Bobby Does Dallas (Hill Country Heart)

by Sable Hunter

  Then he got on one knee.

  Oh, dear God!

  “Cecile Fairchild, love of my life – the most beautiful woman in the world – beloved mother of my precious son – will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Someone handed him a ring box and he took a beautiful diamond out and held it up. The camera man zoomed in and the ring looked to be the size of a Volkswagon bus. “I think you’re the most perfect woman in the whole world. I adore you. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

  Oh, Lord. She had to go. “Here hold Jaidon, please. I have to go.”

  Ethan, Alex, Scarlet and Annalise watched in disbelief as Cecile turned and ran out the door.

  Bobby saw her leave.

  The whole crowd saw her leave.

  Millions of viewers at home saw her leave. All held their breath and suffered along with Bobby as they watched his face fall. The announcer stepped in and started – he thought – building the tension. “Ladies and gentleman, Bobby Stewart, in front of Dallas and the world has just asked his lady, Cecile Fairchild to be his wife. What has happened to her? Does anyone know where Ms. Fairchild has gone?”

  Bobby’s stomach sank. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. She had told him that she didn’t want to be singled out, and here he had not only singled her out, but magnified their private business for the whole world to see. How stupid could you get? Dejectedly, he started to rise and go to the sidelines. How could he finish the game now? He felt like he had been kicked in the stomach by an elephant.

  Ceelee was running as fast as she could. Accepting his proposal on camera was not the way she wanted to do it. She wanted to accept it fce to face, in his arms, her lips on his – and she would do just that if she could find the right damn exit! Running as hard as she could, Cecile made her way down from the private boxes to the stadium level floor.

  “Wait a minute… hold everything!” The announcer’s voice bellowed out over the loud speakers. “Nobody move. Everybody keep quiet. Bobby, this isn’t over. I have reports that Miss Fairchild is about to give us an answer.”

  ‘Yeah, her answer will be ’no’ Bobby thought. He had done some stupid things in his time, but this took the cake. Getting to his feet, he put the ring back in the box and started to walk away. Glancing up at the big screen he saw himself and knew that everyone there and on television could see the sorrow and devastation that he was feeling. Shit! Then the screen cut to the player’s field entrance. What? Why the...? Who was that? He looked again – everyone looked – gasps of joy floated across the stadium. The announcer began to clap and one by one, all one hundred and ten thousand of the game attendees – Cowboy fans and Eagle fans, alike – all rose as one and began to clap and cheer. For what they saw was his little Ceelee, and she was running to him as hard as she could. Her arms were open wide and she was smiling. His angel was the most beautiful woman in the world.

  He froze for just a second, watching her run to him. Then he wondered ‘what in the hell am I doing standing here?’ With a few long strides, he met her, swept her up in his arms and swung her around. She framed his face in her hands and kissed him – a hot, deep, sexy kiss that had the crowd going wild. He lifted her up, her feet weren’t even touching the ground – she held up both arms and raised them to the heavens. “Yes, Bobby Stewart!” she shouted. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I want to be your wife more than anything else in the whole wide world!”

  Dallas won the game. Bobby made another touch-down and Ceelee sat on the sidelines with the players – except for the small break she took to feed her baby. Ethan had brought her Jaidon and a lot of the players took turns walking him around, far enough from the action so that he was safe and secure. As soon as the game whistle blew, Bobby came running to her, wrapped an arm around her neck and kissed her soundly. “I’ve been excused from the post game meeting. Let’s go home. I want to make love to my fiance.” Cecile wouldn’t argue with that.

  “I love you, Ceelee. You are my whole world.” He couldn’t say it enough.

  “I love you, too.” She looked at him, solemnly.

  “Yeah, how much?” He gave her his trade-mark, cocky grin.

  “Biggern’ Dallas.” Ceelee grinned, knowing that those words would set his mind to rest. The age-old Texas saying, said it all. Ceelee loved him. She loved him ’bigger than Dallas’ and that was a hella of a whole lot.

  The bull-riding, Texas Cowboy was a happy man.