In 1978, Gary bumped into his brother, Bobby, and Bobby's wife, Pam, in Las Vegas. Bobby persuaded Gary to visit Texas. While Gary was visiting, Lucy, his teenage daughter, surprised him by reintroducing him to Valene. For the sake of his ex-wife and daughter, Gary tried to make things work in Texas, but soon came under the old pressures of living up to Jock's expectations and J.R.'s deviousness. J.R. had set Gary up in an office equipment machinery firm in a hope that Gary would fail as usual. To ensure his new found sobriety, he knew he had to leave Southfork and his family once again. Valene tracked Gary down and they reunited, eventually remarrying. As a wedding present, Gary's mother Miss Ellie bought the couple a house in California. Originally, their daughter Lucy was to join them, but this event did not materialize, and she remained at Southfork.