Read A Man to Hold on to (A Tallgrass Novel) for Free Online Page B

Jacob was well suited for the life.
    Abby, not so much.
    After speaking with the minister and his wife, along with the youth minister, Therese located the kids outside and motioned them toward the car. About halfway there, they fell into step, a silent group. Therese knew how the next few minutes would go: she would ask, What do you want for dinner? Jacob would grunt, and Abby would ignore her. She would throw out some suggestions; Jacob would grunt, and Abby would ignore her. She would finally make a choice, and Jacob would say nothing, and Abby would sniff scornfully.
    Since Carly was usually with them, the routine hadn’t bothered Therese so much, but Carly wasn’t there today. She might stop going to church completely, or she might go elsewhere with Dane. She might prefer to develop her own family’s Sunday routine over being a part of the dysfunctional Mathesons’.
    The possibility hurt somewhere deep inside Therese. Carly was her best friend, and nothing could end that. But Carly being in love and happy with Dane could change it.
    When they reached the minivan, she beeped the doors, and Abby climbed into the backseat, per usual. Jacob hesitated, then, once again, slid into the front passenger seat. “Can we have Mexican for lunch?”
    Therese stilled in the act of putting on her seat belt. A flicker at the rearview mirror showed Abby was surprised, too, and peripherally Therese saw the hint of a flush darkening Jacob’s cheeks. She forced herself to go on as if nothing unusual had happened, clicking the belt, starting the engine. “Sure. You want Three Amigos, Bueno, or something else?”
    “Three Amigos.” Jacob shrugged. “You go there every week, so we hardly ever do.”
    It was true. They ate at home practically every night, even if it was just frozen pizza and a quick-tossed salad. Considering how uncomfortable their family meals were, she preferred to hold them in private. “You have any problem with that, Abby?”
    Her only answer was silence. Therese backed out of the parking space, joined the line of cars waiting to exit the parking lot, then smiled at Jacob. “Three Amigos it is.”
    The restaurant, a bright dose of primary colors in the middle of a strip parking center, was popular, and Sunday post-church was no exception. Therese gave her name to the hostess, then joined the kids near the blue-tiled fountain in the middle of the lobby. Abby was already texting, and Jacob was staring into the water, his hands shoved into his pockets.
    He glanced at Therese when she stopped near him. “Why do people throw money in fountains?”
    “It’s tradition. Throw in a coin, make a wish.” Since it didn’t seem a reasonable response to him, she went on. “Some ancient cultures believed water was sacred. If you sacrificed something you held dear to the deity that lived there, you’d get something in return. What do people hold more dear than money?”
    “Throwing a penny into water is a stupid way to make wishes come true.” His shoulders hunched forward, in a subconsciously defensive gesture that she’d seen in him since they’d met. A little boy who didn’t understand why Daddy moved away, why he was living with another woman; a frightened child who’d been taken from the only home he’d ever known and sent halfway across the country; a boy who’d stood stoic but heartbroken at his father’s graveside.
    Therese didn’t know what to say. She laid her hand on his shoulder, half afraid he’d shrug it off, and squeezed. “I know. But sometimes it’s fun to do things that are stupid or silly.” A pause, and she withdrew her hand. “You threw pennies in there the first time your dad and I brought you here. You wished for a new bike and a new game.”
    He tilted his head so he could see her without quite looking at her. “Did I get them?”
    “Not then, but for Christmas. Though, by that time, you wanted a different game.”
    After considering it a minute, he shrugged. “But those are