Dallas, Texas

Jumping as she heard a car door slamming, Sue Ellen wandered out of her bedroom and downstairs to see what was going on; if JR was upset then it was her job to help him, and if it was someone else, then she was still interested, because all in all, she was a nosy person. Walking out onto the patio, she was passed by Bobby as he stormed angrily into the house, sliding the patio door shut so roughly that the glass shook; something was wrong and the fact that he'd been at work all day gave her a feeling that it was probably Ewing Oil related. Noticing JR's car driving along the road outside Southfork and turning into the driveway, she waited patiently for her husband to park and get out; it wouldn't be long before she knew exactly what had occurred at the office earlier.

"Ewing Oil is yours JR, you earned it and your daddy obviously thinks highly enough of you to back up your decisions and make it a legal guarantee. You're more experienced, more knowledgeable and hold a more powerful position than Bobby, and if he doesn't like that, then that's his problem, not yours", gently removing his jacket and tie, Sue Ellen calmly reiterated his thoughts and beliefs. He didn't really need her to come up with anything profound, all he wanted to hear was confirmation that he was right in his decisions and position and Bobby was wrong when he accused him of being a terrible person who was always out to get him. Sure, he didn't necessarily enjoy his brother's presence at Ewing Oil, however, he'd dealt with it and moved on and his decision to reject Bobby's natural gas proposal was purely about business, it wasn't personal. If Bobby had done his research properly, he would have known that unless a company was already established in the natural gas field, it simply wasn't worth the trouble. Natural gas was in demand, but it was also a product that had an artificially set price, one that was well below the market price, making the cost of the equipment and exploration too high in comparison to any potential benefits, especially for a company just starting in that field. Perhaps in the future it would be a good idea for Ewing Oil to expand into other areas, but once again, Bobby had come up with a dud of an idea and he didn't want to take responsibility for his own mistakes. Jock had listened and passed Bobby's proposal on to JR for further consideration, but once JR explained his opinion of the whole thing and gave the cold, hard facts about the costs and benefits, the decision was practically made for him. Unfortunately, as much as Jock wanted his youngest son to be a bigger part of Ewing Oil, he still had a long way before he was able to play at the same level. "Thank you darlin'", JR was calm as he spoke; it wasn't that he'd really been angry or upset before, he was just a little wound up from Bobby's words. Taking a step back from his annoyed thoughts, he noticed how nicely she was dressed and suddenly remembered that it was Thursday evening and he'd promised to take her out; "I'll just change clothes and then we can go. I made reservations for six thirty, I know it's a little early, but I have something else planned afterwards", he left his comment hanging before giving her a quick kiss and walking over to his wardrobe.

Leaving the restaurant after a romantic dinner, Sue Ellen giggled as she caught sight of JR's second event of the night and she felt like a college girl again as he took her hand and helped her into the horse drawn carriage. She knew it had to be hard for him to change his ways and consistently make a real effort, but she appreciated what he did do and she speculated that he secretly didn't mind being a romantic man, especially since it always brought them back to a place of intimacy and pleasure. To Sue Ellen, everything was better when love was present in their thoughts and actions, everything meant and felt like so much more, even if they were just small actions; she finally had what she'd always wanted, and even though JR wasn't particularly interested in always verbalising his feelings, she knew that he felt the same way. The combination of the chilly February air, the ambience of the carriage and sound of the horse's hooves clopping on the pavement made Sue Ellen smile and snuggle even further into her husband's welcoming arms; to her, this was a moment where everything really was perfect.

As JR held his wife close, he was reminded of when they were first dating; that had been a period in his life where he had wanted her so badly and he'd acted accordingly, charming and romancing her, showing her the best side of himself because he knew he had to make an effort to hook her and keep her. She had been different to the usual women he pursued and he'd known the moment that he'd laid eyes on her that he wanted her, from that moment doing everything he could to make sure that she was his, in the present and in the future, forever. Unfortunately though, somewhere along the way, he'd forgotten how special she was and had begun to take her for granted and mistreat her. No matter how much he tried to justify his actions as a preventative measure, the truth of the matter remained; his cheating and neglect wasn't all about protecting her ladylike status, it was partially because he was an immature man who didn't fully understand or respect the commitment he'd made on his wedding day. However, now, as they sat cuddled together under a blanket on a romantic carriage ride through Dallas, he found himself considering all the things he had going for him in his life and he realised that what his father had been trying to tell him for years was true. There came a time in a man's life where he had to re-evaluate his priorities and make changes to his actions, and over the past few weeks, he'd really been working on that, and now, he really understood the purpose and enjoyment that could come from being a one-woman, happily married man. Even though he enjoyed women and he would always enjoy women, he knew that his life was better when he shared himself with only one woman, his wife. Whispering her name, she turned toward him and looked into his eyes, they didn't need to speak, their non-verbal communication said everything and what couldn't be communicated with a look was understood through the kiss that followed.

To be continued…