Dallas, Texas
August 1979
As he pushed her nightgown up, revealing her bare skin, the change wasn't immediately apparent. But the moment his hands touched her, it was unmistakable. She wasn't pale, sickly, or acting out of the ordinary, but she was expecting, of that, he had no doubt.
Jock had memorised every detail of her body, and the slight firmness, the subtle rounding of her abdomen, was new. To anyone else, it might have been imperceptible, but to him, it was monumental. They'd done it. They were going to have another son.
Whether Sue Ellen herself knew wasn't clear. She hadn't said or done anything to suggest awareness, but it seemed odd for her not to notice. Then again, it was possible. Decades earlier, when Ellie had carried his first set of sons, Jock had little to rely on but instinct. Ellie had been the one to sense JR and Gary first, but with Bobby, Jock had been convinced before she ever acknowledged it herself.
Sue Ellen's body had changed predictably during her previous pregnancies. Her toned, flat stomach had vanished, and she'd been plagued by morning sickness, which had served as a telltale sign. This time, he'd been watching for weeks, hoping for even the smallest shift, and now he saw it, yet no sickness accompanied it. That was different.
If she knew and hadn't told him, she was keeping her secret well. But he doubted it. With so much on her mind, caring for little John, grappling with her own struggles, she probably wasn't even looking for the signs. From what he gathered, the last time she had found herself expecting, it had come as a surprise as well. When she had finally sought answers, she'd discovered she was further along than anticipated, leading to the conclusion that she had conceived quickly after resuming relations with JR.
This time, Jock didn't need a doctor to tell him the truth. He knew exactly how long he and Sue Ellen had been together. It was possible, entirely possible, and he believed it was true. What JR had failed to achieve for seven years, Jock had managed in just a few months.
"You're going to be a big brother soon. Did you know that?"
He whispered to little John, cradling the sleeping boy in his arms. Memories swirled in his mind, some real, others born of longing and regret. He'd missed so much already, so much that his imagination had started filling the gaps. In his dreams, things were simpler. Little John had a whole family. Sue Ellen had the support she deserved. And Jock himself had everything he wanted.
The first time around, he'd stepped aside, letting JR be the one Sue Ellen shared her experience with. He had no intention of repeating that mistake. This time, there was no need to act so selflessly. He and Sue Ellen were having another son, that alone was cause for celebration.
But celebration would have to wait. Sue Ellen was locked away at Brooktree Psychiatric, and he wasn't on the approved visitor list. His contacts couldn't help him there, but he clung to the knowledge that this separation was temporary. Brooktree was no place for a baby, their baby. Sue Ellen would come home soon. When she did, they'd pick up where they left off and start their life together anew.
Sue Ellen hadn't said a word, but she didn't need to, JR already knew what was troubling her. From her complete disinterest in discussing John Ross to the way she felt in his arms when he greeted her, her condition was painfully clear. And it devastated him.
How she had come to this state was a vile thought, but her behaviour now, completely ignoring the obvious signs of trouble, was even more chilling. She refused to let the conversation veer anywhere near the possibility that she might be expecting. By shutting down that discussion, she was delaying the inevitable talk they needed to have about what to do.
She couldn't have his daddy's baby. She wouldn't be able to cope with that reality, and if the truth ever came out, it would be an enormous scandal. Judging by how long she'd been at Brooktree Psychiatric, though, their window for resolving the problem was closing fast. Soon, the decision to eliminate the issue might not even be an option.
They needed to act, and act quickly. But for that to happen, Sue Ellen had to face the facts, no matter how much she wanted to deny them.