Blue Moon Over Bliss Lake
by Cate Masters
Home for the holidays…
Sierra O’Brien and Carter Grove have a lot of history—and regrets between them. Their high school romance didn’t survive after he went away to college. Despite tremendous business success, Carter never found another woman like Sierra and has two failed marriages to prove it. Sierra’s luck wasn’t much better, but after being widowed, she heads back to Bliss to plan her future. The last thing either expected was to run into each other or to reconnect to the magic that once drew them together.
Can Sierra and Carter make it work this time or are they doomed to repeat the past and let the same mistakes drive them apart? In Bliss, the inexplicable is an everyday occurrence, and anything is possible—especially during a blue moon.
Sierra O’Brien and Carter Grove have a lot of history—and regrets between them. Their high school romance didn’t survive after he went away to college. Despite tremendous business success, Carter never found another woman like Sierra and has two failed marriages to prove it. Sierra’s luck wasn’t much better, but after being widowed, she heads back to Bliss to plan her future. The last thing either expected was to run into each other or to reconnect to the magic that once drew them together.
Can Sierra and Carter make it work this time or are they doomed to repeat the past and let the same mistakes drive them apart? In Bliss, the inexplicable is an everyday occurrence, and anything is possible—especially during a blue moon.
Enjoy
the following excerpt for BLUE MOON OVER BLISS LAKE:
Ensconced in soft down, Sierra
floated down from her dreams, the one place she always found safety. Her body
acknowledged the bed, the sunshine stinging her eyes drawing her back toward
reality. Reluctantly, she pried open one then blinked both open. After a moment
of confusion, she knew where she was: home. In Bliss.
Dreams of Carter had helped
make the night blissful, too. While she rose and puttered around, making the
bed, a vivid image of him stayed in her mind. How the heck had a decade
improved his looks? Carter 2.0. Oh yeah, he’d love that, with all his
cutting-edge technological developments, he’d become one of Steve Jobs’ main
competitors. Unlike Jobs, Carter’s sharp, professional appearance lent an
unapproachable air, the expensive suit he’d worn the day before cut so well to
his figure it looked tailor-made. It probably was. The soft fabric had
surprised her. So had the taut muscles beneath the suit. Carter kept himself in
shape. He had everything in life he could possibly need. A pang of regret
sliced through her.
Or did he? She
headed to the bathroom and twisted the faucet knob. Steam began to fill the
small bathroom as she stepped inside the shower. It hadn’t escaped her notice
when Forbes listed him in its Top 40
Under 40. She’d been happy for his success, but something about those media
photos grabbed her attention, and she lingered over them. His smile appeared
too rehearsed, empty of happiness. Sometimes pictures showed a woman clinging
to him, her embrace cloying and possessive rather than loving.
Toweling off, she tried to
remember his current wife’s name. It escaped her; he’d married at least twice.
A bitter chuckle escaped and she wiped the mirror free of steam a little harder
than necessary. And you thought you were
the love of his life. Obviously, he didn’t have one—he had many.
She frowned at her hazy
reflection. After reading another article she’d run across online in some
pretentious magazine like Architectural
Digest, she’d questioned whether she ever really knew the man. His
wife—Barbara, maybe?—had had their initials monogrammed on everything
throughout their McMansion. A beautiful place, but cold. Overbearing. Nothing
like the boy she’d once loved.
You’re not exactly the same girl either. Gaunt face, pale skin, and dark circles beneath her eyes. Not for long. Carter had made his mark
on the world and she intended to do the same. Much smaller than his, of course,
but she didn’t need to conquer the universe. A state or two might be nice,
though.
“Oh, Carter.” He’d left his
mark on her, too. Ten years melted away when she’d seen him the day before, the
two minutes leaving a vivid impression. Throughout the night, in the haze of
sleep, memories of the two years they’d shared filled her with sublime
happiness. How bright the future had appeared then.
She straightened. It will be. A little late, but starting
over would give her the opportunity to make it better this time.
About the Author:
Cate Masters has made beautiful
central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart.
When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair,
concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal
stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and
in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Contact Details:
Website:
http://catemasters.blogspot.com
Email:
cate.masters@gmail.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts
Twitter:
@CateMasters
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