Road Trip To The Destiny - 09

Reba was pacing and she was ready to kill the goofy blonde that broke down during the live broadcast. Barbra Jean entered her living room hiding behind Brock.

"If you think he can protect you, you're wrong, because I'm going to kill him too after I'm through with you!"

"Calm down Reba." Brock stepped in between his two exes. He locked Reba against his body to make sure she couldn't escape.

"I'm sorry Reba." Barbra Jean wept. "I didn't even mention your name. I don't know how the media got the information about you."

"They are gossip media, they will dig all the dirt, if they can't find anything, they'll make it up," commented Brock, still holding on to Reba tight, he ignored her protests to get out.

"I'm not a public figure Brock, they have no right to invade my personal life, nor make up stuff about me. You two better do something to straighten out the truth. Or I swear I'll burn down the station! And since they went through all the trouble to dig up my personal life, couldn't they tell that I'm the first ex, how the heck did I end up being a home wrecker?"

"I promise I'll tell them the truth. I'm the one who broke your family," cried Barbra Jean. Reba hollered at Brock since he was the one who caused all this mess.

"Mom, what's this all about?" Cheyenne barged in to the living room, Kyra soon followed. They weren't happy hearing the news. Brock told the family that he and Barbra Jean were getting a divorce. He admitted to them that he didn't love Barbra Jean anymore, and he didn't feel right about keeping her, making her lose her opportunity to maybe find someone who would really appreciate her. He had tried his best to keep Reba out. The kids seemed to understand and saw it coming, since they were fighting on and off for the past three years. But they didn't think Reba would have anything to do with this. The news shocked them as much as it did to Reba.

"Leave your mom out of this. She has nothing to do with this." Brock once again had to step up. It was his entire fault and he knew it.

"Then, dad, what the heck this is all about?" Kyra stared at her father, demanding the truth.

"Fine, you want the truth? I still love your mother; I've never stopped all these years. And yes I'll try and get back together with her." His words were like a knife that cut through Barbra Jean's heart. How it hurt listening to the man she loved, saying how he loved the other woman. Now she knew how Reba felt. She left Reba's living room to go back to her house with tears. Reba followed her friend. Leaving Brock to deal with the kids.

"You can't do that!" Cheyenne spoke up; Brock turned her head sharply towards his older daughter. "Everything was doing fine the way it was, why do you have to mess this up dad? Our life has finally got back on track. Why can't you just let us be?"

"Everything was doing fine according to who? To you or to me? If it's according to me, no, my life wasn't fine since I stepped out of this house seven years ago."

"You knew for the past seven years our lives were turned up side down because of you, and you're doing it again."

"No, you will live your life like you did yesterday, nothing will change. Cheyenne, you have your family now. You and your family will have your own problems to deal with. And Kyra, you still have your band, your music, and your dreams to pursue. Someday you'll move out of the house, even Jake, someday he'll have his own family too. Leaving just your mom, and me. I'm sure, you don't want your mom to be alone; you want her to be with someone, why can't that person be me?" Brock tried to reason with his daughters. Reba came back just soon enough to hear his last sentence. She didn't respond to his remarks, but she let it register to her heart.

"But she's happier without you!" Kyra still wouldn't give in.

"Is she, really? Are you comparing her now with the last year of our marriage or are you comparing when we were together 19 years before our marriage fell apart?" Kyra and Cheyenne were glancing at Reba, who still remained speechless, not sure how to feel. Although they still didn't like the idea, but they couldn't find a good reason to stop him. It was now up to Reba, if she would take him back.

Barbra Jean straightened the truth with her station, but when they announced an apology to Reba, it was tiny news compared to the cover story when they blamed her. For the first time in her life, Reba had to deal with people looking at her like she was the other woman; they gave her phony smiles, they pretended to be friends, but they talked behind her back. Reba used to complain that it ain't easy dealing with the fact that her husband left her for another woman, it ain't fun being treated like the other woman too.

Barbra Jean got a better job offer from the local station, apparently from the scandal that happened, the station found out that she had a number of 'fans' that wanted to know what was going on with her life. So she got her own TV show that invited the housewives to chat and gossip, speaking about their problems at home, breaking down in tears with the guest. Oddly, the rating of the show was quite high for a small station. She remained in Houston.

Brock found an apartment that wasn't too far away from Reba. Barbra Jean finally gave him her blessing. It still hurt seeing how Brock tried to impress Reba and win her back. But she would have to learn to deal with it like Reba once did. Brock understood the fact that he had caused all the mess, but his excuse was 'things always get out of place before they get organized.' Reba had yet to buy that excuse.

"What's that sound?" Reba woke up by the sound of a loud machine. It was a weekend, and she was hoping to stay in bed a little while longer. She peaked her head outside her bedroom window. "Brock! What the heck are you doing?" She shouted for Brock to hear.

"What's the matter, haven't you ever seen me mowing the lawn before?"

"I'm trying to sleep!"

"Close the window then!" Brock continued to mow the lawn, next thing he knew, Reba stood next to him with her arms crossed. "Morning honey," greeted Brock.

"What are you doing?"

"Mowing the lawn."

"I can see that. Who told you to?"

"You did."

"When?"

"Every Friday for almost twenty years."

"Oh for the love of God!" Reba rolled her eyes walking back in the house.

"Can you move the stuff from the washing machine to the dryer please?" That caused Reba to turn around.

"You did laundry? What has gotten into you?"

"You always wanted me to help with household chores."

"Took you 26 years to start?"

"Better late than never." He started the lawn mower engine again. Reba looked up in the sky and let out a frustrated sigh before going back in the house.

"Mr. H! What are you doing? Put the vacuum down before Cheyenne sees you doing housework!" Cried Van, trying to turn off the vacuum cleaner.

"And what's wrong with Cheyenne seeing me doing household chores?"

"I told her that's a woman's job. Men only help by lifting their feet when the vacuum gets too close. And I kinda told her that's why you never do housework" Brock glared at his son-in-law. "You really think this will impress Mrs. H? Where is she anyway?"

"She has an open house. I don't know if this will impress her or not. I just want to do what I should have done." Brock continued to clean the house; Reba came home in the evening and was astonished how spotless it was. But it wasn't the clean house that impressed her; it was a bouquet of gladiolus on the coffee table that put a smile on her face. He still remembered her favorite flowers. She wiped off the smile quickly telling herself that just because he did some housework and bought a bouquet of flowers for her, she shouldn't give in that easily. She hung her purse on the coat rack and went to get herself a bottle of water, and she accidentally let out a small 'aww' when she saw a note on the shopping list. 'I miss you'. And when she opened the fridge there was another note taped at eye-level, 'I really do'. She tried to control her heart from melting. She intentionally ignored the note and reached for a bottle of water. She went to her living room and checked her voice mail. Reba jumped when she heard the familiar voice. 'If you miss me too, please give me a call.' Reba's heart shook a little; he remembered her routine. She hit the delete button, telling herself that she would not call him. She listened to the next message and let out a snicker. 'Alright fine, you won't call then I'll call you.' And just on cue, her phone rang.

"Hi Honey, don't you miss me?"

"Brock if you think your little sweet talk still has its charm on me, then you're wrong."

"Not a little bit?"

"Nope."

"Alright then. How are you today? Tired?" Brock continued making conversation with Reba for a while, asking about how her day went, if she made any sales, if she liked the flowers he bought.

"Thanks for cleaning the house, and yes I like the flowers."

"Reba...?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember we used to talk on the phone for almost an hour when we were dating?"

"What's your point?"

"I think my little sweet talk still has it charm."

"Pfft, what makes you think so?"

"We're talking for 45 minutes now and you still haven't hung up on me." And click. She hung up! The doorbell rang. Reba went and open the door. Yep, it was Brock. He stood with his cell phone in his hand and a huge grin spread across his face. "Well I don't think you have enough time to cook dinner, can I take you out?"

"No." Reba tried to close the door, but Brock stood between it.

"I thought that what you'd say, I got us some take out." Brock showed a plastic bag he hid behind his back. Reba sniffed the air and her stomach rumbled. No denying that she wasn't hungry. Brock chuckled and went straight to the kitchen and set up the dining room table and lit the candles that he previously prepared. Reba was too hungry to protest. But she repeated to herself she wouldn't give in easily. However, Brock wasn't gonna stop trying until she caved. Hopefully, she would eventually cave and take him back. He had plans.