Deceived: Lured from the Truth (Secrets) by Melody Carlson Read Free Book Online

can’t believe I used to babysit for Selena, that I used to consider her to be my friend.
    “Can you imagine it? Your father chasing around after those two boys? What are their names again? I know they always sounded like cowboy names.”
    “Tex and Wade. Tex must be five by now. And Wade must be close to four.” I remember chasing after them in Selena’s big house. “I’ll bet they can run even faster now.”
    Mom almost smiles. “Well, there’s some satisfaction knowing your father will have his hands full with those two. Can you imagine him playing Mr. Mom?”
    I shake my head. “My imagination isn’t that clever.” Now despite my resolve to continue enjoying my high from last night, I feel depressed. The news that Dad has moved in with Selena is truly disturbing. Still, I don’t want to make Mom feel any worse. So I make a few lame jokes about how exhausted my dad must be by the end of the day. “What if Selena expects him to do the laundry, clean, and fix meals?”
    “Your father’s housekeeping skills are nonexistent. The helpless man barely knows how to boil water.”
    “I know.”
    “So you can see, I’m not feeling much hope that our marriage will ever be restored,” she says after our food arrives. “Mostly I want to get on with my life, Rachel. I’m sorry you get stuck with divorced parents and all that. But we both just need to move on now.”
    I nod as I bite into my portabella-mushroom sandwich.
    “I realize that your father is still your father,” she says as she forks into her Cobb salad, “no matter what kind of stupid choices he makes. And I don’t ever want to make you choose between us, Rachel.”
    “Don’t worry. I know that. The truth is, I really don’t want to have anything to do with Dad right now. I mean, I know I’ll have to forgive him … eventually. But right now, well, I’d rather not think about him.” I take a sip of soda. “And I doubt I’m even on his radar these days.”
    “Don’t be so sure. I’ll bet he’d love to have you visit. You could give him a hand with those wild little boys or even teach him to cook.”
    Now that actually makes me laugh. “Fat chance. In fact, if he ever does invite me to come see him, I’ll have to think about it long and hard before I commit.”
    Mom seems in good spirits as we walk back to Nadine’s. I can tell she’s relieved that I’m not obsessing over the divorce. Admittedly, that has as much to do with thinking about Josiah as anything else. Not that I’m planning to divulge that to her.
    “I almost forgot,” she says when we reach Nadine’s. She digs in her bag, then pulls out her old flip phone. “I got this activated for you. It’s not the greatest and it always seems to need recharging, but it’s better than nothing.”
    I nod and slip the phone into my purse as Mom goes inside. “Thanks.” At least Josiah will be able to reach me now. That’s something.
    “My goodness, it’s warm in here,” Mom says as I’m tying on my apron.
    “The AC is broken,” Nadine tells her. “I’ve got a man coming in next week. But in the meantime …” She sighs as she fans herself with a paper plate, blotting perspiration from her forehead with a napkin. She turns to me. “I know I usually stay until six, but since your mom is here, I’m giving myself the rest of the afternoon off. You’re in charge, Rachel.”
    And just like that, they’re gone.
    Lorna and Belinda both start acting like they’re getting paid to stand around and complain about the unbearable heat. Meanwhile, Alistair and I are scooping like mad. Although Belinda is running the cash register, Lorna is definitely slacking.
    “Maybe you should just take your lunch break,” I tell her. “Since you’re not doing anything anyway.”
    “I was just about to make some more waffle dishes.” She glares at me. “Since someone forgot to make any fresh ones this morning.”
    “I made three dozen,” I protest. “And then it got too busy to make