Cheyenne and Kyra ran ahead to the big jungle gym while Reba, Jake and Brock walked behind. Cheyenne, Kyra and Jake had all insisted on going to the park, so here they were. It'd been almost a month since Reba and Brock met and they were already good friends

Friends. That's all they needed to be. She knew Brock wouldn't hurt her like 'he' had, but the last thing she needed was to jump into a relationship. What was she thinking! He probably didn't even think of her in that way! Why would her mind even go there, she didn't like him...right?

"Mommy I go play?"

She looked down at her son and smiled. "Go ahead baby." He smiled big and ran off to the baby play area. He was too little to be on the regular park equipment by himself. She knew he'd come running back soon, asking her to take him on it. She smiled at his excitement and sat down on a bench.

Brock sat down next to her. He noticed she scooted away from him but shrugged it off. "Where they get all their energy is beyond me!" he quipped.

"Well it coulda been all those sodas ya gave em before we came here." she quipped back.

"Not the best idea."

Reba laughed. "The girls seem to be gettin along really well."

"What can I say, the Hart charm runs through the family."

She laughed again and nudged him. "You dork."

"Proud of it babe." Reba nodded and went back to watching the kids. 'Did I just call her babe?! Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Brock mentally kicked himself.

'He didn't mean anything by it! Stop over analyzing everything!' Reba mentally kicked herself.

Brock sensed the awkwardness between them and quickly switched to a new subject. "Kyra looks just like you."

"Yeah..Cheyenne looks just like you."

"She looks more like her mother."

Reba turned towards Brock and draped her arm over the back of the bench. "Brock, where is Cheyenne's mom?" she asked hesitantly. She didn't wanna upset him or anything.

Brock shrugged and stared ahead. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"She left when Cheyenne was two. She left a note saying that the marriage and family life wasn't for her, and she was just gone."

Reba looked over at Cheyenne playing and her heart nearly broke in two. How could someone just up and abandon their child? She nearly cried just having to leave her own kids for work. "You haven't heard from her since?"

"Nope."

"I'm sorry Brock."

He shrugged. "I'm not, it hurt at first, but the only thing I feel bad about now is Cheyenne not knowing her mother, but that's Barbra Jeans fault. And Cheyenne deserves better then that."

Reba nodded and looked back at the kids. It must be tough growing up with no mom. Her heart went out to the little girl.

"What about you?"

"Huh?" she looked at Brock.

"What's your story?" he asked again. "What happened between you and your ex?"

Reba shrugged. "Nothin."

"Oh come on."

She shook her head. "I don't really wanna talk about it."

Brock looked at her. She seemed really tense and paranoid as if something bad was about to happen. "Alright. But you can always talk to me Reba."

She nodded and they both went back to watching the kids. She felt bad she hadn't talked to him. He'd opened up and talked to her. But at the same time how was she supposed to tell someone all the awful things her ex had done? Tears filled her eyes as she thought of him. "My ex wasn't the nicest guy."

"What?" Brock turned to look at her.

She avoided his gaze. "My ex, we umm, started dating in high school and I got pregnant."

"Kyra's only 6, you're 29..."

Reba cut him off. "I know, I had a miscarriage." She stopped talking and covered her mouth trying not to break down. Brock scooted closer and put his arm around her, rubbing her arm. It took her a moment before clearing her throat and continuing."After that we stopped seein each other. He joined the police force and i went off to college. A couple years later we met up at a bar, and one thing led to another and we had Kyra. He cheated on me. A lot."

"Why didn't you just end it right there?" Brock wondered. How could someone cheat on her? She was the most beautiful person he had ever met, inside and out.

Reba shrugged. "I loved him, way more then he loved me, and that's just what you did back there. You stuck by your man." She scoffed and shook her head. "We were together since I got pregnant with Kyra. He umm, he did some things..not good things. And i just finally decided to get out of there. Now i'm here." She shrugged and looked down at her lap trying not to cry.

Brock's heart nearly broke into when he saw a tear fall down her pale face. "Hey, you ok?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah, yeah" She looked up. "This whole thing is stupid. I probably shouldn't even have told you all that."

Brock studied her while she watched the kids. "You don't always have to be the strong one Reba."

She looked at Brock with tears in her eyes. "Yes I do. My kids need me, and I need to be strong for them, to keep them safe."

"Safe from what?"

"Nothing..I just..I should see what Jake's doin." She quickly stood up and wiped at her face with her sleeves, going over to her son. Brock watched her as she put on a smile and played with her son. There was something else she wasn't telling him. What did she mean her ex didn't do good things? He was on the police force, how bad could he be? At the same time, anyone who would cheat on Reba would have to have a few screws loose, or no brain at all.

He smiled as she played tag with the kids. Cheyenne loved her. Anything involving Reba would put her in a good mood. Him to. He watched as she went down the slide with Jake. Her big curly red hair blowing in the wind. She wore a giant sweatshirt and jeans. Nothing fancy and she still took his breath away. She had these adorable little habits she had. Like playing with her hair, or tugging her sleeves over her hands. She was probably the nicest person he had ever met, and had this witty charm. She was heart stopping beautiful and she didn't even know it. He smiled even bigger. He wasn't even going to deny it anymore. He was head over heels for Reba McKinney.

...

Reba set Jake in his play pen as Kyra ran upstairs, and flopped down on the couch. Brock had offered to take them out for pizza and with the kids pleas she agreed. He'd be over here to pick them up at 6. It was 5. She closed her eyes and laid down. It had been an exhausting day. Thinking about her ex had brought up so many emotions she nearly broke down. Brock had been so understanding and so sweet. Damn him. Why'd he have to be like that? It made it harder for her to not like him.

Her thoughts drifted to her ex and she frowned. She was such an idiot, she should've left the first time it'd happen. He'd apologized with flowers, and sweet gestures. And of course she'd forgiven him. And of course, the same thing had happened again, and again, and again. Thank God they'd never gotten married. It would have made everything more complicated then they already were. She slowly drifted off to sleep with mixed emotions about Brock and her ex.

Brock came in through the back door ready to grab Reba and the kids for dinner. "Reba? I'm here." he called out He walked towards the living room and stopped at the fridge, smiling at all the pictures she had on their. He grinned at a picture with Reba, obviously pregnant, holding Kyra and what he assumed to be her parents. No pictures of her ex. He wasn't really surprised at that. Why would there be? He continued to look at the pictures when he heard a scream. He jumped and ran into the living room, finding Reba tossing and turning, while yelling out in her sleep.

"No! Stop it!" she shouted.

"Reba!" he kneeled down next to her and grabbed her arms which were flailing around. "Reba! Wake up!"

"Stop it, no please!" She struggled against the arms that were holding her.

"Reba!"

She jolted awake and sat up, looking around confused and terrified.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked in a soft tone while moving one of his hands and pushing her hair out of her face gently. She looked around frantically.

"Where are the kids?"

"Reba are you alright?" she looked like she was about to lose it.

"Where are my kids?" she demanded.

"Kyra's in the back yard with Cheyenne, Jake's right over there." he pointed. Reba nodded frantically. "Reba..Reba!" he tried to get her attention as her eyes darted around the room. He cupped her face with his hands and forced him to look at her. "Are you ok?"

She shut her eyes and started sobbing. Brock sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. She gripped his shirt and cried into the crook of his neck. "He wouldn't stop, he wouldn't stop!" her voice was high pitched and hoarse.

Brock rocked her back and forth as she cried and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Shh." he rubbed her back soothingly. "No one's here. Your ok."

She cried even harder as she took comfort in his arms.

...

Jack Morgan stormed into his trailer and slammed his papers down on the counter. It'd been almost a month and he hadn't gotten anywhere near to finding out where his "ex" girlfriend could be. As her parents put it. 'Ex my ass.' he thought. 'We're not over till I say we're over.'

He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and slumped down on the couch. Who the hell did she think she was? Taking off like that. No notice or nothin. Just took the kids and ran. Her parents wouldn't even talk to her. Her crazy father threatened to shoot him if he didn't get off his property. Said they'd abused their daughter long enough.

He snorted. Abused? He didn't abuse. He put her in her place now and then but he didn't abuse. He quickly finished the beer and tossed the empty can on the coffee table. The can knocked over a picture frame and he leaned over to pick it up. He studied the picture and snorted again. They looked like such a happy couple.

He stared at her photo. Her hour glass figure, long legs,her wild red hair, her pretty little face. She had a lot of quirks, but she was still the hottest girl he knew. And he was hers.

For her to just up and leave made his blood boil. He gave her everything. And she just walks all over him. Well he wouldn't let it happen. He would find her and he would bring her back here where she belonged with him.

Her stared at her picture, tracing her out line. "I'll be seeing you real soon babe."

...

"Well thanks for dinner tonight."

"It was my pleasure." Brock carried a sleeping Jake up the porch as Reba opened the door and let him in.

"Just set him on the couch, i'll take him up soon." Brock nodded and set him on the couch before following Reba back out on the porch. "Are you sure you don't mind Kyra spendin the night?"

"Not at all. The girls insisted." Brock reassured her.

She nodded, smiling thinking about how excited they were about it. They were practically sisters. "Umm Brock.." She looked down at her hands and played with her sleeves. "About earlier, i'm sorry about all that."

"Reba don't even apologize. You have no reason to."

She shrugged. "Well thanks..i guess for just bein there."

"It's no problem." He stepped closer to her and Reba's breathe caught in her throat. "If you need anything at all, you can come to me. No matter what." His facing inching towards hers. "You know that right?"

Unable to speak she nodded. He cupped her cheek and Reba took a sharp breath. "I uh-uh think I should check on Jake."

"He's asleep."

"I u-uh.." Oh lord he smelled good. She leaned closer to him as he leaned closer to her. Her heart beat faster as his face drew nearer. She closed her eyes when their faces were inches from each other. He softly kissed her forehead and stepped away from her. "Good night Reba."

She watched after him confused as he walked off of the porch to her house. She snapped out of it and quickly went inside, leaning against the door after she shut it. She straightened out her shirt and tried to convince herself that the little moment they had had no effect on her whats so ever.