Where the Heart Leads

Where the, Heart Leads By Ally McGuire 2023 Where the Heart Leads by Ally McGuire A writer. A celebrity. And a secret that could break their hearts. A stunt car driver, an MI5 agent, a gigolo… Finn Montoya tells everyone she meets she has a different profession. It’s all part of keeping people at a distance while still being a part of the world around her. Really, she’s an accomplished writer who has taken being a mystery to heart. That way, she stays safe. Under no circumstances can her past catch up with her. Angie Davis just wanted some simple time with her daughter. But when the paparazzi swarm the café she and Luna are at, she has no choice but to accept the help of a handsome stranger who is watching the chaos play out. When Luna develops a friendship with that stranger, Angie is unsure how to handle it. But the more time Angie spends with Finn, the more she wants to be in her arms. Against her better judgement, Finn allows herself to be drawn to the promise of something real with Angie, but when the celebrity spotlight threatens to derail her safe existence and expose her secrets, it isn’t only their hearts in danger. Is love worth the risk? Author bio: Ally McGuire lives in the UK with her wife. Social media frightens the bejesus out of her, as does the human race generally. She writes WLW fiction to escape into the far more pleasant world in her head. Butterworth Books is a different breed of publishing house. It’s a home for Indies, for independent authors who take great pride in their work and produce top quality books for readers who deserve the best. Professional editing, professional cover design, professional proof reading, professional book production—you get the idea. As Individual as the Indie authors we’re proud to work with, we’re Butterworths and we’re different. Authors currently publishing with us: E.V. Bancroft Valden Bush Addison M Conley Jo Fletcher Helena Harte Lee Haven Karen Klyne AJ Mason Ally McGuire James Merrick Robyn Nyx Simon Smalley Brey Willows For more information visit www.butterworthbooks.co.uk WHERE THE HEART LEADS © 2023 by Ally McGuire All rights reserved. This eBook is published by Butterworth Books, UK This is a work of fiction: names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without express permission. Cataloging information ISBN: 978-1-915009-34-0 Credits Editor: Nicci Robinson Cover Design: Nicci Robinson & Ally McGuire Production Design: Global Wordsmiths Acknowledgements My first romance novel—I didn’t think I’d make it, but with the help of my wonderful wife and the team at Global Wordsmiths, I have. I’d like to thank my editor, Nicci; you were gentle with my dream of writing a romance—until you weren’t because I needed a kick in the pants. Thank you for your perfect approach to my little artist child. Thank you to Margaret Burris for proof reading and catching the Britishisms that have somehow slipped unnoticed into my America psyche, and I very much appreciate your willingness to work for the love of it. And thank you to my lovely team of ARC readers for being willing to take their precious time to review my book. And lastly, thank you to the readers who are taking a chance on a new romance author like me. I know there’s a lot of competition out there, so thank you, and I hope you find your faith is rewarded within these pages. Dedication To my amazing wife, who never lets me give up. Chapter One “I mean, seriously. How can he expect me to go cycling with my new implants? It’s not like these butt cheeks were cheap. I don’t want them deflating just because he wants me to go riding up some trail.” The woman tossed her long hair over her shoulder and motioned in the vague area of her extremely high buttocks. Finn Montoya nodded. Sensible. No one wanted deflated butt cheeks. She drew a stick figure with a decidedly droopy butt and scribbled the words below it. Finn sat in a booth against the wall where she could see everyone who came in, watch who sat down, who didn’t, and where she could still hear snippets of conversation from the people waiting for their specialty coffees, overpriced teas, and absurdly named pastries. At Urth Café, there was never a lack of every facet of humanity. Well, not every facet. The Beverly Hills spot didn’t exactly tailor itself to those who didn’t have ten bucks to spend on a drink they could have made at home. But in a way, that was even better. Unlikable people made for great characters, and she loved writing down the lines of decidedly unempathetic, unintelligent, and often unbelievable things people said. It was a world away from reality, her own little bubble of the surreal. She sipped her latte, which had come with an intricate peacock created in foam, and she doodled stick people with thought bubbles over their heads as she continued to listen to the conversations around her. “And then his mother told me that if I didn’t shop at boutique stores, I’d look like every other wife he’s had. I told her I wasn’t going to be caught dead in secondhand, smelly clothes. And you know what she said? She said I was an uneducated snob. Isn’t that an oxymedicine or ironic or something?” Finn drew a male-looking stick figure surrounded with wives all wearing the same T-shirt with Ironic Oxymedicine written on the front. How many wives had he had? And why did women keep marrying him even though they had to know his track record before they walked down the aisle? It was morbidly fascinating, this world of the elite and oblivious. The morning rush calmed, and she set