Dallas, Texas

Arriving home, not finding Sue Ellen and John Ross waiting for him when he pulled into the driveway or walked through the front door, JR wondered whether something was wrong, although after dropping his attaché case off in the downstairs office, crossing Francisca's path, he relaxed.

"Mrs Ewing is resting and Miss Charlie and Miss Lucy have taken little John for a walk."

Trusting that the girls knew what they were doing, he was more concerned to hear his wife was having a rest in the late afternoon, it wasn't like her.

"Resting? Is Sue Ellen ill?"

"I don't believe so sir."

Appearing unsure, he gathered she wasn't overly comfortable commenting further.

"Thank you."

Letting her go, he headed into the kitchen first, then upstairs. They didn't have to open the champagne if she wasn't feeling well, but if she was feeling rested and well then he'd like to celebrate with her, he certainly had something to celebrate.

"Sue Ellen? You ok darlin'?"

Opening the door to their bedroom, he spotted her lying on the bed; she was dressed in day clothes, not a nightgown, and she wasn't tucked under the covers, leading him to believe the nap hadn't been intended to be a long one.

"Just a little tired."

"You sure?"

Studying her face, he didn't think she looked ill however he needed to hear her say it.

"I'm sure. John Ross has been running around as if he's training for a marathon and with the weather getting warmer it was just too much today. I'm fine now."

Sitting up, she nodded at the chilled bottle and upturned glasses in his hand. "What's the occasion?"

Explaining herself, then changing the subject, he might have changed it back to her wellbeing had he not been so keen to tell someone else of his good fortune.

"I have news."

Approaching the bed, setting the bottle and glasses down on the nightstand, he teased her with his announcement.

"Do tell."

Slowly standing, she closed the gap between them and kissed him softly to welcome him home, then pulled away and waited patiently for him to continue.

"Now I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but the nameplate on my door should be changing very soon."

Listening to his comment, it didn't take her long at all to figure out what he was referring to. They'd discussed it countless times before in the past and now it was all becoming real.

"President?"

Grinning, he confirmed her suspicion, "president."

Throwing her arms around his neck, she murmured her comment into his chest, "oh JR, that's wonderful news, congratulations."

"Thank you darlin'."

Thrilled about the news, he was pleased too that she seemed so happy for him. He knew that at times Ewing Oil had come between them, especially when it required so much commitment from him, something that would only grow when he took over permanently, but they were stronger than they'd ever been and the positive development was received exactly how he wished it to be.

Bobby was consumed with building a business of his own which was taking a lot of his time and energy and wasn't something Jenna had been prepared for, however Sue Ellen had married him knowing what his goal was and she'd been by his side through the years, encouraging him and assisting him personally so he could succeed professionally. Standing beside a man who held his work in such high regard wasn't for every lady, but luckily for him it wasn't something he needed to worry about day-to-day with his wife.

"So was I right? Do you think the funeral had an impact on your daddy?"

Pulling away, Sue Ellen asked for a little more information. His daddy had been in and out of the office since returning from Alaska, his commitment to business appearing to have waned a little during his time away, something Sue Ellen had attributed to the further reminder of his own mortality but something he'd hoped had more to do with his growing confidence in his ability as vice president.

"I don't know if it was the funeral but something happened. We had a meeting today and he's definitely planning to continue on the path we've been on recently, which you know suits me, but more than that, he's set a date for retirement. By June, Ewing Oil should be mine."

Listening, Sue Ellen's concern turned to delight as he laid out the details.

"I am so very happy for you. This is what you've been working your whole life towards and it's what you deserve."

Congratulating him again, her comment indicated she understood exactly what the promotion meant to him, which made him appreciate her even more. It wasn't just a job title and more power, his daddy's retirement and the handover of the company meant he had his trust, confidence and he was proud to leave the legacy of Ewing Oil to a Ewing, which was what he'd always wanted.

"Thank you. Shall we celebrate?"

Asking her first, he took her nod, soft kiss and step back to mean she would like a drink, however after he uncorked it and poured the two glasses, he noticed how little she appeared to be enjoying the drink.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not wrong…"

Vague in her explanation, she set the glass down on the nightstand.

"What is it?"

"Does this taste strange to you?"

Taking another drink, he thought about it and then answered honestly, "no, not at all. Are you sure you're not ill?"

"No, I really was just tired. Perhaps I'm just not in the mood for something I know will make me even more tired if I'm not careful."

Shaking her head, she offered him an explanation that didn't quite make sense to him. Tiredness wasn't her usual response to a glass or two of wine, she was usually giggly, touchy and happy when she drank, not tired, not unless she'd had too much to drink, which he wasn't suggesting they did before dinner.

"Perhaps…" accepting that at the very least she didn't feel like drinking, he didn't push the subject; she didn't seem overly concerned and he wasn't going to make her do anything she didn't want to do.

"Why don't you sit down? I'll change and you can tell me about your day."

What he could do was keep an eye on her, pay attention to anything else she might be suffering from and support her as she did him, starting with giving her the opportunity to update him on the happenings in her life as he had her.

To be continued…