Deceived: Lured from the Truth (Secrets) Read Free Page A

be a bunch of unchurched, superficial party animals. It’s like I forgot there might still be some decent young people around.
    “It’s my uncle’s church. I’m still fairly new to it. I only came to the States a few months ago. But I can assure you it’s a good church with good people. And my uncle wants it to grow.”
    “And it’s nearby?” I ask hopefully.
    “It’s about twenty minutes away.”
    I frown. “I don’t have a car here.”
    “I can pick you up.” He reaches for a napkin and a pen. “Give me your number.”
    I’m happily telling him my cell phone number when I notice several teenybopper girls standing outside. And now they’re banging loudly on the still-locked front door. I glance at the clock to see it’s almost eleven now.
    “They’re a few minutes early, but I should probably let them in before they break the door down.”
    He pats me on the back. “And I reckon I should finish with my deliveries before the other customers wonder what became of me.”
    I pull the key ring from my shorts pocket and approach the door, hating to end our conversation and see him go. I reluctantly unlock the glass door, then step away as the girls burst in like they own the place.
    “I’ll be in touch,” he calls from the back of the shop. “You can count on that, Rachel.”
    I hurry back to the counter and, relieved he’s still here, thank him again. “You have no idea how much I needed to have that conversation today,” I quietly tell him. “You’re truly a godsend.”
    “You take it easy now.” He tips his head politely. “Don’t get too hot today. And I’ll give you a ring.”
    For some reason, maybe it’s his accent or that he said “ring” instead of “call,” but the three girls start giggling even more loudly now. Ignoring their immaturity, I simply wave as Josiah makes his final exit. But when I turn back to the girls, I’m surprised to see they’re all staring at me, studying me with what seems like unusual interest.
    “Can I help you?” I ask in a no-nonsense tone as I reach for the polka-dot apron, giving it a quick shake before I tie it around my waist. Feeling like I’m about twenty years older than these teenyboppers, I study their bright-colored outfits and fancy sunglasses. For some reason their “fashionable” attire seems strangely out of place in a rustic lake resort. Honestly, they look more like they dressed to go mall shopping, but you see all kinds around here.
    “Your boyfriend looks just like Robert Pattinson,” the redhead says to me with wide eyes made dramatic by two garish slashes of electric blue eye shadow.
    “Who’s Robert Pattinson?” I nonchalantly reach for the vinegar spray and start cleaning the top of the glass case.
    Now all three of them laugh hysterically, like I’ve said the funniest thing ever.
    “Are you kidding?” the redhead says. “You don’t know who Robert Pattinson is?”
    I shrug, then squirt some more spray, wiping the paper towel round and round in fast little circles the way Nadine likes it.
    “Robert Pattinson just happens to be the actor who plays Edward in the Twilight series,” the skinny blonde girl informs me in a snooty tone.
    “Seriously, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that ,” the redhead adds. Again they all laugh, exchanging superior glances among themselves.
    Trying to hide the sting of their childish rudeness and remembering how some of my own friends are total Twilight freaks who’ve made fun of me too, I dramatically sigh and roll my eyes. “Maybe I have better things to do than obsess over a fictional vampire character.” I hold my head high. “Especially since having a real live boyfriend is so much better than merely drooling over a silly actor.”
    To my relief that comment mostly silences them, and the three girls quickly become distracted with narrowing down their ice cream choices. And yes, I know it’s a huge leap to insinuate that Josiah is my boyfriend — and I would be