Ray&Donna
Telly Talk Star
You're both so kind And yes, there will be some romance on down the line
***
It was early the next day when Ray was driving the cattle down the south side of the river. He heard the clomping of hooves and then heard Clayton call out his name as he rode toward him.
“Morning, Clayton.”
“Thought I’d come out and help you today.”
“I could sure use the company. I meant to ask you at dinner last night if you wanted to come help today.”
Clayton nodded in understanding. “But you were distracted by something else?”
Ray smiled at him. “Yeah, I guess I was.”
“I noticed Donna looking a lot happier lately—and you, too. You’re different now.”
“Well, I can’t hide anything from you.” They rode together toward the cattle. “I love her, and every time I see her I want to tell her so, to tell her that I want to make the best life I can for her and our child.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, I think she already knows.”
They stopped for a moment. Ray pushed his hat back and looked off in the distance. “I know. I just don’t always know the right thing to say. I don’t have everything on my mind that I did a few months a go. Something happened and one day I woke up and realized all of that stuff just wasn’t important.”
Clayton pondered it for a moment. “Well, to tell you the truth, none of us knows the right thing to say. We just gotta play it by ear.”
Ray looked at him, a twinkle in his eye. “Is that so?”
Clayton smiled back. “Yep.” They both laughed as they rode away toward the cattle, surrounded by a cloud of dust from the summer’s drought.
***
Donna sat by the pool and read over a pamphlet Dr. Danvers had given her. She thought she knew what to expect over the next few months, but she figured it never hurt to read a little more about pregnancy norms. The table umbrella blew in the strong, hot wind and she placed her glass of lemonade on the pamphlet to keep it from blowing out on the range somewhere. She’d been sitting there nearly a half-hour when Pam pulled up in her Porsche. Donna waved and Pam waved back. Pam grabbed her purse and pushed her hair behind her ear as she walked over toward the pool.
“Hi Pam.”
“Hi Donna. Bobby told me your good news, I hope you don’t mind.”
She smiled. “No, that’s just fine.”
“Congratulations on the baby.”
“Thanks.”
“He also told me you and Ray were having problems.”
“We were. It had been coming for a while, and I was hoping it would pass. And now, it seems like it has, but it still worries me. I don’t want him to resent me all the time.”
“I don’t think Bobby ever much liked me working outside the home, either. What is it about the Ewing men that make them think they can corral you like a wild horse?”
“I wish I knew. I really do.”
“That may be why Miss Ellie’s so tough—she had to be to keep Jock in line.”
Donna smiled at her.
“And that’s why we have to be just as tough as them—so anytime they get out of line, we can show them who’s boss.”
Donna laughed. “I guess you’re right. I just don’t want to see myself as a divorced single mother.”
“Well, it wasn’t always easy for me—and I worried that Christopher might grow up only seeing his daddy on weekends. But after Bobby and I remarry, I don’t plan to stop working at Barnes Wentworth. We’ll just have to work at our marriage. That means no giving up, and no more letting anyone come between us.”
Donna smiled. “I’d deck any woman that tried to come between me and Ray.”
Pam laughed. “So I’ve been told. Listen, let me get in here and find Miss Ellie so we can go look at wedding dresses. Would you like to come with us?”
Donna closed her pamphlet and stood. “Sure, I’d love that. Might help me get a little perspective on things.” She winked at Pam as they walked in the house together.
***
It was early the next day when Ray was driving the cattle down the south side of the river. He heard the clomping of hooves and then heard Clayton call out his name as he rode toward him.
“Morning, Clayton.”
“Thought I’d come out and help you today.”
“I could sure use the company. I meant to ask you at dinner last night if you wanted to come help today.”
Clayton nodded in understanding. “But you were distracted by something else?”
Ray smiled at him. “Yeah, I guess I was.”
“I noticed Donna looking a lot happier lately—and you, too. You’re different now.”
“Well, I can’t hide anything from you.” They rode together toward the cattle. “I love her, and every time I see her I want to tell her so, to tell her that I want to make the best life I can for her and our child.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, I think she already knows.”
They stopped for a moment. Ray pushed his hat back and looked off in the distance. “I know. I just don’t always know the right thing to say. I don’t have everything on my mind that I did a few months a go. Something happened and one day I woke up and realized all of that stuff just wasn’t important.”
Clayton pondered it for a moment. “Well, to tell you the truth, none of us knows the right thing to say. We just gotta play it by ear.”
Ray looked at him, a twinkle in his eye. “Is that so?”
Clayton smiled back. “Yep.” They both laughed as they rode away toward the cattle, surrounded by a cloud of dust from the summer’s drought.
***
Donna sat by the pool and read over a pamphlet Dr. Danvers had given her. She thought she knew what to expect over the next few months, but she figured it never hurt to read a little more about pregnancy norms. The table umbrella blew in the strong, hot wind and she placed her glass of lemonade on the pamphlet to keep it from blowing out on the range somewhere. She’d been sitting there nearly a half-hour when Pam pulled up in her Porsche. Donna waved and Pam waved back. Pam grabbed her purse and pushed her hair behind her ear as she walked over toward the pool.
“Hi Pam.”
“Hi Donna. Bobby told me your good news, I hope you don’t mind.”
She smiled. “No, that’s just fine.”
“Congratulations on the baby.”
“Thanks.”
“He also told me you and Ray were having problems.”
“We were. It had been coming for a while, and I was hoping it would pass. And now, it seems like it has, but it still worries me. I don’t want him to resent me all the time.”
“I don’t think Bobby ever much liked me working outside the home, either. What is it about the Ewing men that make them think they can corral you like a wild horse?”
“I wish I knew. I really do.”
“That may be why Miss Ellie’s so tough—she had to be to keep Jock in line.”
Donna smiled at her.
“And that’s why we have to be just as tough as them—so anytime they get out of line, we can show them who’s boss.”
Donna laughed. “I guess you’re right. I just don’t want to see myself as a divorced single mother.”
“Well, it wasn’t always easy for me—and I worried that Christopher might grow up only seeing his daddy on weekends. But after Bobby and I remarry, I don’t plan to stop working at Barnes Wentworth. We’ll just have to work at our marriage. That means no giving up, and no more letting anyone come between us.”
Donna smiled. “I’d deck any woman that tried to come between me and Ray.”
Pam laughed. “So I’ve been told. Listen, let me get in here and find Miss Ellie so we can go look at wedding dresses. Would you like to come with us?”
Donna closed her pamphlet and stood. “Sure, I’d love that. Might help me get a little perspective on things.” She winked at Pam as they walked in the house together.