Her Single Dad Hero
A Homecoming RomanceTen years ago Ann Billings left her Oklahoma ranch behind and headed to the big city. But when her ailing father needs her to temporarily run the spread, she's back—successful, accomplished…and engaged. She’s got her whole life on track—but she never planned on Dean Pryor or his gap-toothed five-year-old son. Years ago the farmer would've done anything to be noticed by Ann and it seems nothing's changed. His feelings still run deep and this time his boy’s fallen for her too. Now Dean faces a most daunting task: showing Ann that their little trio may not be what she’d mapped out…but it's exactly what she’s always needed.
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A Homecoming Romance
Ten years ago Ann Billings left her Oklahoma ranch behind and headed to the big city. But when her ailing father needs her to temporarily run the spread, sheâs backâsuccessful, accomplishedâ¦and engaged. Sheâs got her whole life on trackâbut she never planned on Dean Pryor or his gap-toothed five-year-old son. Years ago the farmer wouldâve done anything to be noticed by Ann, and it seems nothingâs changed. His feelings still run deep, and this time his boyâs fallen for her, too. Now Dean faces a most daunting task: showing Ann that their little trio may not be what sheâd mapped outâ¦but itâs exactly what sheâs always needed.
âDo you think Iâm feminine?â
What? When Ann looked in the mirror, didnât she see what he saw?
She didnât wait for his reply. âI canât cook. I donât know anything about kids. I canât sew. Iââ
Dean stopped her rant. âYou, Ann Billings, are the most beautiful woman Iâve ever seen.â
For an instant, everything froze.
Then he was lost to the wonder of her smile.
Then it faded. âSorry. I was having a pity party and I dragged you into it.â
âYou think I said that out of pity?â The woman was clueless! âYou know, the only masculine thing about you is your stubborn inability to see whatâs in front of you.â
âHuh?â
âIâm talking about me!â he snapped.
She looked stunned. âI didnât... I never...â
The words just died away, and that was all he could handle.
âI have to go.â He stepped around her and kept on walking. Had he just revealed heâd carried a torch for her for years?
Oh, what had he done?
ARLENE JAMES has been publishing steadily for nearly four decades and is a charter member of RWA. She is married to an acclaimed artist, and together they have traveled extensively. After growing up in Oklahoma, Arlene lived thirty-four years in Texas and now abides in beautiful northwest Arkansas, near two of the worldâs three loveliest, smartest, most talented granddaughters. She is heavily involved in her family, church and community.
Misunderstandings fuel many of lifeâs problems and decisions. A lack of solid information can have devastating effects on our beliefs, attitudes and actions. Yet, God can use even that to our benefitâand Hisâwhen we are surrendered to Him.
Saul misunderstood Who Christ is and the very nature of Christianity. As a result, Saul made some bad decisions and serious mistakes. After he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and learned the full truth, God changed him into Paul and used his past mistakes as a powerful witness, taking Christianity to the gentile world. What a blessing!
We make mistakes. We misunderstand at times and let that color our thoughts and actions. But take heart. Ann and Deanâs story illustrates that, when we belong to Him, God is always at work in our lives. He can turn misunderstandings and mistakes into blessings!
God bless you!
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Godâs will isâHis good, pleasing and perfect will.
âRomans 12:2
I know some truly intelligent, talented, loving, beautiful professional women, and quite a few of them live in Oklahoma, but only one is my niece. Hillary, your many accomplishments speak volumes, but your faith is especially eloquent. Iâm so proud of you!
Contents
The sprawling old house creaked and groaned in the afternoon heat. Its cedar siding expanded with reluctant moans, while the steep, gleaming metal roof snapped impatiently beneath the relentless July sun. Such was summer in south central Oklahoma.
Having grown up here on Straight Arrow Ranch, Ann Jollett Billings found the heat of mid-July no surprise. She was used to worse, frankly, and better, having spent the past six years in Dallas, Texas, being a manager in the finest hotel that city had to offer. Despite the opulence of her usual surroundings, however, what Ann now found difficult to bear was not the utilitarian inconveniences of her childhood home but the silence.
She couldnât recall the last time that sheâd had more than a few quiet hours to herself, let alone two whole days. Managing a hotel meant being on call virtually around the clock; managing a ranch, not so much, even apparently during the âbusy season.â At least her brother had claimed this to be the busy season before he had taken off to Tulsa with his new wife and adorable baby girl to settle personal business and put his condo on the market, leaving Ann in charge of the family ranch during his absence. Sheâd taken the time to fully computerize their bookkeeping, which would allow Rex to track everything online. Their sister, Meredith, a nurse, had left the afternoon after Rex, on Sunday, to take their father, Wes, to Oklahoma City for his second chemotherapy treatment. The house had been as silent as a tomb ever since.
