All That Glitters Read online

  Whispers in Wyoming

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  All That Glitters

  Whispers in Wyoming

  Copyright Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Title Page

  All That Glitters

  Scripture Verses

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About the Author

  Other Titles by Lisa M. Prysock

  All That Glitters

  Lisa M. Prysock

  Nicole Maribella Beaumont’s boyfriend, Drew Fairchild—the sole heir of Fairchild Studios and a Hollywood Legacy—her skyrocketing acting career, and acquiring more material possessions to go with her Santa Monica beach house, were all that glittered in her world until she’d arrived in Wyoming, but Jack Colten had helped her be honest with herself enough to see some things glitter like a mirage leading to a dry and thirsty desert for the soul. True love comes forth like a well-spring, as does the soul who turns toward heaven and the Messiah, nurturing and healing all we meet.

  Whispers in Wyoming

  Love Letters & Home, Volume 1

  By Danni Roan

  Heartstruck and Heavensent, Volume 2

  By Kari Trumbo

  Dreams of Sweetwater River, Volume 3

  By Lisa Prysock

  Counting Kadence, Volume 4

  By Danni Roan

  Temptation and Tenderness, Volume 5

  By Kari Trumbo

  Guardian of Her Heart, Volume 6

  By Rachel Skatvold

  Marry Me Katie, Volume 7

  By Lisa Prysock

  A Forgetful Heart, Volume 8

  By Rachel Skatvold

  Mercy’s Light, Volume 9

  By Danni Roan

  No Place Like Home, Volume 10

  By Lisa Prysock

  Melodies of the Heart, Volume 11

  By Rachel Skatvold

  Falling Forward, Volume 12

  By Danni Roan

  Sensitive and Secure, Volume 13

  By Kari Trumbo

  Tender Hearts, Volume 14

  By Kit Morgan

  The Bonnets of Rescue Ranch, Volume 15

  By Tina Dee

  All That Glitters, Volume 16

  By Lisa Prysock

  Available at Amazon

  Copyright Page

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means- electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the author.

  All That Glitters

  Copyright © 2018 by Lisa M. Prysock

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design formatting by Lisa M. Prysock; front cover image contributed by cover artist Erin Dameron-Hill. Clip art and illustrations used are public domain and illustrations by the author noted by initials LP or by Lisa Prysock, if any. Any internet links, addresses, or contact information in this book are not guaranteed for the life of the book.

  Interior text edited by Rachel Skatvold.

  For information or to contact the publisher or author: Lisa Prysock, 7318 Autumn Bent Way, Crestwood, Kentucky, 40014, USA

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

  This work is cataloged in the Library of Congress.

  Unless paraphrased, otherwise noted or indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

  This is the eBook edition.

  All That Glitters

  Copyright © 2018 by Lisa M. Prysock

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN:

  ISBN-13: 9781729302514

  Book Description

  Nicole Maribella Beaumont liked everything exactly the way it was going. She had a practically perfect life with her daughter in their Santa Monica beach house and a fabulous career as an American actress. Why did Drew have to mess everything up by proposing? Then again, they were a happy couple when they were together, weren't they?

  Drew Fairchild was the sole heir to Fairchild Studios and a Hollywood Legacy. He’d helped build Nicole’s successful acting career. Marrying him would be almost a dream come true in so many ways. Besides, if she didn’t accept his proposal, where would that leave her career? Amy needed a father, after all.

  Then again, her first marriage had been nothing short of a disaster. Taking things slow on a beautiful luxury ranch in Wyoming to think things through over Thanksgiving and Christmas might be exactly what she needs, except for one factor she didn’t expect—the distracting Jack Colten, a handsome, gorgeous cowboy delivering flowers to her log cabin each day, flowers from Drew.

  Get your copy of this stand-alone Contemporary Christian Western Romance today! Clean, sweet, romantic, inspirational, and filled with Christmas warmth, humor, and holiday adventures.

  Dedication

  This is for Paul. Thanks for sending daily inspirational texts and prayers. Keep spreading the message of God’s love.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my editor. She’s absolutely the best!

  Thank you to the authors in this Wyoming series. They’ve each helped me grow in my writing journey so much. Are we already to almost 17 books now? That’s incredible and makes me so happy! Danni, it’s such an honor and so much fun to work alongside you and these fellow authors on your brain child.

  Thank you to my amazing proofer! She’s worked on so many of my books with invaluable contributions to help me share the gospel in an interesting, unique way. Tina, you go girl!

  A special thank you goes out to my beta-readers who help with feedback on each of my books and show me support in so many ways.

  Erin, your book covers for our series are outstanding.

  Thank you to my family for being so patient with me when I’m writing. I appreciate your help around the house so much. I plan to tackle a few projects after release day. The mail pile can wait to be filed and maybe I’ll get a second wind to clean out my closets one of these days, in-between novels, of course. A huge thank you goes to my husband, for being the fixer of plot holes and a sounding board.

  Title Page

  All That Glitters

  Scripture Verses

  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

  But godliness with contentment is great gain. I Timothy 6:6

  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and Your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mathew 6:32-33, ESV

  Chapter 1

  “Our relationships are precious, valuable treasures from heaven, and we should handle them carefully, always looking for ways to build bridges to each other’s
hearts.”

  —Victoria Osteen

  Santa Monica, California present day, late October

  “Was it a good day?” Nicole Maribella Beaumont ran a hand across her eight-year-old daughter’s forehead, sweeping a few dark curls away from her face.

  Amy’s eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly as her eyes drooped shut and she yawned. Then she sighed with contentment, a slight smile spreading across her face. Her eyes still shut, she mumbled, “It was a perfect day, Mommy.” Moments later, her daughter was sound asleep.

  They’d spent the entire day together, just the two of them. Nicole had prepared scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit salad for breakfast—Amy’s favorites—and served it on the balcony overlooking the blue-green span of ocean from their Santa Monica home located north of the famous pier. Then they’d spent the day at the beach along the edge of their secluded, gated property. They’d built sand castles, collected seashells, walked along the shore, and frolicked in the waves. When they grew hungry, they’d enjoyed a picnic lunch of chicken salad croissant sandwiches, sweet potato chips, and orange cream sodas—more of Amy’s favorites Nicole had picked up from a local deli the day before.

  After showers and a leisurely bike ride along part of the bike trail, they headed back to their three-story, Victorian, beach home. Riding bikes together was another of their favorite activities since the Santa Monica beach offered more than twenty miles of bike trail along the ocean.

  She’d taught her daughter how to prepare the broccoli and let her turn a few of the pieces of chicken on the grill for their dinner of linguini with butter-parmesan sauce. Then they’d watched a movie and read two bedtime stories.

  She’d immensely enjoyed every minute of their late October day together. It’d been a little breezy, and they’d had to dress accordingly, but it was still warm enough outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Three months had been lengthy and difficult to be apart, but everything about this role had been too good to pass up.

  As her daughter drifted off to sleep, Nicole didn’t have to ask why it’d been a perfect day in her child’s mind. First of all, she’d returned two days ago from the set in Canada where she’d portrayed the leading lady for the next movie. Secondly, Drew hadn’t been there with them today.

  Although she’d talked to Amy daily on the phone and flown home most weekends, three months of separation hadn’t been easy for either of them. While most of the movies she starred in were filmed almost entirely at the Hollywood location of Fairchild Studios, sometimes a role required her to fly to the New York studio or some other location. This time, it’d been Montreal.

  She didn’t consider herself much of a praying woman anymore, but she did thank God for her best friend, Brooke Williams. Brooke took care of Amy whenever her acting career required travel, homeschooling her along with her own daughter, Madison. Nicole hoped the movie would be another instant success. If it became the box office hit she and Drew suspected it’d be, she’d be financially secure for some time far into the future. With what she’d managed to earn in her nine-year acting career, she and Amy would be comfortable if she was careful to keep on taking new roles and performing them well.

  Nicole glanced in the corner to be sure the nightlight flickered on when she flipped the light switch off in Amy’s bedroom. Then, leaving the door cracked open, she tiptoed down the hall leading to the stairs, entering the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. She settled into a seat at the table on the balcony with the cup of steaming delicious goodness, thankful for solace and time to reflect. Leaving the patio door open slightly so she could hear in case Amy needed her, she could view the twinkling stars above in the broad night sky and listen to the sound of the ocean waves gently crashing against each other as the tide repeatedly rolled in and out. The sights and sounds were a comforting lullaby she’d missed.

  It was good to be home, but now that her day was over, once again, she wrestled with her thoughts about an important decision. She drummed her fingers on the table restlessly, wondering if Brooke had put Madison to bed yet. After a while, she reached for her cell and called her friend.

  “Hey, I was hoping you’d call.” Brooke’s voice sounded happy to hear from her. “How was your day with Amy?”

  “Awesome! We really needed it. We found tons of seashells, played in the sand and waves for hours, and had a wonderful day. Amy talked my ear off. How was the zoo?” she asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

  “Fun, except for five trips to restrooms, one lost tennis shoe, and a lot of begging with tears for this and that from Madison. Dan was able to go with us after all, which is the main reason I survived. He’s a great dad. Keeps reminding her not to pout and cry to get her own way. He doesn’t cave in as quickly as I do at times. I keep wondering when she’ll outgrow this stage.” Brooke sighed.

  “I understand the treks to the restrooms and the begging and pouting. Amy does a lot of the same, no matter what, but a lost tennis shoe?” Nicole chuckled.

  “Don’t ask. It’s a long story.” Brooke laughed lightly about the incident.

  “I’m glad Dan was able to go with you.” Nicole smiled to think of the pleasant day it must have been for Brooke’s little family in spite of a few mishaps. Dan, Brooke’s husband and an Executive Senior Vice President at Fairchild Studios, often worked long hours. He was a great dad though; he was always supportive and loving to Brooke. Someday, Nicole hoped she’d have a husband like Dan, and now it seemed like it might become a reality.

  On her last night of filming in Canada, Drew, her boyfriend of five years, had flown in from his Santa Monica family estate—not too far from her own beachfront property—on his private plane. He’d observed her when they’d finished wrapping up another three takes for an important scene. Then he’d handed her a bouquet of red roses and whisked her away to a private dinner he’d arranged at a popular upscale restaurant in Montreal. He’d led her by the hand as they’d followed the maître de along a trail of rose petals to a small banqueting room he’d reserved, along with a personal chef and waiter for the evening. He’d also had a musician serenade them with violin music amongst vases of flowers, a spectacular view, and candlelight before he’d popped the question, presenting her with an enormous diamond ring.

  “I’m glad Dan was able to go with us, also. All in all, it was a good day.” Brooke’s voice brought her back to the conversation at hand. “We took lots of photos and made some great memories. The look on Maddie’s face at the giraffe station was priceless. She loved the monkeys, too. Oh, and the lions and tigers. I feel a Noah’s Ark recap coming on. I’m pretty sure we wore ourselves out. We had dinner riverside, next to the toucans, in a jungle-like garden with a bird paradise and water fountains beneath a cabana. Madison fell asleep on the drive home and Dan is snoring in the living room with the remote in his hand.”

  “Wow, that dinner sounds amazing! I’m so happy you were able to have a nice day as a family. Today was good for Amy and me, too. I won’t keep you long, but that brings me to why I called. I’m thinking of taking a little trip.” Nicole was glad to get to the point of her call. “Do you remember the name of that ranch in Wyoming where you and Dan stayed for ten days to celebrate your anniversary when we had Madison stay here with us while you were there?”

  “Sure, uh, it was The Sweetwater River Ranch Resort. Let me think now. It’s located in Lander, Wyoming, but it’s really on the outskirts of town in the countryside. It’s a charming town, but it does have a nice shopping mall. I guess it’s something like population ten thousand.”

  “Sounds perfect. We need somewhere secluded, just Amy and me.” Nicole wandered into the kitchen to refill her coffee cup. “But not too secluded; we need a shopping mall. You know how we love to shop.”

  “I do. You and Amy are among the few who can wear me out with shopping. When are you thinking of going away, and for how long?” Brooke asked.

  “Next week, if possible.” Nicole paused before adding, “We’ll probably stay until after the New Year, s
o about eight or nine weeks.”

  “Wow, that’s all the way through Christmas and into January. I could give you eight weeks of Amy’s school lessons to take along with you. Actually, it’d only be about five weeks of lessons since you’d have some time off for the holidays.” This time it was Brooke’s turn to pause. “Christmas wouldn’t be the same without you both here. Can you hold off until after the holidays and go in January instead?”

  “I wish I could, but I really need to get away now since Drew finally popped the question.” Nicole paused so her friend could absorb this new information. “I really need to think about my answer since my first marriage was a complete disaster, except for Amy, of course.”

  “You’ve stunned me into silence. I’d congratulate you, but I know you’ve got mixed feelings about Drew. How are you feeling about it?”

  “Ambivalent.” Nicole laughed, but she knew her friend would be happy deep down, yet reserved about the proposal. Over the years, she’d shared with Brooke a few of her concerns about Drew. Sure, as an only child, he would one day inherit the empire legacy of Fairchild Studios and the numerous estates his parents owned, but he’d also been married twice before and wasn’t as child-friendly as she’d hoped.

  Maybe marriage would change that if he and Amy could spend more time together and shared a home. Though the man was worth billions, attractive, and they got along well, he hadn’t mentioned Amy once during any moment of the night when he’d proposed. In fact, he hardly asked her anything about Amy most of the time. She tried to give him the benefit of the doubt on the issue since he had a lot on his mind having to do with Fairchild Studios. There were other scripts, actors, actresses, directors, sets, logistics and all things movies for him to consider. Drew was at the center of everything having to do with any movies the studio produced.