by Ruff, K. S.
the broken road
by k.s. ruff
book one in the broken series
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locales, brands, media, businesses, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status of and trademark owners of various products referenced in this book of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by these trademark owners.
In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book, without the permission of the author and/or artist constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. The only exception is short excerpts or the cover image in book reviews. If you would like to use material from this book for any other purpose other than review purposes, prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author at ksruff.com. Please respect the rights of the author and the artist to protect their work by purchasing only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted material.
Copyright © 2013 by Ruff Publishing, LLC
Cover design and photography by Kari Kunkel-Anderson
All rights reserved.
eISBN: 978-0-578-13451-2
Discover other titles by K.S. Ruff at ksruff.com
Dedication
To Tobin, my husband, my knight, and my one true love.
Thank you for saving me from that broken road.
Acknowledgements
I am truly humbled by the people who have encouraged and supported me throughout the creation of this book. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my husband, Tobin, for not having me committed when I first announced I wanted to write a romance novel and for not once complaining in the twelve months I spent glued to my computer writing the first three books in this series. God, I love you.
I also want to thank my children for putting up with the neglect and for not rolling their eyes every time they heard “I’m sorry, mommy just has one more thing to edit, then I can play.” I’d like to thank my parents for their unwavering support in everything I do.
I’d like to extend a special thanks to my friend, TJ Crane, for his copyright and business advice. A huge thanks to Phil Hagen for helping me establish the necessary connections and for guiding me through the process of getting a small business and website up and running. I’d also like to thank Dave Burris for designing a website that literally took my breath away!
I would like to thank my sister-in-law, Christine Bedard-Dannels, for ensuring my French translations were correct. I’m so sorry the story made you cry, honey! I’ll add a note of thanks to my brother, David, for marrying such a kind girl and for encouraging me throughout this project.
I also want to thank my extremely talented friend, Kari Kunkel Anderson, for being such an amazing photographer and for capturing those images that were swirling around in my head.
A very special thanks to my dear, sweet friend, Shira Ben-Zion, for helping edit this book and for helping me sift through all those nonsensical grammar rules. Thanks also for putting up with the random late night texts when I was wordsmithing!
I’d like to thank those friends who formed the bones and the inspiration for so many of the characters in this book, those who are mentioned by name and those who preferred aliases. I should thank ALL of my friends for putting up with my incessant chatter about the plot. I know I’ve wandered through the last twelve months living two parallel lives, with one foot in and one foot out of these books! Thanks for putting up with me!
I’d also like to thank my reviewers: Mary Barnes, Jenny Uhl, Jenny Letowt, Erin Himstedt-Rice, Autumn Leva, Cenia Miller, Kristen Miller, Channa Threat, Christine Bedard-Dannels, Valerie Norman-Dannels, Dan and Kimme Cochrane, Marie Hagen, Rita Gibson, and Lexie Hoines. Thank you for offering such wonderful advice. I’d also like to thank my book club ladies for their enthusiasm and support. You ladies seriously rock!
I’d like to thank author John Locke for taking the time to write a book that would help aspiring authors. Your insight and advice were invaluable. Finally, I’d like to thank the folks at Amazon for creating a venue for self-publishing authors like me.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1 – Strength, courage, and wisdom
Chapter 2 – When you believe
Chapter 3 – Runaway train
Chapter 4 – A whole new world
Chapter 5 – Fix you
Chapter 6 - I’ll be
Chapter 7 – Home
Chapter 8 – When it rains
Chapter 9 – Have you seen her?
Chapter 10 – Try
Chapter 11 – What doesn’t kill you
Chapter 12 – Rescue me
Chapter 13 – Chasing Cars
Chapter 14 – Only Time
About the Author
Additional books by K.S. Ruff
Prologue
Four months earlier…
My eyes met Tom’s as he stomped the snow off his boots. Soft white flecks scattered across the rug by the door. “What have I told you about the phone?”
I swallowed nervously. “I have to go, mom. I promise we’ll come visit soon.” My hand shook as I hung up the phone. I braced myself for the storm, then turned to face Tom. “I was only on the phone for fifteen minutes. I was talking to my mom. She’s worried because she hasn’t seen us in so long.”
Tom’s voice was laced with ice. “Don’t lie to me, Kri. I’ve been watching you through the window. You were on the phone twenty minutes ago when I first pulled up to the house.” He closed the distance between us, scattering snow across the hardwood floor. His head cocked to one side as a vein pulsed in his neck. “Were you talking about me?”
My heart sped as I began to back up. “No, Tom. I swear. We didn’t talk about you.”
His eyes narrowed. Then he sent me hurtling against the wall as he backhanded me. Spit flew across my face as he screamed. “Liar!”
I glanced nervously at Cade as he whimpered from the couch. He jumped down to meet me at the wall. A low growl hummed through his tiny chest as he faced Tom. I slid to the floor and reached for him. “Shhhh. It’s okay, boy.”
“I’m going to kill that fucking dog,” Tom hissed as he reached for the cordless phone.
I ducked as the phone shattered next to my head. My heart stumbled against my chest as my eyes flitted to the keys hanging next to the door. Tom was pacing on the other side of the room, contemplating his next move. “Stupid fucking bitch,” he muttered as he raked his hand through his jet black hair. “Just had to have a dog. Couldn’t live without that stupid fucking dog.”
I could see his temper spiraling in front of me as if it had a life of its own. I had lived this moment a million times before. If I was lucky, he’d demand I go upstairs so he could take his frustration out on me in bed. If I wasn’t… then I was going to get hit a few more times before he dragged me up to bed. Either way, I’d end up in bed wishing I was dead. I eyed the keys again, then counted the steps to the door.
I glanced nervously at Tom. I had been biding my time, paying off bills, untangling our finances, and stashing money aside. I had finally confided in someone, and she and her husband had offered to take me in. I finally had a place I could go… a place where he couldn’t hurt me. My jeep was parked right outside the door. I could make a run
for it… or I could die trying.
I touched my cheek to see if there was any blood. My head spun. Did I have the strength to see this through? I had attempted to leave once before; and Tom had threatened to kill me if I ever tried again. We lived in the middle of town, then. But, now? We lived smack in the middle of the mountains where no one could hear me scream. A tear slid down my face as I pulled Cade to my chest. I was so sick of fighting, sick of walking on eggshells, and mortified by the dark turn my prayers had taken. I wondered when things had gotten so bad that I started praying he would die.
Tom ripped me from my thoughts as he threatened me from across the room. “I am sick and tired of you not listening to me. I’m going to show you who runs this house, Kri. Get your ass upstairs, now!”
I scrambled to my feet with Cade still clutched in my arms. I watched as Tom kicked his boots across the floor and turned to walk up the stairs. I breathed a silent prayer, then ran for the door.
Chapter 1 – Strength, courage, and wisdom
The treadmill started to hum. I smiled. How I loved that sound. I began walking as the thin rubber strip pulled me back. I walked briskly at first, taking in all the other people exercising around me.
I turned up the speed and began jogging. I tucked the buds from my iPod into my ears. My smile widened. Mary J. Blige… “No More Drama”... perfect. I started running and fell into an easy rhythm with the song.
I thought about why I was here, at this gym, in the middle of the day. Running, I thought. I’m running. My mind quickly filled with images of all the things I was running from… the past… the people…the pain. I increased the speed again, intent on outrunning the images now darkening my mind. That’s why I’m here… so I can be stronger… faster… safe. I embraced the fatigue in my thighs and the air burning my lungs. I drew strength from the lyrics of the song. “No more tears,” I repeated, over and over again.
Three songs later, I slowed the treadmill and resumed walking. I took a couple of deep breaths while I tried to slow my breathing. There’s good pain and bad pain, I thought. This is clearly the good stuff. I grabbed my water bottle and doused my throat. I thought about the lyrics from the first song. No more pain. I allowed pain and fear to dictate my life for nine miserable years… but not anymore. A smile spread slowly across my face. No more pain.
I abandoned the treadmill and walked determinedly toward the locker room, still chanting my new mantra. Twenty minutes later, a heather sheath dress and matching heels replaced my black shorts, tank top, and sneakers. I threw my gym bag into the back of my jeep and pulled into lunch hour traffic. It took me five minutes to drive back to my office. By Montana standards, it was a brutal commute.
I sank into the chair behind my heavy wooden desk. I listened to my voice mail, then began returning the phone calls that had accumulated over the lunch hour. I was on the phone for over two hours. With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and rolled my neck, trying to release some of the tension that had already accumulated there. I thought about the complaint I had just received and shook my head in disgust. Seriously? Since when did nursing homes start forcing people to die?
The woman I had just spoken to was battling brain cancer. A physician at the long term care facility where she lived put an order in her file prohibiting resuscitation; the order was issued against her wishes. The woman may have cancer, but that didn’t take away her right to decide whether she had a Do Not Resuscitate order on file. With cancer, she could still have weeks, months, or even years. Turning to my computer, I logged into Lexis/Nexis and started pounding on the keys. Really pounding. Within minutes, I was completely immersed in research.
“You need to consider this.”
I pulled my eyes away from the computer as I shifted my attention to my boss. I hadn’t even heard him walk into my office. “Consider what?”
Charlie tossed a piece of paper on my desk. “This.”
I spent a respectable five seconds glancing over the paper. “A senate fellowship? In DC? I don’t want to live in DC,” I scoffed. “Nobody wants to live in DC.”
Charlie folded his arms across his chest. One of those knowing looks settled on his face. “Well, then. Maybe you need to think about taking the road less traveled.”
I couldn’t resist the sigh or the eye roll. “Charlie, I was just accepted to law school. I’ve wanted this since I was in high school.” I paused, remembering the reason why. My uncle had been murdered when I was sixteen years old. The brutality behind his death created a lasting impression, as had the special prosecutor who handled the case. I once dreamed of working with him. Sadly, I was derailed.
I shifted my focus back to Charlie. “It has taken me a long time to get to a place in my life where I can actually make this happen. Why would I throw in the towel on law school to go work in Congress? Those yahoos don’t have a clue how to help people. I like helping people, and I’m limited without a law degree.”
“The fellowship is only for a year. You can delay law school another year. Besides, there are ways you can help people without a law degree. What do you think you’re doing now?” Charlie smiled. “Think about it. That’s all I'm asking.”
“Okay,” I grudgingly conceded. Charlie was one of those people who seemed to have a direct line to God. So if he thought I should consider the fellowship, then I probably should. Charlie was also the most amazing boss to walk the planet, so it’s not like I wanted to leave my job, but this unfulfilled dream of becoming a lawyer was difficult to walk away from. My ex-husband had been dead set against it. He had actually forbidden me to go to law school when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in pre-law. Now that my divorce was final, I wanted to regain some control over my life. Following through with law school seemed like the best place to start.
Charlie’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “So, what are you working on? You were hard at it when I walked in here.”
I was glad he asked. “Have you ever heard of a long term care facility forcing someone to have a DNR on file… just because that person has cancer and is considered terminal? The woman actually wants to be resuscitated. Shouldn’t the Patient Self-Determination Act apply here? She wants to continue fighting the cancer, and it doesn’t sound like death is imminent.”
Charlie’s jaw clenched. “No. Which long term care facility is this?”
“Shady Grove. I don’t know what’s going on over there, but the Medicaid Fraud Investigator stopped by my office yesterday to discuss an elder abuse case from that facility. We need to do a surprise inspection on that place. Can you set one up?”
“Sure. I’ll see how quickly we can pull a team together. You should call your friends over at the Medical Review Board. See what they think about the DNR issue. I’ve never heard of a medical provider insisting on a DNR. The only cases I’m familiar with are the ones where the medical providers refuse to comply with the DNR. Typically they err on the side of life.”
“I know. I’m having a hard time understanding this, but I think I need to call the administrator at the facility to hear their side of the story. If she confirms what I heard from the resident, then I’ll call the Board. Hopefully it’s some sort of misunderstanding.”
“Sounds like a plan, but don’t forget about the fellowship. I want you to look into that too… and I want you to pray on it, Kri. The deadline for applying is next week.”
I smiled. Charlie was always looking for ways to strengthen my relationship with God. “I will, Charlie. I promise.”
Charlie turned toward the door. “Oh, and Kri? It’s 5:30. Go home.”
I gave one last longing look at the research beckoning from my computer. I shut my computer down with a sigh. There were never enough hours in a day.
* * * * * *
A few days later, I was back in my office. Nervous energy coursed through my bouncing knee as I anxiously awaited Charlie. He was across the street defending our budget to the state legislature. I didn’t envy him that job. Last year’s forest fires had wiped out the ge
neral fund. All of state government were facing cuts this year. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services, where I worked, was no exception.
My best friend, Kimme, was nervously twisting around in the chair on the other side of my desk as she looked through the glass wall toward Charlie’s office. Her deep auburn hair was pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck.
While Kimme and I were a lot alike, we couldn’t have looked more different. Where she was petite, I was tall. While her perfectly straight hair stopped just short of her shoulders, my pale blond hair fell down my back in messy waves. Kimme had striking emerald eyes. Mine were blue or gray, depending on the day. Kimme had curves in all the right places. My figure was bordering on boyishly thin. Despite these differences, our friendship was tightly woven by our similar pasts, a passion for helping those who were vulnerable, a deep sense of justice, and a penchant for mischief. We had both been broken by our ex-husbands, but Kimme was two steps ahead of me in the healing process. She had already found a way to rebuild her confidence. I was still working on mine.
Kimme leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “Do you think we’re going to get in trouble?” Her green eyes lit with excitement. I thought it was hysterical she’d even ask. Whenever we were together, Charlie referred to us as “the power of K2.” We were a force to be reckoned with, and Charlie knew it.
I shook my head. “No. Charlie will laugh. Besides, he deserves it after calling my desk and hanging up on me all morning long, just for giggles. Not to mention what he did with that super soaker last Friday.” Charlie was not your typical boss. Things could get pretty tense around our office, especially when the legislature was in session, so Charlie liked to lighten things up with his Nerf and squirt gun arsenal.
We both stilled as Charlie walked into his office. His silver hair glowed under the harsh office lights. He didn’t even look twice at his phone. He was sifting through a pile of papers on his desk.