Maggie sat in the empty
Ritz suite Jeffrey had rented for their engagement trip and stared
listlessly into a wall. Her clothes were strewn all over the bed – she
started packing, but had to stop, unable to continue
with the task through the tears that were flooding her eyes. It sounded
like a cheesy cliché, but she really did feel like a knife had been
stuck through her heart.
Next to her lay Jeffrey’s laptop – the files on it were all the evidence Maggie needed to know that Bethany’s words were true.
Beautiful women were a
fact of life for Jeffrey Preston. At first, Maggie felt overshadowed by
all the gorgeous starlets and aspiring models who flocked to Jeffrey at
various social functions that he took Maggie
to. On occasions like these, she could almost hear their jealous
thoughts: Whatever did he see in you? You’d better watch your back or someone will take your place.
Not that she had had any reasons to doubt Jeffrey’s fidelity: ever
since the two of
them had started seeing each other, Jeffrey had said goodbye to his
wild past. Before, he had been known to stay out until all hours of the
night, emerging from nightclubs with two or three stunning women on his
arms, but once he began dating Maggie, he became
completely committed to her, or so Maggie had thought.
To know that she had been
fooled the entire time was what really hurt the most. Now, in
hindsight, a pattern emerged: all the times when Jeffrey did not answer
his cell phone, even late at night, his haphazard business
trips and his reluctance to talk about his supposed business meetings.
At the time, she did not make anything of it, but now she knew that she
had been a naïve fool.
Maggie’s first impulse
had been to pack up and go to the airport. She started throwing her
clothes into her suitcase, but changed her mind halfway.
She had to leave this
hotel room, but she was not sure she wanted to go home just yet. For
one, leaving would let Jeffrey off the hook too easily – he owed her a
face-to-face explanation. And for another, Eagleville
was a photographer’s goldmine, and what better way to get over
heartbreak than keeping busy?
But if she
was going to stay in Eagleville, Maggie had to find new accommodations.
There was no way she was going to remain at the Ritz – the prospect of
running into her cheating,
lying fiancé pretty much nixed that option. Nor did she want to stay in
any of the hotels in the vicinity of the Ritz, which pretty much
excluded the majority of the hotels in the resort, as all the lodging
establishments were neatly packed into a tight cluster
around the main gondola.
That left
the Owl Lodge – the rustic setting and proximity to the air tram made it
the ideal choice. A few hours ago, the possibility of running into
Taylor would have worried
her, but she was a different woman now - the kind of woman who resolved
to never get her heart broken again, and even the tantalizing green of
Taylor’s eyes could not swerve her off her new course.
Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie's college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.
Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, Maggie meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.
A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor's death. When Maggie returns to Taylor's native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor's side, convincing him to embrace life again.
----
Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novelsThis Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm,On the Rim of Love, romantic suspense,ToCatch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection, A Dressin a Window. Marie is also the author of young adult fantasy adventurenovel,Over the Mountain and Back.
If you would like to learn more about Marie’s writing, please stop by herwebsite:www.marieastor.como
Books by Marie Astor:
This Tangled ThingCalled Love– a contemporary romance about overcoming one’s inhibitions,learning to tango, and finding one’s true love match.
Lucky Charm– a humorous contemporaryromance about love, luck and friendship.
On the Rim of Love– a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.
A Dress in a Window– a collection ofshort stories about love, coincidences, and fate.
Over the Mountainand Back –young
adult fantasy adventure novel about a boy who takes hissnowboard for a
ride and finds himself in a magical, hidden world he never knewexisted.
Connect with Marie!
Website: http://www.marieastor.com/
Twitter: @marieastor
AND THERE IS A GIVEAWAY!
**Anyone who purchases their copy of On the Rim of Love before December 24 and sends their receipt to
Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will be entered in the giveaway! Five
individual winners will receive a piece of jewelry shown to the right, and one bonus
winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card! Please note this is open to US
residents only.**
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