A Promise to Cherish Read Online Free PDF

silver shadow, curled her lashes, and applied eyeliner and mascara. Her lipstick was two-toned, a rich claret accented by white lipliner. She dashed a touch of perfume behind each ear and turned to get dressed.
    She donned a pair of baggy white pants that tapered at the ankle above high-heeled wedgies of canvas and rope, then a cavalry-style shirt of pale blue stripes that buttoned off center and had short puffed sleeves ending in ruffles at the elbow. A generous ruffled collar stood up around Lee’s jaws, which she knew emphasized her long, graceful neck. Stepping to the mirror, again she added the ever-present feathers—this time hanging them in her ears, light blue wisps that dangled when she turned to retrieve her purse and head down to dinner.
    The dining room was almost empty. Night had nearly fallen and the lights of Denver were glimmering on one by one beyond the windows. Lee paused in the doorway, peering into the dimness where unobtrusive music played quietly. In a far corner a gray-haired couple was sipping coffee. The only other occupied table in the room was taken by Sam Brown. He glanced up from a newspaper as Lee paused in the doorway. Their eyes met briefly before he turned expressionlessly back to his reading, angling the paper to catch the last fading light from the window beside him. Lee waited, feeling awkward and conspicuous as she studied the back of the cash register. At last a waitress led her to a seat.
    Unfortunately it was in the middle of the floor and faced Sam Brown. Again he lifted his eyes. Again they returned laconically to his newspaper, and Lee felt more than ever like the lead act in a one-ring circus.
    The waitress handed Lee a menu. “Kind of slow tonight,” the woman commented, her voice ringing like a clarion in the empty room.
    “So I see.”
    “Can I get you anything from the bar?”
    “Yes, a Smith and Kurn.” Lee was conscious of Sam Brown’s eyes directed her way again. “I know it’s an after-dinner drink, but somehow I’m always too full then.” She laughed nervously, damning herself for explaining, knowing she’d done it not for the waitress’s benefit but for Sam Brown’s. What did she care what he thought?
    The waitress crossed to his table. She handed him a menu, and their voices also resounded clearly through the room.
    “Something from the bar, sir?”
    “An extra dry martini with pickled mushrooms, if you’ve got ’em.”
    My, aren’t we fussy, Lee thought testily. Pickled mushrooms!
    “We sure do,” the waitress replied, and moved away to leave the room with nothing but that dim music which could scarcely fill the uncomfortable tension spinning between their two tables.
    Lee searched her menu, immediately spotted what she wanted, but taking refuge behind the wide folder for a full five minutes until the waitress finally arrived with her drink gave Lee someplace else to focus her attention.
    The chocolate-flavored drink was refreshing. Lee sipped and followed the waitress with her eyes as the uniformed back hid Sam Brown momentarily from view.
    “We gave you a couple extra mushrooms. How’s that?” came the pleasant question.
    “Great, thank you.” His deep voice reverberated in Lee’s ears.
    When the woman stepped back, Sam’s eyes caught Lee’s. Immediately she ducked to take a sip of her drink. The glass felt slippery in her hand. She dried her palm on her thigh, and applied herself to the menu again, ever so studiously, damning the waitress for walking off without asking if she was ready to order.
    The woman returned at last with pencil and pad. So far Lee had managed to keep her eyes off the table by the window.
    “Can I take your order now?”
    Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle? Lee bit back the snippy retort and forcibly pasted a pleasant smile on her face. She attempted to speak softly, but the words came ringing off the walls like gunshots.
    “I’ll have ocean perch, no potato, and Thousand Island dressing on my