Billy Ross came to Oakdale at the request of his cousin, Bryant Montgomery. Best friends since childhood, Billy thought of Bryant as a brother while Billy was grateful when Bryant hired him to build a deck on his grandmother's guest house. Upon arriving in town, Billy met Bryant's girlfriend, Jennifer, and the two were instantly attracted to each other. Though Jennifer was unhappy with Bryant, Billy convinced her that she was being ungrateful and that she meant everything to Bryant. Ultimately though, Billy and Jen couldn't deny the primal feelings they had for each other and made love. Though they tried to stay away from each other for Bryant's sake, neither could deny their feelings and the affair continued. Soon, Bryant learned the truth, railed at his girl and his cousin for their betrayal, and tragically died in a car crash. Though they felt guilty for their role in Bryant's death, the couple realized that their feelings were too strong to ignore and they continued seeing each other. Unfortunately, the couple's relationship couldn't take the strain of Jen's new modeling career and the two parted as friends.

After Jen left, Billy accompanied his friend Bonnie McKechnie to Scotland. Though he tried to convince her to return home to the man she loved, Bonnie wouldn't listen and resumed her relationship with her former fiancé, the Duke of Glasgow. Billy was suspicious of the duke and felt that the castle was a dangerous place. After spending a harrowing experience being imprisoned, Billy was finally freed when it was discovered that the Duke was a fraud and Bonnie was the true heir to the title. Billy must have enjoyed Edinboro since that was the last time he was seen.