Not having a clue that the woman he was carrying a torch for, the one in the same he was running away from was lying unconscious in her kitchen floor.
While he threw his suitcase in his 4x4 truck he looked back one more time. One last time.
Looking at the distance where she would be, he could almost picture her if he closed his eyes tight enough; he drowned out all other noises that could be heard.
He swore he could imagine her standing right there with her: Vibrant red hair cut off around her shoulders, flat bangs covering her matching eyebrows and with those eyes as blue as the Texas sky shining brightly as the sun came in through the window that set it ablaze.
Aimlessly picturing her walking her long legs that were covered in those tight snugged jeans that contoured her figure both back and front and both thighs and buttocks giving him those familiar heart palpitations whenever she walked into a room.
Only in this colorful picture he saw her move over to the fridge, opening the door and reaching for a full water bottle.
Unscrewing the content in her hands she brought the fine liquid to her dried lips, tilting her head back he'd pictured little droplets spilling from her hot forbidden mouth as it drizzled down into even hotter territory from chin to neck to nape to collarbone to the V-line that led down to her breas-
Brock stopped himself in mid-sentence before he could even finish that thought. He couldn't!
He was just putting himself in cold water which he realize inwardly was what he needed at that moment was a nice cold water to cleanse himself of Reba and all the dirty thoughts that came to mind when he thought of her.
Not saying goodbye to her was gonna hurt but staying around her and not being able to touch, hold, kiss was gonna hurt a hell of a lot more as he would see her with another man as the green beast would show within him and he be damned to let that happen, she deserved to be happy and with that he whispered silently.
"Goodbye, Reba…"
Turning back to his transportation outta here he yanked out a pair of clanky keys from underneath his blue denim.
Unlocking his door he got in and slammed the door shut, all but to eager to get out of Houston to the unknown.
Putting the key in the slot as he turned the ignition on with a roaring sound in return, foot on the petal he sped off into the distance to see what was to await him in his new chapter in his new life with no kids, no grand kids and no Reba.
As much as he hated to walk out on the people he loved he knew it was for everyone's own good. He wasn't dumb enough to admit he was a good father or grandfather. He would always mess up and disappoint.
He already disappointed one son and Jake was a good kid he didn't need that kind of grief depending on a man who would always let him down like his father done to him time and time again until the day he died and left him with regret for not patching things up with his old man.
He was doing the right thing and he knew it at least that's what he convinced himself of. He had the rest of his life to screw his life up without involving the people that mattered the most to him, leaving them behind was a blessing and one day they realize that. He was saving them from him and one day they'd think him for it in the long run of things down the hill from now.
Divorcing Barbra Jean was the smartest thing he done in a long time, the day he received those final papers everything became crystal clear.
Being a single man was fine, but not while his first ex-wife was single and living only a few blocks away. He couldn't handle the temptation with them both being available even though he knew he hadn't a shot in Hades to be with her again.
She was too smart for him; and besides that she gave up on him a long time ago. And he learned to deal with that realization for some time now, but he still could not stand the idea of being here with her nearby without him doing something stupid or saying something stupid.
Being near her was just too hard. And if he had to live the rest of his life without love then so be it, he'd just spend his time dedicated to his career like so many younger folks did nowadays.
He would always love his first real and only love but he had to move on and face the truth with the rest of his days miserable and alone while she'd marry again and be happy while he would watch the officer and the gentleman and cry while thinking of her.