Chapter 3
After the family decides to go on a trip to Hawaii, will memories and feelings resurface for Brock and Reba?
[R] Enjoy and read on!
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When Reba's eyes fluttered open, she was introduced to the ocean outside of her window. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to. She had to admit, maybe this trip would be just as relaxing as they advertise, but that was definitely a long shot. She rolled over, inhaling the scent of coconut and sunscreen that invaded the room. She let out a soft moan as she steadied herself on her feet and dug around the luggage for her cell phone. "Ah, there you are," she mumbled as she fumbled with it, dialing Brock's cell phone number.
"Hello?" Brock asked on the other end. He was busy trying to keep the kids from fighting over what they wanted to do. Some opted for the beach, Cheyenne of course wanted to shop, and the others wanted to check out the hot tub and pool.
"Hey," Reba started as if they were carrying on a conversation face-to-face. Suddenly she felt awkward talking to him, and she wasn't sure why. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I was uh, just..well I woke up and was wanting to join you guys."
"Are you sure you want to do that? It's a little ballistic down here." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair to shake loose any sand the wind had tossed his way.
"Yeah, what are you up to?" She unzipped her suitcase and dug to the bottom to find her bathing suit and sunscreen. She listened to Brock ramble on about the kids as she pulled out the baby blue bikini. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she held it over her body. She just couldn't do it. Sighing, she gathered a towel and tossed it next to her bag, which held her book, water bottle, and sunglasses. She slipped out of her clothes and changed into the barely-there-bathing-suit. "This may be something Cheyenne could pull off, but definitely not me," she said to herself.
"What was that?" Brock asked on the other end.
Crap, she forgot he was still on the phone. "Sorry, I was just..uh.. talking to myself." Wow, that didn't sound pathetic at all. She rolled her eyes at herself before tugging at the bathing suit bottoms, hoping they would magically stretch to a more appropriate stance. They weren't going anywhere. Then, she attempted to adjust the top. It was padded, more than she would've liked it to be, and it pushed her boobs up and out. "I'm a mother for crying out loud. What the hell am I doing?"
"Reba, is someone there with you?" Brock asked, trying to confirm whether or not he just heard her right. There it was again, that pit feeling in his stomach. The one that caused his heart to sink and change his mood to a foul one. He just couldn't help but get it whenever Reba was with another man, besides himself and Van that is.
She ran a hand over her face before throwing a white T-shirt over the bathing suit. "No, I'm just.." She sighed, he wasn't going to buy any lame excuse or lie. "This bathing suit our daughter picked out for me..is well.." She trailed off, hoping he would let her leave it at that. After there was only background noise coming from his end of the line, she decided it was safe to hang up. "Anyways, I'll be down in a little bit. Gotta apply the sunscreen. You know how gingers are with that stupid sun." She chuckled, hoping to lessen the tension and she mentally applauded herself when he let out a light chortle too. After hanging up, she turned around, grabbed her bag and towel, and walked out of the room, not taking a second glance at the mirror. If she did, there was no way she would be getting ready to walk out on that beach.
xxx
There was a light breeze, and the tide was low, which meant sand bars and being able to see what's going on under the water surface better. This was the definition of paradise. Reba held her hand horizontal on her forehead as if she were saluting someone, and searched the crowded shore for her family. It wasn't long until she saw Barbra Jean pecking at a slice of watermelon. She was like the empire state building stuck in Kaanapali, or Black Rock Beach. Reba chuckled to herself as she made her way over to them.
Only when she was in their vision line, did she remember her bathing suit. There was no way in hell she was taking off that T-shirt. She hadn't worn a swimsuit that risque since her college days. Man, did her and Lori Ann know how to party back then...and hold their liquor. That was the important part, Reba thought to herself. It was always better to pass out in an embarrassing way than to throw up all over yourself in the bathroom floor. But holding her liquor was never a problem for Reba nor Lori Ann.
Reba was torn from her thoughts when Barbra Jean ran over to her and pulled her to their claimed spot. It wasn't surprising that the families around them were a little more distant than everyone else on the beach.
"I'm so glad you finally decided to come out of your shell Ms. Turtle!" Barbra Jean cooed. "I can't wait to go swimming with you! You know, I think that's one of the only things we haven't done together, activity wise. Last time, you wouldn't even go in the water. You just sat there on the sand and baked!" She looked to the sky, trying to remember past events she had spent with Reba and chuckled, remembering how red Reba was. She had really lived up to the nickname "Red", I mean, her skin tone was the same as her hair!
Brock squinted his eyes against the sun as he looked up to Reba. Of course he was tanning. When wasn't he tanning? He pushed himself up so he could get a better look at her against the sun. There were still fuzzy specks blurring his vision, but he noticed her suspicious white T-shirt. He couldn't help but wonder what she was hiding under there. Usually she'd just drape a towel around her shoulders so that her swimsuit was visible. He watched as she locked eyes with him momentarily, then turned away uncomfortably. Had he done something to make her feel uneasy?
Cheyenne tore her eyes away from some by passers, who were unmistakeably locals. She squealed when she remembered about the bathing suits she had made her mom buy. "Mom, strip the T, we're going swimming!"
Reba shifted her weight uneasily from side to side and slowly drifted her eyes from Cheyenne, to Barbra Jean, to Van, to Jake, to Kyra, to Elizabeth, to Henry, and finally, to Brock. He gave her a genuine smile, but they both knew it had more meaning behind it. She couldn't help but think that maybe he wanted to see her in a bathing suit again. He used to tell her all the time how beautiful she was and how he loved seeing her soaking wet in a bikini, even at the cost of other men being able to see too. He never failed to add that last part. Some part of her missed the jealousy side of him; how protective he was if another man approached her or stared at her lustfully, or in any way for that matter.
Barbra Jean stepped forward to a dazed Reba and started to pull the shirt from her body for her.
"Barbra Jean! What are you doing!?" Reba jolted away from the blond and tugged the T-shirt down as far as it could go.
"We're going swimming. If you're not going to hurry up and do it yourself, I'll get you outta that shirt for you!" She stepped forward again, but Reba was quicker and darted in the other direction.
"I'm not going swimming. End of conversation." Reba plopped down in one of the beach chairs and started to pull the book out of her bag, when Barbra Jean and Cheyenne both yanked the bag out of her hands. "Are you two crazy? I don't want to go swimming. Everyone knows how insane my hair gets after it's wet and if this sunscreen gets washed off, I'll freckle like a..like a...I don't know anything else that freckles as bad as gingers!"
Kyra scoffed from under the umbrella. "You got that right." She rolled her eyes as she applied another layer of sunscreen.
"Oh come on Mom," Cheyenne whined. "You used to when we were really little. Remember? You always freaked when Dad took us out far, so you'd come in and bring us closer to the shore. That's how Dad always got you in the water." Cheyenne smirked along with her dad.
Reba rolled her eyes as she sneaked a reach in her bag and retrieved her sunglasses. "Well you guys aren't so young now, and your father and I are divorced. There's no one to get me in there now." She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She grimaced when Barbra Jean scoffed and marched over to her. Right as Reba was looking upward at the walking empire state building, Barbra Jean plucked the sunglasses off of Reba's face. "Hey!" She shouted and stood up, ready to fight for the glasses. They weren't that special, but it was still an excuse to fight Barbra Jean.
Brock stood up on cue and wrapped his arms securely around Reba as he pulled her away from BJ. "This would go a lot smoother if you just went in the ocean for like ten Minutes Red, come on." His grip tightened as the red head thrashed around in his grasp. He had a firm hold on her, but she sure was feisty.
Brock contemplated whether or not to use his usual method. It worked sometimes; he simply whispered soothing words in her ear until she calmed down. He decided to try, and leaned into the crook of her neck, telling her calming words that were inaudible to everyone else around them. And it worked, just like a charm. He was glad to know that, that was something that hadn't change with their divorce.
There was this sudden urge to see her in the bathing suit. She wouldn't have fought that hard if it wasn't a big deal to her and just imagining her in a bikini again, made his lower abdomen twitch.
Reba sighed, it wasn't possible to get in the ocean and out without anyone seeing her. If she waited any longer, Barbra Jean would snatch the T-shirt right off of her, or just carry her in the water by force-T-shirt or no T-shirt. Sighing, she caved and patted Brock's hand to release her. "Fine, but ten-minutes and I'm in a towel under the umbrella."
Everyone hooped and hollered in relief. Jake stood up cheering, and turned quickly to get a drink, accidentally kicking sand all over Kyra. Kyra screamed in rage and balled up her fists. She slowly rose from her seat, looking down at a suddenly terrified Jake. "Run." She growled. Jake bolted for the water with Kyra on his heels.
Van watched them splash around in the water and immediately became envious of them. "Cheyenne," he whined. "Let's go in now, Ms. H will be in right after us, pleeeaaasee?" He pleaded, with his bottom lip stuck out.
Cheyenne sighed and looked to Henry and Elizabeth. "Fine, but we have to stay right at the shore for them," she pointed to the younger kids.
Van nodded in agreement and picked up Elizabeth. "Come on Henry!" All four of them ran to the water's edge and played around with a sand bucket and periwinkles that washed up with the tide.
Barbra Jean was on her wits end by now. "RED. WATER. NOW." She reached out for Reba, ready to pick her up, or drag her to the ocean.
Reba blinked back to reality quickly and backed away from Barbra Jean, only to bump back into Brock. "I said fine! I'm going, I'm going!" She put her hands up in defense before gripping the hem of her shirt. She took one last deep breath before slipping it up over her head, revealing herself to her ex-husband and his mistress wife. She squeezed her eyes shut, scared of what they were going to say or how they would look at her. This was so embarrassing. Gingerly, she opened one eye and looked from Barbra Jean to Brock.