Bobby Does Dallas: Hill Country Heart (30 page)

Hell!  How was he going to
lie
his way out of this one?  She didn't want to be singled out?  Whew!  She might scalp him before the night was over.  "Come on, baby.  I'll take care of you." There, maybe that would do it.

"All right.
  So, I'll be sitting with
Annalise
?"  She felt safe with
Annalise
.

"Right in between Alex and Ethan if that will make you feel better.  They'll beat the snot out of anyone that looks at you crooked."  He had his fingers crossed.

"Okay.  So you want me to bring
Jaidon
?  Won't he get cold?"

"No, this time you'll be in the family boxes – they have their own temperature controls."  She was
gonna
do it. 

"Okay, we'll be there. 
And Bobby?"
 

He closed his eyes in thankful prayer. 
"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I love you.  Despite everything, I love you.  Everything will be all right, won't it?"

"Yes, baby.  Everything is going to be just fine."  Before the night was over the whole world would know how much he loved
Ceelee
Fairchild.  He just hoped that she didn't kill him afterwards.

*****

"I can't believe they're playing that song!" 
Annalise
was tickled to death at how the massive one hundred ten thousand strong stadium came to their feet and cheered when Bobby came on the field. 

Frankly, it made
Ceelee
nervous.

“Can I hold the baby?”
Annalise
looked at her with such hope, that she knew she was thinking about her own inability to have children.  As she handed him over, she knew that she would have to make sure
Jaidon
spent many happy days with Bobby’s family – it would benefit them all.

"Our boy's made something of himself, hasn't he?" Ethan spoke with pride.  "Cecile, has Bobby ever talked to you about his childhood?" 

Ceelee
knew that Ethan was about to tell her something important.  She looked around to make sure no one else was listening.  The last thing they needed was more family secrets being aired to the public.  But there was no one near the Stewart family huddle.  The men hovered protectively around them and their wives looked like poster girls for the well-loved women’s club.  She was so glad to see Scarlet looking rosy cheeked and healthy and
Annalise
looked confident and content.  If only she felt half as secure, she’d be happy.

“No, we’ve never gotten around to that topic of conversation,” Cecile confessed.

“There’s a reason for that,” Alex pointed out.  “Bobby was rescued from a terrible situation.  He was abused and abandoned; beat up by his father and left to starve by his mother.  When we got him, he lived in constant fear that we would decide we didn’t want him.  You’ve got to understand – that big man went through things that you and I can’t even begin to imagine.  We all have our deep-seated hidden fears and Bobby is no different.  Even though he’s as strong as an ox and would not hesitate to die for any one of us sitting here, he is a gentle soul and his one weakness is his fear that those he loves will turn their back on him and leave.”

Cecile felt sick.  She had done that. 
‘Oh, God – forgive me,’
she thought.

Ethan stepped in, used to coming behind Alex and smoothing things over.  “Cecile, we know that you thought you overheard Bobby denying his love for you, so – believe me – we don’t blame you for what you did.  But Bobby took it hard – harder than I’ve seen him take anything in years.  And this mess with the press – that’s just all foolishness.”

Annalise
put her hand on her brother in law’s shoulder.  “Cecile has been hurt, too.  Her ex-husband abused her faith and her trust – almost crushed her sweet spirit.  We’ve all been hurt.”   She put her arm around her sister.  “Ethan, your ex-wife put you through hell, convinced you that you were lacking in the very qualities that make you a man.”  She put a hand to her own breast, “I was cruelly raped and scarred in such a way that I thought no one would ever love me again, and Scarlet suffered bullying and rejection; spent years thinking that her days were numbered.”  She looked from one to the other and then at Alex and laughed. 
“Except you, bull-moose.
  You’ve always been cocky and confident.”

Alex looked offended.  “What are you talking about?  I’ve suffered along with every one of
  you
– and do you know why? 
Because I love you.
  I love you all.  And I love Bobby – and I don’t ever want to see him or any of us hurt again.” 

Cecile knew it was her time to talk – “I love Bobby Stewart with the very last breath in my body.”  She took
Jaidon
from
Annalise
,
he was beginning to get fussy and wanted some mommy time.  “I can’t be sure what the future holds for us, but I vow before all of you that I will never, ever willingly hurt him again.”  Her declaration seemed to ease Alex and Ethan’s fears and when the kick-off started they were all glued to the action on the field.

*****

Today, Dallas was playing the Eagles and the Cowboys were favored to win – and Bobby Stewart was their go-to guy.  He was fast, agile – yet big enough to plow through
Philidelphia’s
defensive line like it was butter.  During the first half, he scored two touch downs and Dallas was ahead by seven.  Cecile and the whole family had yelled until they were hoarse.  Half-time came and she was going to take an opportunity to sneak out and feed
Jaidon
.  “Wait” Alex grabbed her arm.  “You can’t leave.”

“What?” she was confused.  The baby wasn’t fussing yet, but it wouldn’t be long and she didn’t want to risk missing any of the game.  Besides, she had never been that into half-time shows.  She knew Bobby wasn’t tempted by the cheerleaders, but it didn’t make her feel any better about watching them bump and grind. 

About that time, she heard his voice.  Turning, she looked down to see Bobby standing on the 50 yard line.  He was looking up at the area where she was standing
“
Ceelee
, sweetheart?
  I see you standing up there looking like a little angel.”  She blushed and she was afraid that the cameras lens would be strong enough for everyone to see.  “You can talk to me, baby.  They’ve turned on a microphone up there.”

Yee-gads
, she thought. 
What was he up to?
  What the heck.  “You’re playing a good game, darling.  I’m proud of you.”  He did say this was family time.  Maybe everybody’s loved ones were going to be introduced.  She was just the unlucky one to go first. 

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.