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Carol Hegberg
Carol Hegberg
Category:
Inspirational
Publisher: Tate Publishing
ISBN-10: 1625637497
Type: Fiction
Pages: 287
Copyright: Jan 1, 2013
ISBN-13: 9781625637499
Price: $15.00 (eBook)
Love Never Fails is an inspirational story that encourages people to forgive those who have wounded them.
Love Never Fails is a charming, inspirational romance for foreign affairs and sweetheart line genres. When Marie Masterson, #2 on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, meets Günter Hoffmann in Munich for the first time, she has no idea how drastically their love will reshape her gymnastics career. After she wins the #1 berth at the Olympic trials, Marie must forfeit because she is pregnant. Later she is devastated to learn Günter has married.
Seven years later when Günter and his wife visit, Marie is forced to tell Günter why she forfeited. When Marie discovers Günter was also devastated by their not marrying, she arranges a second flight to Munich to make their happy ending.
Excerpt
The sky was still washed pink from sunrise as Marie Masterson glanced out the airplane window. When she stretched across the young sleeping boy, she saw Munich waiting to meet her the second time. The medieval buildings with their copious chimneys like hats atop their red-tiled roofs saluted her while the snow-covered Alps kept guard over the city in the distance.
She immediately picked out Frauenkirche with its twin spires, standing proud at the city's center. How many times she had dreamed of returning to Munich!
She eased back against her seat, trying not to awaken Marc. She thought she would have lots of quiet time to think over her situation before they reached Munich. But Marc had been overly excited about their airplane trip, and nothing settled him. He had fallen asleep only an hour ago.
As she watched the sleeping child, her memories of Munich swept back like gentle waves. The first time she had met Günter by the giant cuckoo clock. His touch in the Aubergine and his arms wrapped around her at the ticket machine. The smell of his cologne, the pretzels and beer, and the pine of the forests. His words of love. The rain against the old barn. His flesh against hers.
Munich also had a distaste. Its sweetness had soured. Even with all its beauty, Marie felt the ache return to her heart that she also coupled with the city. The pain of the tearful nights had replaced the joy of her earlier days.
At the sound of the pilot's voice, she stopped stroking her heart with the past and fastened her and Marc's seat belts. She wondered if anything would awaken him or if she would have to carry him off the airplane.
After they landed, Marie cleaved to her seat while the other passengers gathered their items to leave.
A young couple, eyes to themselves, walked past her. As they did, Marie noticed the gold bands on their hands. She stiffened as sadness threatened to drown her heart. They were the hardest of this new world for her to love. Yet she tried. She blinked away any tears, and in her heart, she wished them well.
A little girl hurried down the aisle, twisting, giggling, and accidentally hitting Marie with her toy. The mother reprimanded the little girl in a patient voice and apologized with a smile as she followed with her husband and a bundle of a baby. At the sight of it, Marie's heart grieved as though she had lost a treasure.
A middle-aged woman scuttled past, leaving the scent of lilac and hope in the air.
Marie raised her hand to awaken Marc. As she did, she saw a rainbow outside and felt the love of God wrap around her. In her mind she hummed an Easter song.
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering over the wrecks of time,
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round the head sublime.
The words stirred memories about her wrecks of time that began nine Easters ago. Love had encouraged her to return to Munich. Love had turned her story sacred instead of sour.
Why not let him sleep? she thought. Many passengers were yet to leave.
Instead of touching Marc, she laid her hand in her lap, and she remembered.
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