Hi, Readers! I have to confess today’s snippet is part of one of my favorite opening scenes. This comes from A Rancher’s Pride, the first Flagman’s Folly story. The hero, Sam Robertson, has just returned home to find his ex-wife has left him the biggest surprise of his life:

After a moment’s hesitation, he rose and moved to the door. He had to brace himself before he could step into the living room.

Everything looked familiar. The pair of plaid couches facing each other. The long pine coffee table between them. The chime clock ticking away on the mantel. Everything looked familiar, except the child sitting on one of the couches.

A beautiful little girl.

The daughter he’d always hoped for, the start of the family he’d never had.

He shook his head. Pipe dreams, for sure. Ronnie had never told a true story in her life. This child couldn’t be his.

A Rancher’s Pride

She wore a blue T-shirt, white shorts, and denim sneakers. In her arms, she cradled a stuffed tiger. A couple of dolls rested on the couch alongside her.

As he moved another step into the room, she looked up.

Small and blonde, just as his mom had said. And more.

The girl’s eyes shone in the light from the table lamp beside the couch. Silver-gray eyes surrounded by dark lashes, a perfect match to his own.

His throat tightened. He felt frozen in place.

She gave him a shy smile.

He’d seen that half-twisted grin in plenty of his own childhood pictures. Not impossible after all. The child was his.

Somehow, after what seemed like hours, he managed to raise one hand to wave at her. “Hello.” The word came out in a croak. He hadn’t the first idea of what to say and went for the standard opening line. “What’s your name?”

His mom moved up to stand behind him and rested her hand on his arm. “Her name’s Becky,” she told him. “But she can’t hear you, Sam. She’s deaf.”

~ ~ ~

A Rancher’s Pride is available at all your favorite booksellers, including:

Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Harlequin

A reissue of the e-book and a larger print version (exclusively from Harlequin) are now available for pre-order for a June release:

A Rancher’s Pride re-issue

Thanks for reading.

All my best,

Barbara