Dallas, Texas

More than aware of how Jenna operated, she'd never been shy, especially not now that she was his wife, Bobby knew exactly where she intended to take things when she slid into bed beside him, her chest to his back, her lips on his ear, his cheek and his lips if he'd move to allow her access.

Conflicted, his mind a mess of information and emotions, he found it difficult to concentrate on any one thing, especially what she wanted from him.

"I'm sorry, not tonight."

Rolling over so they were face-to-face, he saw not disappointment but annoyance on her face.

"Fine," leaning over to flip the lamp on, she didn't let him have the final word, "just answer me one question first."

Shaking his head, he couldn't say he was in the mood to have a conversation, tired and aware he had to be up early again, however he did know he should listen to her when she wanted him to, that was part of a healthy marriage.

"Are you exhausted from a long day at work or are you shutting me out because going to bed with me reminds you of your frustrations?"

"That's a heavy question for this time of night."

"That's not an answer."

Taking his rejection personally, she sounded fed up with the situation, which was interesting considering the role she was playing in their disagreement.

"The answer is it's a little bit of both. I'm tired, I've been up since dawn every day for weeks, and you're right, being in bed with you doesn't really allow me to work out my frustrations when my frustrations are directly related to what could happen if you'd let it."

Southworth Stables was keeping him busy, mind and body, but she was right, there was a distance between them in an intimate sense that had arisen after she'd made it abundantly clear that she was done discussing the matter, until now it seemed.

"Can't you just let go of that and enjoy being with me? We never had a problem with that in the past."

"I want what I want, I can't help it."

"Sometimes I feel like you want to be a father more than a husband!"

Sitting up, raising her voice, it was her tone that bothered him more. He loved her and he treated her very well, she ought not to be so dismissive of what she had in favour of focusing on the negatives in her life. If he hadn't wanted to share his life with her, to make a go of a relationship then he wouldn't have pursued her, he wouldn't have allowed her into his space, asked her away for the weekend, proposed to her or married her; he'd done all of those things because he cared for her. He didn't ask for much, he didn't need more money or more of her time, all he wanted was to share everything with her, including a family.

"That's not true. I want to be both."

"You already are both."

"I know, but it's different with Charlie, I missed the beginning of her life."

Sitting up himself, he attempted again to reiterate what the difference was to him in his connection to Charlie as opposed to Will or their hypothetical child. Charlie was his daughter, biology had nothing to do with it, their closeness and love was what connected them, still though, she'd be seven in August and he knew from being around both Lucy and John Ross that there was a lot her life he'd missed. He'd prepared himself to be a father when Pam was expecting and after losing Will that preparedness hadn't dissipated.

"I'll tell you what, when Sue Ellen gives birth, we'll offer to babysit, not for a couple of hours, but a few days, then you can get a taste of what you missed and why it isn't the idyllic experience you imagine it to be."

Reminding him again that she saw the process of becoming a mother as a chore, an unpleasant experience, he understood from supporting Pam why she might not have enjoyed it. However, as with Pam, and unlike Pam, there was a lot to be said for being Mrs Ewing, she could count on having the best of everything, something she usually loved, but in this case wanted nothing to do with.

"You're thinking about it in relation to how it was for you, it'll be different this time. You're not alone anymore."

"No, I'm not, but I still hold those memories and experiences close. Just give me some time. I'm not saying it'll never happen, I'm just saying it's not happening right now. I don't know why you think we need to rush, we're in our mid-twenties, we have time, we can wait."

Hearing what he'd heard a million times before, he was reminded of why they'd stopped broaching that particular topic, they ended up talking in circles, neither wanting to compromise on their position.

"I don't have much choice but to wait, do I?"

"No, but you don't have to fill that time with misery."

Shaking her head, her eyes looking him up and down before settling back on his, her expression and tone said something her words didn't; she wasn't interested in there being consequences to their marital closeness but that didn't mean she wasn't still interested in marital closeness, that was after all what she'd been angling for before he'd rejected her.

"Jenna, I really am tired."

Honest, he was sure his words lacked forcefulness, she was doing her very best to distract him, to get him back on her side and it was working. They hadn't figured anything out, they were in exactly the same place they had been since the topic had come up the first time, but suddenly it didn't feel so important.

"All work and no play makes Bobby a dull man." Whispering the words in his ear, she teased him, her hands and lips all over him. "You can't be tired, we're just getting started."

Relinquishing himself to her advances, he murmured, "I guess I can sleep in."

He was his own boss; no one was going to reprimand him for turning up when he did, he ought to remember that more often.

"We can sleep in."

Confirming the plan, the words were the last either of them said for a while, their connection soon no longer requiring words.

To be continued…