The Last in Love

[Ray&Donna]

Amazing update about father and daughter!

When I first started to read the update, I have to admit that I got your two fanfics mixed up! I was like ... ... What's going on??? Margaret can suddenly talk??? And questioning whether Ray can cook??? Hmmm ... ... how much time has passed since Ray and Donna were making out in bed??? Then I realized my mistake!!! And of course, I had to roll my eyes at myself! ... Sorry, but I just had to share this with you! And please don't take this the wrong way! I absolutely love that I have two of your amazing fanfics to lighten up my days! And now I'll get started on my review!

Oh no, no offense taken! I understand completely. Margaret speaks in both, but her dialogue is a little more complete and, well, blunt in this story

***

June 30, 1998

Over the next few days, Ray tried to keep Margaret as busy as possible, in an effort to keep away from any further conversations about his feelings for Donna. He knew she would be returning soon enough, and he had already planned to pick her up from the airport.

After taking a morning ride, Ray and Margaret drove to the airport to meet Donna. Ray held Margaret’s hand as they walked through the terminal. Donna’s plane had arrived and everyone was coming off.

“Mama!” Donna heard her daughter and walked over to hug her.

“Hey, honey. How was your week?”

“It was great. Daddy even showed me how to put on my own saddle.”

“That’s great. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble for you, Ray.”

“She’s a little hellion, that one.” Margaret poked him and he looked down to see a perturbed look on her face. “I’m just kidding.” He put his arm around her. “She was great. Took to ranching like a natural. Actually, I told her she could quit school and spend every day with me.”

“Is that so? Well, I don’t think that’s the best idea. Maybe in a few years, but I’d like her to at least complete middle school.” She smiled at him, and Ray felt himself turn red.

Margaret interrupted their moment. “Can we go home now? I’m kind of hungry.”

Ray smiled at her. “Why don’t we stop somewhere on the way for lunch?”

Okay, but no McDonald’s. After all the cows I saw this week, I have no interest in hamburgers.”

Ray and Donna both laughed.

***

They pulled into the driveway after lunch. Donna couldn’t help but think of how happy she felt, and how great Ray and Margaret were together. They were on the porch and ready to go inside when they saw a limousine pull up in front of the house.

“Who’s that?” asked Donna. “Were you expecting anybody?”

Ray wondered to himself. “No, I’m just as in the dark as you. Could be anybody, I guess.”

The limo came to a stop, and the driver opened the rear door. Out stepped the Farlows, Ellie and Clayton, who had left Southfork 7 years earlier. Ray had just seen them about three months ago, but it had been a few years since Donna had seen them.

“Donna!” Miss Ellie came up and greeted her old friend.

“Miss Ellie? It’s great to see you. How have you been?”

“We’ve been fine. We have been spending most of our time in Maine, as I’m too old to travel all over the place. Of course, Clayton still thinks he’s thirty.”

“Now, Ellie. You’re only as old as you feel. It’s great to see you again, Donna.”

“Thanks, Clayton. It’s good to be back here. Margaret, come here and talk to your grandma and grandpa.”

“Hi,” Margaret said.

“Hello, Margaret,” replied Miss Ellie. “I haven’t seen you since you were about six. Do you remember me?”

“I think so. You brought me a toy cow with ‘Southfork’ branded on it.”

“I did. I’m glad you remembered.”

Clayton smiled. “Surely you remember me, young lady?”

“I do. You sang me a song or something.”

Clayton laughed. “I did do that, didn’t I?”

“How long are you going to be here?” Ray asked.

“A few weeks, I think,” replied Miss Ellie.

“How about a few months?” Clayton offered.

“Clayton Farlow, are you trying to spoil me?”

“Not at all. But this is your home, after all.”

“Yes, I suppose is it is.”

“Would you like to come inside and talk for awhile?” Donna asked.

“I would, but I think we’d better get home for now. We can always come back tomorrow for a chat.” She and Donna hugged. “It was wonderful to see you both. Come, Clayton.”

“Where are you going?” asked Margaret.

Miss Ellie smiled at her. “To Southfork. Would you like to come?”

“I’d love to. I’ve only seen it from the road, and I’d like to see the inside.”

“Okay then, you can come with us and stay for dinner…only if it’s okay with your parents, though.”

“Sure, that would be fine. It would give you a chance to spend some time together,” said Ray.

“Well, come on then, Ellie. Let’s leave these two alone.” They got into the limo and drove off toward Southfork. After they left, Donna looked around at Ray.

“Did you plan that?”

“Of course not. I had no idea they were coming. But I probably should’ve asked your permission before I let Margaret leave with Miss Ellie and Clayton.”

“Well, I don’t mind. She’s your daughter, too.”

 

[Ms Southworth]

Oh no, no offense taken! I understand completely. Margaret speaks in both, but her dialogue is a little more complete and, well, blunt in this story

Thanks for understanding!

 

[Ms Southworth]

Yet another award-winning update today!

I’m happy that Ray and Margaret had some amazing days together and grew a lot closer!

And to my delight, Donna returned to Dallas!

No wonder Margaret poked her dad after he referred to her as a hellion!!! I’m pleased that Ray was just joking around!

Cute that Margaret lost all interest in beef after spending time at Southfork! I hope it won’t last for too long!

It’s wonderful to hear that Donna is thrilled about how well Margaret is connecting with her dad! (Honestly, too many parents seem to get jealous when their child take too much pleasure in spending time with the other parent! )

Ellie and Clayton are back at Southfork, and I couldn’t be happier!

Nice that Margaret hasn’t forgotten her grandparents and is open to spending some time at the main house with them! (Especially since it’ll give her parents some well-deserved time alone together and perhaps a chance to catch up on lost time! )

It was great to see Ray feeling so confident in his role as a father that he allowed for his daughter to go be with Miss Ellie and Clayton without conferring with her mom first! ... ... ... ... :fantastic:

Please don’t leave us hanging for too long!

 

[Ray&Donna]

June 30, 1998

Ray and Donna went inside the house and sat in the den. Ray decided to make conversation, lest there be any weird silences.

“So what do you want to do before dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“Well, yeah, I thought I’d fix dinner since it’s just us.”

“You know how to cook now?”

“Well, I had to learn how to do something in Switzerland.”

There was a pause as they remembered their parting and marriage to others. This time, Donna broke the silence.

“I worried when I moved back here that I might’ve forgotten how to cook, but I do it almost every day now that we’re here. We had a cook in Washington, but we seldom ate at home.”

“Politics means fancy dinners.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Well, I don’t know. How about a horseback ride?”

“Sounds good to me.”

They rode across the ranch, talking about different things. They both found that, as the weeks had passed, conversation became easier to them. They had no trouble discussing anything—except their feelings for each other.

***

Having put the horses back in the barn and come inside, Ray and Donna made their way to the kitchen. Ray was now inspecting the pantry.

“Okay, so what do you want to eat?”

“I really have no idea.”

“How about spaghetti?”

“That sounds good. Need any help?”

“No, not really. Just conversation.” Donna leaned back on the counter. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Horses, cows, chickens. All of the stuff that comes along with owning a ranch.”

“Is that it? You want to talk about livestock?”

“Of course not. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.”

“Oh, Ray!” She reached up to poke him in the arm, but instead he wrapped his arms around her.

Their eyes met, and then their lips. They lingered for a moment before Donna pulled back. There were no words…they just stared at each other.

Ray finally spoke. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“Okay.”

“This scares me Ray, like nothing ever has.”

“It scares me, too.”

“I mean, it really scares me. I don’t want to hurt you…and I don’t want to get hurt.”

“Well, okay. We’ll finish dinner, and go to Southfork to pick up Margaret.”

“Okay.”

They ate, mostly in silence. Ray was too embarrassed and Donna was too nervous to make much in the way of conversation. As he lay in bed that night, Ray cursed himself for moving too fast. As Donna sat in her study that night, she cursed herself for moving too slow.

 

[Ms Southworth]

Amazing update! And a storyline that completely took me by surprise!

“You know how to cook now?” Good one, Donna! Very funny!

This part saddened me: " There was a pause as they remembered their parting and marriage to others.”

Beautiful writing!:
"They rode across the ranch, talking about different things. They both found that, as the weeks had passed, conversation became easier to them. They had no trouble discussing anything—except their feelings for each other."

LOL ... ... I loved Donna's response (since she wasn't able to tell that Ray was teasing her): “You want to talk about livestock?” ... ...

And this is where I almost dropped my tablet due to a profound but yet very pleasurable shock:
"She reached up to poke him in the arm, but instead he wrapped his arms around her. Their eyes met, and then their lips. They lingered for a moment before Donna pulled back. There were no words…they just stared at each other." ...

Beautiful ending to the update where we got a peek into both Ray and Donna's mind!:

• "As he lay in bed that night, Ray cursed himself for moving too fast."
• "As Donna sat in her study that night, she cursed herself for moving too slow."

I can't wait to see what happens next! Please don't keep us in suspence for too long!

 

[Ray&Donna]

July 15, 1998

Over the next few weeks, Ray tried to be more cautious around Donna. He didn’t want to ruin the friendship they had developed, and he didn’t want to risk pushing her away again. Margaret spent a lot of time with him while Donna was busy with research, and she had quickly adapted to life on the ranch. It made Ray proud to see that his daughter loved the land as much as he did. While Ray waited for Donna to sort through her feelings, he decided to concentrate on being the best father he could be. Even so, he kept replaying the events of that evening in his mind over and over again. Donna had kissed him back, hadn’t she? She had—and it was great. It was as if all those years apart had been erased, and they were married again. Time seemed to stand still when he had his arms around her.

At the same time, Donna tried to concentrate on her research, but it was no use. All she could think of was Ray, Ray, Ray. She was angry at him for kissing her, angry at herself for kissing back, and even angrier at herself for feeling that way. She was confused as hell—she didn’t know what was going on. For someone who had always been so level-headed, she was doing a terrible job on herself now. She knew that she loved Ray, but didn’t know what she was feeling beyond that. She sat there and tried to figure out when the last time Ray had kissed her….before the other night, at least. At the hospital when Margaret was born? No, almost, but not quite. When she told him she was pregnant? Maybe, but she wasn’t sure about that, either. And then she realized that she couldn’t remember, and she got mad at herself for dwelling on it. She tried to focus on the book again. She was close to having the draft finished, which was good. She wasn’t used to being away from Margaret that much, and missed getting to spend time with her.
Of course, she came to the realization that Ray and Margaret were officially a package deal. There was no way to stay away from Ray, so she would just make the best of it. They were always better lovers than friends, but she had to push that out of her mind. We’ll be friends, she thought. For now.

While her parents sorted through their issues, Margaret was spending more and more time with her grandparents, whom she had quickly grown to love. In no time at all, she had Grandpa Clayton wrapped around her finger. Miss Ellie had already given her a room of her own where she could spend the night at Southfork, and they had gone that day to pick out some new furniture.

They spent that same evening relaxing after dinner. Margaret and Clayton were now playing a board game in the living room, and Miss Ellie smiled as she watched them.

Margaret had gained the upper hand and began to tease Clayton. “Grandpa, you’re a businessman, and I’m beating you at Monopoly.”

“Well, you’re the daughter of a politician, you little shark.”

“Now, now, Clayton,” Miss Ellie said. “It’s only a game, and you could still win.”

“I know, Ellie. And I love this little girl.”

“I love you too, Grandpa.”

“I’m glad.”

“And you owe me $1000 dollars for landing on my railroad.”

“I’m telling you, Ellie—these kids from Washington are ruthless!” He winked at Margaret.

“But she’s not a Washingtonian anymore, are you?” Miss Ellie added.

“Nope—I’m all Texan now!”

Miss Ellie smiled at her. “You know, Margaret, when my boys were young they played this, too. And they were far more ruthless than you!”

Margaret surveyed the board. “Grandpa, I’m going to bankrupt you and raid your holdings.”

Clayton laughed. “I don’t have anything to raid. I sold my refineries when you were just a baby!”

“Grandpa, I think you did that on purpose. But I’m still going to bankrupt you.”

Clayton laughed again. “Well, I guess I can live with that…as long as your grandma doesn’t throw me out, I’ll still have a place to live.”

Margaret turned and looked at Miss Ellie. “You wouldn’t do that, would you, Grandma?”

She smiled. “No, I don’t think so. It’s not easy breaking in another husband, so I’ll keep the one I’ve got.”

They all laughed. Thirty minutes later, Margaret had liquidated Clayton’s holdings and he was asleep in the corner chair. Miss Ellie had pulled out some of the old family albums and was flipping through one as Margaret sat next to her. The old photos piqued her curiosity.

“Grandma, what were my parents like when they were married?”

“Oh, they were very happy most of the time. They were like two newlyweds for the first few years of their marriage. But there was always an underlying conflict.”

“Conflict?”

“Your parents only had one thing in common—their love for each other. But now they have another thing in common, and that’s you. They seem happier now than ever before. The dreams of youth have been replaced by the wisdom of age.”

Margaret looked puzzled. “What does that mean, Grandma?”

“It means that nothing gets in the way of their love for you.”

“I think I understand that.”

“I thought you would. Now, it’s time for you to get ready for bed.”

“Goodnight, grandma.”

“Goodnight, dear.” They hugged and Miss Ellie smiled as the young girl bounded up the stairs.

 

[Ms Southworth]

Amazing update about not only Ray & Donna, but also Margaret and her grandparents!

I liked the reflections that Ray and Donna have had since they shared a kiss! It really must have been some kiss for them to keep on going back to that very moment! :wink@ Great writing: “All she could think of was Ray, Ray, Ray. She was angry at him for kissing her, angry at herself for kissing back, and even angrier at herself for feeling that way.”

I’m thrilled that father and daughter have been spending a lot of time together! And I’m so happy for Ray that Margaret likes ranch life!

Margaret is one lucky girl having sweet and generous grandparents like Miss Ellie and Clayton! Time spent in each others company is gold!

Great scene with the board game! I loved a lot of the dialogue:

• “Grandpa, you’re a businessman, and I’m beating you at Monopoly.”.
• “Well, you’re the daughter of a politician, you little shark.”.
• “I love you too, Grandpa. ... ... And you owe me $1000 dollars for landing on my railroad. ... ... “Grandpa, I’m going to bankrupt you and raid your holdings.” ... ...

I love that Ray has managed to turn his daughter into a true Texan!

Oh yeah, Miss Ellie! Clayton is definitely a keeper: “It’s not easy breaking in another husband, so I’ll keep the one I’ve got.”

Great talk about Ray and Donna’s early years while Margaret, Miss Ellie, and Clayton looked through some old family photo albums! Beautiful way to describe Ray and Donna’s life together: “Your parents only had one thing in common—their love for each other. But now they have another thing in common, and that’s you. They seem happier now than ever before. The dreams of youth have been replaced by the wisdom of age.”

I’m counting the days until the next update! :wink@ Please update soon!

 

[Ray&Donna]

July 19, 1998

Ray spent the next few days thinking about how to get Donna alone again. He decided that the time to be cautious was over; it was time to be a man, to take the proverbial reins. He wracked his brain for hours. It was then that he had an idea: the Fort Worth Cattle Auction. He and Donna had attended the cattle auction every year when they were married, and he hoped maybe asking her to this one would finally break the ice. He sat in his den and thought about it for ten minutes. He picked up the phone, only to hang it up again. Finally mustering his courage, he dialed her number and hoped for the best. It rang twice before he heard her voice on the other end. His hands began to tremble.

“Hello?

“Hello, Donna? It’s Ray”

“Hi, Ray. How are you?”

“I’m fine. I was sitting here, taking care of some business. I just thought I’d see if you wanted to go to the Fort Worth cattle auction with me tomorrow.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Sure, that would be great. I need a break from my manuscript, and I haven’t been to one of those in years. But what about Margaret?”

“Oh, you mean the kid?” He chuckled. “I thought we’d leave her at Southfork.”

“Okay that would be fine. I think she’d rather be there than anywhere right now”

“I’ll see you in the morning, then?”

“Sure.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Ray.”

Donna put down the receiver and smiled to herself. She had been waiting for the opportunity to be alone with Ray again, and she wished it were tomorrow already. Her mind drifted back to the first auction they had gone to together.

Ray had come to pick her up that morning. God, he looks beautiful—if a man could be beautiful, then Ray was. From the time they left her house until they got to Fort Worth, she didn’t let go of his hand. She kissed him in the truck, and they walked hand in hand to the auction. Every time he looked her way he would smile, and she felt herself blushing for the first time. When the auction was over, they had dinner together. That evening they walked the streets, high on love. Donna wasn’t ready to go home. As the sun set, they spent the evening in Fort Worth.

She snapped back to reality. The dream was over, she thought—for tonight.

 

[Ms Southworth]

Sweet update! I really liked it! I love when you take us "inside" the characters' minds! :cooler:

I especially loved this sentence about Ray: "He decided that the time to be cautious was over; it was time to be a man, to take the proverbial reins."

It was easy to imagine how nervous Ray was! I sympathized with him and all the "crazy" thoughts that ran through his mind, and also how he spent hours trying to work out a "bullit proof" plan to make sure that Donna would say yes! "He sat in his den and thought about it for ten minutes. He picked up the phone, only to hang it up again. Finally mustering his courage, he dialed her number and hoped for the best." :fantastic:

Hmmm ... I'm a bit confused as to why Ray would refer to his daughter this way (even though he did chuckle)?: “Oh, you mean the kid?” ... ... I thought we’d leave her at Southfork.”
I'm absolutely thrilled (and relieved ) that Donna accepted his invitation!!! And things got even better when I got a peek inside Donna's head, i.e. that she is excited at the prospect of spending time alone with Ray!

Beautiful recap of their first auction! This is my favorite part: "From the time they left her house until they got to Fort Worth, she didn’t let go of his hand. She kissed him in the truck, and they walked hand in hand to the auction. Every time he looked her way he would smile, and she felt herself blushing for the first time. ... ... That evening they walked the streets, high on love.". :fantastic:

Please update soon!

 

[Ms Southworth]

Sorry, I was just trying to edit my post, but somehow managed to reply to it instead!

Sweet update! I really liked it! I love when you take us "inside" the characters' minds! :cooler:

I especially loved this sentence about Ray: "He decided that the time to be cautious was over; it was time to be a man, to take the proverbial reins."

It was easy to imagine how nervous Ray was! I sympathized with him and all the "crazy" thoughts that ran through his mind, and also how he spent hours trying to work out a "bullit proof" plan to make sure Donna would say yes! "He sat in his den and thought about it for ten minutes. He picked up the phone, only to hang it up again. Finally mustering his courage, he dialed her number and hoped for the best." :fantastic:

Hmmm ... I'm a bit confused as to why Ray would refer to his daughter this way (even though he did chuckle)?: “Oh, you mean the kid?” ... ... I thought we’d leave her at Southfork.”
I'm absolutely thrilled (and relieved ) that Donna accepted his invitation!!! And things got even better when I got a peek inside Donna's head, i.e. that she is excited at the prospect of spending time alone with Ray!

Beautiful recap of their first auction! This is my favorite part: "From the time they left her house until they got to Fort Worth, she didn’t let go of his hand. She kissed him in the truck, and they walked hand in hand to the auction. Every time he looked her way he would smile, and she felt herself blushing for the first time. ... ... That evening they walked the streets, high on love.". :fantastic:

Please update soon!

 

[Mrs Bobby James Ewing]

Ray&Donna, I love your new story you are writing about Mr and Mrs Krebbs and their lovely daughter Margaret. Please update your lovely again really soon because I am really looking forward to the Krebbs family reuniting in your story when Mr and Mrs Krebbs finally realize that are still in love with each other and that they belong together with their daughter Margaret forever like it was
suppose to be on original Dallas.

 

[Ray&Donna]

July 20, 1998

As Ray drove over to Donna’s house that morning, he thought long and hard about a lot of things. He knew that he was ready to be with Donna again, and ready to be a family, consequences be damned. He just wanted to know that she felt the same way.

At the same time, Donna was sitting and pondering her own feelings. She knew that she loved Ray—she just wasn’t sure if she wanted to be married again. She thought it was silly to feel this way—if two people love each other, they should be together, right? She was still trying to sort it all our when she heard Ray arrive.

He knocked on the back door, and Donna got up from the table to let him in.
“Good morning, Donna.”

“Good morning Ray.” He removed his hat as he stepped inside, and she stopped to give him a friendly peck on the cheek. Not exactly what he hoped for after their last kiss, but he wouldn’t force anything on her again.

“Where’s Margaret?”

“Just finishing getting ready upstairs. She should be down in a minute. Miss Ellie said she could eat at Southfork, so I didn’t take the time to fix breakfast. Would you like a cup of coffee or something?”


He smiled at her. “No, I’m fine. Thanks, though.”

“You’re welcome.”

She smiled at him nervously. She was about to say something when Margaret appeared in the doorway. “I’m ready to go,” she stated.

She walked over to Ray and he put his arm around her. “Okay then,” he said, “Let’s go.”

A while later Margaret was dropped off with Miss Ellie, and Ray and Donna headed to Fort Worth. With the windows rolled down and Donna’s hair blowing in the wind, Ray had more trouble watching the road than usual. She could see him glancing over from the corner of her eye, and she smiled to herself.

“You know, I can’t really remember the last time I went to one of these auctions.”

“What?” She had caught Ray off guard. “Oh, I don’t know. Probably about fifteen years or so. It hasn’t been quite that long for me.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. Well, I guess it can’t be that much different, can it?”

“Not really.” Ray laughed. “But there’s a lot more cell phones now.”

“You mean that doesn’t scare the cattle?”

“Heck no—besides, they can’t hear them. It’s noisier than ever.”

“Noise or not, it’s nice to be going back. I used to love going to these things.”

“Politics and cows—that’s a nice range of interests you have there, Donna.”

“Well, those aren’t the only things I’m interested in, but they do make for good conversation.”

Ray laughed. “You know, Margaret really wanted to come today. I think she’ll be hurt if you don’t bring her back something from Fort Worth.”

Donna smiled at him. “What do you think she’d rather have—a bull, or a calf?”

Ray laughed again. “Neither, but you know how it is. I’m sure she’d like anything you find.”

Donna smiled at him. “Truth be told, I’m glad it’s just us. It gives us a chance to talk about things.”

Ray was silent for a minute. “What kinds of things?”

“Like us.”

“Is there an ‘us’?”

“Right now, I’m not sure. I just know that I’m confused about how I feel. I mean, I think I know how I feel, but I’m not sure, if that makes any sense. What about you? Do you feel the same way?”

Ray paused for a moment. “Well, not exactly.”

Donna felt a pang of disappointment. “Oh,” she replied.

Ray heard the sadness in her voice, and knew he needed to clarify his words. “It’s not like that. I mean, I’m not confused. I know how I feel about you. There’s no confusion for me.”

Donna looked out the window and smiled. “I think I understand that.”

“Good,” Ray said, “Because we’re here.”

Cattle Auction

They walked down the streets of old Fort Worth, laughing and reminiscing about days gone by. After lunch, it was finally time for them to go into the auction. They sat for awhile, making small-talk and taking in the surroundings.

“I can’t believe it—it’s the same as I remember it. I thought for sure that something might’ve changed.”

“Nope,” Ray replied. “Still bunch of cows and cowpokes, just like it always was.”

“I’m really glad I came.”

“I’m glad, too.”

She looked over at him, and noticed the shine in his eyes—something she hadn’t seen in years. In that instant, she knew exactly how she felt. There was no confusion, no worry, no hedging.

Now in complete control of her feelings, Donna reached over and grabbed Ray’s hand. He looked at her, and all he could do was hold her hand back.
“Do you still love me?” Ray asked.

“I never stopped. Even that day that I told you I wanted a divorce, I still loved you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“It’s the same for me. I never wanted you to go, but I was too stupid to come after you. Then the day I married Jenna, all I could think about was you. She never appreciated me the way you did. I would’ve given up everything just to go back to the way things were, for us to be together.”

They kissed again, but it wasn’t like the last time. This time there was a renewed passion, one that didn’t need words. Donna felt like her face was going to light on fire as they embraced and Ray ran his hand through her hair.

 

[Ms Southworth]

Amazing reconciliation scene between Donna and Ray! :fantastic:

I love all the details that you have include! It makes everything more real and much easier to imagine!

Beautiful beginning to the update: "As Ray drove over to Donna’s house that morning, he thought long and hard about a lot of things. He knew that he was ready to be with Donna again, and ready to be a family ... ...".

My runner up in terms of a favorite part was when their talk got up, close, and personal:

• “Truth be told, I’m glad it’s just us. It gives us a chance to talk about things.”
• “What kinds of things?”
• “Like us.”
• “Is there an ‘us’?”
• “Right now, I’m not sure. I just know that I’m confused about how I feel. I mean, I think I know how I feel, but I’m not sure, if that makes any sense. What about you? Do you feel the same way?”
• “Well, not exactly.”
• “Oh”
• “It’s not like that. I mean, I’m not confused. I know how I feel about you. There’s no confusion for me.”.
• “I think I understand that.”
• “Good”.

My favorite part of the update was the last conversation of the update:

• “I’m really glad I came.”
• “I’m glad, too.”
• “Do you still love me?”
• “I never stopped. Even that day that I told you I wanted a divorce, I still loved you.”
• “Really?”
• “Really.”
• “It’s the same for me. I never wanted you to go, but I was too stupid to come after you. Then the day I married Jenna, all I could think about was you. She never appreciated me the way you did. I would’ve given up everything just to go back to the way things were, for us to be together.”

The last part of the update was outstanding!
"They kissed again, but it wasn’t like the last time. This time there was a renewed passion, one that didn’t need words. Donna felt like her face was going to light on fire as they embraced and Ray ran his hand through her hair."

Please update soon! I'm praying that the end is NOT near! There's so much more we need to explore first!

 

[Ray&Donna]

July 20, 1998

Ray had to be careful not to speed all the way to Braddock. Donna sat next to him, all kinds of thoughts running through her mind. She was ready for what was coming; Ray had been ready all along. Finally they arrived back at Donna’s house. As soon he shut the engine off, Ray pulled Donna toward him and they kissed again. They lingered on it before she pulled back.

“We can’t do this here,” she teased. She jumped out and ran around to the other side. He smiled at her as he hopped out and closed the door. They held hands all the way up the walk. Donna fumbled momentarily with the key. As soon as she got the front door shut, they began to kiss passionately.

The time had come.

Donna quickly led Ray to her bedroom. She unbuttoned his shirt and undid his belt as she pushed him down onto the bed. She finished undressing him before doing the same to herself. She draped herself over him and their lips came together once again. It quickly became clear that neither one of them had forgotten how—and where—to touch the other. Still, with time apart everything felt exciting and new. With all of the urgency, they didn’t wait long to get down to business. Ray repositioned himself on top and entered her. They began to move in unison, and the only sound was their heavy breathing. As Ray stroked himself in and out, Donna ran her fingers through his silver hair. It was driving him crazy, but he didn’t dare ask her to stop.

Each time Ray thought he was finished, Donna moved her hands up and down his back, bringing him to the edge again. He gazed at her face and saw his love reflected in her eyes. They began to speed up their movements until they climaxed like it was their first and last time to ever be together.

They lay wrapped in each other arms in the silence, thinking about everything that was happening to them. Finally Ray kissed Donna and smiled at her.

“I love you.”

“I love you, cowboy. And I never want to stop.”

***

After trying and failing several times to get redressed, Ray and Donna managed to get on their way to Southfork. Margaret had spent the entire day out riding with Clayton, and was somewhat reluctant to go home. Ray was reluctant to sleep alone that night, and as they were driving away with Margaret, he got an idea.

“Hey, partner. How would you like to spend the night at my house?”

“Really? I’d love to, especially if it means I can ride my horse tomorrow. But what about mama?”

Ray laughed. “You can definitely ride Tumbleweed tomorrow. And your Mama can use the guest room.” Donna looked over at him from the passenger seat. Ray gave her a wink, and she smiled back at him. “So it’s all settled, then. You’ll stay at my house tonight.”

Ray smiled all the way home.

Needless to say, the guest room got no use that night. As soon as she was sure Margaret was asleep, Donna went to Ray’s room and got undressed. He was in the shower, so she climbed into his bed and waited for him. When he finally emerged, he was pleasantly surprised by what he found.

“Now this—this I planned,” Ray said as he walked over to the bed. He leaned down toward her and they kissed.

“And I planned this,” Donna replied playfully. She yanked off his towel and pulled him onto the bed.

“I could get used to this,” he said. He crawled under the sheet and pulled Donna on top of him.

“Me too,” she replied. She helped him inside of her, and they began to love again. They reawakened feelings and sensations that neither had felt since their separation. He felt her passion, and she felt his tenderness, emotions they had kept locked away for so long. As they moved together, no words were needed, but every now and again one would whisper “I love you” in the other’s ear.

They continued their reunion for the rest of the night, eventually falling asleep together, their bodies illuminated only by the Texas moonlight spilling into the room.

 

[Ms Southworth]

Amazing update! 10 out of 10 points! :fantastic: Especially loved that Ray and Donna “hooked up” and made the most of the day! The time had DEFINITELY come!!!

If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that you were writing about a couple of teenagers here:
“We can’t do this here,” she teased. She jumped out and ran around to the other side. He smiled at her as he hopped out and closed the door. They held hands all the way up the walk.”

I had to laugh when I read this: “With all of the urgency, they didn’t wait long to get down to business.” Not because it was funny, but just because it was easy for me to imagine how “desperate” they had to be feeling at that very moment!

Beautiful description of their lovemaking!

Once again, you made me chuckle: “After trying and failing several times to get redressed, Ray and Donna managed to get on their way to Southfork.” Very easy to imagine how their failed attempts went about ... ...

This sentence says so much more than the six words! : “Ray smiled all the way home.”

Great love talk in Ray’s bedroom later on: :wink@

• “Now this—this I planned”
• “And I planned this”
• “I could get used to this”
• “Me too”.

Amazing ending to this scene!
“They reawakened feelings and sensations that neither had felt since their separation. He felt her passion, and she felt his tenderness, emotions they had kept locked away for so long. ... ... ... They continued their reunion for the rest of the night, eventually falling asleep together, their bodies illuminated only by the Texas moonlight spilling into the room.”

Please update soon! I can’t help but wonder if Margaret will wake up because of all the “noice” (or because she can’t find her mom)! :wink@

 

[Ray&Donna]

August 1, 1998

Though their relationship once again burned with an intense heat, Ray and Donna found one drawback to their new romance: having to sneak around. The physical aspect aside, they enjoyed each other’s company as much as they could. With Margaret they had a common interest, something they never seemed able to find the first time around. They spent their days as a family, and Donna found a new purpose in helping Ray run the ranch. They found themselves working side by side, which made it harder to resist the temptation. They were careful not to display too much outward affection; during the daytime, they had to settle for lingering glances or stolen kisses in the stable. It didn’t feel right to hide their relationship from Margaret, but they feared any upheaval it might bring to their lives if they went public right now. Ray let Margaret spend the night as often as she wanted, but he knew that someday she would spend every night here, and all of his nights would be spent with Donna. Donna found that she, too, hated to sleep alone, but she realized there was an issue they would have to confront soon. Now, she lay in the bed beside Ray, her hand resting on his chest. She propped herself up with her other arm, and glanced over at him.

“Ray?”

“Yes, Donna?” He smiled back at her.

“What are we going to tell Margaret?”

“About us? Well, I was thinking maybe we shouldn’t say anything right now.”

“But what if she finds out?”

Ray brushed the hair off the side off her face, the same way he had done countless times before. He gave her a look that was both understanding and reassuring. “Don’t worry. We’ll tell her eventually.”

“Okay. It’s just that I’m kind of worried that something like this on top of starting at a new school might be too much at once.”

“Well, you’re her mother—you know better than I would.”

“Don’t worry about that. You know almost as much about her as I do, and there’ll be plenty of time to learn. But you’ve already done an amazing job with her. I didn’t know what to expect with the move, but there you were to make everything okay. You can’t begin to imagine what you’ve meant to me.”

A tear glistened in his eye. “Oh, I think I can.” He embraced her and they kissed.

They kissed again as she pulled him closer to her. Her worries temporarily disappeared as he entered her and she began to melt into him…

 

[Ray&Donna]

August 5, 1998

The days seemed to pass too fast as Ray and Donna spent every waking moment together. Margaret unwittingly bought them some alone time when she defected to Southfork for a few days. She didn’t want to, but Donna had to leave to do her final research for the book. It was her first trip back to Washington since she’d left, and as she sat in the library poring over senate voting records, she reflected on how much things had changed in just two months. It wasn’t lost on her how, having lived here twice, she always found her way back to Texas—and Ray. She didn’t miss this part of her life now—she realized that her new life was where she belonged. She smiled to herself as she continued to take notes on her legal pad. Finally finished for the day, she headed back to her hotel. There was someone she needed to call this evening.

Back at the ranch, Ray was trying his best not to go stir-crazy. He didn’t want Donna to leave so soon, but he also knew that, for practical reasons, he couldn’t go with her. He just had to make the best of it until they could be together again. He hadn’t felt this way in years, and even as familiar as it was, there was something new about it, too. I’ve just got to be patient, he thought to himself. When we’re together after this, it’s for good. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He’d tried to keep himself busy, but that didn’t keep him from needing a cold shower that morning. As he sat in the den that evening, contemplating the possibility of needing another one, the phone rang. He jumped up and grabbed it before the second ring.

“Hello?”

"Good evening, Ray."

“Donna? Donna, I'm about to go crazy here without you.”

“I feel the same way, but I’m trying to keep myself busy. It won’t be for much longer, though; I'll be home the day after tomorrow.”

“Good. I'm starting to get antsy.”

"I figured you might be.” She thought to herself for a moment. “Ray?”

“Yes?”

“Are you alone?”

“I’m all by myself. Margaret is still up at Southfork.”

“Good. Do remember the last time we were together?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t forget that.”

“Do you remember that place where I touched you?”

Ray looked around nervously, even though there was no one else in the house. He was starting to sweat. "Yes, I remember."

"Think about that tonight before you go to bed. It should be enough to last you at least another 24 hours." He got an amused look on his face.

“Donna?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Ray.”

He hung up the phone and went to hop in the shower.

 

[Ray&Donna]

That same evening, Margaret was sitting in the Southfork kitchen with Clayton and Miss Ellie. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with them, because soon she would be back in school, and they would be traveling back to Maine eventually. Even though she hadn’t been so sure about the move two months ago, she now knew that this was the place where she belonged. Even though she now lived here, the chance to spend all of this time together would soon pass, and she wanted to make the most of it. Since Clayton was reluctant to play Monopoly again, they had settled on Scrabble. Miss Ellie smiled at Margaret as she attempted to make a word with her remaining letters.

“Did you enjoy yourself today?”

Margaret looked up from the board. “I did. I asked Mama and Daddy if I could quit school and become a full-time rancher, but they said no. I’ll try them again later.”

“I think school might be just the place for you for right now, especially if you’re as smart as I’ve heard.” She winked at her. “I enjoyed myself, too. But your Grandpa is a different story. I’m not so sure he enjoys being left in the dust.”

Clayton interrupted playfully. “It’s not that, Ellie—I’m just not used to a greenhorn out-riding me!”

“Well, Grandpa, I’m still a novice, but next time, I’ll try not to make you look bad.”

Clayton laughed. “Well, that’s okay. I mean, I’ve been out of practice, and you’ve practically lived on a horse these past few weeks.”

Miss Ellie smiled. “You know, she takes after her daddy. He’s always been the best horseman around here.”

“See? It runs in the family.” Margaret replied.

“There’s no denying you,” Clayton added. “You have too much of both of your parents in you—which is a good thing.”

“Yes, it is,” reassured Miss Ellie. “And now, young lady, it’s getting to be your bedtime.”

“Darn,” Margaret said. Clayton yawned. “Grandpa, it looks like it’s past your bedtime, too.”

“So it is. But I need one thing before you go.” She got out of her chair and kissed him on the cheek.

“Goodnight Grandpa. I love you.”

“I love you too, dear.” She went around the table and hugged Miss Ellie.

“Goodnight, Grandma.”

“Goodnight dear.” With that, Margaret left the kitchen and went upstairs.

Miss Ellie looked at Clayton. “I’m really glad we came back for this trip.” She placed her hand on his.

“I am too,” Clayton replied. “She helps keep me young.”

 

[Ms Southworth]

Sorry for being slow in my reviews regarding this amazing fanfic!

Great update with so many interesting details, especially about why and how Ray and Donna sneaked around for ten days!

I loved the part about Margaret being Ray and Donna's common interest! She was a product of their love, right? You know, I've sometimes wondered how Ray and Donna's marriage on "Dallas" would have worked out, if they had had a child (or children) much earlier on! I'd like to think that it would have brought them closer together, but then again ... children can be a strain on a relationship! I'd also like to think that Donna - with Ray's help - would have pursued a political career and found a balance between family and work. Anyway, back to this fanfic!

Great maternal insight by Donna when she expressed her concerns about whether or not Margaret would be able to handle her parents' reunion while also starting at a new school!

“You can’t begin to imagine what you’ve meant to me.” Oh yes, I think I can! :wink@

 

[Ms Southworth]

Outstanding update about Ray and Donna ... ... both being sleepless in Dallas and Washington, respectively!
10 out of 10 points! HOMERUN!!! Great job on the writing!

Again, I must emphasize some of the unforgettable parts that really sticks out in my mind:

• "It wasn’t lost on her how, having lived here twice, she always found her way back to Texas—and Ray."
• "There was someone she needed to call this evening."
• “Donna? Donna, I'm about to go crazy here without you.” :fantastic:
• “Good. I'm starting to get antsy.” :wink@
• “Do you remember that place where I touched you?” ... ... "Think about that tonight before you go to bed. It should be enough to last you at least another 24 hours."

Keep up the great work! I can't wait for the great reunion the day after "tomorrow" (in the fanfic)!