Cross My Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

Elizabeth,
who was hurrying toward the commotion at the door.
    They both stepped back, and Elyse's eyes widened with
surprise. "Liz," she gasped, "I didn't expect you back from Monterey
until late tonight."
    The pretty, dark-haired woman looked askance. "Obviously
not. What on earth is going on out there? Do you want me to call the
police?"
    Elyse shook her head. "No, he'll quiet down in a minute
and go away. Excuse me while I put Janey to bed for her nap. Then I'll
tell you all about it."
    "Please do," Liz drawled as the banging continued.
    Still seething, Elyse took Janey upstairs and laid her
carefully on the single brass bed in the pink-and-white nursery next to
her own bedroom. She took off the child's sneakers and socks and
covered her with the hand-knit coverlet that was kept folded at the
bottom of the bed, before kissing her on the forehead and closing the
door behind her as she left.
    Downstairs the commotion had stopped, and a quick glance
out the glass door revealed that the expensive Cadillac was no longer
parked at the curb. But in the back parlor, which they used as a family
living room, Liz had no intention of letting the subject drop. "I take
it that was one of your disappointed suitors?"
    Elyse grimaced. "Spring seems to bring out the rutting
instinct in males."
    Liz raised one eyebrow. "Honey,
you
bring out the rutting instinct in males. What did this one do that was
so awful?"
    Elyse shrugged. "Actually, he didn't
do
anything. It was more what he said."
    "So what did he say?"
    "Well, it wasn't so much what he said as how he said it."
Elyse was beginning to realize she may have overreacted.
    "Good grief, woman," Liz exploded, "did the man do
anything to warrant getting the door slammed in his face or not?"
    Elyse slumped in the old-fashioned leather rocker. "Yes.
Oh, I don't know. He was subtle, but…well, I made a mistake
going out with him. He just wandered in here yesterday looking for a
doll—"
    She told her sister everything that had happened during
the past two days with Clint. "Maybe I did overreact," she said in
conclusion, "but he seemed to assume I was just a party girl always
looking for a good time."
    Liz sighed and brushed a lock of short dark hair off her
forehead. "Elyse, you're too sensitive. Everyone in town knew you were
engaged to Jerry and making plans to be married when he died. None of
them are throwing rocks at you. And as for other men… ?
They're only reacting to the way you look. Face it, sweetie, with that
wild hair and husky voice—to say nothing of all your other
natural attributes—you could turn on the proverbial stone
statue. Enjoy it, for heaven's sake. Most of us would sell our souls
for a little of what you've got in such abundance."
    Elyse shook her head. "I don't know. Raising a child alone
is such a responsibility. I'd like to marry someday. I need a man in my
life and Janey needs a father, but for both our sakes I have to be
careful. I'm as susceptible as any other woman to a good looking guy's
advances, but I won't get involved in a romance that's not leading to a
commitment."
    Liz drew her legs up under her on the wheat-and-brown
homespun couch and leaned against the thickly padded arm. "I wish I had
your good sense and your self-discipline," she said.
    The ragged edge to her voice made Elyse look up. She'd
been too preoccupied to notice before, but her sister was considerably
more subdued than she should be after spending a weekend on the
magnificent and expensive Pebble Beach Golf Course with a wickedly
handsome partner.
    "Liz, is something wrong?" Elyse paused, then continued.
"Why are you and Paul home from Monterey so early? You didn't quarrel,
did you?"
    Liz uttered an unladylike snort. "We'd have been smarter
if we had! Instead we spent the night together—as in one
room, one bed and one hell of a lot of fantastic loving."
    Elyse grinned. "Well, then, what are you moping around
about? Sounds like a mutually satisfactory weekend. You and Paul have
been