New posts

The forum is about to undergo some crucial server updates

There may be a little downtime, but we'll be back online as soon as possible.

Watch this thread for updates

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ray&amp;Donna" data-source="post: 42683" data-attributes="member: 42">I can't be sure, but since I didn't like Jenna and Charlie, they probably never returned to Dallas in my vision for this story.  They're still in Europe with a (non-psycho) Naldo.  I guess, then, this story overlaps "Deliverance" and "Swan Song" since Bobby never died...***After dinner, they stood on the patio, their hearts together in some ways but still apart in others.  They held hands as they stared off into the night sky.“I hope you understand why I can’t come home with you tonight.”He nodded.  “I do.  I still have a few things to sort out before we can try again.”She smiled at him.  “Thank you.”“Take all the time you need.”  He kissed her on the cheek and they embraced once more.  “Goodnight.”“Goodnight.”  She watched him as he stepped off the patio and his truck pulled slowly out of the driveway; she gazed after him until his lights disappeared into the night.  A cold breeze, a last gasp of spring, blew and she wrapped her arms around herself as fireflies anxious for summer darted across the pool.  There was something different about tonight, and about each of them, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.***She placed her hand on her stomach.  It was early in the pregnancy, and yet a part of her could feel the new life growing inside of her—a child who knew nothing of the world; the troubles of grown-ups; the struggles of ordinary people.  As she stood on the patio in the morning sun, her mind turned to him again—it was early, but she knew he’d be out on the range already.  She wished she could ride out to see him, but to get on a horse right now would be foolish.  They both seemed to be in the same place now—together in their thoughts, maybe their emotions, but not physically.  She started walking out away from the house, past the pool, toward the horse barns.  She almost thought she saw him—no, it was him.  He was riding back to this part of the ranch, and she knew she had to go meet him.  She walked, her pace brisker now, hoping he would notice her.  He waved—he’d seen her, and he smiled.  He rode up to the fence as she stopped on front of him.  The fence separated them, much like they’d been separated for months now. “Good morning.”  He steadied the horse as she watched him.“Morning.  I was just thinking about you.”“You were?”“Yeah, I was thinking about how good you looked on a horse, working, doing what you love.”He smiled.  “I was thinking about you last night, and thinking about the baby.  I was thinking about maybe hiring a second foreman, so I could spend more time with you and baby.  Help you take care of things.”  He couldn’t let her know, couldn’t describe it, but he was caught up in the rapture of impending fatherhood.She smiled.  “You don’t have to do that.  I’m still trying to decide how involved I want to be with the oil business.  I might sell my oilfield.”Ray shook his head.  “You don’t have to do that.  I can help you with that, too.  I can check on it when you need me to.”Now this was different.  His words shocked her.  He wasn’t the same man he was a few months ago—at least not on the surface.  She didn’t know, couldn’t be sure, of his true feelings.  She didn’t know how much she could let him into her life right now.  She just wasn’t sure.He continued, interrupting her thoughts again.  “I mean, I don’t know the oil business, but know a little bit about how a derrick works.” “I’d like that.”  She smiled at him, and he smiled back.  The sun reflected in his blue eyes and seemed to show that his words were true.  She leaned on the fence as his horse whinnied. “Look, I need to get back to work.  But you think about what I said.”She nodded.  “I will.”“Bye.”  She waved at him and he turned his horse and rode away.She leaned on the fence again as he rode off into the distance.  She was confused about what to do—her life had never seemed quite this complicated before.  She turned and walked back to the house, hoping maybe she would find some clarity, or at least someone there to talk to about her feelings.</blockquote>

Verification: 6 + 4 =