The Cowboy Takes a Bride

The Cowboy Takes a Bride
Debra Clopton

Sugar Rae Lenox is famous…in Mule Hollow. For wanting her name in lights on a Hollywood marquee. For wanting to leave. And for thinking the local matchmakers are mighty mistaken! Why applaud the attraction between her and a too–handsome cowboy with boots of lead?Ross Denton lives on the outskirts of town on some dusty ranch. And the only place he wants to see his name is on a marriage certificate. So why isn't she singing and dancing away from that ranch? She can't possibly want a starring role in Ross's life as his bride…can she?

“So how about it?

Will you be my hero?”

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.