Smitten at First Sight: A Contemporary Romance Novel

by Astor, Marie

  But most importantly, the accident made Taylor realize the importance of his relationship with his father. The two of them had worked out their differences and reestablished their bond. They kept in touch with frequent phone calls and emails. Since then, Taylor’s father had come to see them twice, and Maggie and Taylor had visited him in New York.

  Taylor was not the only one who was inspired to make changes in his life by the accident. His close brush with death had made Shawn and Hannah recognize their feelings for each other. Since then, Hannah and Shawn happily settled in Colorado where they worked as ski instructors when they were not busy winning prizes at ski competitions around the world. The four of them remained close, but Taylor’s friendship with Hannah and Shawn had also changed: no longer was it a conflicted love triangle, but a friendship of two happy couples.

  As for Jeffrey, he was let go from the network, and Maggie had not heard from him since.

  “Knock, knock.” Maggie’s mother poked her head through the door. “It’s almost time, honey.”

  “I know.” Maggie took a deep breath. “How do I look?”

  “Beautiful.” Mrs. Robin exhaled with admiration, looking at her daughter with a mixture of pride and joy. “Taylor is going to be blown away.”

  “Thanks, Mom!” Maggie smiled, remembering all the time she had spent in pursuit of the perfect wedding dress. The search had involved several trips to New York, but in the end, Maggie had found the perfect dress in a small shop in Vancouver. The dress was perfect for the occasion: made of white silk, it was trimmed with white faux fur at the sleeves and at the hem and had a matching faux fur wrap. A matching fur cap with attached veil completed the ensemble, making Maggie feel like a princess in a winter wonderland. “How is it out there?” Maggie adjusted her veil. Like any bride, she could not help feeling nervous on her wedding day - while she had no second thoughts about marrying Taylor, she worried about the ceremony and the afterward reception going off without a hitch.

  Neither Maggie nor Taylor had wanted a big wedding, but somehow the invitation list had grown to almost sixty people over the past few months. While not an overly large number, it seemed huge to both Maggie and Taylor since they had initially planned on inviting no more than twenty people, but both of their lives had taken unexpected turns over the year, bringing new friends and acquaintances, which led to a much larger number of invitations. Still, Maggie wanted to make sure that despite the larger guest list, their wedding ceremony would still retain the intimate character that they both had originally envisioned for it - something that she would not have been able to accomplish if it had not for the help of those close to her. Her work schedule had been extremely busy due to a steady stream of assignments that started flowing in ever since her photographs had been featured in Snow magazine. A few months ago, she had a show of her work in a small gallery in Vancouver. Her photographs received positive reviews, which were confirmed by strong sales. She had just finished working on an assignment for National Geographic and had three more assignments waiting for her. Still, despite her and Taylor’s busy schedules, planning the wedding had been easy with the help of their family and friends.

  From the onset, Maggie and Taylor wanted to get married on the mountain. Ideally, they would have liked to get married at the top of the Heaven Ridge, just like Taylor’s grandparents, but there was no way to transport all the guests to that particular spot. So it was Maggie’s mother who suggested that the ceremony take place on the viewing platform next to the air tram dismounting area since that part of the mountain was leveled-out and wide enough to fit all the guests. However, the logistics for such a ceremony were complicated and Maggie and Taylor worried that such a large gathering of people would interfere with daily operations of the resort. George Thomson, the real estate developer who owned the majority stake in Eagleville Resort Corporation, was a very good friend of Taylor’s grandfather, Phil.

  Still, neither Taylor nor Maggie wanted to do anything that would take advantage of this close friendship. It was then that they received the most generous gift from George who offered Taylor and Maggie the use of the viewing platform free of charge, refusing to even talk about payment, and insisted on closing the air tram an hour earlier, so that it could be used to transport the wedding guests to the ceremony site. George was a widower, and because he and his late wife had not been blessed with children, he had come to regard Taylor as his grandson and was only too glad to be able to help. The only payment that George was willing to consider was to be the one to marry Maggie and Taylor. George had his Justice of the Peace license, and Maggie and Taylor could not think of a better candidate to officiate at their wedding ceremony than someone who had been so important in turning Eagleville into the place that it was today, the place that had brought them together.

  “Everything is under control,” said Mrs. Robin, smiling. “All the guests have already gone up on the air tram. Taylor is already up there. The only one missing is you.”

  “I guess we’d better get going then,” said Maggie.

  “Whenever you’re ready, honey. Your dad is waiting downstairs,” Mrs. Robin halted. “Maggie, I’ve got really exciting news, I was going to wait until after the ceremony, but here it goes – I got into Yale Law!”

  “You did? Congratulations, Mom! I’m sure you’ll be a great lawyer.”

  “I hope you’re right – the tuition costs a fortune. You know, if it weren’t for you, I don’t think I would have gone through with it. It’s something I always wanted to do, so I guess it’s better late than never.” Mrs. Robin smiled, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “But look at me, holding you up with this nonsense on your wedding day!”

  “It’s not nonsense, Mom. I’m glad that you’re finally following your dream. “And it’s not too late, Mom – it’s never too late,” said Maggie, confident that her mother would put the degree to good use. “Now, are you ready?”

  Taking a deep breath, Maggie started walking down the stairs. As she stepped into the lobby of the lodge, she saw her father waiting there for her. His face wore an expression of love and pride.

  “You look wonderful, Maggie,” he said softly, taking her hand.

  While they rode on the air tram, Maggie glanced through the windows, taking in the vast mountains that surrounded them. She remembered how daunting the view had seemed when she had first seen it, glad to know that with Taylor by her side there was no mountain that she could not scale.

  When she exited the tram with her father walking proudly by her side, Maggie could hear the crowd grow quiet as all the eyes were set upon her. Her mother had slipped off discretely to join Taylor’s grandparents who stood at the head of the crowd. Maggie could see Taylor’s father standing next to them, and her heart leapt with joy.

  As she walked along the aisle, Maggie was stunned by how beautiful everything looked. It was truly a winter fairy tale. Intricate ice sculptures of flowers and angels adorned the platform on either side. A beautiful arch sculpted out of ice stood at the end of the platform. She could see Taylor standing by the side of it, waiting for her. Because the ceremony was outside, both he and Maggie decided that the wedding party would be wearing ski suits and afterwards would change into formal attire for the reception that was to take place at the Owl Lodge. Taylor was dressed in the neon ski suit that Maggie had first seen him wear when the sight of him descending the vast snows of the Eagleville Mountains had taken her breath away. Shawn, who was the best man, was wearing a matching ski suit that he had bought especially for the occasion. Hannah stood on the other side of the arch and from the genuine look of joy in her eyes Maggie could tell that the rivalry between them was now in the past.

  Once they reached the arch, Maggie’s father lifted her veil, kissing her lightly on the cheek, after which he took his place next to Maggie’s mother. Taylor took a step forward, taking his place next to Maggie. His face wore an unfamiliar look of seriousness, as though he were reflecting on his entire life, this moment being the culmination of ever
ything that had happened to him until now. Looking into his eyes, Maggie saw a familiar twinkle, remembering the way Taylor had looked at her when they first met, a year ago, and she knew that he loved her beyond words and would always be as true to her as she would be to him. In that instant, she felt that she had never been more certain of any of her decisions, as she stood next to Taylor, knowing that she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him by her side.

  George took a step forward and the crowd grew quiet in anticipation of the ceremony. While his hair was gray, George still wore it long, tied in a ponytail, as he had done when he was a young man. He conducted a beautiful ceremony, just as Maggie and Taylor had envisioned it, as he spoke of love and of the importance of marriage being a true partnership, reminding them that life inevitably brought both joy and challenges, and that with a loved one by one’s side, challenges would be easy to overcome and joys would be so much more rewarding.

  Grateful for the gift of each other’s love, Maggie and Taylor listened to George’s eloquent words. And as he pronounced them man and wife, they looked into each other’s eyes, knowing that their love would always be there to guide them through whatever hardships life might put before them.

  The End

  Read on for an excerpt from Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.

  About the author:

  Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels, Smitten at First Sight, This Tangled Thing Called Love, romantic comedy, Lucky Charm, and romantic suspense novel, To Catch a Bad Guy. Marie is also the author of fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back.

  If you enjoyed Smitten at First Sight, please stop by Marie Astor’s website: www.marieastor.com to sign up for book release updates and events.

  An excerpt from Lucky Charm by Marie Astor

  Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

  Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

  A few weeks later, Annabel meets a new love interest, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.

  Lucky Charm

  By

  Marie Astor

  Chapter 1

  As she headed for the tiny boutique shop on the corner of Lexington Avenue and Sixtieth Street, Annabel felt the palms of her hands prickle with perspiration. Her breath quickened with excitement and what might have been a bit of fear. Today she would be trying on her wedding dress for the first time.

  “Annabel, you look stunning!” Lilly gushed when Annabel finally emerged from the dressing room.

  “Wow,” Annabel whispered at her own reflection in the mirror, thinking that the person in there could not possibly be her. “It is so beautiful, Lilly! It’s the most amazing dress I’ve ever seen.”

  “Thank you.” A quick smile of satisfaction lit up Lilly’s face. “You know, it’s the least I could do, you being my best friend and all. Now, turn around.” Lilly waved her hand imperiously. “Let’s see if we need to make any adjustments.” Lilly was tall and lanky. At five nine, she wore a size four and easily could have been a model, but instead she chose to be a designer, quipping that she preferred calling the shots instead of being a mannequin.

  “Ouch!” Annabel felt one of Lilly’s pins poke her waist.

  “Sorry! Did I get you?”

  “A little.”

  “How much weight did you lose?” demanded Lilly. “If you had told me that you were planning to go on a diet, I would have waited with the dress. Now I have to take it all in.”

  “I didn’t go on a diet,” retorted Annabel. “I just haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”

  “It’s not like you have any weight to lose. You’re skinnier than my models,” Lilly mumbled, holding the pin between her lips as she continued to adjust the fabric. “What was that you said about not having an appetite?” Lilly straightened up to survey the alterations after she had placed several more pins into the dress. “Is everything okay between you and Jeremy?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing – just stress at work.” Annabel shrugged, sensing Lilly’s inquiring stare. “I don’t mean to sound like a Bridezilla, but the planning is exhausting. Meredith has been helping me, but there is still a lot to be done.”

  “What about Jeremy? He should be pitching in.”

  “Tell me about it! I can’t even get him to look at the guest list. But in his defense, he’s been really busy with his book. Athena and he are working round the clock.”

  “He sure has been spending a lot of time with that hot book agent of his.” Lilly raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s nothing like that. They’re working together. According to Athena, a book deal should be coming through any day, and she’s saying that it’s going to be really big.”

  “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. You know that I have issues with trusting men.” Lilly smiled apologetically, busying herself with another round of fabric adjustments.

  “Don’t worry about it.” That was one of the things about Lilly –she never pulled any punches.

  “Well, it seems my work here is done,” announced Lilly. “That is, unless you decide to lose any more weight in the next month, which you’d better not, since I won’t be doing this all over again.”

  “I won’t. I promise.” Annabel smiled. At times Lilly was worse than her own mother. “You’ll be glad to know that I’m going to meet Meredith for a cake tasting at Veniero’s. Do you want to come?”

  “I wish I could, but I’m swamped here as it is. I am scrambling like mad for this Paris trip.”

  “What Paris trip? You never told me anything about it.”

  “Well, I didn’t want to jinx it, and it’s only become official this morning,” Lilly admitted guiltily. “I’ll be going to Paris in three months to present my collection in a fashion contest for new designers. You had to apply to be considered, and I’ve been holding my fingers crossed for the past six months. I could get some real orders there, Ann. This could be it!” Lilly whispered, her eyes lighting up.

  “Lilly, this is terrific news! I’m so happy for you. I know that you’ll blow them away!”

  “I hope so.” Lilly twisted her hands nervously. “I’ve been wracking my brain since this morning what to pick for the contest.”

  “I can relate to that. All your dresses are beautiful.”

  “Oh, stop it! You’re flattering me when I need brutal honesty!” Lilly waved her hand, blushing with pleasure. “Is that your cell phone ringing? Let me guess. Is it Meredith?”

  Annabel fumbled in her purse, groping for her cell phone.

  “Hi Meredith. Yes, I’m on my way – I’ll see you there in five.” She hung up the phone, looking at her watch. “I’ve got to run. You know how Meredith gets about people being late. Are you sure you can’t come?” Annabel offered one last time.

  “I wish I could, but there’s just too much to do. Have an extra pastry for me.”

  “See you later. Thanks again for the dress. It’s a dream come true!”

  As usual on a Saturday afternoon, Lexington Avenue was bustling with shoppers. Annabel checked her watch. She was supposed to meet her cousin Meredith at two o’clock, and i
t was already one-thirty. With traffic, it could easily be a twenty-minute ride to the Village, which was where Veniero’s was located, but if she got a cab right away, she would just about make it.

  I wonder if they will ever build that Second Avenue subway line, Annabel thought as she stood on the crowded sidewalk, hoping for a miracle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could spot two women laden with shopping bags trying to hail a cab one block up, but maybe, just maybe, she would get lucky after all. Suddenly, a cab pulled over to the curb, and Annabel lunged toward it. Through the car window she could see the man inside paying his fare, and she strategically positioned herself by the door. It was not uncommon in Manhattan to have a cab snatched right from under your nose.

  “Eleventh Street and First Avenue, please.” Annabel hastily shut the door. As the cabbie drove on, Annabel caught the resentful glances of the two women she had spotted earlier. Oh, well, she thought. You lose some, you gain some. This was the only good thing that had happened to her all week, and as far as she was concerned, she had earned it.

  Chapter 2

  By the time the cab finally pulled in front of Veniero’s, Annabel could spot Meredith, pacing the pavement in front of the bakery.

  “Annabel! There you are!” Meredith exclaimed as soon as Annabel’s foot reached the curb.

  “Sorry I’m late. The traffic was horrible. Have you been waiting long?”

  “Only about five minutes. I left extra early since I wasn’t sure how long it would take to find parking. You are so lucky to live in the City. Don’t ever move to the suburbs.” Meredith sighed wistfully. “I can’t believe I let Doug talk me into this move. Every time I want to come out to the City, I feel like it’s a major production. I might as well live somewhere in Kansas.”