Excited yet apprehensive at the same time, JR walked up to the door and knocked briskly. After a few seconds she opened it and beckoned him wordlessly to come in. He followed her through to the kitchen, taking in their surroundings. It was a lovely place, very Sue Ellen, he pondered, realising that this was the first time he had been permitted entry. All the other times she had kept him at the door, anger and bitterness taking precedence over the interests of their son at access handovers.
She turned to face him. "Coffee?" she asked. "Yes, thank you" he replied, noting her tired and somewhat downcast appearance. She was still beautiful, though, just as radiant as the day they first met, he determined. "How did you sleep?" she enquired as she poured two cups from the percolator. "Not too badly…" he faltered. "You?"
She nodded. "Yes, I managed to sleep which in the circumstances was surprising." "How did he take it?" "You can't imagine?" The last thing she wanted was a post-mortem on how she and Don came to be no more. "Anyway, it's done now, darlin. We need to look to the future" he answered, realising that he needed to move away from that particular topic.
She shook her head, making him immediately anxious. "I'm not coming back to Southfork, not yet" she stated flatly. "Perhaps never." "I'm not going to make you do anything that you don't want to, I promise. If you want to take things slowly that's just fine. As long as you and I are together, that's all I can ask for."
She smiled weakly, relieved by his reassurance. She beckoned for them to sit but before she could do so he grasped her by the wrist and pulled her to him. "Sue Ellen" he whispered before kissing her softly on the lips. As their lips parted, she buried her face in his chest prompting him to wrap his arms tightly around her. There they remained for several seconds, holding each other, just like the old times, when they had been happy.
She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. "There's so much to talk about, I don't know where to begin" she told him as she led him to a large, comfortable sofa overlooking the pool and garden. "As I told you before, honey, let's just take our time, get things right between us." Reclining comfortably, he watched as she fetched the cups and placed them down on the coffee table. She seated herself close but not too close to him. She knew the effect he had on her but she wasn't going to fall for his charms quite so easily this time.
"Let me start with what I don't want" she began. "I've just told you that I don't want to go back to Southfork and that is definite." He nodded in assent. "I don't want us to live together full time just yet either. There has been a lot of water under the bridge between us. I know you yet sometimes I feel I don't. So much has happened, we've both behaved badly, we've been with other people and led separate lives. It's different this time, I mean from all the other times."
"Yes, all the other times when you took me back and I didn't deserve it. I agree, Sue Ellen, it isn't the same now and it can't ever be. If this is going to work then I need to show you I can change and you need to believe it." She nodded and smiled. "How do you show me that you've changed?" He shook his head. "I don't know, really. I think it's a matter of time, before you'll have complete confidence in me."
She sipped her coffee reflectively. "Yes, that's right. What do I need to do? I haven't always been a good wife to you." "You only ever acted in retaliation, darlin. I'd have an affair so you'd have one. I'd manipulate and humiliate you, so you'd do the same to me. None of this was your fault. You were so lovely and innocent at the start. I ruined you by not being the husband that I should have been. Things could have been so different, darlin, and I'm the one to blame."
"What do we do then?" she asked. "It's not like we can turn the clock back is it?" "No, we have to start again if we are ever to move on from our mistakes. What about that trip we talked about yesterday?"
She stared at him, noting that his eyes shone more brightly as he contemplated their future together. "Where?" He took hold of her hand in his. "Remember when we were first married, all those years ago? Daddy wouldn't let me take any proper time off for a honeymoon because of what was going on with the company. I promised you a grand tour but never delivered on it…" "Europe" she replied wistfully. "I'm not sure I ever took you seriously about that though. I always knew that work would come first."
He shook his head. "Then but not now, sugar. Bobby can hold the fort, not even he could ruin the company in a month, no matter how hard he tried." She gazed at him incredulously. "A month?" He nodded. "Yes, a whole month. If we are going to do this then we need to do it properly." "What about John Ross?"
"You know how much I love that boy, Sue Ellen, but I want you all to myself this time. I need to get to know you again and for you to see me in a very different light from the one that you've been accustomed to. John Ross will be just fine at Southfork with mama and Clayton."
"When?" she enquired, excited yet unconvinced. "There's no time like the present, darlin. How long would it take you to get your packing done?" She threw her head back and laughed. "Are you running away from your troubles, JR? Remember, there's my own company to take care of. Arrangements for it to be looked after in my absence would have to be made."
"Next Saturday then? That's more than enough time. I'll get Sly to start booking some flights then." Without giving her time to respond he pulled her close to him and reclined with her tightly held in his arms, noting with pleasure how easily she accepted his embrace. There was no way he was ever letting her go again, he resolved.
Tbc