The Texan's Courtship Lessons
The Groom ApprenticeCourtship lessons are all Isabelle Bradley can offer when one of her sister's former suitors suddenly comes calling. Unwilling to be someone's backup choice, Isabelle will help the clumsy–yet handsome–blacksmith find and woo his true match. But it certainly won't be her.Rhett Granger's awkwardness around women may be a joke to most of the town, but Rhett isn't laughing. How can he find love when Isabelle, the only woman who doesn't turn him into a tongue-tied fool, won't accept his courtship? Perhaps her "lessons" can give them both the chance to learn about the surprises love can bring…Bachelor List Matches: A hand-picked bride for every bachelor in small-town Texas.
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The Groom Apprentice
Courtship lessons are all Isabelle Bradley can offer when one of her sisterâs former suitors suddenly comes calling. Unwilling to be someoneâs backup choice, Isabelle will help the clumsyâyet handsomeâblacksmith find and woo his true match. But it certainly wonât be her.
Rhett Grangerâs awkwardness around women may be a joke to most of the town, but Rhett isnât laughing. How can he find love when Isabelle, the only woman who doesnât turn him into a tongue-tied fool, wonât accept his courtship? Perhaps her âlessonsâ can give them both the chance to learn about the surprises love can bringâ¦
Bachelor List Matches: A hand-picked bride for every bachelor in small-town Texas.
âCourting lessons?â Rhett couldnât contain the skepticism in his voice even as his heart sank at Isabelleâs suggestion.
Nothing proved a womanâs disinterest more than her trying to foist him off on one of her friends. It didnât make a lick of sense in this instance, though, because Isabelle was interested. Heâd seen it in her eyes during that first tug of attraction on the hotel porch. Why, then, was she so eager to pass him off to someone else?
A blush rose in her cheeks. âWe, um, donât have to call it anything official like that. Iâll just try to help you overcome whatever it is that makes you nervous.â
He shrugged. âThereâs no point in accepting your offer. The lessons wouldnât work, anyway.â
âYou donât know that.â
Oh, but he did. Ellie had tried to help him and failed. Lawsonâs advice hadnât worked, either. The Bachelor List had been wrong. God seemed to have turned a deaf ear to his prayers for this area of his life. Then again, perhaps the problem was that heâd been depending too much on other people. Maybe he ought to see if there wasnât something he could do to help himself. Something like courting lessons, perhaps?
NOELLE MARCHAND is a native Houstonian living out her childhood dream of being a writer. She graduated summa cum laude from Houston Baptist University in 2012, earning a bachelorâs degree in mass communications and speech communications. She loves exploring new books and new cities. When sheâs not scribbling out her latest manuscript, you may find her pursuing one of her other passionsâmusic, dance, history and classic movies.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
âProverbs 3:5â6
This book is dedicated to my editor, Elizabeth Mazer.
Contents
December 31, 1888 Peppin, Texas
Heâd found her.
Every false start, every mistake, all of the embarrassment of his previous failed attempts at courting and years of waiting faded away in that moment because he knew this was the woman his heart had been hoping for. It didnât matter that she, like everyone else at the masquerade ball, was wearing a mask and he didnât know her name or have any other clue concerning her identity. He was going to marry her... Probably. Maybe. If he didnât mess things up like he usually did.
Rhett Granger kept his gaze riveted on the woman he was certain was his future wife as he crossed the crowded hotel ballroom toward her. She wore an emerald sheath dress belted at the waist with a braided golden rope. Heavy gold jewelry draped around her neck and delicate wrists while a low crown encircled straight black hair that looked to be a wig. Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, had more than her fair share of admirers hovering around, hanging on her every word. Heâd be able to dispatch them with ease if he was half the swashbuckling buccaneer his tricornered hat, black leather pants and gray poet shirt portrayed him to be. He wasnât, but he still managed to cross the room.
The closer he got, the more something about the woman seemed unerringly familiar. Then again, something about everyone at Peppinâs New Yearâs Eve Ball seemed familiar. That was probably because Rhett had met most of the folks who lived in this town at some point during the two and a half years since heâd moved here. He probably already knew or had at the very least met âCleopatraâ at some point before. Perhaps that meant there was a reason they werenât already a couple.
His courage faltered slightly along with his steps. Then, she glanced up and caught him staring at her. Her eyes widened before her thick, dark lashes lowered demurely. The soft light from the gas chandelier hovering above the dance floor did nothing to hide the slight blush that appeared just below her gold mask. No way was he turning back now.
