Dallas, Texas

"What do you say JR? Are you up for it?" looking to his older brother for an answer, Bobby knew he was taking a risk by inviting JR to voice his thoughts on activities he generally complained about, however, he'd promised his father he would and besides, JR could potentially surprise him, he had been acting differently lately, more friendly and less hostile. "Sure, we can go one weekend; give Jack a taste of the other side of life here in Texas", unaware that JR actually did have a soft spot for the bonding that happened on camping trips, Bobby was surprised by his lack of comments about the conditions, though he wasn't disappointed, agreeable JR was nicer to deal with. "Let's not pick a weekend where the weather is forecast to be completely miserable though; we're doing it for fun, not because we have to; we have ranch hands for cattle drives, stores for food, and houses for shelter, there's no reason to choose to camp out overnight in terrible conditions when we could just as easily wait".

Thinking back to a couple of hunting trips they had taken in the past, Bobby had to laugh at his brother's comment, JR did tend to exaggerate and grumble when it came to outdoorsy things, but he wasn't wrong about the weather. It did make a much more pleasant experience when they weren't soaked to the bone or shivering from the cold and he couldn't really blame him for agreeing on the understanding that they would at least try to avoid that situation again. The rest of what he said was classic JR, his brother was not afraid of hard work, but in his mind there were certain things that just weren't worth doing for the sake of the satisfaction of seeing the results of his hard work, and certainly not simply for the fun of returning to their basic human roots. Truthfully, he wasn't all that into hunting for his dinner or sleeping in rough conditions on a long-term basis either, however, compared to JR he was more of the boy scout type, he truly did enjoy camping, hunting, riding and ranching because of the outdoor aspect, generally more when he was doing it for fun though. "Fair point. The weekend comes around every five days, no need to pick the worst one", agreeing with his brother's comment in general terms, he kept his mouth shut when it came to dissecting their personalities, they were having a nice time and he didn't want to start an argument about which one of them saw life through the correct lens.

"I think I'm going to like it here in Texas; even when you're trying to give an impression of a hard life it's a lot easier than what I'm used to", interjecting with a comment, Jack laughed as he spoke and while it took them a good few seconds to respond, eventually Bobby and JR did too. It was probably true what he was saying, to Jack, a man who had worked the past few years doing hard, physical work in the fields, in Alaska no less, it was novel to talk about avoiding a bit of cold and damp, especially that of the Texas climate which was probably mild compared to what he was used to. "Get used to it, you're one of us now. We'll make you work for your money and you'll have to continue to make an effort if you want to stay popular, but in a lot of respects you're already a member of a group that not many get to join, a group that comes with special privileges, you're a Ewing". Quick to respond to his cousin, JR's comment was both inclusive and exclusive; it had to be positive news that Jack was now considered one of the family in his eyes, but the way JR considered their family as a group was odd and somewhat pretentious. There was a lot of pride that came with being a Ewing, that was true, but Bobby always got the feeling that JR saw it as more than pride, he saw their family as elite and truly a cut above the rest, a special group that most people could only dream of joining.

"That I am, and nobody can take that away from me, not even you JR, no matter how much you wanted to at the beginning", grinning as he spoke, Jack's easy-going attitude was hard not to enjoy, especially when paired with JR's over-the-top, but well-meaning attitude. "Despite what you probably think I've been doing, I haven't actually traded on the Ewing name here yet, though the way you describe it, perhaps I should be. I presume you retired from philandering when you married the lovely Sue Ellen, so there's an opening for another single, interested Ewing in Dallas. I'll gladly take that place; I'll gladly join a camping trip and work hard for Ewing Oil too, I'm here for it all. Believe me, I understand what being a part of this family is about and no patch of rainy weather or high expectations is going to put me off staying". Laying his feelings out for JR to clearly understand, Bobby was impressed with his cousin's emotional maturity and the way he wasn't afraid to move onto more serious topics so soon after a casual moment. JR hadn't actually said anything to challenge his presence in Dallas recently, however it was no secret that he hadn't been fond of the situation in the past and there seemed to be no harm in reiterating again that he was there to stay and was all in when it came to integrating with the family.

"Good, I'll hold you to that when things get tough", responding very simply, it was clear to Bobby that JR understood and appreciated Jack's comments, but as a man of few words, he wasn't in any hurry to start a conversation about such things. He probably didn't want to have to defend his attitude toward Jack in the beginning either, to him it was still completely justified and not at all crazy to have assumed the worst of Jack and only decided he wasn't so bad after he got to know him, rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt to begin with. "I like a challenge", amused by Jack's genuinely serious tone of voice, JR responded more casually, though Bobby was cautious because he was also aware of how his brother could get when competition was proposed and had no desire to see things get any more serious; they were having a good time and he wanted to keep it like that.

"It'll be a challenge, but JR does tend to exaggerate things. The Ewings aren't some kind of mafia, we're just regular people who happen to hold a position in Dallas business and social circles. You'll do just fine here if you have the right attitude to work and family; you wouldn't have been hired at Ewing Oil if daddy didn't think you had potential, and within the family you've already found a place, maintaining and improving all of that is what it's about now". Joining the conversation, Bobby wasn't exactly thrilled when JR raised an eyebrow at his comments about his exaggeration, he'd been hoping to change the direction the conversation had taken, but his brother didn't seem to want to give in that easily. To JR's credit though, he didn't dispute what he said, he stayed quiet, and it was actually Jack who spoke next. "Dallas sure is an interesting place if everything I was sold about Ewing Oil is just how regular people live. I think I'm going to like it here, from what I've seen it is possible to have the best of both worlds". Grinning as he referenced JR and Jock's clear comments about how their new employee would be expected to behave and how those things compared and contrasted to Bobby's perspective on life, Jack's comment and light-hearted attitude instantly brightened the mood.

"That's what I've been saying; you get the best of both worlds as a Ewing. Everything is within reach, except what's mine of course", grinning and laughing as he replied to Jack's comment, JR was clearly in a good mood, though still completely aware of maintaining his power, that was JR though, and with Jack happy enough to accept that, Bobby knew he should too. Relaxing, enjoying the company of his brother and cousin was more important than making a point about trying hard and doing the right thing, especially when no one was actually advocating doing the wrong thing. Somehow, their conversation planning a camping trip had turned into a discussion about the life they lived, it didn't have to be though, and even if it did, he didn't have to try to change Jack's opinions, he was an adult, he would soon form his own opinions on what life in Dallas was really like. Sharing with Jack what he had to offer was as much as he could do and was probably as much as he was really expected to do too, if JR and the rest of the family did the same, the rest was up to Jack to decide and act on. That probably wasn't a problem though, Jack didn't seem like the indecisive type, in fact, he seemed quite decisive, and in the Ewing family, that was a positive personality trait to have.

To be continued…