Dallas, Texas

Opening the front door of her new home, expecting to find a deliveryman or perhaps a neighbour, Jenna was surprised when she came face-to-face with someone more familiar.

"Bobby", smiling, she was relieved to see him looking better than he had last time they'd met. Three weeks ago he'd been in a bad state on her doorstep for a second time, but now, a third time, he'd shaved, cut his hair and although still not looking exactly like his old, lighter, happier self, he did look healthier.

"Can I come in?" briefly glancing over her shoulder into the house behind her he met her eye as he spoke.

"Of course", opening the door a little wider, she felt every bit the nine or so inches shorter than him she was without heels on when he brushed past her, but she also immediately felt comfortable and that was a welcome change.

"Nice place", casting his eyes over her modern earthy tiled foyer which opened up into a sunken living room with a wall of windows that looked out at the patio and pool area, he complimented her new abode.

"Thank you. How did you find me?" leading him from the foyer through to the kitchen, she struck up conversation as she went about preparing them a pot of coffee, knowing that the least helpful thing she could do right now would be to offer him a drink of something stronger.

"JR", shrugging, he answered the question as if to ask, who else?

"It had to be him or Sue Ellen", nodding, she turned away from him, opening one of the warm brown wooden cabinets to find a tray to set their coffee on.

"Did they help you move?" making conversation, he acknowledged his brother and sister-in-law's friendship.

"They did; JR found this place for me and Sue Ellen helped me decorate", looking around the kitchen she knew she was lucky; located between Preston Hollow and University Park the home was only two years old and far more than anything she could have hoped to acquire on her own.

"JR's nicer to you than me then", sounding a little sad, Bobby had the right to feel down considering everything he'd been through over the past few months, but the way JR treated him wasn't something she particularly sympathised with him on.

"Cut him some slack, he's very stressed, they all are", she'd been around JR, he was a man carrying the weight of several people's problems on his shoulders, if he was short with Bobby, it probably wasn't personal.

"So I've noticed", frowning, Bobby's expression told her he wasn't just sad, he was annoyed.

He was grieving, sure, but he wasn't alone. JR had lost his mother and Jock had lost his wife, but both men had had a lot less time to breathe through their bereavement. Bobby had been hit by three waves of grief in a few short months but his pain wasn't the only pain anyone in the family was feeling.

"Your family is in the oil business, do you expect indifference at the recent happenings?" not wanting to believe he was as selfish or unaware as he appeared, she pointed out what was occurring in other people's lives. There was no way he'd not noticed that filling up his car wasn't quite the same experience as it had always been, and he wasn't unintelligent, he perhaps just had tunnel vision, he was focused on his own life and no one else's.

"No, I guess not", accepting that she had a point, he watched her set out the milk and sugar for their coffee.

"You're lucky to have ranching, that's not going anywhere", keeping the conversation going she addressed his occupation, or at least what he'd been doing before everything had crumbled.

"You're right, but I'm not exactly ranching", looking a little embarrassed he admitted what she already had an idea of.

"What are you doing then?" not blaming him for taking a break, especially since she knew the state he'd been in the last few times they'd met, she did think it was worth her time to encourage him to do something, because he could grieve forever but the world didn't stop moving just because he did.

"I don't know, contemplating. I don't have much interest in work right now, I feel like I can't bring myself to care". Confessing to her that although he looked better, his grieving process was slow and his emotional outlook hadn't improved very much, it was as if he was willing her to hug him, to comfort him, because before she knew it, she'd stepped away from the counter and wrapped her arms around him.

Resting her head on his chest, she enjoyed the feeling of one hand against her back, and the other stroking her hair; for a period it was like all the years they'd been apart hadn't happened, unfortunately, she knew they had, and she knew that a hug wouldn't fix the problems he had.

Pulling back, she responded to his emotional admission, "I know it's difficult, but you can't live like that forever".

"Mm, I just need some more time", smiling weakly, it didn't surprise her that he felt he needed time, unfortunately all he seemed to have was time now.

"You can have it, I'm not your keeper", smiling, she attempted to lighten the conversation.

"Are you my friend?" holding eye contact with her, his question was simple but felt deeply personal. They'd had a strained relationship while Pam had been around, but in recent weeks that had all disappeared, giving way to something much closer.

"Yes", gently touching his hand, she offered him the friendship he craved.

"Good", squeezing her hand, he appeared happy, which was nice considering that he was obviously still generally unhappy.

Separating from him, reluctantly, she poured the coffee and lifted the tray, directing him to follow her, "come on, let's go and sit somewhere more comfortable".

"I was sorry to hear about you and Richard; I know I probably hold some responsibility for that", walking together, he apologised for his part in her relationship breakup.

"Don't feel too bad, it was probably bound to happen sooner or later", appreciating his reflectiveness she didn't feel he really had anything to apologise for.

Breezing back through to the living room, she set the tray down on the coffee table and took a seat.

"Well, still, I am sorry", clearly feeling as if he'd ruined something for her, which he technically had, but she wasn't particularly emotional about it, he made his point.

"Thank you", accepting his apology it pleased her that he cared, because she cared for him.

Following his gaze as he looked out the floor to ceiling window towards the pool, she spotted the colourful beach ball that prompted his next question, "is Charlie here?"

"Who are you here to see? Me or Charlie?" conscious that he'd visited her twice at home, each time with a different intention, she asked for clarity on what he wanted this time.

"Both of you", returning his attention to her, he brushed his hand against hers as if to reassure her, then just as quickly as he'd touched her, he withdrew and reached over to pick up the coffee she'd prepared.

"She's at school, but if you want to see her you're welcome to stay", keeping things casual, she extended the invitation to him to make his own decision.

"I'd like that", smiling, he confirmed they were generally on the same page as far as building a friendship again.

"So would she, as long as you're in a good mood", conscious of how much real life she exposed Charlie to she put a condition on Bobby's visiting, although she knew he'd never deliberately upset her.

"I promise, I'll try", stopping short of absolutely assuring her they'd never see anything negative, because he couldn't guarantee that given everything that had happened, his promise to try was good enough. He was a good man and she thought they were good for him too.

To be continued…