The Lies That Save Us (The Broken Heart Series) by JL Redington

wouldn’t let this happen. 
    There was a soft knock at her door and she opened it to see Cayman, his good hand holding on to the top of the door jam, shirt pulled up, revealing a well muscled stomach.
    “Killed the mood?” he asked with a half smile.
    “Uh, ye ah.  Just need to clear my head,” she said looking nervously around the room.
    “Yeah, I think I need to clear more than that,” he said with a sigh.  “I’m sorry Alexa.  I won’t let that happen again.”
    “I know, I’m sorry, too, and I won’t either.  Please, Cayman, I won’t get involved right now.  I won’t go there.  I have to think clearly.  It’s not your fault.  I shouldn’t even have let it start.”
    “I know.  We’ll take care of business before we…take care of business.”  His charming grin widened and Alexa couldn’t help but smile.
    “Sounds like a plan.”  She couldn’t bring herself to look at those eyes, not right now, not yet.  She hadn’t completely doused that fire and she knew it would take very little to start it raging again.  If he just didn’t smell so good. 
    “I…I’m going to relax for a while before dinner, I…need--”
    “I know, I won’t bother you.  Let me know when you’re ready to eat.”
    Alexa shut the door and leaned against it with a sigh.  She felt like she needed that cold shower now.  Instead she reached for her backpack and pulled out her cell phone.  She dialed a number and waited for the other party to pick up.
    “Hi, Keith, it’s me.  I need a favor.”
    “Hey pretty lady!  How is the trip going?”
    “It’s…it’s good.  I mean, it’s going.  But, about that favor…”
    “Name it, Alexa.”  Keith was always there, he was her rock.  Someone she could always count on.
    “I need you to look up a farming family in Sultan and tell me what you find out.”
    “What do you need me to find out?  What am I looking for?”
    “I don’t know,” she said, her heart pounding in her chest.  “Just anything that seems strange or out of place.  Can you do that for me?”
    “Give me the name and I’m on it,” said Keith firmly.
    “It’s Richards.  I don’t know a first name, but there can’t be too many there that farm or ranch.  His property sounds like it’s a pretty big spread.  Let me know, okay?  But don’t call me, I’ll call you back in a couple of days.”
    “What’s going on, Alexa?  You sound on edge.  Is everything alright?”
    “Yes, yes, everything is fine.  Really.  Please, just find out about that family and let me know.  Don’t forget, I’ll call you back, don’t try to call me.”
    “Okay, you got it.”
    There was an audible click on the other end of the line and she knew Keith had hung up.  She bit her lip and wondered if she was doing the right thing.  Her dad had always told her to pay attention to her gut feeling.  He’d been very clear about not being afraid to check someone out if she felt it was necessary.  Well, she definitely felt it was necessary.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    They dined in the amazing restaurant at the hotel and Alexa savored every bite.  She and Cayman decided they would spend the evening after dinner reviewing the photo album page by page until they found the answers they were looking for. 
    Arriving back at their rooms, Alexa grabbed the album and a can of soda from the fridge. 
    “You want anything to drink?”  she called to Cayman.
    “No, I’m good.  Let’s get this thing started.”
    They sat for what felt like hours, pouring over each page, looking at every detail of the pictures of Alexa and her father’s last outing together.  Though the pictures made her miss her dad, it was now more important to find whatever it was she needed to find, and that made it much easier to concentrate.  Cayman asked questions about names of landmarks and Alexa told him as much as she could make out from the photos.  There was nothing new in them, nothing they