Promise Me

 

ALSO BY RICHARD PAUL EVANS

The Walk

The Christmas List

Grace

The Gift

Finding Noel

The Sunflower

A Perfect Day

The Last Promise

The Christmas Box Miracle

The Carousel

The Looking Glass

The Locket

The Letter

Timepiece

The Christmas Box

For Children

The Dance

The Christmas Candle

The Spyglass

The Tower

The Light of Christmas

Simon & Schuster
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2010 by Richard Paul Evans

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition October 2010

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Designed by Davina Mock-Maniscalco

Manufactured in the United States of America

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Evans, Richard Paul.
Promise me / Richard Paul Evans.
p. cm.
1. Single mothers—Fiction. 2. Guardian angels—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3555.V259P76 2010
813'.54—dc22         2010027536

ISBN 978-1-4391-5003-0
ISBN 978-1-4391-5406-9 (ebook)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Laurie Liss. Amanda Murray. (It was fun while it lasted, Amanda. Thank you for your insight and faith in this story. I really enjoyed working with you.) David Rosenthal. (David, it was a pleasure working with you for all these years, I wish you well in your new pursuits.) Carolyn Reidy. Gypsy da Silva. Copy editor Fred Wiemer. Jonathan Karp (I look forward to working with you, Jonathan). My writing assistant, Jenna Evans Welch.

For research assistance: Dr. David Benton (A terrific doctor. Thanks for always being there for me, David) and Kristy Benton. Mallorie Resendez Bassetti.

The staff: Barry James Evans, Diane Glad, Heather McVey, Judy Schiffman, Karen Christoffersen, Lisa V. Johnson,
Karen Roylance, Lisa McDonald, Sherri Engar, Doug Smith and Barbara Thompson.

Keri, Jenna and David Welch, Allyson-Danica, Abigail Hope, McKenna Denece, Michael. (Sorry, Bello. You were no help at all.)

My love and appreciation to all of you.

 

To Keri

 

Promise
         Me

Locked away in jewelry boxes, hidden in my closet, are two necklaces. They are gifts from two different men. Both of these necklaces are beautiful, both of them are valuable and I wear neither of them, but for entirely different reasons—one because of a promise broken, the other because of a promise kept.

As you read my story, there is something I want you to understand. That in spite of all the pain—past, present and that still to come—I wouldn't have done anything differently. Nor would I trade the time I had with him for anything—except for what, in the end, I traded it for.

Beth Cardall's Diary