Second Chance Reunion
Itâs been five years since Adelaide Harper broke Chris Johansenâs heartâand their long-distance engagement. But when she steps off a train in Peppin, Texas, and strolls back into Chrisâs life, he canât help but panic. Because to avoid his parentsâ plan to arrange a marriage for him, heâs let his family believe he and Adelaide are still engaged.
Adelaide is facing her own troubles with a matchmaking mama and a parade of aggravating suitors. So pretending to let Chris court her could help them both. And after five years, thereâs no need to worry that the time together will reignite their long-buried love...is there?
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Chris couldnât discern any pain or fear on his fatherâs face to show that his heart was bothering him again.
He was flushed, but it only seemed to be with excitement, so Chris reluctantly allowed his attention to be drawn elsewhere.
It landed on the woman standing just in front of his father. She was beautiful. She was familiar. She was achingly familiar.
He caught her chin, tilted her face upward and got lost in the ocean of her blue eyes. âAdelaide.â
A fleeting smile touched her lips. âHello, Chris.â
âWhat are you doing here?â
Olan slapped Chrisâs back just hard enough to knock some sense into him. âSon, is that any way to greet your fiancée?â
Time slowed. Chris knew exactly what was going to happen. The truth was going to come out. He could almost see the disbelief, the shock, the disappointment on his fatherâs face. His imagination went even further until he saw Olanâs face whiten, his hand covering his heart as he sank to his knees in pain. Chris couldnât let that happen. Instinctively, he caught Adelaide by the arms, then stifled whatever sheâd been planning to say with a quick, ardent kiss.
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.
Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
âHebrews 12:1â2
Chapter One
March 1889
Peppin, Texas
Chris Johansen was running out of time. Worse yet, he was running out of women.
He had to find a bride before his parents figured out his long-distance engagement to the sweetheart of his youth had ended years ago. If they did, theyâd send for a mail-order bride from their old country of Norway faster than he could say âGoodbye, freedom.â Or, âHello, stranger.â
Heâd tried to find himself a wife among the women of Peppin, but all he had to show for his efforts was a bruised ego. Every single one of the women heâd expressed an interest in had turned him down flat. Theyâd also turned right around and married other men within months or even weeks of his failed proposal. Isabelle Bradley was no exception. Heâd proposed to her only a few weeks ago. Now, in a matter of minutes, she was going to marry the town blacksmith and become Mrs. Rhett Granger. Chris had been asked to play his fiddle at the reception. First, he was supposed to collect his twenty-year-old sister, Sophia, from their parentsâ house.
The rich strains of Mendelssohnâs âWedding Marchâ grew louder as he approached the front door. He followed the music to the parlor where his father, Olan, served as conductor for his siblings. Fifteen-year-old Viktor avoided Chrisâs gaze, concentrating on his cello. Hans, the brother whose birth had come as a surprise to their parents eight years ago, sacrificed a few warbling notes of the flute to offer a gap-toothed grin. August, at eighteen the brother closest in age to Chris, caught his eye and offered a sympathetic look.
As the tension built, Chris waited until his fatherâs decisive, swirling hand motion brought the music to a halt before saying, âPlease, tell me the only inspiration for this music is the wedding ceremony for Rhett and Isabelle.â