Laughter filled the private room located at the back of the restaurant where the Hart-Montgomery family celebrated their last family birthday of the year. Brock glanced at the entry way, checking his watch discreetly. Barbra Jean noticed his nervous glances, and smiled as she looked at the door. She knew what surprise he had in store for the redhead tonight and she, herself, couldn't wait to see the shock cross her unsuspecting face. Barbra Jean smiled when a group of waiters loudly entered the room. Brock pushed away from Reba, allowing the group to circle her.
Reba blushed once she saw the group enter and gently smacked Brock's chest. "I can't believe you!" She groaned, a smile slowly forming on her lips. Brock shrugged his shoulders, chuckling when Reba's eyes widened at the large bowl of ice cream being placed in front of her as each family member snapped countless photos and began to sing Happy Birthday. After setting the goofy birthday hat on her head, Reba picked up her spoon, pretending to take a bite of ice cream as Cheyenne snapped another photo.
Once the waiters were out of the room and Reba had taken the first bite, Brock stole a bite, and Reba scoffed at him, quickly taking another bite and moving the bowl away from him. Barbra Jean dipped her spoon into the dessert, smiling when Reba glared at her. Reba shook her head when the kids stared at her expectantly. Reba took another bite before pushing the dessert to the center of the table where the rest of the family could enjoy it.
"You know that was meant for you." Brock whispered as he leaned closer to Reba. She shrugged her shoulders, content in watching her family. "You're a wonderful woman." Brock kissed her temple before standing up and reaching for his wallet. "I'm gonna pay the bill so we can leave." Reba nodded her head, but grabbed his arm before he could walk away. She pulled him closer for a kiss, lingering for a moment before letting him walk away. She watched him until he was out of the room before turning her attention back to the other family members. Reba took a deep breath, the past year bringing a smile to her face.
Cheyenne was six months pregnant and Van was thrilled that the baby was a boy. Barbra Jean was still in a relationship with her hunky fireman, and Reba knew a proposal was right around the corner as John had asked for her help in picking out a ring after Christmas. Kyra was in college, and her band had been doing extremely well lately. Jake, her baby, was flying through high school with ease and had even managed to spend more time with the family. Brock had managed to keep his promises, and had been loving, honest, and faithful. Their communication had been rough at first, but they'd found a way to make it work.
Brock cleared his throat, smiling at Reba when her attention snapped in his direction. "What were you thinking?" Brock held her jacket open for her, and waited patiently as she pulled her hair out from under her jacket and grabbed her purse.
"Nothing really, just the past year and how happy everyone is now." Brock's smile faltered a bit before it brightened once again. He wrapped his hand around hers, and walked by her side as they left the restaurant. "It's been a very good year. I couldn't be any happier." Reba took a deep breath as she wrapped her arms around his, stepping closer to him as they exited the building and entered the cold night air.
"So, did you have a good birthday?" Brock asked as they stopped at the back of the car. Reba nodded her head, smiling as the day flashed through her mind. "Good. I'm glad to see my heroic actions didn't go to waste." Reba raised an eyebrow at him, her smile dropping slightly.
"Oh yeah, and what exactly did you do that was so heroic?" Reba stepped closer to Brock, letting his arms wrap loosely around her waist. He smiled, chuckling softly.
"I saved you from embarrassing gifts. Barbra Jean and Cheyenne both had ideas that'd have given you a heart attack." Reba's eyes widened slightly, and she glanced over his shoulders at the rest of the family tormenting each other in the parking lot. She returned her eyes to Brock, slipping her arms under his jacket and around his body. He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Oh, well, that is pretty heroic." Reba took a deep breath, briefly closing her eyes as his cologne tickled her senses. "However will I repay you?" She smiled mischievously, giggling softly when he growled in the back of his throat before lowering his head until he could whisper into her ear. Reba blushed and when he pulled back slightly, he smirked at her. He caressed her cheek, letting his thumb rub over her cheek before leaning in to kiss her passionately.
"Oh, give it a break you two. You've been dating for almost a year now. All this affection is getting old." Kyra shook her head as she made her way past her parents. Brock and Reba pulled apart from each other, smiling and shrugging their shoulders as Jake quickly agreed with his sister. He shook his head as he moved to climb inside the vehicle. Brock chuckled before kissing Reba once again and walking her to her side of the car. He ran to his side, ready to get home to collect his heroic rewards.
Once they made it home, Kyra and Jake went to their rooms, leaving the adults alone in the living room. Brock helped Reba out of her jacket, asking that she sit down before he darted into the dining room. Reba watched him as she sat on the couch, wondering what he was doing. Brock smiled as he moved to join her on the couch, his hands hiding behind his back. Reba stared at him through narrowed eyes, prompting him to show what he had hidden.
"Brock, you didn't have to get me anything. I already told you that." She glanced over the paper, noting that he'd gotten better at wrapping presents. She smirked at the Santa images. Brock let out a deep breath, glaring softly at her.
"Yes, I did. It's your birthday." Brock glanced between her and the gift, impatiently waiting for her to open it. Reba took a deep breath, catching his stare.
"Yeah, but I considered dinner as my gift." Brock mimicked her deep breath, scooting closer to her as he held back an eye roll.
"It doesn't count. We go out to dinner all the time." Reba nodded her head in agreement, but quickly thought of a response, enjoying the annoyance in his eyes. It was fun teasing him when he was excited about a surprise.
"Well, we had the whole family this time." Brock glared at her, showing her how irritated he was becoming at her stubbornness. At this point, he was almost ready to open it for her. Brock took a deep breath, holding it for a moment.
"We have family dinners at least once a week." Reba bit her lips at his frustration, and fought back her laughter when she couldn't pass on saying one more comment. Brock narrowed his eyes briefly when he noticed the slight crack of a smile on her lips. She was playing with him, and he was easily falling for it. He leaned back slightly, waiting for what she had to say next.
"Okay, we actually got dessert tonight." Brock rolled his eyes, and Reba smirked at the defeat crossing his face. He pointed to the present, no longer wanting to argue with her.
"For that, you have to open it now." Reba smiled, hesitating as she stared at him. Brock glanced at her, his shoulders dropping. "Will you please open it already? I'm dying over here!" Reba laughed softly before slowly unwrapping it. Awe and love froze on her face as she glanced over the picture of her and Brock dressed as an elf and Santa. Brock grinned at her smile, and when she didn't say anything, his heart swelled with joy. He'd left her speechless. "And you didn't want to open it. Looks like the jokes on you." Brock stuck his tongue out at her when she sent a glare in his direction. She shook her head, returning her attention to the picture. Brock moved closer to her, looking at the object in her hands. "I wanted something that captured us and how we've gotten back to this point." Reba smiled, turning her attention from the picture to him. She gently cupped his cheeks, pulling him to her for a kiss.
"I love you." Reba smiled when Brock returned the sentiment. "I think it's time I pay you back for saving me." She leaned in closer, wrapping one hand around his and cupping his cheek with the other. "There might even be something extra…since you got me such a wonderful present." She kissed his lips before standing up and pulling him to his feet as she walked towards the stairs. Brock quickly picked up his pace; placing a hand on Reba's waist as he closely followed her to their bedroom.
Reba yawned as she finally made her way inside Brock's office. She tossed the plastic sack in her hand onto his desk, and plopped down in his chair. She leaned back, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Brock smiled at her when he walked into his office, carrying two cups of coffee. He set one down in front of her before clearing his throat and gaining her attention. "So, are you the one in charge now?" Reba smirked, sitting up and staring at him.
"When are you gonna learn? I'm always in charge." Brock chuckled, sitting down across from her. "Besides, you're the one who waited until the last possible moment to sign your Christmas cards. I think it's only fair I get the comfy chair." Brock acknowledged she had a good point before opening the first box of cards. "You're also lucky I wasn't very busy today so I could get the envelopes printed out and leave early." Reba opened the pack of silver pens, passing one to him.
"Well, thank you for helping me." Brock winked at her before passing her a stack of cards. "To be honest, though, I forgot about them. It's the first year I didn't have you or Barbra Jean here to remind me." He took a deep breath, glancing at her as she feverishly signed his name over and over again. As she took a deep breath, he realized how tired she really was. He pulled out his cell phone, calling her favorite restaurant to make dinner reservations. Reba's eyes snapped to his, and she smiled widely. "We better get to work. We don't have much time."
Reba rolled her eyes before deciding to make their task a little more fun. She leaned over the desk, smirking when Brock mimicked her actions. "How about we make this interesting?" He raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue. "The first one finished gets a full body massage tonight." Brock quickly agreed, holding his hand out for her to shake. "All right, but I'm already twenty cards ahead of you."
They both picked up their pens, beginning to race through signing Brock's name. "Yeah, but it's my name. I've signed it more times than you and for a lot longer." Reba chuckled in the back of her throat, glancing at him for only a moment.
"You forget, Brock, that you met me when I was a young, foolish girl, scribbling our names together over every inch of free space I could find and that I was your wife for twenty years. I've signed your name for things you'll never know about. I might have even done it once or twice after we were divorced." Brock paused, staring at her for a minute. She looked up at him, smirking at the discomfort on his face.
"Now, wait a minute," Brock hesitated, not sure if he really wanted to know or not. He shook his head, returning back to his stack of cards. "Never mind, I don't want to know." Reba laughed, taking a drink of her coffee and giving her hand a short break. At this rate, he was never going to catch up to her.
Hours later, Brock and Reba entered their house, carrying bags inside. Brock set the left overs on the counter as he shrugged out of his jacket. "I can't believe you had to stop at the store. Don't we have lotion?" Reba scoffed turning around to face him as she slipped out of her jacket.
"Yeah, but it's the kind Barbra Jean got me. I can't stand that stuff. Besides," She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling when his hands rested on her hips. "I got other stuff besides the body lotion that we needed." Brock's ears perked up, and he grinned mischievously as his mind wondered what goodies she could have bought.
"Oh, really, like what?" Reba shook her head, pushing him away from her as she moved back to the bag.
"Not that kind of stuff! Get your mind out of the gutter, Brock." Reba chuckled at his disappointment before pulling out several rolls of tape, a box of tacks, and a bag of cat food.
"I can't help it. You're the one that puts it there." He smirked at her, seeing the blush cross her cheeks. She smacked his chest playfully before leaning in to give him a kiss. "Oh, see, there it goes, right back in the gutter." Reba giggled, rolling her eyes at him. "Which reminds me, are you ready for that massage?" Reba smiled, loving that she had won. She nodded her head, screaming slightly when he swept her off her feet and carried her upstairs.
Hours later, Brock lied awake next to Reba, who was sleeping soundly curly against his body. He gently ran a hand through her hair, pausing at the ends to twirl them around his fingers. He stared at the ceiling, praying the next twelve days would make her happy. He thought about his gifts over and over, walking through his plans for each one and wondering if it was the right choice. He took a deep breath when he felt Reba stirring, and closed his eyes briefly. Reba sat up slightly, glancing over his features. "You okay?"
Brock nodded his head, noticing the sleepiness in her eyes. "Yeah, I can't sleep, that's all." Reba nodded her head, moving until her back rested against the headboard. "What are you doing?" Reba yawned, stretching her arms and legs before pulling the sheet up her body.
"I'm keeping you company." Brock frowned, sitting up a little straighter, and pulling her closer to him. Reba curled against his body, letting her head rest on his shoulder.
"You don't have to do that, Reba. I was fine with holding you." Reba nodded her head, but began to play with his fingers as she asked what was bothering him. Brock hesitated for a minute, weighing his options. Before he could answer though, Reba had fallen back to sleep, leaving him to chuckle at her. He stayed up a few minutes longer before he gently led Reba's body back to a lying position where they could both enjoy a few more hours of sleep. He took a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and smiled as he imagined her excitement when she woke up in the morning.