Falling Lies: Cross Falls Saga, #2

By Mallory Crowe

**This is part 2 of 3 in the Cross Falls Saga**

Gabrie knows the wise and sensible thing to do is try to fall back in love with her ex, Darren, knowing she never should have let him go.  But when his brother, Jack, gets into a car crash caused by his own hard-headedness, she can’t turn her back on him just because of her unhealthy attraction to the bad boy.  As much as she wants to feel something, anything, for the ex she should’ve kept in the first place, Gabrie can’t help the constant sizzle and spark that ignites whenever she and Jack are close.

But the night of Jack’s car crash, old feuds in the small town were reignited and if Jack can’t get Gabrie to run for cover, she might never escape Cross Falls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mallory Crowe
• Release date: Jun 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513083476

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Falling Lies

By

Mallory Crowe

Falling Lies

by Mallory Crowe

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Fonts used with permission from Microsoft.

Copyright © 2015 by Mallory Crowe

Mallory Crowe (2015-03-24). Falling Lies (Cross Falls Saga Part Two)

CHAPTER ONE

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Gabrie’s thumb tapped out a frantic rhythm against her bare leg. As she realized she’d probably been staring at her hand for a full minute, she ripped her gaze away.

Not that there was anything else interesting to look at. An endless parade of nurses and doctors walked by, refusing to make eye contact with her.

Although she’d confirmed Jack was in the ER, no one would allow her to go past the waiting room. All she could do was sit and wait. The same damn thing she’d been doing for two hours now. If Darren got back to town, he could escort her back, but he hadn’t answered his phone any of the twenty times she’d called.

She laid her head back against the cold, white wall as she went through her options, the main one being to go back to Cross Falls and work the day away until she forgot about Jack altogether. That was the original plan, back when she’d been trying to forget how ridiculously sexy and annoying he was. Now she wanted to forget that he was lying in a hospital bed alone and injured.

But every time she told herself she was going to leave, she remained exactly where she was. Sitting in the waiting room to see a man the hospital wouldn’t let her see. So many doctors and nurses ran in and out of the closely monitored doors to the ER; sneaking in was out of the question. But if her less than legal teen years taught her anything, it was that there was always more ways into a building than the front entrance.

Before she resorted to breaking into a hospital, a pretty blonde nurse approached her. Mr. Cross is awake now, she said with a smile.

Gabrie jumped up. So I can see him?

The nurse nodded as she led the way to Jack. When I told him you’ve been waiting out here, he insisted I bring you back. But rest is important right now. So try to keep it to ten minutes or less. You’ll have all the time you need to talk with him when he gets better. She came to a halt in front of a room. Here we are. Ten minutes or less now.

Gabrie obediently nodded as she passed the nurse. Got it. Her heart flipped over when she saw he was truly awake. Jack was sprawled on the hospital bed and flipped through channels with an irritated expression on his face.

Nothing on? She approached the bed.

He looked at her, and his scowl deepened. Nothing sounds good when you have the headache I have right now.

She bit her lip as her gaze roamed over him. A wrap-around bandage concealed most of his head, so she couldn’t see how serious his injury was, but he was up and bitching about pain already, so he couldn’t be too bad. There was some bruising on his face that would probably look worse before it looked better, and another bandage on his left arm. Though his legs were concealed by the sheet, it didn’t look as though anything was in a cast or broken. You look better than your car, she blurted out.

Of course, he was attractive enough to pull off a few scrapes and bruises. His dark hair and eyes stood out through the marks, and his tanned skin and stubble-covered jaw would hide most of it.

He winced. You saw the car? Think it’s totaled?

She raised a brow. I think you’re damn lucky you’re not in a body bag.

Shit. Jack brought up a hand to rub his eyes but seemed to remember halfway through that his face was a no-touch zone at the moment.

It’s how I knew you were here. I was getting some supplies to fix up the house and there was the tow truck driving by. I freaked out and chased down the driver. It firmly established me as the crazy new chick to all the locals.

You freaked? For the first time, his scowl turned to a grin.

She started to smile back, but stopped herself. This wasn’t the brother she was supposed to smile at. This was the evil twin. The one she’d slept with by accident and then kissed on purpose. The one she’d been warned to stay away from. The one she’d already lied to the police for.

She should turn and run to her car and not look back until she was safely in the room she’d claimed at Jack’s family plantation. Instead of thinking about the brothers constantly, she needed to throw herself into work and get the house renovated like she’d promised.

But then the image of the busted-up Crown Victoria came back to her. Jack had no one else to visit him except her. No friends in town. His only family was a brother he couldn’t stand and a father who was dying in another wing of the hospital.

I was worried, she admitted. I called Darren and told him where you were. He’ll be here as soon as possible once he gets the message.

His face hardened once more at her lie. You didn’t need to call him.

It seemed like the logical thing to do. She looked around at the empty other bed in the room and the view of the parking lot from his window. You have a private room at least.

For the moment, he muttered. They want to keep me overnight, so they’re moving me out of the ER in a bit. Who knows where I’ll end up? I told them to just let me go. If the crash didn’t kill me immediately, I doubt this concussion will.

She laughed. I hope you never ever become a doctor.

Ms. Moss, said a masculine voice from behind her. How nice to see you again.

Gabrie twisted around as the sheriff stepped into the room. Sir. She nodded.

He frowned. Oh, we’re not that type of town. You can call me Chris.

She narrowed her eyes. "So you’re Chris and I’m