Dana Lynn - Plain Target

“May I?” she asked. Unsure what she was thinking, he nodded.

Jess plucked the card from its spot and brushed her hands across the return address on the engraved invitation. A stallion was prominently embossed on the front.

“Ted Taylor,” she breathed. “You know Ted Taylor.”

Huh? Her voice was almost reverent.

“Yeah, that’s my uncle.” Seth gently pulled the invite from her fingers to glance at it. “I had forgotten this. He’s throwing a big blowout tonight.”

“You could help me!”

Seth found himself on the receiving end of a stunning smile. Jess leaned toward him, and he could practically smell her eagerness. For some reason his stomach tightened. He had the feeling he wasn’t going to like what she suggested.

* * *

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Jess grinned and rolled her eyes. That was the third time Seth had complained. He was smiling and shaking his head as he said it, though, so she decided he wasn’t too upset with her. Plus, he was driving toward his uncle’s house.

She couldn’t get over the fact that she had never connected him with Ted Taylor. Ted Taylor owned the most renowned stable for breeding racehorses in this part of the country. He was an influential man who sat on various committees dealing with equine care and treatment. His passion was abused horses. Just as Cody’s had been. His endorsement could sway public opinion in her favor.

She shivered. On the other hand, a cold shoulder from him would convince many she and her brother were guilty. But she had to try.

And he was also well known for throwing lavish parties. Like this one. Parties where everyone brought an overnight bag because one day wasn’t long enough to celebrate. Not to mention the fact that he lived almost an hour away from LaMar Pond on the outskirts of Spartansburg. Ted always opened the spring season up with a bang. Anyone who was anyone in the equestrian circle in northwestern Pennsylvania would be there. Breeders, coaches, trainers. All people who she and her brother had met in one capacity or another. It was possible that someone there might be able to provide some answers about what had really happened in the last few months of Cody’s life.

“Are you sure you can spare this much time away from the stables?”

Seth was precious when he was concerned. No way. Not going there. Even if it was true, it would do no good for her to become attached. The butterflies currently fluttering in her stomach would go away if she ignored them. She cut a quick glance toward him and met melting brown eyes. Instead of going away the butterflies intensified.

What was the question? Oh, yeah.

“The stables will be fine. I texted my staff so they’ll know to come in and take care of the morning chores. Even if I don’t show up for a few days, the workers keep things moving. We keep charts on which animals need what to be done, so someone will be able to pick up the slack.”

As the truck sloshed through the back roads toward Ted Taylor’s party, she watched as the puddles on the road became progressively deeper. Rain continued to pound on the truck. The rhythmic swipe of the wipers could barely keep up. Her teeth tugged at her lower lip. Maybe convincing Seth to bring her to the party with him as his “plus one” hadn’t been a great idea. With weather like this, they wouldn’t be able to leave the party quickly or easily if she was treated badly by the other guests—which was a definite possibility. Many of them had treated her as if she had leprosy since Cody’s death. Or as if she were a criminal. Which certainly accounted for the fact that she had not received an invite to this weekend’s event for the first time in two years. Willa Taylor was a social snob.

Of course, it was also possible that one of them was responsible for the accidents. She shuddered and promised herself that if she saw a dark green sedan parked outside the ranch house, she’d have Seth take her home again. She cautioned herself against relying on him too heavily. She had struggled hard to prove herself to be a strong, independent woman. It wouldn’t do to allow her former crush to gain too much leverage over her.

“This water is getting really deep,” Seth stated, a frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. Outside, everything was gray. Gray clouds, gray sky, gray pools of liquid surrounding them as they drove. They went over the bridge. Jess looked down and felt a niggle of dread. The water was higher than she had ever seen it.

“There it is.” Seth raised one hand to indicate the sprawling ranch ahead of them. His blinker flashed as he steered the truck into the long winding lane that served as the Taylor residence’s driveway. The driveway was like the rest of Pennsylvania. It rose and dipped. It wasn’t the smoothest ride, but Jess still released a sigh of relief that they’d finally arrived. It was followed by a shriek as Seth’s tires hydroplaned. The back end of the pickup swerved to the right. Seth managed to get the vehicle back on track just in time to drive it through the next puddle. Only the puddle was more like a small pond. The motor sputtered and stalled. Stopped.

They were stuck at the ranch.

Seth tossed her a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we can find someone to help us get the truck started again. Or a lift back to town. It’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t fooled. His grin was strained, and his jaw was tight.

Seth opened the door and splashed over to Jess’s side to help her down. Grabbing her overnight bag with her fancy dress and toiletries safely tucked inside, she let Seth take her empty hand and jumped out. She landed with a muddy splash and grimaced. She was almost knee-deep in freezing water. Her cowboy boots would be trashed. Good thing she hadn’t decided to wear the dress and heels in the truck. Seth shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over her shoulders. And shushed her when she started to protest. Giving in gracefully, she allowed Seth to grab her hand again and pull her up to the lane to the house. Standing beside Seth, she tensed as he raised his hand and jabbed the doorbell with his finger. Within seconds, the door swung open and their host came out to grab Seth in a bear hug.

Ted Taylor was an impressive-looking man in his mid-fifties. Now that she saw him and Seth side by side, she could see the resemblance in the shape of their faces and in the way they held themselves.

“Seth! So glad you could make it, son!” His booming voice made the voices inside the house grow silent. “So many people canceled because of the weather. You and your girlfriend will make an even dozen.”

Jess forced herself to stand still and smile as he turned kind eyes to her. “It’s good to see you again, Jess. I was very sorry to hear about your brother. Cody was a fine young man, and I for one have never doubted his integrity.”

Blinking to clear her suddenly blurred vision, Jess cleared her throat. Even so, she knew her voice sounded more like a croak when she spoke. “Thank you, sir. It means a lot to hear that.”

She stiffened her knees to cease their sudden trembling. If Ted believed in Cody’s innocence, and hers, there was hope.

“What’s she doing here?” an angry voice said.

Heat crawled up her face as Jess found herself the target of hostile stares. Apparently, Ted’s faith in her wasn’t universal. Well, she hadn’t expected it would be. Yet. Resigned, she turned to face Ted’s snobbish, socially conscious wife.

“Aunt Willa, this is my friend, Jess. My good friend.” Her bruised heart warmed when Seth squeezed her hand.

Hardly a good friend. But she appreciated the show of support when those gathered glared.

“I’m surprised you would bring the likes of her into your family’s house,” his aunt said with a scornful sniff. “Or perhaps you saw a pretty face and didn’t realize what kind of girl she was.”