The Cowboy's Homecoming

The Cowboy's Homecoming
Brenda Minton

Former bad boy turned cowboy Jeremy Hightree is back in town. And he wants to bulldoze an old broken-down church.Problem is, his old love Beth Bradshaw won't let him. She's got strong memories of that church–and of him–and won't let him destroy it. Then a storm sweeps through town, and Back Street Church is the perfect shelter for townspeople who've lost their homes. As Jeremy and Beth work together to rebuild their community, he realizes that God has led him back home for a reason. And that this cowboy's homecoming just might become permanent….

“Please, Jeremy, don’t do this.

Don’t tear this church down.”

“Why? Would you open it back up, sing songs on Sundays, serve potluck once a month? It’s an old building, Beth.”

“It was my mother’s church.” She bit down on her bottom lip and shrugged. “Don’t you feel it, Jeremy? After all these years, don’t you feel it?”

Man, she was able to set him on his heels the way no other woman ever had. Because, yeah, he felt it. He felt the past. He felt God. He felt faith. It hit him every single time he walked in this building. He felt hundreds of prayers that had been said, probably most of them for him, his little sister and his mother.

But all of those good memories got lost, tied up with the bad.

“Sorry, Beth.”

He turned and walked away, knowing there would be tears streaking down her cheeks, knowing she’d nearly collapse with sadness and frustration over his stubbornness.

And he also knew that she’d understand why he was doing this.

BRENDA MINTON

started creating stories to entertain herself during hour-long rides on the school bus. In high school she wrote romance novels to entertain her friends. The dream grew and so did her aspirations to become an author. She started with notebooks, handwritten manuscripts and characters that refused to go away until their stories were told. Eventually she put away the pen and paper and got down to business with the computer. The journey took a few years, with some encouragement and rejection along the way—as well as a lot of stubbornness on her part. In 2006 her dream to write for Love Inspired came true. Brenda lives in the rural Ozarks with her husband, three kids and an abundance of cats and dogs. She enjoys a chaotic life that she wouldn’t trade for anything—except, on occasion, a beach house in Texas. You can stop by and visit at her website, www.brendaminton.net.

The Cowboy’s Homecoming

Brenda Minton

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most

High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge

and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.

—Psalm 91

This book is dedicated to all of the strong women

out there, and to the women wanting to be strong,

that they find their strength.

Contents

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

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

People were never who or what you thought. That’s a lesson Beth Bradshaw knew from experience and she had the scars to prove it.

She had even learned things about herself that took her by surprise. Like the fact that she could be strong. She didn’t always have to do what pleased others. Sometimes she did what pleased her.

The fact that she was the person sitting on a horse in front of Back Street Church, determined to talk Jeremy Hightree out of his plans for the building was a big moment for her. It was a mountain climbed. It was a fear tackled.

Someone had to do it. So, shaking in her boots, remembering the last time she was here, she sat and contemplated the confrontation.

The horse beneath her shifted, restless from standing. She waved at flies buzzing the animal’s neck and ears but her gaze remained on the run-down church in front of her. Things changed, that was part of life. She’d obviously changed since the years spent attending this little church with her mother.