Kentucky Rain: Bluegrass Reunion Series, #7

By Jan Scarbrough

Kate Lawrence's rose-colored glasses are rudely yanked off when her divorce leaves her without her home, her friends, and her identity as the perfect stay-at-home wife and mother. She heads to her hometown in Kentucky's Bluegrass Region to create a new life for herself and the only person that really matters, her daughter. With her heart still fragile and hurt, she's not prepared for the old sweetheart she finds living right next door.

Security consultant and confirmed bachelor Scott Gray could have told Kate her marriage would never work out when she'd chosen another man over him ten years ago. But when he discovers she and her daughter are his new tenants, he's stunned to realize he's been secretly carrying a torch for her all these years, and it's suddenly burning hotter than he ever expected.

Kate thought her dreams of love were dead and buried. As dead as her marriage…and her heart. Does Scott really want to forget the past and move on? Or can he convince Kate to step out of the cold Kentucky rain and into a bright new future with him?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saddle Horse Press
• Release date: May 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9780999247440

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/

Book preview

Preface

Kate Lawrence’s rose-colored glasses are rudely yanked off when her divorce leaves her without her home, her friends, and her identity as the perfect stay-at-home wife and mother. She heads to her hometown in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region to create a new life for herself and the only person that really matters, her daughter. With her heart still fragile and hurt, she’s not prepared for the old sweetheart she finds living right next door.

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Security consultant and confirmed bachelor Scott Gray could have told Kate her marriage would never work out when she’d chosen another man over him ten years ago. But when he discovers she and her daughter are his new tenants, he’s stunned to realize he’s been secretly carrying a torch for her all these years, and it’s suddenly burning hotter than he ever expected.

---

Kate thought her dreams of love were dead and buried. As dead as her marriage…and her heart. Does Scott really want to forget the past and move on? Or can he convince Kate to step out of the cold Kentucky rain and into a bright new future with him?

Chapter One

I-64 between Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky

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Sheets of rain pummeled the windshield, the steady flap-flap-flap of the wiper blades filling the silence of the SUV. Kate Lawrence gripped the steering wheel, unsure whether her blurred vision came from the glare of oncoming headlights reflecting off the rain or from the tears welling in her eyes.

It had been a month since her divorce was final, and tonight was the first time Jerry had taken their daughter. Visitation was an ugly, ugly word.

God! I can’t stand this!

A single tear trailed down her flushed cheek, and she swiped it away with a rough knuckle. But the lone tear soon became a torrent, distorting Kate’s vision. A sob shook her shoulders, and she clutched the steering wheel as if her life depended on it. Sitting forward, she stared into the dark highway as her heart pounded like the rain.

Stupid! I was so stupid!

She chided herself for having been too content to be Jerry’s wife and not looking past his blond good looks, charming smile, and can-do personality. Why had she been so blind?

And when had things gone so wrong between them? When Reagan was born? Surely that had been the start. Until then, they’d been the perfect couple.

Swept up in love, she had quit college her freshman year to marry Jerry Lawrence. He’d thought her perfect enough to marry and establish his home. She had helped him, as his career took off, to entertain the right people and make the right decisions about where to live and what clubs to join. Always sacrificing, she’d stayed home because that’s where she belonged. That’s where he needed her.

She had been his rock. She grounded him. Or that’s what he’d said.

And that’s what she had always believed.

Until that night at dinner when he quietly said he was filing for divorce. No talk. No counseling. No arguing him out of it.

Kate had sat forward then, as she was doing now on her long drive home. Not understanding his words, she had opened her mouth and formed a soundless but as her gaze searched his stony face.

His meaning had slowly sunk into her dense, unprepared brain. That night she had been like a glob of her daughter’s homemade slime—easily stretched, torn, sculpted, and finally shattered. Jerry had devastated her world. More than that, he had destroyed her soul.

And now, she had to mold the pieces back together. Make the best of it for Reagan’s sake. She had to be strong for her daughter. Not their or his. She no longer thought of Rea as Jerry’s daughter. He had broken up their family. He no longer deserved the one bright, beautiful thing that had come from their ten-year marriage.

But the courts said he had rights, so she had to exchange Reagan with him on Friday nights during the school year and for six weeks during the summer. The trouble was Jerry traveled and taking Reagan as mandated was often inconvenient. That’s why tonight was the first exchange in what promised to be a long, drawn-out process.

Anger made her set her jaw. Damn him! He might not want her, but he wasn’t going to let her daughter think she wasn’t good enough for him. Kate would see he kept his promises to Reagan.

She sat back against the seat, stretching her arms out so that she put space between her body and the steering wheel. A grim determination poured over her. She would never let anyone tell Reagan she wasn’t good enough. She’d protect her daughter, even from her father.

Five miles later, Kate turned south off the Interstate, heading into the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She was going home. Not the home she’d shared with Jerry and then Reagan on the hill overlooking the Ohio River in Louisville—the beautiful, rambling brick house she had so lovingly maintained for her family. No, she was driving to Eagleton, her childhood home, the town she’d escaped at seventeen when she’d been accepted as a student at the University of Kentucky.

Slinking home with her tail between her legs disturbed Kate. She had her pride. But when it came down to it that was all she had. Everything she owned, or thought she owned, belonged to Jerry, bought and paid for through his efforts. Kate had never worked a day in her life. She had no money, just what Jerry earned and came into the family budget.

But it had been their money, their house, and their friends—for only as long as they were a couple. For only as long as he wanted her. As long as she played her role and kept up pretenses.

Now that was all gone and so was her identity. It had been hard to have her rose-colored glasses yanked from her eyes only to discover she was nothing without being Jerry Lawrence’s wife.

Kate felt like the character in the old TV show The Good Wife—poor Alicia was cheated on by her lying husband. Kate had watched the show, absorbed in the characterization and the weekly mystery plots, never imagining she’d end up divorced like Alicia. But unlike Alicia, Kate had no law degree. She had no way to make a living.

Yet six months ago she’d been smart enough to hire a good female attorney. And in the settlement, she received a year’s worth of maintenance besides the monthly child support for Reagan. She was also awarded her portion of the house in cash and enough money to go to nursing school. Jerry had paid handsomely for his freedom, much more than he expected.

The thought didn’t cheer Kate as she entered the sleeping small town. She’d never believed in revenge, but lately she had toyed with the sentiment. Folks said divorce did that to you, made you a little crazy.

She had learned the hard way.

Kate’s new home was actually a duplex on Elm Street. Her father had found it for her when she’d been searching for a place to live. The two-story townhouse was quite spacious, but nothing like the big comfortable home in Louisville she was used to.

The rain had not stopped. If anything, it came down harder when she pulled into the gravel parking space in front of the house.

Home sweet home.

Stop it! Don’t be sarcastic, she scolded herself.

She had the whole weekend alone, a luxury she planned to take advantage of—if she could overcome the ache in her heart from missing Reagan.

The strain of the drive and the emotions from the tense child exchange washed over Kate suddenly. Her shoulders slumped for a moment. Then she bit her lip and grabbed her purse. Opening the door, she sprinted to the covered porch, getting drenched.

How she looked didn’t matter. She had nothing else to do tonight. Running a hot bath was the only thing on her list. She would read a book. She hadn’t downloaded one to her Kindle in a long time. Yes, she had plenty of things to do to help her forget.

Kate swiped a lock of wet hair from her eyes. She’d forgotten to turn on the porch light. The black rainy night closed over her like a shroud. She hurried to unlock the front door, fitting the key into the lock. She turned it hard then staggered back when it broke off in her hand.

What the…

Kate stared down at the fragment of key in her palm. The other piece was stuck in the door lock. Now what would she do? Before leaving to meet Jerry, she’d turned the deadbolt on the back door. Her dad had the extra key, but he had gone to Cincinnati to visit his brother. She was alone in a town where she was a stranger.

No, she wouldn’t cry. She had just dropped off Reagan at a McDonald’s to go home with a man she no longer knew. Now this. Kate shook her head, growing furious. If Jerry had lived up to his part of the marriage vows, she wouldn’t be standing on a dark porch, soaked to the skin, and mad enough to commit murder.

Damn it all to hell!

Saying the words aloud didn’t make her feel better, but it grounded her. She took a deep breath, spotting for the first time a glimmer of light coming from the plantation shutters of the duplex next door.

Could her neighbor be home? She’d never met him. Didn’t even know his name. He’d been out