Hold on to Me Read Online Free PDF

front closet?”
    “Yeah,” Shannon mumbled, but she didn’t look Kate’s way. Her gaze was fixed solidly on Simone, and it was filled with both frustration and disappointment.
    I’m doing this for you Simone wanted to shout but knew it would do no good. She’d let everyone down today, and she couldn’t handle one more confrontation. At least not right now. “Say thank you, Shannon.” She took the bag from Ryan. Then she turned toward Kate. “I’ll call you.”
    But would she? Probably not. The lies were coming so easily now.
    Kate gave her a quick hug. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
    Tears threatened again, so Simone pulled quickly out of her friend’s arms and turned for the door. She was aware of voices behind her, but she didn’t care what they were saying. She couldn't. Not anymore.
    She climbed into the car while that depressing thought sank in and waited for Shannon to slide into the front seat and latch her seat belt. She knew Kate and Ryan were standing on the front porch looking after her, wondering what had happened, but she didn’t look back. Shoving the car into Drive, she pulled away from the curb and didn’t glance at her daughter either. If she did, she was afraid she’d break. And she’d already broken way too many times today.
    They drove in silence back toward the city. Lights rushed by as they crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Only when they were over the water and heading up the steadily rising hills did Shannon finally shift in her seat to Simone’s right.
    “You said no, didn’t you?”
    Simone’s pulse picked up speed, and she chanced a look at her daughter. “No? Said no to what?”
    Shannon crossed her arms over her chest and looked straight ahead. But in the dim lights from the dash, Simone caught the hint of tears in her daughter’s eyes. “I knew you’d say no. You always mess everything up.”
    Suddenly, the music, the candles, the special dinner Mitch had prepared, and the reason he’d arranged for Shannon to spend the night with Julia suddenly made sense.
    No. No, no, no … He was going to propose tonight?
    A sob pushed its way up Simone’s throat, and she pursed her lips to hold it back while she focused on driving through the blur of tears filling her eyes. This wasn't happening. This wasn't her life. In a matter of hours, she couldn't possibly have managed to mess everything up so very badly.
    Shannon rolled toward the passenger window and rested her head against the seat. “Sometimes, I wish you weren’t my mom.”
    Simone blinked again and again and gripped the wheel, unable to even think of a single thing to ease her daughter’s pain.
    Because Shannon was right. She deserved a mother who wasn’t a complete and utter mess.

    “R yan.”
    “I know.” Ryan wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close on the front porch of their house, not knowing exactly what had happened between Mitch and Simone, but so very thankful it wasn’t happening to him. “She’ll be okay.”
    “She’s not the one I’m worried about,” Katie whispered.
    No, Simone wasn’t the one Ryan was worried about either. Simone was one of the strongest women Ryan had ever met. She could handle anything life threw her way. And even though she looked like she’d just had the wind knocked out of her, he was pretty sure she’d pick herself up and keep right on going, just like she’d always done. Mitch was another story.
    He rubbed his hand down Katie’s back and glanced over her shoulder. Julia stood just beyond the open door in the entry, watching them with worry and a whole host of questions brewing in her eyes. From the direction of the great room, Reed’s laughter echoed. He was still watching the movie, oblivious to everything that had just happened.
    Ryan nodded for Julia to go back into the house with her brother.
    She frowned but was smart enough to listen. Though she was old enough to know what was going on, he didn’t want to talk about her uncle in