Broken Lies

by Rachel Branton

  She smiled and relaxed against the back of the seat. “Let’s play name that tune. Loser pays for lunch. And no fair taking it from some killing movie I haven’t seen.”

  “Or sappy romances.”

  “Agreed!”

  Saffron had won seven times and Vaughn had won six when they arrived in Las Vegas, but she was certain he’d let her win the last two. It was just like him to make sure he paid for her lunch. She headed for the address of the inexpensive hotel far off the Strip where Kendall awaited them.

  “We should stay the night and catch a show in Vegas,” Vaughn said as Saffron searched for a parking place. “As it is, we won’t be back until late, so we might as well have some fun here. I brought the aloe vera gel, if that makes a difference.”

  Back until late. The words slammed into her, and she gasped. “Oh, no! I forgot to tell Tyson.” Their planned date, him showing her his remodeled condo—she’d completely forgotten that now she’d never be back in time. She’d planned to call him before they left, but she hadn’t found a moment where she could get away from Vaughn to have a private conversation.

  She glanced over to see Vaughn watching her with amusement. “You’re only just figuring that out?”

  “Well, I’ve been worried about Kendall and . . .”

  “And playing song games.” His face was straight but his voice mocked. “With me,” he added. “Apparently, cold showers aren’t the only effect I have on women. We can add forgetfulness to the list of my super powers.”

  “You’ve been playing too many video games,” she retorted, bringing the car to an abrupt halt in a parking space.

  What was she going to tell Tyson? The ride he was sending was supposed to pick her up at three—and that was only an hour away. “I have to call him.”

  Vaughn stared at her. “So, go ahead.”

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.” He folded his arms and sat back.

  She was so not making this call with him in the car. “Do you mind?”

  Giving her a lazy smile, he opened the car door, but he didn’t get out. Leaning over close to her, he said, “All’s fair in love and war.” His voice was deep and sensual, his eyes an endless ocean that seemed to wrap around her, making her senses reel.

  The tension that had risen between them at the hotel was back again. She recognized it as attraction—that had never been their problem. It would be so easy to . . . “Do you mind?” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Say hi to Tyson for me.” He paused. “I mean . . . unless you think he’ll care that I’m here with you.”

  She glared at him. “Go!”

  With a smirk, he did as she asked. She watched him stride away from the car, heading into the hotel. He walked like a man who knew his purpose in life. She hated that she was hurting him, hated watching him use joviality to mask his emotions. Or was she reading into it only what she wanted to see?

  Tyson didn’t pick up when she called. “Of course,” she muttered. But it was her fault. She’d put it off until too late, and she didn’t want to examine why. She was ready to move on, period. She loved Tyson. She always had.

  She texted him instead. I am SO sorry, but I have to cancel. Joel abandoned Kendall in Las Vegas. and I’m picking her up. I won’t be home until late. Can you please let me know if you get this? I’m really worried about your friend going to the inn and me not being here.

  After five minutes, there was still no answer. Well, he’d see the message soon enough.

  She climbed out of the car just as Vaughn returned with Kendall in tow. She was wearing jeans, a bright red T-shirt, and tall high heels. Her eyes were hidden by large sunglasses that covered the top half of her face. Vaughn was carrying a bright pink duffel bag that didn’t diminish his manly appeal in the least. Saffron flipped the trunk lever and jumped out of the car to hug her sister.

  “Nice car,” Kendall said.

  “Thanks.”

  “And he is really cute,” Kendall whispered, pulling down her ridiculous glasses to eye Vaughn as he put her suitcase into the trunk. “When he came up to me where I was sitting in the lobby and asked my name, I was all flattered until he told me who he was.”

  Saffron ignored her. “How are you?”

  Kendall shoved back on the glasses. “Great. I passed the time flirting with one of the hotel clerks.”

  Saffron laughed. “You get his number?”

  “Of course not. I’m taken.” Kendall frowned as she watched Vaughn come toward them. “At least I was.”

  “Joel will probably come around,” Saffron said without enthusiasm. “So where are we going to eat lunch?”

  Kendall gave a little squeal. “Oh, finally. I’m starved. Can we go to this Mexican restaurant I know? They serve chips right away, and I need to eat something quick.”

  “Are you sure your stomach can handle spicy?” Saffron asked.

  “Oh, yeah, of course.” Kendall waved the concern aside. “It’s being in a car a long time that I can’t take.” She started to open the door to the back seat, but Vaughn prevented her from getting in.

  “Take the front,” he said. “My sister says it’s better for car sickness. It’s even better if you drive.”

  “Really?” Kendall said. “Huh. Maybe you’re right. I’ve never felt sick when driving my own car.”

  “Wait, wasn’t Joel driving to the concert?” Saffron asked. “Were you in the back seat?”

  Kendall shrugged. “He thought putting the guys that smoked up there and me behind him would work better. It didn’t.”

  That made no sense, and Saffron wondered why Joel hadn’t prevented them from smoking at all. This was his baby too they were talking about. Stifling a sigh, she said, “You can drive on the way home, if the front seat doesn’t work.”

  Saffron started the engine, humming as she waited for Vaughn, who ran around the car to open the door for Kendall before getting into the back seat.

  “Lavender’s Blue Dilly Dilly,” he said, leaning forward between the two seats.

  “What?” Kendall looked at him askew.

  “The tune she was humming.”

  Saffron laughed. “I thought you said no sappy romances.”

  “Women aren’t the only ones who can change their minds. And we did watch Cinderella last night.” He sat back chuckling, as Saffron explained the game to Kendall.

  Kendall wanted to try it then, so the game continued partway through lunch, mostly driven by Kendall. But even she paused when Vaughn told her about his first river run, where he ended up dizzy from dehydration, which ultimately landed him in the water.

  “Three days I had to stomp around in wet boots,” he finished. “But I learned my lesson about drinking water.”

  “So weird that you can get dehydrated with all that water around.” Kendall sat back, stretching, half her fish tacos uneaten. “You know what? I’m going to need a doggy bag. In two hours, I’ll be starving again.”

  Saffron laughed. “We can get some snacks for the ride home.”

  “So, no show tonight?” Vaughn asked.

  Kendall’s eyes opened wide. “Yes! Oh, yes! Let’s stay. They’ve got all kinds of cool shows here.”

  “I have to get back,” Saffron said, lifting her cup for a drink.

  Kendall gasped. “Oh, for your date with Tyson.” She glanced at Vaughn, as if to judge how the words affected him. Apparently finding nothing, she turned back to Saffron and batted her eyes. “Pleeeeeease, let’s stay! You can go out with Tyson any time. This is our first sister outing.”

  “Sister plus one you mean. Pleeeeeease, let’s stay,” Vaughn said, copying Kendall.

  He looked so funny batting his eyes that Saffron spurted water all over her plate. That set them all laughing. “Okay, fine,” she said.

  Kendall cheered, and Vaughn gave Saffron a look that ignited a slow heat in her stomach, which she decided to blame on the Mexican food.

  “Let’s go,” she said. “I have to mak
e a call.”

  23

  Half an hour later, Saffron left Vaughn and Kendall in the shared sitting room of the two-bedroom hotel suite Vaughn had paid for and retreated to one of the bedrooms. The place was too much money, but he’d insisted, and Saffron was glad to have the privacy to call Tyson.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Hello?”

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Is Kendall okay?”

  “Yeah, and I thought we’d be home by seven or eight, but she really wants to stay, and so does Vaughn.”

  A hesitation before he asked, “Vaughn?”

  “I told you about him. The guy who was fixing my car. He brought it to me.”

  Silence on the other end of the phone. “The guy you used to date.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do I have something to worry about here?” Direct, as was always his way.

  “He’s just a friend. Look, you and I have a second chance. I want to make this work between us.” Why did she feel it was the teeniest bit of a lie? Maybe because if she didn’t tell him about Vaughn comforting her last night, it was a lie. Or about the attraction she and Vaughn still shared, an attraction she thought was normal since they’d been dating for three months. She’d tell Tyson later in person.

  “Okay, then,” Tyson said. “I’m glad you have the company.” Another pause and then, “I miss you. I know that might seem crazy, but I don’t think I ever stopped missing you.”

  “I know. I miss you too. I wish you could be here.” She did, even if he and Vaughn would both hate it.

  “Let’s reschedule our plans for tomorrow. I’ll send someone to pick you up at three again. Will you be back by then?”

  “Definitely, but I’ll drive. It makes me uncomfortable to put your friend out when I have my car back.” If Vaughn needed her car to go to Datatoon, she’d ask Kendall to use her car, because while Saffron wasn’t sure she’d be staying at Tyson’s, he’d invited her and it was a possibility. In fact, today she felt a lot less sure about taking him up on his offer to stay at his condo than she had yesterday. But was that only because Vaughn was here?

  “Okay, have fun at the show. I’ll try not to think of you there with your ex.”

  That made her smile. “I’ll text you how much I’m hating it if you want.” He’d taken news of Vaughn’s presence with remarkable aplomb, because if the situation were reversed and he was in Vegas seeing a show with Jana, she might not be so understanding.

  He laughed. “Only if you mean it.” He paused and then added, “Saffron, I’m glad you came back.”

  “So am I.”

  I love you. But she hung up, leaving the words unspoken.

  The popular shows were all sold out, so after walking around a few hours and having dinner at a buffet, they ended up at a concert for an unknown singer named Carly Blythe. Her energetic performance left Saffron breathless. The crowd agreed and cheered her back onstage for three encores with standing ovations before the night ended.

  “Wow,” Kendall said, “that was amazing. Joel will be sorry he missed it.”

  “Are you talking to him again?” Saffron asked.

  “No, but I will.”

  Saffron couldn’t respond because there was nothing she could say that her sister would want to hear.

  “You hungry?” Vaughn asked, inserting himself between them.

  Saffron and Kendall shook their heads, but Kendall added, “I still have my leftovers from lunch in case I need them.”

  On the way to their Vegas hotel room, Saffron and Vaughn chatted about the concert, but Kendall had sunk into silence. She’s probably exhausted, Saffron thought. Saffron was tired too, and for the first time, she wished someone else were driving.

  Once inside their suite, Saffron read a text from Tyson saying he missed her and asking if she would like to have dinner with his parents on Sunday.

  A rush of trepidation squeezed her heart. He was close to his parents, and ordinarily that wouldn’t be a problem, but . . . but what? She loved him, and she’d been waiting eight and a half years to be with him. She’d have to suck it up and find a way to get over what had happened. Mrs. Dekker was the kind of woman who’d want friendship from her son’s wife.

  Wife. Saffron sat on a chair in the little kitchenette. Everything seemed all wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.

  “You okay?”

  She looked over to see Vaughn staring at her from the couch. “Yeah. I’m just . . . tired.”

  He gave her a smile. “Get to bed, then. If you change your mind, I’ll be watching a little TV. I’d love company.”

  “Another time,” she said, coming to her feet. But there wouldn’t be another time. This was it for them.

  “Goodnight.”

  She could feel him watching her walk to her bedroom, and it was all she could do not to turn back and curl up with him on the couch as she had so many times before. But she wasn’t in crisis mode anymore, and that wouldn’t be fair to him . . . or to Tyson.

  As she closed the door to the room, Kendall looked up from one of the two single beds. “I know you hate him.”

  “Who? Vaughn? Of course I don’t hate him.”

  Kendall sat up and swung her legs down. “No, not Vaughn. Joel. I’ve seen how you look at him.”

  “I’ve only met him once.” Well, twice, counting Monday night at Tyson’s place, but Kendall didn’t know about that. “How can I be looking at him in any specific way?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You get that expression on your face every time I talk about him. Just like Mom.” Kendall’s voice wavered and her eyes filled with tears.

  “I only know what you tell me about him.” Saffron dropped her purse on the other bed.

  “He’s a good man! He loves me!”

  Saffron’s patience snapped. “Then why did he leave a pregnant woman all alone with no money or car in Vegas? Why did I have to change my plans to pick up the pieces? Why is he off wasting the money he could be saving for a down payment on an apartment for his child? Why didn’t he order those so-called friends of his to stop smoking in the car?”

  Kendall launched to her feet, hands clenched. “Excuse me for being such a burden. I was right—you hate him.”

  Saffron decided she wasn’t doing her sister any favors by hiding the truth. “I’m concerned, is all. You said it yourself—Joel doesn’t seem to want this like you do. It’s the baby who’s the most important thing right now. You get that, but do you honestly think Joel does?”

  “So you want me to drop him because he’s unprepared?” Kendall’s voice held a viciousness that reminded Saffron of their mother. “Is that what you did with Tyson? I don’t even know why he’s willing to take you back when you didn’t care enough about him the first time to trust what kind of man he’d become.”

  Disbelief flooded Saffron. How could Kendall say such a thing to her? Couldn’t she guess that it would hurt like a knife twisting in a wound? “You know nothing about what happened between him and me. Nothing!”

  “Well, if I don’t it’s because you haven’t told me.” Kendall stomped toward the door.

  Saffron blinked at her. Hadn’t she told Kendall? Saffron and Halla had talked about it at length, but it was possible Kendall had missed those conversations.

  “Anyway, you don’t need me as a sister, not with all the make-believe sisters you have. Our blood means nothing. First you abandon me to Mom for eight years, and now you won’t even tell me how you really feel about Vaughn. Anyone can see the chemistry jumping between you two. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I don’t need you. Not to rescue me, or to make me leave Joel. Excuse me. I’m going to sleep on the couch!”

  Kendall dragged the door open and went through it, slamming it behind her before Saffron could recover from her shock. Her first instinct was to open the door and shout, “Good riddance, you ungrateful brat!” But the part of her who’d had to learn to live with a group of runaway teenage girls warned her she’d regret it later. So s
he dropped to the bed, fully dressed, and pulled the pillow over her head. She needed to take off her bra, put on some of the aloe gel, and brush her teeth with the supplies the hotel had given them, but she could do that later. Too bad they hadn’t thought to bring pajamas.

  Saffron heard laughter outside the door. Apparently, Kendall and Vaughn were hitting it off. She should be out there with them, but her pride wouldn’t let her try to make amends. Not yet. Besides, she needed to keep space between her and Vaughn. Especially after their closeness last night.

  Kendall was wrong about the chemistry between her and Vaughn, of course. They were friends and that was all. In fact, none of what Kendall had said was true. Saffron had always known that Tyson would be a success. That he’d make his way in the world. She’d known it just as she knew Vaughn would make a great father.

  More laughter in the next room. Maybe he’d make a good father to a baby that wasn’t even his. No, that wasn’t fair. Vaughn had done nothing but treat Kendall like a younger sister.

  With a frustrated growl, Saffron grabbed her earbuds from her purse and headed into their private bathroom.

  Vaughn heard the girls’ raised voices but couldn’t hide his surprise when Kendall barreled from their bedroom. She kept her flushed face averted, going to the small refrigerator to retrieve her food.

  He gave her a little time and then said, “Hey, I could use the company watching a movie, if you’re not too tired. I mean, it’s not as if you and I have to drive back tomorrow since it’s Saffron’s car, right?”

  Kendall’s laugh sounded a little forced. “Yeah. I’m not tired.” As if to contradict the statement, her mouth widened in a yawn. “Oops,” she said.

  He gave a hearty laugh. “That’s okay. Why don’t you take my room? I’ll crash here on the couch.”

  “That’s nice of you, but I’ll watch for a while.” She came over with her food carton and sat on the other end of the couch, pulling her legs up under her. “What?” she said when she saw his smile.

  “You remind me of Saffron. She sits like that all the time.”