Friday, May 19, 2017

Falling for the Hometown Hero

Jolene here. Checking in from the Texas Hill Country. We were asked about our own love story.

God gave me a clue how my future would unfold the first night I saw the man that would be my husband. It was August as I drove my sister and a couple of friends over the hill country from Leakey Texas to Junction to watch a high school football game. (there would end up being countless of Friday night lights in the years to come).  One of my friends was dating the  Leakey quarterback.
After the game, we all met at Dairy Queen. (How small town is that?) I thought the older brother was cute.  We asked if David, my friend's boyfriend, could ride back with us. Fred said no. You see, he’s a rule follower, and he had signed that his brother would be riding home with him.
So we followed. We would pass him then fall back. I guess it was some sort of flirting. BUT Fred just thought I was a bit crazy…I liked driving fast back then.
So a few months later at another football game, Homecoming.   I love fall. The bonfires, cool air, and football are in full swing.



In the small towns of Texas, homecoming is a big deal. (when I say small town we are talking population of around 400). My parents came back (my father had been the quarterback 20 years before),  my grandparents were there, and the population doubles.
 After the game, it’s time to cruise main. Somehow I got separated from my friends and ended up around the truck bed with a bunch of guys. One was trying to flirt, I think. Not very good at it and I started feeling uncomfortable. That’s when Fred showed up. Like a Knight on a white steed.
He was great, and we talked about so many things. I found out that  not only did he have the three younger brothers, but he had seven older siblings. He was a senior at Anglo State and was studying kinesiology and English.  We talked about our horses – he grew up on a ranch. I think I fell in love right then. 
About two years later in a pure act of love,  Fred, this small town ranch boy got a job in Houston just so we could be together as I finished art school.
It's amazing to look back and see how one night paved the path I wasn’t even looking for.  A little over thirty years later, four kids and many miles across Texas, we still love talking about life.

When I develop my heroes, I think they all have a small piece of Fred. You can see if this is true in the new anthology that was just released. Sweet Summer Nights.  You might recognize some of the other authors - it's six sweet stories for .99  cents   Sweet Summer Nights
  

18 comments:

  1. Jolene, I so love your story and I can relate to the small town Texas life. The world revolves around Friday night football, and cruising the drag on the weekend.

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  2. Thanks, Jolene, for sharing your love story! I can see that small town and the Friday night routine...football, cruising, hanging out with friends.

    Loved seeing your wedding picture too!

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  3. What a sweet story! It placed me right there with you all.

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  4. Jolene....I love your love story with Fred. It is such a sweet, small town romance story. Hmmm...sounds like a Love Inspired book. I can really picture all this in my mind's eye. Thanks for sharing this with us.

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  5. So sweet, Jolene! I love you and Fred. <3

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  6. What a sweet story! I also grew up in a small Texas town (population 600)so I totally get the importance of homecoming. When my son was in football, I shook my head constantly because they do everything wrong in Arizona, lol.

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  7. Thank you for stopping by. Sometimes I just can't believe my life - If you had asked me before I met him I would have never believed I would marry a coach. God's plan for our can be better then what we ever mapped out on our own.

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  8. Love reading these how-we-met stories. No wonder we choose to write romance. Like they say, write what you know!

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  9. LOL LeAnne - Texas football is serious stuff. Some of my best memories with my boys are pre and post football traditions and my husband coaching - my girls were part of the action too. Good stuff. His Sr year my youngest was picked to run out of the tunnel with the Come and Take It flag.

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  10. What a wonderful story. There's something fabulous about small towns and needs to be celebrated.

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  11. I love a good Texas romance. Perfection!!! Great post, Jolene.

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  12. I love your story Jolene! It's so beautiful and fun. Somebody came to the door while I was reading it and I had to rush right back to find out how it ended!

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  13. I love, love, love Texas romances. I lived in both Abilene and Lubbock for a time.
    Football is big in Nebraska, too, where I grew up. Nothing like the smell of popcorn, the excitement in the bleachers, the vibration of stamping feet.

    P.S. My uncle Fred made me name a character in one of my books Fred because he said there's not enough Freds represented in romance novels :)

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    Replies
    1. Pamela, I had a Christmas donkey named Fred in my first book. When i raised lamb for 4H i named the all Fred...Fred 1...Fred 2...His full name is Jesus Alfredo Navarro. Lol...I love Jesse, but he has a brother-in-law that goes by that. So I had to get use to Fred. ❤❤❤

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  14. I enjoyed reading your history with Fred, Jolene. I love him just from your FB posts about him. No wonder you write such wonderful romances!!!!

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  15. Jolene, thanks for sharing. You're right. One night, moment, can change everything.

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  16. Wonderful story! I used to love to cruise main street in my small town after the football games. You need to write a book with using your romance.

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