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

bite.  That’s just too funny!”
    “Really.  I have half a mind to take all that breakfast and toss it down the sink.  You actually made fun of me?”
    “Without shame,” laughed Alexa.  “Touch this tray and I cut off both your hands.”
    She took another bite and, chewing slower, closed her eyes.  He was right.  By this standard, Thomas couldn’t cook at all.
    “How about you come and cook at the diner when we get home?  This is incredible!” 
    She ate bite after bite, stifling the small moans that escaped her throat as she chewed, savoring every morsel and swallowing so she could taste it all the way down.
    Cayman studied his hands, trying to keep his thoughts where they needed to be.  If she just wouldn’t moan like that it would make this whole ‘breakfast in bed’ thing a lot easier on him.
    After the wonderful meal, Alexa showered and dressed and was ready for their trip to the desert.  She kept the recorder in her pocket, close to her.  She was not about to lose it, and heaven help the groin of the man who tried to take it from her. 
    They drove for about an hour and a half when Alexa pointed and said, “There, turn right there.”
    Cayman slowed the car and turned off on a dirt road that looked as if it was going nowhere.  They drove for another twenty minutes through large potholes and around even larger rocks.
    “You sure you’re not taking me out here to shoot me and leave me for the vultures?”
    Alexa chuckled and said, “Don’t tempt me.”
    They arrived at the spot Alexa remembered and she pulled out the photo to match the landmarks.  Exiting the car and walking a few yards to a small rise, Alexa found the area much the same as she and her father had left it a year ago. 
    Alexa hadn’t counted on the memories still being so fresh and painful.  She stood in the middle of the small area, partially surrounded by large boulders.  There were cactus randomly placed by Mother Nature but that was about all the green she could see.  She felt if she listened hard enough and focused she could still hear her dad joking and laughing with her, she could see his face as he looked into the distance when she took the picture of him.  She could see him place his hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun and then quickly begin to pack things up.  She relived the whole scene again.  It was her last outing with her father, and she had gone over it a hundred times in her mind and now she was here, in the actual spot, doing it all over again.
    She took the photo out of her pocket to make sure she was remembering the place he stood correctly.  However, she soon realized she didn’t really need the photo as she remembered it perfectly.
    Cayman approached her and touched her arm. 
    “Hey, we don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.  We can come back another day, or we don’t need to come back at all.  Are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” she said with a sigh.  I am.  I--” She was looking around the perimeter as she spoke.  “Here,” she said, pointing to the spot.  “He stood here, I was over there and that would mean the car was out there.” 
    “Let’s go have a look.”  Cayman started for the place where the car was parked.
    “What do you think you’re going to find?  It was a car, and it’s been a year.  There have to have been a dozen other cars out here in that time.” She followed him out to where the car had been parked, feeling it was a complete waste of time.
    Cayman walked around the area, looking…no…scrutinizing the ground around where the car would have been parked.  He found a cigarette butt, gingerly picked it up and placed it in a small snack baggie he pulled out of his pants pocket.  He seemed way too careful not to touch the filter end of the cigarette.  Alarms went off in Alexa’s head.
    “You’re doing it again,” she said, tamping down the fear.  “I’ve seen enough police drama’s to know what you’re doing.  You’re looking for