The Cowboy Takes a Bride

Ross’s resolve almost crumbled as he found himself wanting to be her hero in more ways than one. But their plans were incompatible. He shook his head, clearing it. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t flinch, budge or blink. “You know, I’m not going to leave you alone. You’ll have no peace until you give in and do the show.”

He didn’t doubt her for one minute. She’d already shown she didn’t give up easily. “I really hate to tell you this, but it won’t do any good.” He wasn’t going to tell her how close she was getting. But almost as though she could see it in his eyes, she smiled and stepped out of his way.

“We’ll see about that, cowboy. I haven’t given up on Hollywood and I’m not giving up on you. You can count on that.”

DEBRA CLOPTON

was a 2004 Golden Heart finalist in the inspirational category, a 2006 Inspirational Readers Choice Award winner, a 2007 Golden Quill award winner and a finalist for the 2007 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award. She praises the Lord each time someone votes for one of her books, and takes it as an affirmation that she is exactly where God wants her to be.

Debra is a hopeless romantic and loves to create stories with lively heroines and the strong heroes who fall in love with them. But most importantly she loves showing her characters living their faith, seeking God’s will in their lives one day at a time. Her goal is to give her readers an entertaining story that will make them smile, hopefully laugh and always feel God’s goodness as they read her books. She has found the perfect home for her stories writing for Love Inspired and still has to pinch herself just to see if she really is awake and living her dream.

When she isn’t writing she enjoys taking road trips, reading and spending time with her two sons, Chase and Kris. She loves hearing from readers and can be reached through her Web site www.debraclopton.com, or P.O. Box 1125, Madisonville, TX 77864.

The Cowboy Takes a Bride

Debra Clopton

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain

of what we do not see.

—Hebrews 11:1

To my sister Cindy Drabek and my brother Ricky

Patrick. I love you and am blessed to have you both

in my life. God bless you and your families!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

Questions for Discussion

Acknowledgments

I’d especially like to acknowledge the contributions of the following people:

Senior editor Krista Stroever, because her advice never fails to help take my books to the next level.

A special thank-you to editorial assistant Elizabeth Mazer. Her line edits were wonderful and this book is so much better because of them!

Thanks to executive editor Joan Golan for what she does for Steeple Hill, overall. What a blessing she is to so many and especially to me.

And a big thank-you to editor Louise Rozett for her work on this project. Louise and Elizabeth both made me feel like I was in great hands while my editor was out of the office.

Chapter One

Ross Denton yanked his gloves off and glared at the tractor. Between beavers trying to turn good grazing pasture into a lake, and a new tractor that was out to win the lemon of the year award, his usually cheerful mood had taken a swift dive south. Striding to his truck, he headed toward town, determined to accomplish something productive with his day.

Once he hit the blacktop, the two short miles into Mule Hollow flew by, and within minutes he’d parked at the end of Main Street and was stalking toward Pete’s Feed and Seed. If Pete could order in what Ross needed for his tractor, and get it overnighted, then maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

Instantly his attention was snagged down the sidewalk by a blonde in a black ruffled shirt, zebra-print pants and a pair of strappy sandals with heels as tall as fence posts! She was wrestling with a suitcase stuck in an ancient station wagon—not exactly a customary sight in a small Texas town such as Mule Hollow.

With his hand on the feed-store door, Ross paused and watched the woman fighting with the case. The ugly vehicle looked like the one his mother had driven when he was about ten. Faded green, with signature wood panels running along the sides, it had seen better days. But he wasn’t looking at the car as much as the woman. She had her back to him, and as he watched she stuck one ridiculously high heel against the fender, clasped the handle of the suitcase and pulled.

“Whoa,” Ross yelled, charging toward her when the bag popped free and she stumbled back. Too far away to save her from landing on the plank sidewalk, he cringed when she hit the rough wood with a thud. Ouch. That had to hurt.

The fact that the suitcase had landed on top of her, then rolled off, couldn’t have felt good, either. She seemed to be crying when he got there. Hunched over, shoulders shaking, she sobbed into her hands.

He crouched beside her. “Ma’am, where does it hurt?” He placed his palm on her shoulder, not knowing how to console her, but knowing he had to try.

She took a shuddering breath and looked up at him with bright eyes the color of green olives and gold swirled together. He’d never seen hazel eyes with quite that intensity—or so full of laughter!

She was laughing. The sound finally registered as she gazed at him, grinning widely. She had the cutest dimples.

“Too funny.” She waved her hand in front of her face and bit her lips, but giggles came out anyway.

“You’re not hurt?” he asked, embarrassed that he was grinning with her. She could be hurting despite her laughter. People reacted strangely to pain sometimes.

She nodded. “I’m fine.” Her features relaxed a bit as she took a slow breath. Her dimples didn’t completely disappear, leaving her with a mischievous look. He wondered if that was a true reflection of what lay beneath that lively persona.

“Sugar, what in the world happened?”

Ross looked up to find Haley Wells, Mule Hollow’s only real-estate agent, standing in the doorway of her office. “She took a tumble and now she can’t seem to stop chuckling,” he said.

“That’s Sugar. When she gets tickled, she can’t stop laughing sometimes,” Haley declared. A phone inside the office started ringing. “Busy day! Help her, Ross, I’ve got to get that call. Boy, am I glad you’re here to help me, Sugar!”

“Sure thing,” Ross replied. He’d already planned to help her up. He was more than aware that he liked what he saw when he looked at her. Though he wasn’t fond of the zebra-striped pants and the skyscraper heels, he did like those dimples. The woman’s face was open and inviting, with a girl-next-door appeal that hooked him. And there was something extraordinary in the way her eyes captured the light.

“Thanks, cowboy.” She took his offered hand with a firm grasp and smiled as she rose to her feet.

“Ross Denton, glad to be of service.” Still holding her hand, Ross felt a kick of pure attraction that sent his pulse humming.

“Sugar Rae Lenox. I used to be Haley’s assistant in L.A.” She tugged her hand free and waved toward the building. “I’m here to help run her office for a short while.”

He noted the “short while” with disappointment. “Nice to meet you, Sugar Rae. You must get asked this all the time, but are you named after Sugar Ray Leonard?”

She nodded. “It’s a long story, though, and I have to get moved in here, so I won’t bore you with it right now. Thanks for picking me up off the ground.” She turned back to the vehicle and grabbed hold of another suitcase. The way she’d packed the back end of her station wagon rivaled the dam-building techniques of his pesky beavers.

“Here, let me get that for you.” He reached out for the handle.

“No need, I can get this one. I packed it.”

“Looks like you used a bulldozer.”

“How did you guess?”

He eyed the conglomeration of suitcases, boxes and housewares stuffed inside the car. “Just lucky. But really, I’ll help you unload that. Here.” He carefully tugged the suitcase out and then a few boxes, setting them on the sidewalk between them.

Sugar shrugged. “Suit yourself, cowboy. I’m certainly not going to turn down two strong arms. But I’m going to warn you one last time. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll turn and run far, far away. Unpacking my stuff is going to be a challenge you might regret getting involved with.”

“Sugar,” he drawled, grinning into her playful eyes. “I do believe I’m up for the challenge.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Oh yeah, cowboy? We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”

She was teasing, but he wasn’t. Looking at her, he knew he meant it.

Only minutes ago he’d thought this was going to be a dismal day.

Wrong. The day’s potential had just skyrocketed, and gauging by the twinkle in her eyes, the days to come in Mule Hollow promised to be anything but dull.

The lyrics of “I Need a Hero” were playing inside Sugar’s head as she and the ever-so-dashing Ross the cowboy grinned at each other.

Who was this gorgeous guy? Okay, back it up, sister! She was not here to flirt, date or otherwise entangle her personal life in this tiny town. She wasn’t here because she actually wanted to be…oh no, this city gal wanted to be back in L.A. starring in the fantastic romantic comedy in which she’d almost scored the leading role. The one that, like all the others, she’d just barely missed out on. She didn’t have time for real-life romance—she was here because her dreams were going down the tubes and she was desperate to make something happen. Age mattered in Hollywood, and if she wanted to be America’s next sweetheart then she had to give her acting career a shot in the arm before she was considered over the hill! Mule Hollow was that shot. She was here to get a play going, a summer stock that would get some buzz happening. Then she’d be back to L.A., where she could finally snag some much-needed attention from those directors who kept passing her over.

So there, she told herself firmly. She wasn’t here to gawk at gorgeous cowboys with striking green eyes and sexy voices. But still…The thing was she did need a hero for the show she was going to produce, and if this walking, talking, long tall Texan wanted the job, he had it. On the spot.

“I’m back,” Haley said, bursting through the open doorway and interrupting Sugar’s runaway thoughts. “Grab a bag, everyone, and let’s get the apartment unlocked before the phone rings again,” she added in a rush. “Lately there are more and more people calling and wanting to look at property out here. You just wouldn’t believe how Molly’s articles have attracted people to this area.”

“That’s great to hear,” Sugar said. Molly was a journalist who lived in Mule Hollow and wrote a syndicated column about life there—the town that had advertised for women to come and marry all their lonesome cowboys. The column was unbelievably popular, and Sugar was counting on that popularity to help her make her dreams come true. This was going to work. It had to. And looking at the handsome cowboy beside her helped keep her thinking positive.

Haley grabbed one of the cases “Ross the hoss” had set on the sidewalk while Sugar had been drooling over him, and headed toward the side of the building.

Sugar grabbed the box at her feet as Ross slipped the strap of her travel bag over his arm, then picked up her two larger suitcases. His cowboy hat dipped as he motioned for her to go ahead of him. Nerves jangling, she led the way around the corner to where Haley was already climbing the stairs up the side of the building.

“I came in earlier and turned on the air for you,” Haley said as she pushed open the door at the top of the stairs.

Sugar followed her. The blast of coolness was a welcome feeling from the end-of-June heat. Inside, she stopped short. “Oh. How cute!”

“No lie.” Ross peeked in over her shoulder, effectively distracting Sugar with his closeness. The man smelled good.

“I bet it never looked this nice before,” he stated, his breath whispering across her cheek.

Sugar inhaled slowly, turning her head toward him. Their faces were not even three inches apart. “It’s lovely,” she said, clearly not talking about the apartment. His beautiful green eyes darkened with interest. Instantly, her mouth went dry.

“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, lowering his voice to a raspy rumble. “Do you mind?”

“Mind?” she asked. “Mind what?”

“Moving over so I can come in?”

Almost choking with embarrassment, she fled across the room, giving him all the space he needed.

What had she been thinking?

The air conditioner was blasting full speed, but there was no air in the room. Zero, nada, zip-o! In fact, the room seemed to shrink like plastic wrap in a microwave as Sugar felt the scorching heat of embarrassment fire up her cheeks. Really, Sugar, where did your head go?

“I hope you like it,” Haley said. Her back had been turned and she’d missed Sugar’s schoolgirl reaction to Ross. Now she set the case she was carrying down beside the bedroom door and faced Sugar. “Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all. I was just admiring the place.” She shot Ross a glare when he smiled knowingly.

Unaware of the tension slicing through the room, Haley rushed on. “I really enjoyed painting it and finding the furniture. I did it with you in mind, because I knew that once it was done, I was going to call you and offer you the job.”

Distracted though she was, Sugar was touched. “I love it.” She ran her finger over the soft white fabric of the couch.

“Of course, when you add your things, it will come to life. I just tried to find appealing furniture in neutral colors you could work with.”

“I couldn’t like anything more. Thank you.” Sugar hugged Haley, feeling self-conscious knowing that Ross was watching.

“I’ll go get some more of your stuff. You two ladies take your time.” He tipped his hat and stepped around them, his arm brushing hers as he did.

Sugar knew she was going to love the apartment. But despite her best intentions, it wasn’t the place she was thinking about—oh no. It was this cowboy!

Chapter Two

Focus, Sugar Rae! Focus—easier said than done, Sugar thought. Ross made her feel like she did just before she walked into an audition: a clash of nerves and adrenaline. It was a very unsettling reaction. Totally unexpected and unwanted.

Trying to pull herself back together, Sugar trailed Haley around the apartment, checking out the bedroom and the small bath. They followed Ross back to the car. To her surprise, other people were waiting to meet her and help unload the car. She was glad for the welcome and for the distraction.

There were the gals from the hair salon across the street, Lacy and Sheri. Sugar knew they were two of the women who’d helped put the tiny town on the map. Ashby and Rose from the dress store were there, too. Sugar felt like she’d already met them since Molly had written about each one in her column. The four ladies from the candy store also took a minute from work to say hi and give her a housewarming gift.

“Wow,” she said, gazing at the basketful of mouthwatering chocolates. “To think it wasn’t too long ago this town had almost no women. Now look at it.” Main Street had filled with women, and they all came together to make a newcomer feel welcome. Sugar was touched by their kindness—and she couldn’t wait to dig into her basket! She felt a little guilty that she wasn’t completely happy about being there.

Haley sighed. “There was a time when I thought there was no hope for this place. Boy, was I wrong,” she said, smiling. “I know you’re here to help me out and to boost your acting career, but I think the town will grow on you, too.”

Sugar gave her a playful but serious look of warning. “Maybe, but Haley, I am leaving.”

They all started filing up the stairs, each carrying something from the car. Sheri gave Sugar a wide, sassy grin as her fancy red boots clicked on the steps. “Have you met the posse yet?”

“The posse?”

Lacy called up from behind her, “That’s what Sheri calls Norma Sue, Esther Mae and Adela. The ladies who came up with this great plan to save their town. You’ll love them.”

Sugar glanced over her shoulder at Lacy. She was talking about the matchmakers! The ladies were the stars of Molly’s column. Her curiosity piqued by why Sheri called them the posse. Distracted, she barely noticed when the large box of kitchen supplies slipped a little from her grip as she reached the top of the stairs. Ross was coming out the door, taking one look at her load and reaching for it.

“I’ll take that,” he said. “You should leave the heavy stuff for me. Remember, I told you I was up for the challenge.” He took hold of the box, but Sugar didn’t release her grasp. She looked up at him with teasing skepticism, trying to cover her attraction. “I don’t know, you look a little shifty, like maybe you might skip out early on me.”

He hoisted the box into his arms as if it was a tiny matchbox. “Not a chance, sweetheart.”

She grunted and reached behind him to hold the door for him. It wasn’t enough that the man had a slow, easy drawl that sent her insides into a riot. He had to be chivalrous, too. And he had a nice sense of humor…. She caught Lacy and Haley looking up at her, and checked her thoughts when she saw the smiles they were sporting. When she followed Ross inside, Sheri was smiling the same smile.

“Gorgeous,” Sugar mouthed silently, behind his back, then headed down the stairs again to get another box. Of course, thinking he was good-looking was where it stopped for her. Jittery nerves and an overactive imagination be hanged, she hadn’t come here to date. Her goal was going to take every spare minute and ounce of focus she had, if she was going to accomplish it.

Sugar wasn’t really worried about Haley and her new friends getting ideas. They’d learn soon enough that she was very single-minded when it came to making it as an actress. It was the dream she’d had since childhood. The dream that had helped her make it through difficult days as a little girl too sick to play outside with her friends. Too sick to have friends…It was a dream she knew was supposed to come true, and she would not give it up.

Emptying the station wagon took no time at all with everyone helping. They’d all gone back downstairs and were standing around talking, but once Ross saw that there were no more boxes or suitcases to carry, he tipped his hat and started to leave.

He’d only taken a step before turning back. “I’m in the book. If you need anything else, just give me a holler. And if you just happen to come up with any other challenges you want to issue, I’m only a phone call away.” His words held a cockiness and teasing. His eyes, however, were completely sincere.

Sugar watched him head down the street and disappear inside the feed store. Only then did she fully relax. His departure was a relief. Despite her determination not to let herself be interested in him, she’d kept getting distracted every time those green eyes of his met hers. The man had a way of gazing at her that made her feel she was the only person around. It was a little unnerving. She wondered if every woman he looked at felt that way. That might come in handy when she talked him into trying out for her show. Those piercing eyes would be able to connect with an audience, one-on-one.

“It is really great to have you here,” Lacy said, dragging Sugar’s head out of the clouds. “It’s just totally exciting! When Haley announced you were an actress and wanted to start a theater in town, I got goose bumps. I really did. We do plays periodically and I’m seeing good things in here—” she tapped her temple “—with you at center of our productions. I can’t wait to get together and toss ideas around.”

Not knowing how much Haley had explained or even how much Haley understood about her plans, Sugar just said, “That’d be great.”

Just then, a car pulled into a slot across the street in front of the salon. “That’s my three-o’clock cut,” Lacy said. “But we’ll talk soon. I do love people with big ideas, especially ones that are going to help Mule Hollow grow. Catch you later.” She spun and jogged off to greet her customer.

Sheri started to follow her, but paused. “Hey, are you looking for a husband?”

“Not at the moment. Why?” Sugar wasn’t sure what to make of Sheri.

“If that’s so, then when you meet the posse, you might want to hide those sparks flying between you and Ross. That is, unless you’re prepared for a little help in the romance department.” She widened her eyes in an exaggerated look of warning.

“Hey, the guy is drop-dead gorgeous, and I’m not blind. But aside from the fact that I’m totally focused on my career, I’m not here to stay. Surely once the matchmakers know that, then sparks or no sparks, they’ll not get any ideas.”

Sheri sent her a wry glance. “None of that will matter, believe me. Ross Denton isn’t just a pretty face. Oh, no. He’s a true-blue, all-around great guy. He’s ready to settle down and believe me, if they see the way he’s gawking at you—well, I’ve got two words for you. Look. Out.” She turned, then strode down the stairs.

Sheri implied this could be trouble. Sugar watched her until she disappeared into the salon. Naaa. Good luck to any matchmakers who thought they could hook her up without her consent. If they saw her as a target, they were going to find they might as well be shooting blanks when it came to Cupid’s arrow.

Not that she wasn’t going to be looking…eventually. Down the road, around the bend a few times, over the hill and through the dale, whatever in the world that meant. But it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

An hour later, Sugar entered Sam’s Diner escorted by Haley and the infamous matchmaking posse. They were a bunch of really delightful ladies—sort of Miss Bea meets Lucy and the Golden Girls. She was enjoying her chat with them as she walked into the place when suddenly she looked around and the reality of her situation set in with blunt clarity. She was a city girl. She loved being a city girl, and took the things that entailed for granted. She was talking about coffee. Not just any coffee, but sweet, creamy mocha and cinnamon, caramel. She loved her Starbucks, and if she’d had any ideas about her favorite latte while in Mule Hollow—well, that misconception melted the instant she walked into Sam’s. She screeched to a halt, and the heavy wooden door almost hit her in the backside as it swung shut behind her. She was so shook up, she hardly noticed. Old wood tables, plank floors and weathered wood walls greeted her. No sir, she wasn’t getting a caramel-mocha latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon here, that was for certain. A craving for her favorite drink grabbed hold of her and she bit back a groan, realizing she’d be lucky if Sam offered skim milk with her coffee. For certain she’d have to kiss whipped cream goodbye. By the looks of this place he might even cook his coffee out back over a campfire!