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Message: <blockquote data-quote="zephiey" data-source="post: 33177" data-attributes="member: 14">Title: MatchmakerChapter 6“JR’s gonna hate him,” said Jeremy.“Yep,” replied Billy watching Sue Ellen talk to the cowboy as he put away his gear. They noticed how the cowboy took advantage of every chance to touch Sue Ellen. The touches looked casual but both men could see the underlying possessiveness in the cowboy’s actions.“Ought to be interestin’,” Jeremy said.“Without a doubt,” agreed Billy. “Think we ought to make him aware of the situation?” Billy asked, leaning against the fence, his arms crossed over his large chest.“We could, but it might be more fun to watch it play out,” said Jeremy leaning back against the fence. Both men continued to watch AJ as he talked to the cowboy. It didn’t escape either man’s notice that when AJ mentioned JR’s name the cowboy frowned. They shared a look knowing AJ was deliberately mentioning JR’s name ever chance he got.“Mister Jeremy...Mister Billy come meet my Uncle Dusty,” AJ shouted running toward them. Both men straightened up and stepped away from the fence. Billy reached out and caught AJ when he stumbled, hat falling from his head.“Take it easy there partner,” Billy said, catching AJ easily. Picking up AJ’s hat, Billy placed it back onto his head.“Thanks Mister Billy, that would’ve hurt.”“Not a problem bud. Just be a bit more careful,” Billy said. “Don’t want your first Ewing rodeo ending with you havin’ to take a trip to the emergency room.”“Yeah,” agreed AJ, “that would suck.”“It definitely would,” teased Jeremy. AJ grinned up at the other man before turning back to his mother and uncle. Stepping forward AJ introduced his uncle to the two men.“Uncle Dusty, this is Mister Billy Frampton and Mister Jeremy Wendell. Gentleman, this is my uncle, Steven Farlow. Everyone calls him Dusty,” said AJ.Dusty looked at the two men. They exuded power and authority, something that Dusty had to work at. They weren’t the type of men who intimidated easily and Dusty took an immediate dislike to both men. Ignoring their outstretched hands he simply nodded his head before turning to Sue Ellen. He didn’t see the look the two men shared; if he had he would know that neither man was happy about his snub.“How about you, AJ and I go get something to eat?” suggested Dusty, trying to take Sue Ellen’s arm and lead her away from the two men. Sue Ellen stepped out of his reach and toward AJ.“AJ and I have already agreed to meet JR and his family for dinner but you are more than welcome to join us,” said Sue Ellen, not happy with Dusty’s snub of her two new friends.“Yeah, JR promised to show me some of the oil well fire pictures from when Ewing 228 exploded,” said AJ excitedly. He had read all about the oil well fire in the newspaper last year; it had only one grainy picture of the fire. When JR had told him about the pictures that had been taken he asked if he could see them and JR promised to show them to him.“You don’t want to see those pictures,” said Dusty, dismissing the excitement his nephew was showing. He didn’t like that AJ was talking non-stop about JR Ewing.  “Yes I do,” insisted AJ. “Besides JR said..,”“I’m sure JR Ewing has better things to do than show you pictures. He probably only said that to get you to stop bugging him,” Dusty said dismissively. AJ stared at his uncle, tears forming in his eyes at his uncle’s words. JR wouldn’t do that! They were business partners! He said so.“JR wouldn’t do that! We’re business partners...he wouldn’t do that!” AJ yelled at his uncle. Not giving his uncle a chance to say anything more AJ took off running toward the main house.“AJ!” yelled Sue Ellen after her son, trying to get him to stop. He ignored her and continued toward the house. Angry, Sue Ellen rounded on Dusty. “How could you say that to him?” she asked. “You don’t know JR or his relationship with AJ. Next time you decide to say something..DON’T! Now I have to find an upset eight year old in a sea of adults!” she said before stalking off in search of AJ.Jeremy and Billy watched her stride away, anger coming off her in waves. Both men turned back to Dusty Farlow, each angry at the way the man treated his nephew.“Farlow, you’re an idiot,” said Billy before following Sue Ellen in her search of AJ. He would have said more but he was more concerned with helping Sue Ellen find her son than chastising some irritating rodeo cowboy.“Not only are you an idiot but I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when JR hears about your comments to AJ. He considers that boy a business partner,” Jeremy said, ignoring the scoff from the other man. He really was an idiot.  Moving closer to Dusty, Jeremy added softly, “And I consider that boy a friend so I’d be a bit more careful if I were you.” Jeremy didn’t give Dusty a chance to respond he simply glared at the cowboy and stalked off; heading in the direction Sue Ellen and Billy went to join in the search for an upset AJ.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~AJ ran toward the house weaving his way in between people tears blurring his vision making it harder to avoid bumping into people. He was almost near the patio when he ran smack into a pair of legs. Before he had a chance to pull away he was lifted up into a pair of strong arms.“Here now boy, what’s the matter?”Struggling to escape it took AJ a few minutes to realize the man holding him was Jock Ewing. Looking up into Jock’s concerned eyes he hugged the man tightly, crying softly onto his shoulder. Jock held AJ in his arms rubbing his back softly. Knowing eight year old boys and their egos well he turned and walked into the house. His boys may no longer be eight years old but their egos were still just as fragile and he knew AJ, just like his boys, wouldn’t want anyone seeing him upset. Holding AJ tightly he made his way to the den, closing the door behind him and sitting down with ease in the chair. Reaching into his back pocket he removed his handkerchief, getting it ready for AJ’s eventual use. Jock continued to rub AJ’s back waiting for him to regain control. AJ’s cries lessened and he hiccupped a few times wiping at his eyes and nose.“Here boy,” Jock said softly, pressing the handkerchief into AJ’s hand. AJ wiped at his face as best as he could missing more than clearing. Jock took the handkerchief from AJ’s hand and tilted the boys face up, wiping the tears from his eyes and cheeks. “Blow,” instructed Jock, holding the kerchief to his nose, wiping it clean when AJ was done.  Looking into AJ’s eyes Jock could see the pain there and wondered who or what hurt the young boy. “Wanna talk about it?” Jock asked gently.AJ didn’t answer, staring down at his boots. Jock leaned back in the chair pulling AJ back to rest against his broad chest.  The room was silent for a few minutes before Jock began speaking. “Ya know Junior...JR that is, was about your age when he went to his first rig. There was a roughneck there by the name of Titus. Meanest son of a bitch,” Jock stopped. “Sorry...I shouldn’t use that kind of language around you,” said Jock. “Miss Ellie is always on me for my language. She always saying, ‘Jock you need to watch your language...this isn’t a rig or the south pasture’,” said Jock his voice mimicking Miss Ellie’s. AJ giggled in response. Jock smiled and continued. “Like I said he was mean but a good worker. Well, one day Junior, I and Punk were checking out the rig and he said a few things to Junior that upset him. Junior took off running and it took me and Punk hours before we found him.”“When we found him he was asleep under one of the pipe racks. He had cried himself to sleep. He thought he was going to be in trouble for running away. I admit I was angry at him for running away but I was more worried. I was afraid he’d been hurt. When I asked him why he ran away he said Titus had told him he would never be an oil man. He was just a boy and wouldn’t amount to nothin’,” explained Jock. “That hurt Junior’s feelings, just like someone hurt your feelings today. You wanna tell me who it was?” Jock asked gently.AJ looked down at his hands holding the handkerchief tightly then up at Jock. He took a deep breath and said, “Uncle Dusty.”Jock made a soft hmm sound. “What did he say?”AJ sniffed and wiped at his nose with the hanky, just thinking about Dusty’s words made him want to cry. Taking a deep breath AJ said in one rushed breath, “HesaidJRdidn’twanttospendanytimewithmeandheonlysaidhewouldshowmetheoilwellfirepicturestogetmetostoptalkin’.”Jock’s eyes widened at AJ’s run-on sentence. “Repeat that please and slower this time,” he said.“He said JR...didn’t want to spend..,” AJ’s breath hitched as he tried not to cry. “...spend any time with me and he...,” another hitched breath interrupted him, “...only said he would show me the oil well fire pictures to get me..,” blurted out AJ.“To get you to what?” asked Jock.“To get me to stop talkin’,” AJ finished softly.Jock didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He was trying to keep a tight rein on his temper. AJ’s uncle was lucky he wasn’t standing in front of him at this moment because Jock wasn’t above knocking asshole cowboys on their asses. Looking at AJ he pulled the young boy closer to him. “Well your uncle is wrong. I can tell you JR doesn’t promise something he can’t deliver.  When JR says he is going to do something he does it! And that includes showing his newest business partner pictures of an oil well fire,” Jock said his voice ringing with confidence.AJ met Jock’s statement with a huge smile, causing Jock to smile in return and hug the boy tightly before releasing him. Jock helped AJ down off his lap and stood looking down at the now grinning boy. “What do you say we get you cleaned up and go find your mama? I’m pretty sure she’s worried ‘bout you,” said Jock.“Yes sir,” replied AJ, grabbing Jock’s hand and walking out of the den with him.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Jeremy caught up with Billy and Sue Ellen at the end of the corrals set up for the rodeo livestock. “What’s the plan?” he asked Sue Ellen.Sue Ellen was staring at the sheer size of the rodeo trying to figure out how she was going to find her upset eight year old in the crowd. “I don’t know. How am I going to find him in this?” she whispered. Looking between the two men, she hoped one of them would have a suggestion.“How about we split up? You and I can head toward the house and Jeremy can check around the corrals and barns,” suggested Billy. Jeremy immediately agreed to Billy’s suggestion.“I can find JR too. He and Bobby should still be around here somewhere making sure the rodeo stock is being taken care of. Between us and some of the hands we should be able to find him quickly,” Jeremy added. Slipping an arm around Sue Ellen’s shoulders Jeremy gave her a soft squeeze. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” he said. Releasing Sue Ellen he turned to Billy. “Holler when you find him. I’ll hear ya,” he said knowing Billy could holler loud enough to be heard a half mile away.“Gotcha. Come on Sue Ellen, let’s go find that boy of yours,” Billy said, taking her hand in his and heading toward the house. Jeremy watched the two for a minute before turning and heading toward the barns and upper corrals. He hoped JR and Bobby were both still in the vicinity. It would make the searching easier if the two men were able to help.TBC</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?