott wanted a recital of what he already knew, Cam would give it to him.

As you know, we distribute for several well-known companies, but my best equipment comes directly from Sweden. Clayton’s doesn’t, Cam said. The European parts are assembled in the United States. You can’t beat this manufacturer’s quality or Brennan’s A-1 service department. We have a twenty-four-hour-a-day hotline. Any broken equipment will be up and running within twenty-four hours after you place a service call. We stand by our quality.

Before Elliott had the chance to respond, his secretary tapped twice and opened the office door. Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Elliott, she said, but you told me to let you know if Aimee called.

Thank you, Cynthia. Elliott reached for the phone on his desk. Hate to do this, Brennan, but I’ve been trying to talk to my daughter for three days. Her mother is driving me crazy because we can’t get in touch with the girl. She doesn’t even own a cell phone. He shook his head. You married?

No, sir.

You’ll be married someday, and then you’ll understand how women can make your life miserable. Can’t live with ’em. Can’t live without ’em. Excuse me a moment.

Certainly.

A vein pulsed in Cam’s neck. He shifted his gaze away from the man he’d come to do business with. This was awkward. Damn awkward. He didn’t want to eavesdrop, but Elliott was shouting into the phone.

He stood abruptly and walked to the window of the corner office, putting distance between him and the conversation carried out in upper decibels. On the twenty-ninth floor of a high-rise, he had a panoramic view of the city of Chicago. Beneath him, the El snaked through downtown, and as he looked to the south, the city tapered off into industrial nothingness about a mile away. To the east he spotted landmarks—Grant Park and the Art Institute. Glints of sunlight sparkled off Lake Michigan.

Damn it, Aimee, your mother wants you home for the Renfro’s party in three weeks! Elliott paused as if to steady himself. Then he continued in a controlled whisper. Your mother wants you to meet their nephew from California.

Cam took a deep breath and glanced back at Elliott. The businessman didn’t know Cam had a history with his treasured daughter, Aimee. Granted, not a long one, but he didn’t want Elliott to find out he had once slept with her. They had met at a frat party at the University of Kentucky. He was in graduate school at the time, and she’d just finished her freshman year.

He shrugged mentally. The fling hadn’t lasted long, but it had been hot and intense. It had been fun, if he remembered correctly. Aimee had been full of spunk and a real tigress in bed. No, Elliott didn’t need to know that particular detail about his daughter.

Cam glanced at the cherry credenza in the corner of the office where pictures of Aimee were displayed—a blond child playing with a dog, dressed as a witch for Halloween, and wearing a prom dress. Aimee riding a horse. Always riding a horse.

In all of them, Aimee was smiling at the camera, her blue eyes sharp with determination. A determination Cam recalled well. She’d talked marriage. Cam wasn’t ready and told her so. The timing wasn’t right. He was dealing with the news of his mom’s diagnosis. He was in grad school. Settling down was the farthest thing from his mind.

His mouth tensed. When she told him it was over, he had gone willingly, but not happily. She wasn’t the only fish in the sea—or the only coed at UK.

Still, he had his pride. The gut-wrenching pain of her rejection was something unexpected. He’d tried to forget. He had truly loved her, but she’d taught him a lesson. He didn’t need that kind of emotional involvement. She had been his last relationship, serious or otherwise.

Your mother won’t be happy about this, Cam heard Elliot predict. Then his host slammed down the phone.

Interesting. Steely Ray Elliott bested by his baby girl. Cam’s instincts homed in on the tiny detail in hopes of finding a use for it later.

That girl is too damn independent for her own good, Elliott grumbled under his breath. What she needs is a husband.

Cam returned to his chair and sat down. He leaned back. Problems?

Elliott glanced up, as if just remembering his existence. No, he snapped after a brief hesitation. Then he sat up, visibly pulling himself together. He shuffled through the proposal again, his eyes narrowing on the documents.

A clock chimed somewhere. Minutes ticked away. Looking up again, Elliott leveled a pointed gaze at Cam. You’re from Kentucky. What do you know about horses?

Thoroughbreds?

Hell, no. You can bet on them. They’re worth something. Elliott’s gruff reply sounded disgusted. I’m talking about show horses. Prissy things with set tails and shaved manes. All they do is go around in circles.

Caught off guard, Cam shifted in the chair. I know there are major horse shows in Kentucky during the summer.

You’re right. Elliott nodded. Been there when Aimee showed. Cost me a pretty penny too. I even let her go to school in Kentucky. At the state university. She would have done better at Northwestern or Purdue, but no, nothing would do for her but to be in the heart of ‘horse country’ as she called it.

Cam didn’t know where this was going. He cocked his head and waited. It didn’t seem as if his opinion was required, for Elliott carried on the conversation without any input from him.

My daughter’s got this wild idea about becoming a horse trainer. Hell, that’s a man’s job, but no… He drew out the word no to emphasize it. The girl thinks she can make a career out of it. Now she will disappoint her mother by not coming home for the gala at Renfro’s. I’m going to catch hell for this.

Elliott flipped through the proposal, focused, and once more returned to business. I need to have time to digest the figures.

That’s fine.

I’ve got Clayton’s to review too.

Warning bells rang. How long do you expect to take?

Hell, I don’t need the new equipment for another six months. I was just putting out feelers.

Six months?

That’s right. You got a problem with that?

No. Cam shook his head. But can you tell me how my proposal stacks up? Perhaps I can adjust the figures.

Elliott stood. No need for that. You and Clayton are dead even. I’ll let you know. He extended his hand.

Muscles in Cam’s stomach tightened. He felt as if he’d been sucker punched. Elliott had only been trolling the waters. He had no intention of buying new excavators, loaders, or cranes now. Six months, he’d said. It would be September before Elliott made up his mind. Five more months to sweat it out. This deal was big. Bigger than any other deal in his thirty-year-old life.

Cam jumped to his feet and accepted the offered handshake. Good. I’ll keep in touch.

Yes, do. Elliott ushered him to the door. And Brennan, if you see my daughter in Kentucky, keep an eye on her, will you?

Cam walked through the outer office, offering a thank-you smile to the secretary and exiting into the hall. He pushed the button for the elevator.

He didn’t mind waiting when he was in control of the situation. He could play the game as well as any of his competitors. But he didn’t like not winning the contract outright.

The door opened. Cam stepped into the empty elevator and pushed the first-floor button. How could he influence the decision?

Once again he heard Ray Elliott’s soft words—words the businessman spoke only to himself. What she needs is a husband.

A spike of inspiration jarred Cam, and he straightened his shoulders. Aimee had flustered