Dallas, Texas

"Remember sweetheart, Chestnut is like your mama and cousin Lucy, it hurts him if you pull on his hair. You have to be gentle, like this", taking John Ross' hand in hers and running it softly over Chestnut's mane, Miss Ellie smiled to herself as her grandson mimicked her actions. There was a lot more to horses than the simple statement she had told him, but he was still relatively young, so the simpler the message, the better. In this case, while a small tug of Chestnut's hair wasn't going to bother him, because he was used to being groomed, ridden and playing with the other horses, John Ross' sharp, erratic tugs probably weren't too pleasant either, and being in the confined stall, an annoyed horse was the last thing anyone at the ranch needed. "Good boy", watching her young grandson calm a little, obviously understanding some of what she said, she smiled to herself and kissed his cheek before readjusting him in her arms and allowing him to happily babble and continue to show affection to his mother's horse.

John Ross was interesting, he was JR's son and in many aspects of his personality he reminded her greatly of the way her eldest son had been and still was, but in other ways, he was very different to his father. JR's indifference to animals was not a new thing, but it was a fairly individual thing; both the Ewing and Southworth families were passionate about the agricultural side of life on a ranch, but that passion hadn't automatically appeared in him and despite a lifetime of participating in 'manly' activities, he still wasn't particularly enthusiastic about ranch life. On the other hand, while John Ross was still much too young for anyone to actually declare him a born rancher or assume that he would take after other members of his family, it was safe to say that he hadn't inherited his father's lack of interest in the natural world. She didn't know what the future held for her grandson but she had a feeling that if things continued on the path they were on now, in a few years Jock's life would be full of the experiences he'd been wanting and talking about for decades.

Hearing the familiar clip clop of hooves and her granddaughter and daughter-in-law's voices, Miss Ellie turned around to look behind her before speaking to her grandson, "I think I hear mommy and Lucy coming now. Should we go and see them?" Speaking in a calm, but enthusiastic tone, she hoped the mention of his mother and cousin would be enough to divert his attention so he didn't throw a fit when he eventually had to leave Chestnut. She knew he would be fine eventually, because they had other animals on the ranch and there were a million other things he enjoyed doing that didn't involve animals, however, if it wasn't done correctly, she knew he may get upset if he felt that he was being taken away from all the fun. She didn't want to spoil him, she understood that sometimes children did need to learn that not everything was how they wanted it all the time, however, if she could minimise his upset before it actually happened and make life a little bit easier for herself during the time she was set to take care of him, then she would.

Hearing her mother-in-law speaking to her son and then seeing them together, receiving a happy wave and a big smile from both of them, Sue Ellen smiled back as she stopped in front of Chestnut's stall in the stables. She couldn't wait until John Ross was old enough to really participate in riding; she loved her time out on the ranch with Lucy and occasionally Bobby when he had time; it was enjoyable, exhilarating and a great bonding experience and she was looking forward to sharing it with her son. She rarely convinced JR to ride with her, but that was ok, they did other things together and she didn't feel like she was missing out on spending quality time with him, especially when most of the time her outdoor pursuits occurred when he was at work anyway.

"Thank you for keeping Chestnut company while I was away", reaching out to take her son from Miss Ellie, Sue Ellen complimented him and gave him a quick cuddle before allowing him to wave at Toffee, Lucy's horse. Handing him back to her mother-in-law to hold, she then made her way into the stall to check Chestnut's bridle. The ranch hands had kindly prepared most of the things they needed done before they went for a ride, however, for both safety and comfort purposes, and in an effort to build her own self-sufficiency, she always liked to check everything herself before she left the stables.

Half an hour later, after a steady run, she and Lucy slowed as they neared the fence that indicated the border where Southfork ended and she and JR's land began. Giving each other a look that confirmed they were thinking the same thing, her niece broke the silence, "can we?" Considering it for a moment, Sue Ellen then realised just how silly it seemed to put so much thought into considering it; she and JR owned the land adjacent to Southfork and she had initially chosen it because of its rural location, so it seemed almost stupid not to take advantage of the opportunity. "Of course we can, it's Ewing land. We'll have to jump the fence, so if you're not confident that you can do that, then say so now and we'll turn around and go in the front entrance, but if that's not an issue, then by all means, lead the way". Motioning her hand slightly, she made sure not to jerk too much so she didn't confuse Chestnut and end up injuring herself or both of them.

"Great!" grinning at her aunt, Lucy excitedly clicked her tongue, pushed her legs and body into position and took off toward the fence line. She loved when Sue Ellen spent time with her in day-to-day life, but it was even more special when they did things together that were out of the ordinary, and while riding together wasn't unusual, exploring new, previously off-limits territory was exciting and appealing. She had initially been sad when she'd heard the news that Sue Ellen and John Ross would be leaving Southfork, but now that she had seen and experienced what life meant and felt like with them further away, but still close, she was much happier. Landing on the ground on the other side of the fence, she trotted a few yards ahead before slowing down and waiting for her aunt to join her. She didn't know exactly where they would go this afternoon, but she had no doubt that she would enjoy it.

To be continued…