Reba McKenzie stood at the stove, stirring sauce in a pot for dinner. Her phone went off for the hundredth time that night and Lily Mae rolled her eyes. Reba looked over her shoulder at the counter, where both her phone and mother were. "Mama can you check that, I'm waiting for a text from Geoffrey.

The older woman scoffed. "You haven't already? Your phone's been goin off like crazy!"

Reba ignored her mother and went back to cooking. Lily Mae grabbed her daughters phone and ran her thumb along the barcode to unlock it. "Passcode?"

"Zero six, zero five."

Lily Mae looked over at her daughter. "Reba."

She heard her mothers disapproving tone and sighed, turning around. "What?"

"That's yours and Bobby's wedding date."

Reba's cheeks went red, but she quickly shrugged it off and turned to face the stove. "I've had it like that since before the separation, i guess i never got around to changin it."

Lily Mae nodded in disbelief and looked down at her phone. She rolled her eyes, seeing her daughter had seven unread messages. she was horrible with keeping track. Three from Kim, looking like she was trying to convince Reba to find a new man. One from Cash, telling her he'd be home late. One from Geoffrey, something about music, and two from...Bobby?

She did a double take and read the message without clicking on it, so it only showed half. 'You're the one who started it baby'.

"Why are you texting Bobby and why is he calling you Baby."

Reba spun around with wide eyes, her mouth open. "You can't just go through my messages like that!"

"You told me to!"

"I told you to see if there was a message from Geoffrey!" She rushed over and tried to snatch her phone away. "Not read my private conversations!"

Lily Mae quickly dodged her daughters reach and stood up, quickly backing away from the counter. "Why are you and Bobby texting?"

"We're trying to figure out a time when he can come down and see the kids." Reba defended herself, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why is he callin' you baby?" She raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue.

Reba waved her off. "Bobby calls everyone baby."

"He's never called me baby."

Reba rolled her eyes. "You're my mama, it's different."

Lily Mae made a small 'o' with her mouth before looking back down at the phone. "He's also never called me a hot and sexy redhead."Lily Mae responded while scrolling through her daughter's and daughter's soon to be ex-husband's messages.

Reba blushed and played with the hem of her shirt, looking down at her feet. "Well you're not a redhead."

"Reba Nell!"

"He was just trying to ease the tension! Good lord mama, what do you think's gonna happen!"

"I don't know Reba, you tell me!"

"Nothing." She looked at her mother with gritted teeth.

Lily Mae rolled her eyes. "Because it sure looks like 'nothing'." She looked down at the phone again, reading aloud. "Remember when we'd sneak out to the barn when you're mama and daddy weren't lookin?"

"Stop it!" Reba tried to grab her phone.

Lily Mae backed away each time Reba tried to reach for her phone, continuing reading. "Of course I do, how do you think we ended up with Cash?"

"Mama!"

"You're the one who'd drag me out there. Not that i'm complaining. Winky face." She looked up at her daughter disapprovingly and finally handed her her phone back. "So, nothing?"

Reba grabbed the phone and clutched it close to her. "Nothing. So we we're talkin about some old times, there's nothin wrong with that!"

Lily Mae shook her head and balled up her hands, placing them on her hips. I don't approve of this."

Reba let her arm with the phone drop to her side and looked at her mother in disbelief. "It doesn't matter if you do or not. I'm a grown woman, and if I want to text my husband i'm going to!"

"Ex."

"What?"

"You called Bobby your husband."

Her cheek went red with embarrassment and she looked down at her hands. "Technically he still is."

"But not for long, you're getting divorced, so 'technically' he's your ex." Reba stood still, not looking up, or saying anything. "I think this whole texting thing you've got goin on is a stupid move Reba."

Reba looked up at her angry, her fist clenching around her phone. "Well it's not your decision." She stormed past her mother and went for the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"Too bed, just order take out for dinner tonight." And with that she was gone.

Lily Mae sighed and ran a hand through her silver hair. She didn't want to come off as cruel, or fraternizing towards her daughter, but sometimes she had to go straight to the point with Reba, no sugar coating. Especially with Bobby. Reba had a good strong head on her shoulders, but that man knocked it right off every time he was mentioned or thought about. She tensed when she heard the door slam, gritting her teeth at her daughters immature behavior. She was starting to believe June wasn't the only teenage girl in the house. Lily Mae marched over to the stairs and stood on the landing. "Don't you start slammin' doors in this house Reba Nell!" She hollered up the stairs. She waited for a response and rolled her eyes when the door slammed again. She walked over to the counter and pulled out her flask, taking a long swig of what she told everyone was 'water.' There was going to be some rough sledding ahead in deed.

Reba slammed the door a second time and took in a deep breathe. 'It's my house' she thought to herself. But then again, why wouldn't her mama not want to control everything that goes on! She was still trying to control who she talked to. She flopped down on her bed and pulled out her phone, going through hers and Bobby's messages.

So what they were looking back on old memories, there was nothing wrong with that. Speak of the devil. She looked at the number as her phone began ringing. She bit her lip, wondering wether she should answer or not. Her head was telling her it was a bad idea; but her gut told her to go for it.

Her gut won.

She slid the answer button across the screen, taking a big breath before holding the phone up to her ear. "Hey Bobby."

"Lil Red! How are you?" She could practically hear his smile, making her smile herself.

"I'm alright. You?" She snuggled into the pillows at the head of her bed, laying down.

"I've been ok, I guess."

"I guess?" She questioned.

"I don't want to talk about it over the phone."

"Ok." She mumbled quietly. A comfortable silence fell between them before Reba spoke again. "Cash's birthday is in a week, i really think you should come out to Malibu."

"Me too. Man, sixteen, where does the time go?"

Reba pouted a little bit. "I know. It seems like just yesterday we were takin him home from the hospital, dressin him in little onsies."

"And it seems like just yesterday we were sneakin out to your parents barn."

Reba blushed. "Oh quit it."

"Sorry." He apologized, but Reba could hear the grin in his voice.

"Sure, you're sorry." He chuckled and they continued to talk about old memories, starting out with the ones of Cash, ending with the small moments that just involved the two.

Reba yawned and she heard Bobby chuckle. She glanced at the clock and her eyes widened, seeing they'd been on the phone for nearly two hours. "It's gettin late, I should go."

The light and warm atmosphere they'd created over the phone slowly disappeared. "Do you have too?"

"Yeah, i need to get some sleep, i have an early mornin tomorrow."

"Ok, i should let you go."

Reba hesitated, but the sad tone in his voice pushed her to continue. "Bobby are you ok?"

"Reba, I miss you."

She sat up straight, her heart racing. "What?" Her mind began thinking back to the beginning, all of their memories rushing over her. She felt tears building up in her eyes and her throat tighten.

"I miss you."

...

"Look man, i'm just sayin! Could you at least book me where people can actually hear! Performing at that nursing home was a joke!" Bobby Gallagher followed his producer across the dimly lit recording building, venting about the string of cruddy gigs he'd been getting. "Some guy yelled out bingo in the middle of my set!"

Joey, his producer, finally stopped and turned in his tracks. "Bobby, i am sorry about the crappy luck you've been having, but get used to it. Until you get a number one, or have a hit album, you're gonna keep playin in smokey bars and nursing homes full of nobody's, because that's what you are, a nobody."

Bobby clenched his teeth and hands. "I'm not a nobody."

"Right now, yes you are. Why would people pay money to see you when they could go and see the big shots, people they've heard of?"

"I'm good."

"And so are they. And i don't have time to hear your bitchin! I have two meetings and a new person i'm taking on to the label. Cause Lord knows what this business needs is another girl singer." He sarcastically muttered before taking off, leaving Bobby to fume.

"I'm not a nobody." He spoke to himself before turning around and knocking right into someone.

Reba hesitantly knocked on a door, which she hoped to God was the right one this time. She twiddled her thumbs as she waited for the door to open. When it did she stuttered. The man rolled his eyes at her and tapped his foot impatiently. "What is it sweetheart?"

"I-i, Mr. Williams asked me to pick up some demo tapes for him." She managed to get out. Man she really disliked being in a new place with new people.

The man nodded and went back into his office, returning shortly and loading three heavy boxes into her arms. She struggled under the weight a bit, but smiled politely at him before turning around and heading down the hall. "Oh!" She turned the corner and all of a sudden was knocked down onto the ground, the boxes in her arms falling, and tapes scattering.

"Oh geez, i'm so..." Bobby trailed off as he looked at the redhead he'd knocked on the ground, his breath catching in his throat. "ry."

"It's ok, it's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was goin." Reba looked up at the man in front of her and her heart started racing. "Umm...I.." She stuttered. It seemed like that was all she did today.

He stuck out his hand and helped her up, her skin tingling from where their hands met. "Again, i'm really sorry about that darlin'." He bent over to pick up the tapes and place them back in the box, as Reba stood there looking flustered. She looked over at him and her cheeks grew red as she took notice of how handsome he was. Dark brown hair, light blue eyes, and very, very well built. She wiped her palms on her jeans and looked away, realizing she was practically gawking at the man.

He set all the tapes back in their boxes and stood up straight, smiling at her. "What's your name?"

"I-i-i'm Reba."

Reba. That was a pretty name. He liked it. Something new. He stuck out his hand for her to shake and his smile grew a bit bigger when she took it. "I'm Bobby."

"Nice to meet you, Bobby."

His eyes lit up. The way she said his name gave him a warm, comfortable feeling. They let their hands fall to their sides and Reba sheepishly looked down at her feet. "And again." Bobby took off his baseball cap and bowed a little. "My apologies."

Reba could barely refrain herself from giggling like an idiot. Gosh he was cute. "It's fine. Thanks for pickin up the tapes." She went to go pick up the boxes but Bobby beat her to it, lifting them with some effort.

"These things are heavy! What's a little thing like you carryin these around."

"Mr. Williams asked me to get them for him."

"You mean Joey?"

Reba nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know where his office is would ya?" She looked at her hands embarrassed. "I've never really been here before, and I have no clue where anything is."

He started down the hall and Reba quickly followed. "Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it real quick. So are you Joey's assistant?"

"No. I'm here to make a couple of demos, then Joey's gonna try and get me signed I guess."

"Ah, so you're the new girl." Bobby frowned. "Then why are you carrying tapes around?"

"He asked me to get them."

Bobby nodded but still kept a frown as they headed into Joey's office. He turned in his chair and gave a small grin. Joey was around forty-years old, and about sixty pounds overweight. His hair was dark and messy, and he had a bald spot. "Hey Bobby, I see you met Reba."

"Yeah, we kinda bumped into each other." Bobby set the boxes down on a nearby plastic chair.

"Great, you got the tapes. Reba honey, why don't you go stack them over in those shelves. He nodded towards the large cabinet across the room.

Reba nodded and gave him a smile. She picked up the boxes, struggling a bit, and headed towards the shelves. Bobby watched her until she set the boxes down before turning to face Joey. "What are you doin?" He asked him in a hushed, angry whisper.

"What?" He looked up at Bobby innocently.

"Why are you makin' her do all this stuff? Isn't it your job?"

Joey shrugged. "She asked if there was anything she could do to help." He flashed a dirty grin before glancing over at Reba, bending over the box. "And hopefully she's willing to help with anything."

Bobby gagged and he set his hands firmly on his desk, leaning forward. "Don't take advantage of her."

Joey laughed. "Since when do you care?"

"It's not right for you to be makin her do stuff she has no business doin." Bobby sighed. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person that'd say no, especially in a new place! She seems nervous, and a little scared. Don't abuse her."

"You think she's cute." Joey smirked.

"Well..she's not ugly." He played with a stack of paper clips, trying to look busy and hide his blushing face.

"I'll bet you think she's ,sexy. Heck, I do."

Bobby looked at him disgusted. "She's less then half your age!"

Joey shrugged. "It is what it is."

Bobby set the paper clips down and looked the older man straight in the eye. "Don't be making her do your dirty work Joey. It's not right."

They stared each other down before Joey broke eye contact and nodded. "Alright. Happy?"

Bobby smiled. "Very."

Joey shook his head and muttered under his breathe, as he focused back on his paperwork. Bobby looked over at Reba and walked across the room, helping her put the tapes up. She gave him a small smile before turning back to the boxes. He watched and smiled as she continuously tried to blow a strand of her curly hair out of the way. He reached over and pinched it between his fingers, gently pulling it away from her face. She looked at him with red cheeks and a small smile. "Thanks."

He returned the smile and held her gaze. "My pleasure."