Dear Readers-
I am thrilled with the overall support for this story. Thank you so much! I am alternating my story updates. I will work on Drop Dead Hero and post the update; then I will work on Believe in Love Again and post the update. Once I restart Reba Nell Got Married, then that story will alternate with Drop Dead Hero instead. I am still working on my other story, Believe in Love Again because I feel so much inspiration to continue that story. I only have 2-3 more chapters until we get to Reba Nell Got Married.
Thanks for continuing to read my stories and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. Your reviews make me smile. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…
Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney-Hart, Brock Hart, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.
Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: Parker Harrison, Timothy, Faye, Daniel Hammond, the mysterious gunman, the Mason family, Mr. Martin, Lucy Wright, and Kevin Thomas.
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Now on with the story-
I don't own the TV shows of Reba or Drop Dead Diva. I also don't own any of the characters in this story from Reba or Drop Dead Diva. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show and DROP DEAD DIVA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.
This story takes place in the fall of 2007 when the Reba show would be in season seven. All of the characters from Reba are the same ages that they are in my other stories in the "Love Again" series.
This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.
Previously-
When he arrived back at Barbra Jean's house after work, Henry was waiting for him. "Are you and Mommy fighting again? She says that you're gonna leave again. Please don't go, Daddy. Jake said that he'd play basketball with me after dinner. I want you to play with us."
"It's gonna be okay, buddy. I'm gonna talk to your mom." Brock/Daniel hugged Henry and went in search of Barbra Jean.
Barbra Jean was in the kitchen, making dinner. "I am so sorry. I don't want it to be like this with us. Henry has been upset ever since last night."
"I get it. It's hard on all of us. Reba canceled dinner with me yesterday. Every one of us is going through a loss. We've lost a life together and we somehow have to find a way to make this work so we can still be a family like Reba and I were before, after the divorce. Can we do that, Barbra Jean? Can we adjust to the way that things are? I'm still me, but I'm Daniel too. It's hard because we have to explain to others why I'm here. Henry wants me to play with him and Jake after dinner. How do I do that? What will Henry say to his brother about me?"
"I'd like us to be good friends. You and Reba were best friends. I'd like to be close to you like that. It's hard because you're the only man who's taken me seriously as a woman in years. You're such a great guy. I miss having a relationship like we had before. I'm out in the dating world and it's hard. I'm a single mom and I'm not any man's type. Most of the time, men use me and leave. I'm scared of losing you."
"I will never let you down. I told you that when you told me that you were pregnant with Henry. I'm gonna take care of you and Henry. You just need to have more confidence in yourself. You're beautiful and successful. Stormy Clearweather is a local celebrity, right?"
Barbra Jean smiled. Brock opened his arms to hug her. "Don't move out, Daniel, please. You should be here for your kids. Henry is here. Jake and Kyra are right next door. They miss their father."
"And he's right here. Brock's soul is right inside Daniel's body. I'm not going anywhere. Now what will Henry say to Jake about me?"
"We'll think of something."
Summary: Brock is still coping with how to become Daniel. He wants Reba back and he's knows that it's not going to be easy. He has to let her deal with her grief. Barbra Jean is learning how to move on. She is luckier than Reba because she knows that Brock is still with them and he is helping her to move on with her life. Henry is learning how to deal with his parents' living arrangement and new relationship as friends. Reba is helping the kids learn how to deal with Brock's absence from their lives. Henry is trying to help his brother to have a new relationship with Brock/Daniel. Reba is confused. Kevin is still trying to make a play for Reba. She sees something in Daniel's eyes that she can't quite understand. She is drawn to him. He's still working at the office. He appreciates the benefits of being so close to Reba, working with her day after day. He looks forward to the day when Reba is comfortable enough to go to dinner with him.
How will this chapter begin? How will Brock continue to cope to having to live his life as another person? How will Brock live as Daniel without being able to be a real father to his kids? What is Reba's reaction each time that she sees Daniel? Will she ever find out that Daniel is really Brock?
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out! Keep reading to find out more!
The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is Drop Dead Hero!
Now on with our story-
One week later, Faye went to find Brock/Daniel. He was standing outside the building, admiring the city lights as the sun went down.
"Hey," Faye greeted.
"Hey, how'd you find me out here? Did you use your powers? I know, I know... Just kidding," Brock/Daniel responded.
"Look, you weren't in your office, and I, uh, know you like fresh air." Faye had some shopping bags in her hands. She presented the shopping bags to Brock. Here are some new clothes. It's a thank you for giving me a place to stay. I know that you felt really uncomfortable in Daniel's clothes. These should reflect Daniel's style and still feel comfortable enough for Brock." Faye explained.
"You came all the way out here to give me some clothes? That was really nice of you," Brock remarked.
"It wasn't too big of a deal. I got paid this week and I found some extra cash stashed in the apartment. I didn't feel right keeping the cash for myself. Well, that and to say congrats. I just heard that Mr. Martin finally found a house and brought five new clients to the company," Faye responded.
"Parker is beyond thrilled," Brock/Daniel told her in a less than enthusiastic tone.
"How about you?" Faye asked. She was concerned about how Brock was still handling his transition to his new life.
"Faye, I may have scored big this time, but I'm not really a real estate agent. I just know how to talk to people. It helps that I know how to play golf. It helps me relate to the professionals. It's strange having to answer to a boss like Parker. I'm still used to being a dentist. I was my own boss and I worked my own hours. If I didn't wanna work, I didn't have to. It bugs me that I have to answer to a slime ball like Parker Harrison. I'm mad at myself for letting him get to me." Brock/Daniel explained.
"I don't think that you're mad at yourself. I think that you're mad at Brock."
"Yeah, I guess. He used to be a guy just like Parker. Brock was a slime ball at times too." He was disappointed in the man that he once was. It was hard to believe that Reba ever put up with his behavior when he acted like that. He cheated on her and she took him back.
"You've got to forgive him, Daniel. Forgive and forget. That's the type of person that Reba is and Daniel is that kind of guy too."
Brock/Daniel shook his head disapprovingly. "But I don't want to forget him. I mean, I may not always like Brock and the things that he's done, but -. But he's -. He's right here." Brock/Daniel's voice lowered from the grief. He put his hand on his heart for emphasis. "And he's not all bad."
Faye looked at Brock/Daniel. She wanted to cheer him up. "Well, I know that Daniel likes to eat and Brock liked to drink. So I think that you're both about to be very happy."
Brock/Daniel looked over at Faye and gave her a small smile. "What are you talking about?"
Faye pointed back to the office building. She returned the smile. "The big bosses are inside with champagne and cake. It's to celebrate your hard work." She walked over to the building doors and opened them for Brock/Daniel. He couldn't believe that this celebration was for him. Timothy, Reba, and the other real estate agents were inside smiling at Brock/Daniel and holding up glasses of champagne in his honor. Reba's smile caught his eye. "Enjoy the moment. After all, you only live... twice," Faye remarked. Brock/Daniel walked into the office building doors.
Reba was waiting to talk to him. "Congratulations, Daniel." Reba said. Brock/Daniel took a glass of champagne from Timothy. Everyone held up their glasses to toast Daniel. Reba clinked glasses with him. "Cheers," she said warmly. Brock/Daniel saw a twinkle in her eyes and a big natural smile on her face. For the first time since Brock's death, Reba was actually expressing some genuine happiness and it was because of Brock/Daniel. He'd hoped that he could get her to smile like that more often. It looked like they had the beginnings of a warm friendship.
It was one week later. Brock/Daniel was having the dream again. The one where he's trying to sell a house, but he's Brock instead of Daniel and he has no idea how to do the paperwork or answer the buyer's questions. Just then, he sprang up in his bed, suddenly awake from the nightmare. He looked in the mirror and saw Daniel's reflection staring back at him. Brock/Daniel was explaining the dream to Barbra Jean at the breakfast table. Barbra Jean was fascinated by Brock/Daniel's nightmare. Brock/Daniel had been having the same nightmare for the past week and he didn't know what it meant. He was trying to make sense of the dream while Barbra Jean was giving him ridiculous explanations for what the dream was supposed to mean.
"Barbra Jean, focus! I am terrified in these dreams. I have no idea what I am doing at work." Brock was getting irritated. He was trying to make sense of what was going on in his head or Daniel's head. He wasn't sure which one.
Barbra Jean's face brightened. "You know what Dr. Morgan would say? These are stress dreams. That's all. I mean, look at yourself."
"Do I have to?" Brock/Daniel's lack of self-confidence was obvious.
"You've gone into that office every single day and acted like a real estate agent for three weeks straight. When have you ever worked this hard?"
"There was that one day when I had to do three root canals and four oral surgeries."
"That's nothing. You're the best dentist that I know. You know what those dreams are telling you? You need a break. Pack a bag, honey. We're gonna take Henry on a road trip. How about South Padre Island? Henry and I can be ready to go in 15 minutes."
"Really? I thought that Stormy Clearweather was going on location today for the station."
"New career strategy. Maybe I'm not ready for the hard news job yet. I like being Stormy Clearweather. I'm not ready to be Babs Jansen. I'm not a reporter. I'm a weathergirl. Come on, if we leave now, we can be relaxing on the beach by lunchtime. I heard a six pack of beers calling your name."
"You know what? I'm sold! I'm gonna go get dressed. Pick me up at work in an hour." Brock/Daniel was actually excited about the trip. He finally felt like himself.
Barbra Jean shook her head. "No. No work."
"Barbra Jean, it's payday and we're gonna need the money. Somewhere in that building there's a paycheck with my name on it. It's gonna be my first paycheck in years. When I get that check, the trip is on me. What do you say?" Brock/Daniel explained. He was actually excited to be getting his first paycheck in years. He hadn't worked for a paycheck since his days as a bartender.
"I say...see you in an hour. This is gonna be so much fun!" Barbra Jean walked away, giggling excitedly.
Reba greeted Brock/Daniel as soon as he arrived in the office building. "Good morning."
Brock/Daniel smiled. He loved seeing Reba each day as soon as he got to the office in the morning. It was his reason for waking up in the morning and rushing into work early. "Good morning." Brock/Daniel returned the smile.
Brock/Daniel was oddly dressed for the office. He was dressed in a t-shirt and Bermuda shorts. Reba looked over his outfit. "Casual Wednesday?" she asked.
He realized that she was referring to his unusual attire. He was not dressed in his usual business wear. "I've got a... business trip... in South Padre Island for..." He was struggling to come up with a plausible answer.
"Continuing real estate education?" she offered, smirking at him. He enjoyed seeing the laughter in her eyes.
"Yes. That. What you just said." Brock/Daniel was clearly enjoying their banter this morning. They walked by Kevin Thomas and Parker Harrison who were talking over coffee in the employee lounge. Kevin saw Reba and Brock/Daniel walking by. Kevin got a brilliant idea. Parker had just dumped a difficult wealthy divorced couple on him. He had to sell their house and find them each new residences.
"You mind if Reba rides shotgun on this one?" Kevin asked Parker.
"Good thinking, Thomas. We can double our fees and you can show her the ropes of dealing with the big clients." Parker responded.
Brock/Daniel was in his office. Timothy was freaking out about Brock/Daniel's casual attire. "Seriously, are all your clothes at the dry cleaners again?"
Brock/Daniel looked over his outfit again. "Um, I'm fine."
Timothy had a hard time taking Brock/Daniel's mood seriously. "Let's get you into something a little less comfortable."
Brock/Daniel smiled and tried to reassure his assistant that he had not suddenly gone crazy. "I'm taking the next two days off, Timothy. I'm finally getting a long weekend and I've earned it."
Timothy had a hard time believing this from Daniel, the workaholic. "Since when do you say the words 'day off'?"
Brock/Daniel was trying to convince Timothy that he was serious. "I just came in to get my paycheck. Speaking of which, where do I get my paycheck?"
At that moment, Parker Harrison came walking up to them. He also looked over Brock/Daniel's casual attire. "Hammond, you look different. Is it your hair?" he was hinting at his disapproval to Brock/Daniel over his choice of wardrobe.
Brock/Daniel missed the underlying meaning that Parker was trying to convey. "No."
"We're got a situation. Walk with me." That's when Brock figured that he might be in trouble with the boss. Brock/Daniel mouthed to his assistant to follow them. "I've got bad news and worst news. What do you wanna hear first?"
Brock/Daniel wasn't sure how to respond. "I..."
Parker quickly explained the situation to Brock/Daniel. He explained that one of his clients had pulled out before the closing and now Brock/Daniel had to work with the seller to find another buyer for their house. He had to find the previous buyer a new house to satisfy his needs. He also had many other clients on his workload.
"I can't. That's not gonna work for me." Brock/Daniel was determined to take the time off.
Parker wouldn't budge. "I know that you have the memory of an elephant, but I got all the files for you to review for these clients in your office. You have to meet the needs of at least six very different sets of people today. Get to work, Hammond."
Brock/Daniel felt defeated when he saw the large amount of files in his office. He looked over at Timothy. "I really only came in for my paycheck. Can all of this wait until next week?"
"I don't know. Why don't you just ask them?" Timothy said, pointing to the clients that were approaching Brock/Daniel's office. "The Masons desperately need you to find a new buyer. They have to sell their house. Mr. Mason has cancer. Mrs. Mason has cut back on her hours at work to take care of him. They really need the money."
Brock was trying to reassure the Masons that he would be able to find another buyer right away. That's when Barbra Jean showed up. He explained the situation to an exasperated Barbra Jean. She was really counting on taking this vacation without having to worry about the cost.
Timothy walked up to them. "Don't you think that I'd like to take some time off to go partying on an island? I'm here, working hard to help you in helping families like the Masons get what they need in order to make life better for their family. I know that it gets dreary sometimes, but it really is rewarding to help people improve their lives in this small way. At least, that's what Reba said to me last month when I was down and needing a break."
There wasn't much that Brock/Daniel could say to that argument. Now he knew what motivated Reba to work so hard. About two hours later, he was walking with Parker Harrison to discuss the progress that he was making with his client workload. Barbra Jean was in Brock/Daniel's office, dancing to the music on her iPod. Parker just stopped to watch her. He dropped the file that he was carrying on the floor.
"Hello, earth to Parker." Brock/Daniel stopped and saw what had distracted Parker.
"Who is that goddess? She is gorgeous." Parker inquired.
"Who, Barbra Jean?" Brock responded. "She's a friend of mine." Parker continued to watch Barbra Jean. "She is like a member of my family. We're very close."
"Introduce me." Parker insisted.
"Mr. Harrison, she's been through a lot recently. She's not like the type of girls that you go out with." Brock tried to reason with him. He wanted Barbra Jean to move on, but he didn't want to see Barbra Jean get hurt by a slime ball like Parker Harrison. He had money and charm, but he went through women like he went through socks.
"I don't have a type. I can't help it. Look at her. There's just something about her. I've got to get to know her better," Parker responded.
"Her family is in mourning. There's been a death in the family. It's not a good idea," Brock/Daniel explained.
Brock/Daniel went into his office to talk to Barbra Jean. "I'm sorry about the trip. Maybe you could still go on the location shoot."
Barbra Jean shook her head. "Nah, I already missed it. The station got someone else."
"Hey, Reba didn't see you, did she? I haven't actually talked to her about how I know you and I don't know exactly how to explain it."
"I've been waiting for you in this office the whole time that I've been here. I haven't seen Reba at all. But sooner or later, you are gonna have to explain how we know each other. You live in my house and I live next door to Reba."
"That's gonna have to wait. I have something to talk to you about. I was gonna wait until we were at the island, but I should show you now." Barbra Jean handed Brock/Daniel a copy of the newspaper. The newspaper contained an article on Brock's accident.
Brock began to read the article, but paused when he got to the photo that went with the story. "That's not me! How many Brock Hart's live in Houston?"
"They put in the wrong picture, Sweetie. I'm sorry." Barbra Jean tried to be comforting.
Brock still had his ego and his pride. "This guy is like ninety years old. I look way better than this guy. Now everyone who reads this will think that this is Brock Hart."
"Don't worry. This can be fixed. We can send another picture of you to the newspaper and they can reprint the story with the right picture. I'll take one of these down to the paper and make them rerun it. Look."
Barbra Jean had pictures of them from the trip to San Antonio and pictures of them in a hot tub. "Barbra Jean, this is my final photo. It should be more dignified and make a lasting impression."
"It will be. I wanna go home and pretend that I'm on vacation." Barbra Jean walked out of the office with Brock/Daniel. Parker was standing there near the lounge, watching Barbra Jean as she walked by. She hugged Brock/Daniel before leaving. Parker managed to accidentally walk into Barbra Jean as she was leaving. "Excuse me," she said innocently before walking away. Brock just shook his head at Parker's antics.
He went in search of Faye. "Some guardian angel you are. How could you let them screw up my obituary?"
Faye just shook her head. "Like I have control over that. Like I said, less Brock and more Daniel."
After spending most of his day with the Masons, Brock/Daniel wanted to cry. He tried to imagine what Reba would be going through if Brock had cancer like Mr. Mason. He desperately wanted to help this family. He was reminded that the Mason children would be losing their father if Mr. Mason lost his fight with cancer, just like the Hart children were going through over the loss of Brock. It broke his heart. He needed to find way to help his own family too.
Brock spent another restless night because of the nightmare. It got worse because now he was dreaming of Daniel coming back to life and choking Brock to death. Barbra Jean tried to sort this out with Brock. "It's obvious. The dream means the Daniel in you is trying to destroy the Brock in you." Brock found this explanation to be odd and not at all reassuring. "Why not? That is what he's doing, Brock."
"What do you mean? That's not true."
"It's a little true. Think about it. The only reason that we are not in South Padre Island right now is because you had to work at your job."
"I'm trying to help a dad who may not live to see next year be able to take care of his family during the time that he has left. Sue me for caring."
"Whatever, Brock."
"You're just mad because you're not out partying with my money. You should be focused on your career also because that's what's gonna take care of you and Henry in the long run. I may not live forever. I'm lucky to be here now."
"That's really mean of you, Brock. I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready for the promotion and I'm not ready to be the head of this household."
"I know, BJ, but you have to figure out how you're gonna do this. I didn't mean to make this a permanent situation. I don't even know what tomorrow will bring. Right now, I have to go to work before I'm late."
Barbra Jean sat angrily with her arms crossed in front of her. How dare he judge her? "Fine. Have a good day, Daniel." She placed emphasis on his new name. All she wanted was her fun-loving Brock back. There was a knock on the front door. Brock/Daniel went to answer it. He was surprised to see Parker standing there.
"Parker, what are you doing here?"
"I brought you your check."
"You could've given this to me at the office."
"I figured that you might need it immediately. I'm thoughtful that way." Parker looked into the house, trying to make eye contact with Barbra Jean.
"Come on, Parker. Not now. I thought that I explained things at the office yesterday."
Barbra Jean recognized the man that ran into her yesterday at Brock/Daniel's office. She walked up to the door. "Um, hi. You're Barbra Jean, right? I'm Parker. You probably remember me from Daniel's office. You've probably heard her talk about me. I own the real estate company that he works for."
"Uh, no." Barbra Jean wasn't sure how to respond to this guy.
"I'm the guy who keeps everything runnin' over there. I work with Reba too. She told me that you're her best friend. I saw a picture of you with her family in her office."
"Because she's part of the family and in mourning just like the rest of them." Brock said to Parker. "Thanks for the check. I'll walk you out to your car."
"Interesting set-up that you have here with her. Is there anything goin' on between you two?" Parker asked as the two men stood in the driveway.
"No, we're just friends."
This failed to reassure Parker so he changed tactics. "Look, I see how you look at Reba. And look, she lives right next door. How cozy! While you live here with her best friend. I wouldn't want Reba to get the wrong idea about what's going on here between you and Barbra Jean. At least if Barbra Jean was dating someone else, there would be no way that Reba would ever get an idea like that. But I could always ask Reba out myself. I asked her out to dinner before and she accepted. I could always ask her out again."
"Aw, come on, man, leave Reba alone. Her husband just died." Brock was trying not to look as desperate as he felt.
"Look, Daniel. I could comfort the grieving widow or I could comfort your gorgeous roommate. Which is it gonna be?" Parker got in his sports car and drove away.
By the afternoon, Brock/Daniel was still upset over the confrontation with Parker Harrison. However, he spent the time alone at his desk with his newspaper obituary in his hand. It was the one with the wrong picture. He was starting to wonder if Brock Hart's life even mattered at all. How would people even remember him? He got up and walked by Reba's office. He saw a picture that Reba had taken of Brock six months ago. It seemed that Brock Hart's life still mattered to one person. Right now, she was the only person who counted in his opinion. He found himself walking into her office. He picked up the picture and looked at it. He smiled as he remembered the day that the picture was taken. He wasn't looking when Reba appeared in the doorway. "Daniel?"
Brock/Daniel was clearly startled. "I'm – I'm sorry. I – I didn't think that you were here. I – I didn't think -."
Reba walked over to stand next to him to look at the photograph. "He took a good picture."
"He was a good looking guy." His voice carried a certain amount of remorse and sadness. At that moment, Reba turned to look directly at Brock/Daniel while he was turned to look at her. They shared a moment where they were looking directly into each other's eyes. Both of their hands were touching the photograph.
Kevin appeared and knock on the office door. "Hello, hello. Am I interrupting?" They both turned to look at Kevin.
"No." Reba answered. Brock/Daniel merely shook his head.
"Daniel, your face is all red. Are you...blushing?" Kevin's remark caused Reba to look at Brock/Daniel once again.
He looked at Reba and then looked at Kevin. Reba was still looking at his face. He laughed off Kevin's comment. "No. I was...running laps earlier."
Reba saw his discomfort. She turned to look at Kevin. "Hey, what's up?" Reba tried to appear casual, but she felt as flustered on the inside as Daniel appeared on the outside. What was it about him that affected her like this? It was clear that she somehow affected him.
"Um, Parker wanted to know if we were free for dinner to update him on our joint workload. Is 8:00 okay?" Kevin explained.
"Sure." Reba answered casually.
That was more than Brock/Daniel wanted to hear. "Excuse me. I have to get to an open house," he said as he excused himself from the situation.
"You might wanna get an ointment or a cream for that rash," Kevin remarked.
Timothy was standing right outside of Reba's office, listening to the conversation. "He is so unbelievable! What a snake!"
"What?" Brock/Daniel asked.
"Dinner with Parker," Timothy explained. "He usually never has dinner with his employees to discuss their workload." Brock/Daniel eyed Kevin curiously.
Later that evening, Reba was sitting down to dinner with Kevin. "I apologize on Parker's behalf. His last-minute text cancellation was very tacky, if I do say so myself."
"It's okay, honestly," Reba responded. She did not want to be involved in a conversation where someone was badmouthing the boss. She didn't do things like that.
"Well, we'll just get even – we'll order the most expensive things on the menu and bill him, if you'd still like to eat." Kevin seemed apologetic enough.
"I'm not gonna turn down a free meal," Reba responded with a smile.
Kevin stopped a waiter. "Um, may we have the wine list, please? Thank you."
"So – I guess we just update each other. We seem to be making progress with our clients." Reba commented.
Kevin chuckled. "Thanks to you. The way that you handled the wife was a stroke of genius. When we finally close the deal, I'll make sure that Parker knows how much work you put into it and how good you were with the clients."
"Oh, it's fine. You don't have to," Reba responded modestly.
"Oh, don't do that. Quietly competent doesn't get you ahead with the company." Kevin paused to look at Reba. He didn't want her to think that he was a vicious type of guy. He was just extremely competitive. "Did that just sound really cutthroat?" Kevin asked.
Reba gave him a small laugh. "No."
Kevin chuckled. "Okay, you need to work on your poker face."
Reba's cell phone began to ring. She picked it up immediately. She was worried that it was one of her kids. "Sorry, I should get that. It might be one of my kids or Parker."
"If it's Parker, just let the call go. I can't imagine what he -," Kevin advised. He didn't get to finish because Reba hurried to answer the call.
"Hello? Daniel? Is everything all right?" Kevin looked annoyed at the interruption while Reba talked to Daniel on her cell phone. "Where are you?"
Later, Reba was with Brock/Daniel sitting on a bench in the park. "I'm so sorry that I ruined your night."
"Daniel, it's fine. Really."
"No, I – I tried Timothy. I even tried that new assistant, Faye that was just hired."
"Stop apologizing. You didn't ruin anything. Parker never even showed."
"You don't say," he remarked, quietly looking at her.
Brock/Daniel's car was on the side of the road nearby with a flat tire. Reba and Brock/Daniel walked around the park talking. "I'm just so embarrassed that I'm riding around in a Porsche that has no spare tire. It's after dark and I'm in a secluded area. Not the best idea- going out for a drive on a night like this. I just needed to clear my head."
"That's understandable. I heard that you wanted to take a couple of days off and got treated to a bigger workload."
"It's not just that. I'm lonely, Reba. I feel so alone, even in a building full of people at work. I thought that these feelings would get better by now. I keep going back and forth through the stages of grief. Just when I think that I'm getting to the next stage, I end up right back where I was." Brock/Daniel tried to explain. Reba tried to tell him a joke to make him laugh. Then she talked to him about her experience and how she was dealing with it.
"What?" Reba asked him as he stared so intently at her.
"Oh, nothing. It's just... I don't know if I'm ever gonna get used to you – To people Talking to me like a real estate agent. I haven't been in real estate for very long. I'm still fairly new to the business." Brock/Daniel stumbled over his explanation.
"Oh, if we're being honest, I'm still very new to the business too. I've only been doing this for about a year or so now. There's still so much more that I have to learn too. I pretend to have the air of confidence around clients, even if I'm scared that I'm not the right agent for them. It's like acting," Reba explained.
"Except it's so much more than that to families like the Masons."
"Well, then it's a good thing that they've got you," Reba responded, giving him one of her famous smile. It warmed his heart to see that smile.
The next day, Brock/Daniel got Barbra Jean to go down to the real estate office to flirt with Kevin and Parker. He figured that it would get them to back off from pursuing Reba if Barbra Jean served as enough of a distraction. Brock was feeling pretty pleased with himself. Reba would no longer be hit on by those two slime balls and he managed to find a buyer for the Mason's house. The closing would be in two weeks and the Masons would have the money that needed very soon. He got a much better offer on the house than the previous buyer had offered. Parker came into Brock/Daniel's office to congratulate him.
Timothy caught Parker walking by Reba's office. "Hey Mr. Harrison, how was your poker game last night?"
"Don't ask, never ask," Parker answered.
Timothy directly up to Reba's office and started to chat with her. "That guy hasn't missed a Thursday night poker game in, like, 10 years. You got to admire that commitment." Timothy walked away and Reba was left wondering about the dinner that she was supposed to have with Parker and Kevin. She was puzzled about why she was invited to dinner when Parker had a poker game to attend instead. Brock/Daniel found Faye outside getting some fresh air.
"Did you hear? I was finally able to get a buyer for the Mason's house and I got to expedite the closing so they'll have their money in two weeks." He looked over at her. "What's wrong? Are you mad at me?"
Faye shook her head. "I guess that I'm not a very good guardian angel. You were in a potentially dangerous situation last night and I wasn't anywhere around. You were stranded and alone. Someone could've robbed you or killed you and it would've been my fault. I should've been there. Instead, I was at a baseball game."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Everything turned out alright. I called Reba for help. She left her dinner with that scumbag Kevin and came to help me. We walked around the park and talked. She knew a guy who had a tow truck. I had the car towed to the office. Timothy went out to help get me a tire this morning. She drove me home last night."
"She knows where you live?"
"Not exactly. She drove me back to her house. I told her that I lived in the neighborhood and that I would walk home because I didn't want her to go to any extra trouble for me. I made sure that she got inside safely and then I walked over to Barbra Jean's. It was perfect. It was a nice evening despite the flat tire. You've been a good guardian angel and I'm sorry that I've been so hard on you. It isn't your fault. I always manage to get myself into trouble. You said that while you're here you're human. Well, humans make mistakes. And last night was the best mistake that I've had in awhile. I've never appreciated a car breaking down more in my life." Faye and Brock/Daniel exchanged a smile.
Reba walked into Kevin's office. He closed his laptop and smiled as soon as he saw Reba. "Hey, I was just trying to IM you. We've had a very good day, huh? I'm still buzzing. I'm so glad that we finally took care of the divorced couple. Their house is sold and they have both found new places to live." He walked toward Reba, who stood angrily in the doorway.
"Parker was never comin' to dinner last night, was he?" Reba asked.
"What? Of course he was. No, he just..." Kevin began, but he was cut off by Reba.
"Kevin, it wasn't a question. I know."
"Well, I – I wanted to..." Kevin nervously tried to explain and realized that his words fell short. "Um...I wanted to have dinner with you, and.."
"You thought that you had to manipulate me into goin'?"
"It's kind of my default."
"Yeah? How's that workin' for ya?"
"I lost Brock less than a month ago. I don't need to be manipulated right now."
"I'm sorry, Reba."
Reba turned to leave. "The thing is, that if you had just called and asked, 'Hey, you wanna go grab somethin' to eat?' I might have said yes. I appreciate honesty and I don't play games. I'm a single mother. My children only have one living parent and their father just died. I'm not lookin' for anythin' other than friendship. We work together and I would like us to be friends."
Kevin didn't know what to say so Reba just walked away. Later that night, Brock was celebrated his good day over a bottle of wine with Barbra Jean. They were laughing and joking around. For the first time, Brock/Daniel felt pretty good about working in real estate. He felt confident without having to fake it. He'd just had a wonderful night with Reba in the park and he'd heard how Reba handled Kevin at the office. He congratulated Barbra Jean on her performance in flirting with Kevin and then Parker. It totally worked. Kevin was out of the way, thanks to his lies and Parker was more determined to woo Barbra Jean. He was filled with jealousy, watching her flirt with Kevin.
Both men were clearly not going to be pursuing Reba in the near future. Barbra Jean announced that she would be asking her boss for another chance at the field reporting assignment. She was ready to try to take the next step in her career for herself and her son. Brock/Daniel promised to take Barbra Jean and Henry on a long weekend to South Padre Island as soon as he could. They arranged it for the following weekend. Barbra Jean showed Brock/Daniel a copy of the day's newspaper. The newspaper reran Brock's obituary with the picture of Brock that Reba had displayed on her desk in her office.
Meanwhile, Reba was working late in her office. She was standing there, holding her picture of Brock. Tears were running down her cheeks. Life was going on without him. It just wasn't fair.
Kevin appeared in her office doorway. "Hey, there."
Reba turned to face him, wiping her cheeks. "Hi."
"I was heading out and I saw that you were working late, and uh, I was wondering if you'd like to grab something to eat, just as friends." Kevin looked sincere. There didn't seem to be any of the attitude that she'd gotten from him earlier. He seemed to understand that she wasn't interested in dating.
Reba smiled. "That would be nice." She put Brock's picture back down on the desk. She grabbed her briefcase and purse and headed out the door with Kevin. Life was moving forward and Reba knew that she would have to learn how to move forward alone. She was going to take life one day at a time.
Okay, so the story ends for now. Brock is slowly learning how to handle his job and adjust to his new life. Barbra Jean finally understood that she and Brock would be just good friends. She was learning how to move on in her life too. Parker was intent on pursuing Barbra Jean. Pursuing Reba was an empty threat against Brock. Reba is learning how to get on with the normal process of daily life. She put Kevin in his place so he won't be trying to hit on her anymore right now. Brock and Reba are slowly moving into a friendship. She seems to trust him. Brock and Faye are forming a friendship. Brock knows that Timothy is a good friend too. Barbra Jean wasn't the one who had the newspaper rerun Brock's obituary with the correct picture. That was Reba. She knew how Brock would feel about the obituary and she made sure that it was fixed so Brock would have a proper obituary for people to remember him by. Reba is going to dinner with other guys as friends so hopefully she will consider going to dinner with Brock soon.
To be continued...
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out!
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