Broken Lies

by Rachel Branton

  “I’m borrowing Kendall’s car while I’m in town,” her mother said. “I’ll be here for three days.”

  “I have time for dinner tomorrow,” Saffron said.

  Her mother dipped her head graciously. “You pick the restaurant and let me know what time. You have my number.” She started down the stairs but paused at the bottom, turning to say, “Thank you for helping your sister. She’s begun talking about placing the baby for adoption. I know it would be the best thing, but I admit I’ve grown attached to the idea of having a grandbaby.”

  Saffron stood there mutely, pondering her mother’s words. She half expected the old hurts to take control of her heart, the longing for her son to bring tears, but all she felt was regret for the past and hope for Kendall’s future. No matter what had happened, the past made her who she was today—and she liked herself.

  Vaughn came out the front door, his arm slipping around her waist. “All finished unloading.” He smiled and nodded at her mother before adding to Saffron, “Hey, the girls want to see that new game we’re testing for Datatoon. You should come see if you can pick out the one animation I did for it.”

  He’d decided to take the job Datatoon was offering after the school year ended, but only if he could work from Arizona, commuting monthly for a week at a time as needed. Saffron knew that was for her, but maybe someday she’d be ready to go farther away from Lily’s House.

  “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” her mother said. “I’m glad to see you two happy.”

  They watched her go down the walk to the car parked in the driveway. “She’s so different, and yet still so . . .”

  “Dragonlike?” Vaughn ventured.

  She slugged him. “No . . . well, yes.” She paused. “It feels good to let the past go.”

  “I’m glad.” He nibbled at her ear, his warm breath tickling her, and she couldn’t help rotating to kiss him. “Well?” he said between kisses. “How about my illustration? I’ll even show you the room where it’s hidden.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  She let herself be led inside to the newly added game room off the kitchen, where Kendall, Halla, Lily, Mario, Zoey, Ruth, Bianca, Elsie, and at least a dozen other current and former foster girls had gathered. Saffron settled on the couch, wedged between Vaughn and Halla. Someone put a controller into her hands.

  “This is a super awesome game,” Halla said.

  Saffron’s rather sexy female character was wearing pink polka-dotted shorts. “Is your animation the shorts?” she asked.

  Vaughn smirked. “No. That was one of the guys at Datatoon.”

  “Right.” He’d told her they hadn’t stopped teasing him about her appearance there.

  “Follow my character,” Vaughn said. “I’ll show you the room where it is.”

  Saffron followed him to a dragon cave where piles of coins littered the floor.

  “Watch out for the dragon!” Halla warned, nearly too late.

  Saffron wielded her sword, battling the dragon, and Vaughn joined her. Soon the dragon flew away, licking its wounds.

  All the animations were excellent. From the stalactites on the ceiling to the realistic coins and jewels scattered under her feet. “Hmm, that shield up on top of the treasure pile?”

  “Nope,” Vaughn said. “That’s part of the real game. My animation was put in only for those of us who know.”

  Something in the way he said it reminded Saffron of her visit to Datatoon and her conversation with Belladonna about the programmer who had proposed to the woman in accounting. Saffron didn’t play games much either, but Vaughn really wanted her to see this. Could he have made it just for her?

  Heart pounding and anticipation making her clumsy, she searched the room, touching objects, lifting or hacking them open with her sword. Nothing. She moved her character deeper, into an inner chamber, sweeping the area with an animated magic flame. All the girls seemed to hold their breaths. It was in this room then, and they all knew about it.

  Vaughn grinned encouragingly. The press of his leg against hers was both distracting and compelling.

  Where could it be?

  There. On the ledge, sitting inconspicuously next to richer-looking goblets, was a short silver cup that resembled one Vaughn used in his apartment to toss his extra change. She moved her character next to it, reaching up high for the cup. She couldn’t quite grab it, so she scooted over a gold chest from the corner and stepped up on it. The moment she placed a hand on the silver finish, the cup disappeared and a huge diamond ring rose in a flurry of magic light.

  Blinking words flashed across the screen: Saffron, will you marry me?

  She turned to Vaughn, who was holding out a ring, the exact one she and the oh-so-sneaky Halla had been admiring last week at the mall.

  “Well?” he asked. “Will you?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Oh, yes, I will.”

  NOTE FROM RACHEL BRANTON: Thank you for downloading this book and for spending a little time with me in my world! If you enjoyed Broken Lies, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated. If you missed reading about Saffron when she first went to live at Lily’s House, please see my novel, House Without Lies. For your enjoyment I have included a sneak peek of a Lily’s House novella that you can download for no cost from my website. I have also included a bonus preview of All That I Love, a novel from my Finding Home series. See all my books on the About the Author page. Thanks again!

  THE END

  Sneak Peek

  1

  He emerged from the upscale horse barn and strode toward her with a confident swagger and a smile that had probably broken a million hearts. Her eyes riveted on the man, unable to pull away. Tara Levine had never been attracted to cowboys with those stiff boots and ridiculous hats, like fake relics from an old western, but Crew Ashman, owner of the Silver A Ranch, was different.

  His worn hat sat low over his eyes, shielding them from the burning sun without hiding his compelling gaze. His strong, bronzed arms made a decided contrast with his white, oddly clean T-shirt that stretched slightly across the wide expanse of his chest. His jeans were loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough to hint at powerful legs beneath the material, and his dark cowboy boots looked as if they were an extension of his body. He appeared comfortable even under the impressive heat of the Arizona sun.

  By contrast, she felt hot and sticky in her bright blue suit that had been meant to impress. She was sure the glistening sweat rolling down her face near her hairline was impressing no one, and least of all this cowboy, who was now staring at her with a challenge behind the smile.

  “Good afternoon,” he drawled. “My stable manager said you wanted to see me?” Up close, his tanned face was almost too perfect, but a five o’clock shadow somehow softened his face, making him more human. She could see laugh lines around his mouth and eyes that further enhanced his ruggedness. Laughter was a good sign. Maybe coming here was the right thing to do.

  “Hi, I’m Tara Levine.” She offered her hand. “You’re Crew Ashman, right? I’d like to talk to you about your horses.”

  His gaze dipped to her hand, as though considering it for a moment. Finally, his hand enveloped hers, feeling deliciously cool and strong against her skin. A current of something unidentifiable rocketed up her arm, and she pulled back a little too abruptly.

  His smile grew, as if he suspected how his touch affected her. “You should have called,” he said. “I would have saved you the trip.”

  What? Tara bristled internally. She knew he might need a little convincing to give her what she wanted, but she hadn’t even launched into her practiced spiel. “If you’ll just give me one moment—”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not selling Iron Express.” There was a hint of steel in his voice that belied his pleasant expression. “However, I’m willing to discuss breeding services, if you’d like to offer them to your clients.”

  “But—”


  “He’s not for sale.” The suggestion of steel had grown into an entire wall now. “Look, I already gave your boss my answer last week. Iron Express is not for sale, and my offer to buy back Jump Start still stands. Thank you for coming.” He gave a sharp nod and started to turn on his heel.

  What a jerk! “I’m not here for your horses,” Tara finally recovered enough to say. “I mean, I am, in a way, but not Iron Express. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  He stopped, his eyes running down her face to her suit and on to the high heels that were as out of place here as his spurs would have been at the marketing firm where she worked.

  “Dervin King from High Vista didn’t send you?”

  There was a story behind his question, Tara guessed, and she wondered if answering him would set him off again. “Well, he did recommend that I come here.”

  His glare should have frozen her. Instead, sweat dribbled down the back of her neck under her long hair. His jaw clenched and unclenched, and she had the feeling he was fighting to stay calm.

  “But I’m not affiliated with High Vista in any way,” she added in a rush.

  “Oh? Then what can I do for you?” He didn’t seem to believe her, but at least he was listening.

  “I’m from Lily’s House,” she said. “It’s a group foster home for teen girls in need. They usually have about ten foster children there at any given time, and sometimes more when it’s needed.”

  “I’ve heard of them.” His voice was more relaxed now, and weariness showed in his eyes. “You work there?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. I mean, not as an employee. I just volunteer. Most of us do.” She could have bitten her tongue as the last few words escaped. She meant “most of us do after we age out,” but she didn’t need him to know that she’d grown up at Lily’s House.

  “Most of us?” He quirked a brow in a way that was undeniably attractive. His eyes were a deep brown that reminded her of warm nights and laughter. The same color of the short hair that escaped from under his hat.

  I do not like cowboys, she reminded herself. “I’m sorry. I meant, most of us who work there are volunteers. Lily Perez and her husband are the foster parents.”

  “So there actually is someone named Lily.”

  “Yes. She’s pretty great.” A rush of emotion threatened to choke Tara. Lily had saved her life, had become the one constant in a world where nothing was guaranteed.

  His eyes didn’t waver from her face, and they seemed to see too much. For several seconds, neither of them spoke, and then he said, “I guess she’d have to be.”

  He glanced behind him at the elaborate barn that looked better than some motels she’d stayed in. The colored cement corridor between the rows of stalls joined a walkway that led to a training area, where the stable hand she’d talked to earlier was working with a beautiful chestnut horse.

  She waved toward the men. “I can come back, if you’re busy.”

  “No, it’s fine. Come on. Let’s talk on our way up to the house.”

  “Okay.” That was a surprise. One minute his glare was ready to freeze her to death and now he wanted to chat at the house? No. More likely, he needed to go up to the house and was hoping to get rid of her once and for all on the way. If his strides were any indication of how much time he was willing to give her, she’d better talk fast.

  Well, she was no dainty little princess. She stretched to match his pace, using her arms to propel her further. “Mr. Ashman, I—” The heel of her right pump caught in a groove where two pieces of cement joined. She stumbled and might have fallen if his hand hadn’t whipped out to grab her arm.

  Her face burned. “Thanks.” She hated how breathy she sounded, but all of a sudden her heart was beating too fast, and she was quite certain it wasn’t because of her near fall.

  “Sorry about that.” He dropped his hand and began walking again, but more slowly this time, eyes scanning the walk ahead for more joints. “And, please, call me Crew. Now what were you saying?”

  They had reached the place where the walkway either led into the parking lot or curved up to the house. Probably two minutes of talking time left, if that was all he would give her.

  “The Silver A Ranch is one of most respected horse-boarding and horse-training facilities in Phoenix,” she began.

  He cast a lazy smile at her that started her flushing again. Hopefully, he’d attribute it all to the heat and her near fall. “There aren’t really that many of us. At least if you’re talking high-class Thoroughbreds.”

  “You mean there’s you and High Vista.”

  His lip curled slightly and a furrow appeared between his brow. “Yes. But while horses are often what the average person thinks of when they hear about us, keep in mind that first and foremost, I raise cattle.”

  She hadn’t known that, which told her she hadn’t done enough research. But she needed to get back to the point at hand because the house was looming in front of them.

  “So, Mr. Ashman—Crew—most of the girls work with Lily’s sister, who is a psychologist, because they all come from neglectful or abusive situations.” She paused, taking a peek at his face, which showed no expression. What was he thinking? “But they need more than just talk. So we get them involved in school, sports, music, art, and numerous others projects to help them find themselves and learn what’s out there.” Tara’s voice increase in speed as they approached the back deck of the house. “You know, give them the opportunities that they didn’t have in their own families. I think—”

  “Here we are.” He stopped before the deck and leaned sideways past her to open another door she’d thought led to a garage. His arm brushed hers and for a moment she was distracted by his closeness.

  “After you,” he said, gesturing for her to proceed him into the house. “And please continue.”

  The cool air hit her first, followed by the aroma of rich leather. As her eyes adjusted to the dimmer interior light, she saw an office—a very masculine office—filled with an expensive-looking desk and bookshelf. Below the large window that faced the back yard and the barn sat a worktable filled with harnesses and at least two saddles. Tara was willing to bet that was where the smell came from and not from the black chair behind the desk.

  “You see, some of the girls don’t react to the normal methods of getting them to talk and recover,” she said as he rounded the desk and pulled open a drawer, where he removed a pen and some kind of ledger. “We’ve discovered that giving the girls something living to take care of often helps reach them in ways nothing else does.”

  She stopped talking, her chest suddenly tight. Could this cowboy begin to understand what that meant to an abandoned teen? Though she hadn’t done much research on Crew Ashman, she did know he’d been born and raised on one of the largest ranches in Arizona.

  He leaned over the desk and began writing something in his ledger. “How much?” he asked. “I’ll be happy to make a donation.”

  Tara’s gaze fell to the desk, seeing for the first time that the ledger was actually a book of checks. “You think I came here for money?” Her cheeks were no doubt bright red again.

  Ashman’s hand stilled as he looked up at her with those gorgeous brown eyes. “You aren’t here for a donation?”

  She knew Lily would somehow change things to walk out of here with both a check and what she’d really come here for, but Tara had never been good at face-to-face requests. Give her social media, or even the phone, and she could ask for the world. In fact, she’d often done so to raise money for Lily’s House over the years to help pay expenses for the girls who didn’t receive funds from the state. But asking for favors in person was too much like begging. It opened you up for rejection.

  “We need horses,” she blurted. “We have a couple girls who are crazy about them, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to learn more about proper training.” This was not working out at all the way she’d planned. After being rejected at just about every stable in town, as well as
High Vista Farm, the Silver A Ranch was her last hope.

  “So you want to buy a horse?” When she didn’t reply right away, his eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, you want me to donate a horse. Well, I—”

  “No!” She took a step back, her hands out in front of her in a holding motion. Why couldn’t she seem to string a decent sentence together in his presence? “Tessa—that’s Lily’s sister, the psychologist—has two horses, and she lets the girls take care of them and even ride them, but we’d like to know if two girls could come here and volunteer. You don’t have to pay them anything. Just let them feed the horses, curry them, whatever. They’ve worked with Tessa’s horses and they were interested in horses even before they came to Lily’s House, so they aren’t complete novices. And they’re good girls. They just need more than we can offer—horse-wise, that is.”

  He straightened, his eyes not leaving her face. “You want me to train them.”

  “Well, not exactly. They don’t know everything, so they will need some instruction. Maybe they’ll need a little attention . . .” She fell silent.

  On the way over, she’d practiced everything she wanted to say, down to a not-so-subtle suggestion that she was doing him a favor by highlighting all the things the girls could do to help him, but he’d seen right through her. Her carefully planned speech had dissolved into a mess of emotion careening inside her body, because the fact was that the girls would need a lot of help learning the ropes, especially at first. If what Dervin King at High Vista had indicated was true about the Silver A Ranch being in trouble financially, Crew Ashman wouldn’t be interested in taking on another burden.