Dallas, Texas

"It has been a while, hasn't it? I'll mention it to him, see what he thinks, JR too", putting his overnight bag in the trunk of his car, Bobby turned back toward his father to finish their conversation, "I think we might have missed the end of the season, but I'd still be interested in a camping trip anyway if we have". Thinking back on all of the hunting and camping trips he had taken with his father and brothers in the past, he meant every word he said to his father, he genuinely enjoyed the outdoors as well as the bonding that seemed to come so naturally out in the wild, away from the distractions of regular life. Jack appeared to be the sort of man who would also enjoy such things, and although JR always seemed less enthusiastic about connecting with nature, he wasn't a complete sourpuss and managed to control his complaints once they actually got into it; considering that, if they could all find the time, it would be a nice thing to do together.

"Camping sounds like a fine idea too. Say, that reminds me, be sure to invite Jack to the next cattle drive too, a couple of days of hard work will do him well, keep his mind sharp and his feet firmly on the ground; I don't want him getting the wrong idea about what being a member of the Dallas Ewings means. He shouldn't have to come home with dirt under his fingernails to earn a living, but doing the kind of work that creates tough hands and builds character never did anyone any harm. Indulging in the good life and shunning real hard work weakens even the strongest of men, I'm sure you can attest to that; spending some time out here on the ranch has a way of putting everything back into perspective". Considering his father's comments, Bobby tended to agree with him, though he did wonder whether JR would seeing as his eldest brother was hardly the ranching type, even if he could bury his indifference for a while to enjoy hunting and camping, he thought if it was truly up to JR he would probably never willingly commune with nature. On the other hand, for him personally, he completely understood his father's comments about the ranch building character and creating perspective. He generally liked what he did at Ewing Oil, it was a good time for the most part, still though, it wasn't particularly fulfilling for him in the long-term, not the way ranching was, and not the way it seemed to be for JR and his father.

"Good point daddy; I'll mention it to him, and next time I see Ray I'll talk to him about the upcoming cattle drives". Thinking about it, his already good mood grew even stronger, everything seemed to have improved in his life very suddenly, from his job to his relationship status to his familial situation, things seemed to be looking up and that excited him. "I'd better be going now though if I'm going to make it to the condo in time to give Jack the tour before he makes it his own and is instead the one giving me a tour". Aware of the time, he deliberately steered the conversation toward an end, omitting the real details of why he wanted to meet Jack sooner rather than later. Now really didn't feel like the right time or place to tell his father anything about Pamela, not only because of Jock and Digger's feud, but because he and Pamela weren't really anything together yet and making their 'relationship' public knowledge was probably a sure way to put undue pressure on themselves.

"Oh, is that the time?" looking at his watch, his father nodded and walked around to the front of his car with him. Getting into the driver's seat, he nodded and smiled as his father commented, "you boys have fun", before stepping back to watch him reversing out of his parking spot, nodding as if to say goodbye, and then walking back toward the house. They would see each other again tomorrow, so there was no need for a drawn-out goodbye, nor had he expected one, not from his father, not unless perhaps he wished for him to keep an eye on JR, seeing as they were only going to the condo though, there was little danger of JR being led toward temptation tonight. Turning, he drove down the driveway and out onto the street, heading toward Braddock and the highway and eventually into town.

Half an hour later, he knocked at the door of the condo, waiting for an invitation to enter, because it wasn't really his place to just use as he liked anymore. He would miss the convenience of having somewhere close to go after a night out if he was unable to or didn't feel like driving all the way back to the ranch, however, Dallas was a city, it had plenty of hotels to accommodate him and any guests he may have, so he really wasn't that inconvenienced. "Bobby, please, come in", opening the door, Jack appeared to be happy and already relaxed in his new place, his new place which shockingly, or not so shockingly if he thought about it, looked absolutely no different to the last time he'd been there. Following his cousin inside, he handed him the beer and bottle of bourbon he'd brought with him, partly because it was polite to bring something when you were a guest in someone's home, and partly because he didn't want Jack to have to provide drinks for all three of them, especially when he was the least wealthy of the trio. "Welcome to Dallas", smiling as he spoke, he genuinely meant what he said, he liked his cousin and he hoped that his instincts about him were correct, and JR's previous instincts were incorrect, because if the past few social events were anything to go by, Jack was good for them and he'd hate to see the progress they'd made disappear.

"Thanks", accepting the gifts offered, it was clear from his facial expression that he was happy, even if he didn't go into great detail thanking him for his gesture. "So, what do you think? Do you like how I've really made the place my own?" handing him a bottle of beer from the fridge as he spoke, Bobby wondered briefly whether he just hadn't noticed the changes his cousin had made, however, Jack's smirk gave it away that his first impression had been correct, very little was different. "It's like a completely new place", looking around as if to admire the new surroundings, it didn't take long before both men were laughing and walking into the lounge to sit down and relax. The ice had been broken and the real fun of the evening was about to begin.

To be continued…