"Next week, come back home with me."
Preston said it so casually that Lydia almost thought she had misheard him.
"Back home?" She looked up in surprise. Until that moment, she had not seriously considered returning.
"What for?" she asked.
Preston tapped the table lightly with his fingers. "I'm planning to expand the business there. Since I'm going anyway, I figured I'd bring you with me."
Lydia nodded slowly.
Truthfully, she had wanted to visit her parents for a long time. More than a year had passed since she last saw them. Besides, now that Preston had already arranged stable work for her, returning with him would not disrupt her career plans in the slightest.
She trusted his abilities completely. As long as Preston was around, things somehow always felt secure.
"There's already
