Title: Enchantment II: Back in Time
Chapter 1: What in the world?
No copyright infringement intended.
Previously-
Is this some kind of alternate universe? Where the heck are we? Where's Reba and the baby? "Okay, BJ. See you tomorrow." He shook his head. He had a curvy, sexy wife and he blew it. He had to figure out his next move, if only he could figure out what was happening now.
Barbra Jean walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed. She kissed Brock on the forehead. "Thank you. Good night." She made her way out of the bedroom, but paused before exiting. "Brock, are we ...?"
"What? Sweet dreams, honey. BJ, before you go, do you know what day it is?" He cringed. "I mean time."
"Of course, silly. It's two o'clock in the morning, and it's October 3, 2001. Get some sleep. Remember you have court in the morning and patients to see in the afternoon." She put her jacket on, smiling. "Thanks for everything."
"Why do I have court in the morning?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "The custody hearing, remember? You and Reba are making it official. You'll be legally separated soon, maybe even divorced."
"Shoot, I forgot about that. I never thought I'd forget that day. Wait. Did you say 2001?"
"Yeah, and I'm your dental hygienist/girlfriend. Did you hit your head today?" Barbra Jean tried to act calm like everything was normal. She wasn't sure when things should be changed. She debated back and forth about whether Reba and Brock should be left alone to do that for themselves. The last thing I want to do is erase Henry. He's the one good thing to come out of this mess. She sprinted out of the house away from Brock. Looking at him lying there was giving her bad thoughts. The one thing she needed was to stay away from Brock Hart's body.
Brock put his hands behind his head against the pillow. "I don't know what's going on here, but I am definitely not getting divorced."
What happens next? Keep reading to find out more!
The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is "Enchantment!"
Now on with our next chapter-
Sunshine streamed in through the glass panes in Reba's bedroom. The alarm blared in her ear. She smacked it with her palm, groaning. There was a knock on the door.
"Mom, can I come in?" Cheyenne asked hesitantly.
Reba brushed her hand over her face. "Sure, I'm not getting much sleep anyway."
Cheyenne stepped cautiously into the room. "Mom, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just have to get up and take care of breakfast for you and the other kids. Don't worry about a thing."
Her eyes widened with concern. "I know, Mom. But I meant today. Are you okay about today?"
"Today is like any other day, Cheyenne. I'm going to drive you kids to school and clean the house as usual."
"But Mom, today is your court hearing." She put her hand on her mom's shoulder. "It's okay because I'll be there and Van's coming too. We'll all be there to support you. We want to help you through the loss. Dad doesn't feel it yet because he's got Barbra Jean, but..."
"Cheyenne, you're not helping! I'm putting my foot down right now. You kids are going to school and that is final!"
Two hours later, Reba smoothed out a wrinkle in her beige skirt. She walked up the stairs to the main courthouse entrance.
Barbra Jean watched her enter the building. She waited at the bottom of the stairs near the street. She chewed on a nail before reaching back into her purse. She pulled out the plastic stick with the + sign that flashed at her like a neon light. She smiled for a moment, Henry. She stuffed it back when she saw the tall dentist approach. This wasn't like it happened before at all.
Brock cleared his throat. "BJ, what are you doin' here?"
"Brock, we need to talk. I'm pregnant," she blurted out.
"Okay, do you want to get married?"
Barbra Jean shook her head. "No, that's exactly what I want to avoid. You're a decent guy, one of the most decent I've ever been with. But it's not enough. We're not meant to last. I want to raise the baby together, but not as a couple. You're not the one for me. He's still out there and I just have to find him. Your true mate is in there, waiting for you; but if you don't hurry, she'll get away. I just have a favor to ask."
"Name it."
"I want to be a part of your family, the baby and I. I don't want to be treated any differently. I want to be friends with Reba."
Brock grinned. "You got it." He hugged her.
She returned the smile. "Brock, what are you waiting for? Get in there and get your wife back."
He turned to run up the stairs, stopping briefly to look behind. "Thanks, BJ."
The courtroom was packed. Fate was smiling on him, only one seat left- next to Reba.
When she saw him, she turned away. She felt her breakfast rising back up in her throat. I can't believe I have to live through this twice!
He leaned over. "Where's everybody?" he whispered.
"School, you mo-ron. Otherwise, there would have been a brawl."
Brock chuckled softly. Oh, how he remembered that. Therapy, that's what we need. I need to show her how committed I am this time.
The judge called their names. The couple rose to stand beside their respective attorneys. The case was called to order.
"Your honor, Dr. Hart has requested to withdraw his petition. He wants time to try to save the marriage," Brock's lawyer began.
Reba crossed her arms, eyes blazing. "Pfft, horsefeathers. I'm no fool. I'm not blind. You're with another woman, Brock. We haven't lived together in months. You didn't show up for marriage counseling. It's pretty clear that it's not going to get better."
Brock opened his mouth, but his lawyer cut him off. "Your honor, Brock Hart wants nothing more than to prove his earnest intentions to Mrs. Hart. We ask that you order them to attend marriage counseling and revisit this issue again at a later date before determining that the marriage is irrevocably severed. If you'll notice in the brief, we're giving Mrs. Hart a generous living allowance and child support while the couple takes the time to form a proper decision."
Reba raised her hand. "Your honor, it's not worth it. Nothing is worth what I have been through." Her eyes shone with tears.
"Wait a minute, Reba. This is twice what his previous offer was. What can it hurt? Humor him before he changes his mind. You're going to need it. What have you got to lose?" her lawyer advised.
She sighed. "I guess I accept the offer."
"Good, I'm ordering you two into marriage and family counseling for the next sixteen weeks. The clerk will hand you the name of an available therapist accepting new patients. You are hereby ordered to attend every scheduled session, at least once a week as a couple and once a week as a whole family with Dr. Jack Morgan. We will revisit the issue in four months, and hopefully the case will be dropped at that time. I'm not in favor of dividing families." Bang! The gavel fell.
Dr. Jack Morgan? Oh, boy!
Reba exited the courtroom without a word to Brock, choosing a hasty retreat home. She opened the front door and heard sounds of retching coming from the upstairs bathroom. Sprinting up the stairs, she opened the door to find her teenage daughter leaning against the toilet bowl.
"Cheyenne, are you okay? What are you doing home from school?"
"I started throwing up at school. The nurse tried to call you. Van drove me home. Didn't you get the messages?"
Reba shook her head. "No. I was tied up in court. Your father is a mo-ron." She grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the warm water before taking a seat next to Cheyenne. She pressed it to her daughter's forehead.
Cheyenne leaned against her mother's shoulder. "How did it go in court, Mom?"
"Your father has suddenly decided that he wants to go to marriage counseling. Everything is on hold for a little while."
"Isn't that a good sign?"
"Your father missed every counseling session we had previously. I don't hold much faith in this."
"Please, Mom. I'd really like it if you'd try again just one more time for us kids. We want to see you and Dad back together again."
"Cheyenne, he's still dating BJ. Let's switch to a happier topic."
After helping her daughter get over the last wave of nausea, Reba's stomach felt a little queasy as well. She walked out the back door for some fresh air. Suddenly unable to hold back, her mouth spilled out the contents of her stomach into her beautiful azaleas. Tears streamed down her face. Suddenly, she was swept up off her feet. "What are you doin'? Let go of me."
"No way! My wife is sick. I'm taking care of you tonight." He cradled her body against his.
"I'll be okay. Cheyenne is sick. Kyra and Jake need dinner. The flu might be going around. You don't want to get sick, too. Tomorrow is Saturday. You have a golf game with your buddies. I'm sure you have a date with BJ tonight. Go on back to the condo."
"It's over, Reba. I'm not seeing BJ anymore. Face it, you're stuck with me. My place is with my family."
"Pretty words, Brock. Remember, actions speak louder than words, and your actions have been booming through Houston. Besides, the kids have enough of that canned food you serve them at the condo. They eat real meals here."
He kissed her forehead. "That's what they will have. Don't worry about it. You're headed straight for bed."
"I'm hardly in the mood, Brock," she quipped.
He grinned at her and carried her effortlessly up the stairs, depositing her into the extra twin bed in Cheyenne's room. "If you do have the flu, it's best to contain the germs right here to keep everyone else from getting sick."
"I want to be in my own bed, Brock."
"I need a place to sleep, Reba. I'm the caretaker around here and I need rest, too. That couch is hard on my back. Besides, Van is not liable to try to sneak in her room while you're here."
"How'd you know about that?" That just happened last night. What are you psychic?
"We were young once too, you know. Get some rest." His fingers gently brushed over her cheek.
Reba awoke to the delicious aroma as Brock walked into the room. She sat up and he placed a tray of food in front of her.
Cheyenne awoke, rubbing her eyes. "Hey, what about me? I'm hungry."
Kyra entered the room with a similar looking tray, placing it in front of her sister.
"Wow, thanks, Kyra!"
"Don't mention it. Dad says I have to be nice to you while you're sick."
Reba examined the contents on her tray: baked chicken, plain mashed potatoes, green beans, and a dinner roll. "You went to a restaurant, didn't you, Brock?"
"Nope. That was all me."
Kyra scowled. "Hey, I helped, too!"
"Okay, I made dinner with the kids. We had a good time. Ask Jake. And none of it has any gravy or butter. I made everything plain for your stomach. You probably haven't had a decent thing to eat all day."
Cheyenne bit into a piece of chicken on her fork. "Wow, Dad! It actually tastes good."
"You'll never get away with the canned stuff ever again."
"I know. It's all part of being a good husband and father."
Reba rolled her eyes at him.
He winked at her. "Challenge accepted."
Brock was loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. There was a knock at the back door.
A tall blonde stood in the doorway. "Hi. Can I come in for a second?"
He stepped to the side and swept his arm in front of him. "Come on in, but keep it quiet. Reba is asleep. She and Cheyenne are sick."
"Perfect!"
"BJ, how can you say that?" His mouth flew open. She usually wanted the best for Reba.
"May I speak frankly?"
He nodded.
"Good, welcome back. How was your trip?"
Relief washed over his face. "Confusing. I woke up in bed with you."
"Like that was the thrill of my life. At least, I don't have to pretend anymore. We're over. We have been for a long time, but at least we still have Henry. Now, things are back on track. If I remember correctly, your wife and daughter are both ill with morning sickness. Cheyenne is pregnant with Elizabeth and Reba is pregnant, too."
"Barbra Jean, Reba was not pregnant before. She said that you were confused or something. I think I would know if my wife were pregnant."
Barbra Jean giggled. "You were not an attentive husband. You were with me. I kept you busy. Reba has successfully hidden two pregnancies from you and you still don't believe she's capable of it."
"Is she that Reba or did she arrive here like us?"
"I have no way of knowing that. You'll have to figure that out for yourself. I'm not experienced at this. I was dabbling for a good cause. I gave up the love of my life, so Reba could have her life back. You better make things right. I can only do so much. You have to believe me, Brock. She really is pregnant."
"That's impossible. We haven't been together since the separation."
"Not even once. Come on, Brock. Be honest. It only takes one time."
Brock paused for a second. His thoughts drifted back to a morning two months ago when he arrived in a motel room with breakfast and she was gone. He hung his head down. "Yeah, there was one night two months ago in Dallas."
"There you go. Just start paying attention, Brock. I can't do everything."
"Hey, I've done a lot to win her back so far. But Barbra Jean, what about the baby? Reba was pregnant when we left. She was close to full term. What happened to our little girl?"
Barbra Jean put her hand on her hips. "We are reliving this time all over again to fix things. Your little girl will still be there waiting for you and Reba to conceive her in that time. Your job is now putting in the work that you didn't do before. Now, you're faced with it again. The rest is up to you."
To be continued ...
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out!
Keep those reviews coming in to read more!
Author's note: I'm working on this and a new update for Deceived. I'm getting close to the conclusion of that tale.
Remember, I reward those who review! Anyone who reviews each chapter gets a sneak peek at the next chapter.
Thanks for all the PMs and reviews!
Here's the author shout-out section. This time, I would like to shine a light on a couple of stories that author decided to continue and I'm so glad they did: Somebody Should Leave by JusticeJ0 and I Can't Lose You by Jessie 33.
I would also like to highlight an author who has written a new story: They Still Love One Another by Breba Forever.
If anyone has any suggestions on my stories, then I'd love to hear them! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.
I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.
My list will begin here with your reviews:
I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!
Without you, the story won't be continued.
Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Dr. Jack Morgan, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Mrs. Hodge, Lori Ann Garner, and any other characters from the Reba cast.
Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast.