To Cherish and To Hold (Love of a Rockstar #1.5) by Nicole Simone Read Free Book Online

the excitement, the nausea, and the overwhelming joy when it does. All those emotions you experience together as a couple, you gave away to Camille.”
    Tears brimmed in my eyes at the pain in his gaze. I wanted to rewind time, but that wasn’t possible. The only thing left to do was beg for forgiveness.
    Getting on my knees, I steepled my hands in a plea. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We can do it again. I’ll get another test. That’s what I’ll do! And we can experience everything you described.”
    “I don’t want some manufactured bullshit. Christ, Marlene.”
    With another sad-eyed look, he opened the bedroom door and left me with my regrets.

    The basement underneath the house had been turned into a music studio when Luke moved in. It was his version of a man cave. He had retreated down there since our fight—three hours ago. The longest three hours of my life .
    Without cell phone reception, there wasn’t a chance of contacting him either. Transferring the frozen pie dough to the refrigerator, I dumped a pound of apples into a bowl. I vigorously peeled and sliced them into chunks before tossing them into a scorching pan with brown butter and cinnamon. I breathed in the nostalgic smell of the holidays when the world glittered.
    “Mommy!” Nil cried, skittering into the kitchen. Her blonde hair tangled into a mess of knots. “Can we go to the art museum?”
    “Not today sweetheart. Mommy has work to do.”
    She responded with a blank look as if she didn’t understand what I said. Laughing, my foot nudged the step stool closer to me.
    “Come here,” I said. “You can watch how apples become apple pie.”
    “I’m ok, thanks though.”
    With the attitude of a teenager, she sauntered back to her bedroom. That girl would be the death of me. Once caramelized, I finished the apples off with a squeeze of lemon. The crumble would be made the week before the wedding.
    The sound of the front door clicking open was followed by my grandmother’s voice. “Marlene? Yahoo!”
    I peeked my head around the doorframe. She stood in my living room, sporting a fresh tan from her vacation in Mexico and an inner honeymoon glow.
    Wiping my hands on a dishtowel, I went to greet her. “Hey, you look nice.”
    “Thanks, darling! It was so incredible.” She pressed her palm against her chest. “The white sand beaches, the crystal clear ocean, and the drinks! They never stopped flowing. I haven’t gotten drunk in God knows how long and completely forgot how fun it is.”
    “And your husband?”
    My grandmother grinned wickedly. “My husband is going to need another week to recover.”
    I blanched at the images her statement conjured. While I was happy my grandmother had found her soul mate, their sex life wasn’t a topic I wanted to cover.
    She patted my arm. “Trust me, sweetheart. It gets better with age.”
    “Awesome, Grandma,” my tone seeped in sarcasm. “Are you glad to be home?”
    “I am. Bill’s farm needs a woman’s touch. I’m going with a rustic cottage look. Creamy yellows, gray blues and salvaged wood.”
    “Sounds pretty.”
    “It will be, but poor Bill had no idea what he was in for when he married me. He is just the sweetest though, and has the patience of a saint. I’m lucky a woman.”
    “He’s a lucky man.” I directed us to the couch, where we sat on the worn cushions. “So any particular reason you stopped by?”
    “The seating arrangement for your wedding. Your mother is treating it like it’s the Bill of Rights or something.” She dug around in her purse. Pulling out a pair of reading glasses, she perched them on her nose and opened a two ring binder. In bold letters on the front it read, Luke and Marlene’s wedding . She flipped to the section color coded in red.
    “Go fetch Luke.” My grandmother ordered. “This has to be done today.”
    “We can do it without him.”
    “No, we can’t. This seating arrangement involves his family, too. We can’t stick his uncle with