Deliciously Obedient Read Online Free

Lydia
thought. You
are my best, best, best, best friend. Lydia
gave Krysta’s hand a squeeze and mouthed, “ T hank
you. ”
    Krysta
mouthed back, “ Y ou
so owe me. ”
    “ I’ll
buy you a ticket to the show, front row. That’s where they pick
people out of the audience and make them do skits in the improv
performances,” Lydia hissed in Krysta’s ear.
    Sandy
looked at the two of them with a skeptical expression and then said,
“You have no interest in the talent show.”
    “ Sure
I do,” Krysta argued.
    “ No,
all of her interest is in Caleb,” Lydia answered. That got her an
elbow in the ribs—two, in fact. Somehow her mother and Krysta both
managed to nudge her. Sandy’s elbow was decidedly more friendly.
    “ Besides,”
Sandy said, “Caleb’s not here.”
    Krysta
looked stricken. “What?”
    “ He’s
in Boston, helping my mother.”
    “ Your
mother?” Krysta asked.
    “ My
mother owns a diner.”
    “ Oh,
that’s right, Madge. Madge is your mom.” Krysta shook her head as
if clearing it.
    Lydia
frowned. “Why’s Caleb in Boston?”
    “ He’s
helping get the diner menu in shape.”
    “ He’s
done that before. Why would he need to actually go there?”
    Sandy
shot Krysta the most subtle of glances, but Lydia picked up on it. “I
don’t know, but he’s been staying there while you were gone.
Wasn’t he at the apartment when you got back from Iceland?”
    Lydia
shook her head slowly. “No, and Grandma didn’t say a word about
it.”
    All
of the blood in Krysta’s face drained out. “That means he’s
with someone.”
    Sandy’s
eyes lit up with a mix of glee, confusion and cunning.
    “ If
anyone knows where Caleb is, it’s my mother, and I’m sure we can
get to the bottom of this.”
    “ Caleb’s
a grown man. He can live his own life,” Krysta huffed. “You
should respect that,” she said, turning on Sandy, who took the
comment in stride and nudged Lydia once more.
    “ Speaking
of brothers, where are Adam and Dan?”
    “ Off
at some campground industry thing in Texas,” Sandy huffed. “One
of the rare opportunities to have all my kids together and they have
to miss it.” Sandy’s quick wince made Lydia all too aware of the
other missing brother. Luke.
    “ Bummer.
They’re never around these days when I’m here.”
    “ Then
maybe you need to be here more,” Sandy said, a happy smile reaching
her eyes.
    “ If
the right man’s here, then maybe I’ll stay.” She smiled right
back.
    “ If
we’re gonna talk about love lives and men,” Sandy said, “I’d
rather talk about your Viking.”
    “ He’s
not a Viking.”
    “ He’s
quite attractive.”
    That
stopped Lydia short. Sandy didn’t talk about physical attraction
and other men. Lydia generally avoided the subject.
    “ He
is, in his own bizarre sort of way,” Krysta said, as if she were
shocked that the words came out of her own mouth.
    “ You
two done talking about how hot the guy I brought home is?”
    “ No,”
they said simultaneously, laughing.
    “ Speaking
of hot,” Sandy said, waving an imaginary fan in front of her face,
“we have a new long-term camper here who—oh my, oh my.” She
grinned at Lydia. “If you hadn’t brought someone home, I’d be
rushing to introduce you to him.”
    “ You
say that every season, Mom.” Lydia just shook her head.
    “ T his
time I mean it, Lydia. You don’t know what you’re missing out on.
You’ve always been so afraid to take risks with your heart. But
then again, what am I thinking, pushing someone on you when you’ve
found Jeremy?”
    An
uncomfortable silence stretched out between the three women, and as
it continued Lydia became more tongue-tied.
    Sandy
peered closely at Lydia, and then her eyes flicked to Krysta, and
back. “You two have some catching up to do.” She patted Lydia’s
shoulder. “I’ll catch you later.”
    Lydia
knew she meant that—she really would catch her later. Relief swept
over her. Talking about the past few weeks with