Recap:
Reba squealed with excitement. "Oh, thank you mama! Thank you daddy!" she was crushed when she found out she wouldn't be able to see Brock for the rest of the summer. Now she had the opportunity to stay with him for three months. There was no way she was going to take a minute of her time for granted.
Brock chuckled when he heard the steady breathing of the red head on the other line. "Good night sweetheart. I love you." He whispered his soft goodbye before hanging up the phone and tucking himself into bed.
Reba awoke the next morning, feeling more refreshed than she had in a long time. She smiled seeing the sun peek through the curtains. She could tell it would be a beautiful day. She pulled her robe closed and sniffed the air. No, nothing was burning today, but it did smell scrumptious.
She was greeted in the kitchen by another home cooked breakfast. Today it was French toast with fruit. Reba smiled seeing a note Brock had obviously left. 'Enjoy.' she smiled before placing the note beside the refrigerator. She ate her breakfast in silence, mutely wishing she had someone to talk to over her delicious meal.
It was the end of the week, which meant the Hart household was about due for groceries. Reba made her list, all the while still thinking about Brock. She found herself smiling as she made her shopping list. However, she wiped the grin off of her face as soon as she realized what she was doing. Smiling over Brock's friendly gestures would only leave her with a broken heart... not for the first time.
Reba hurried her way around the grocery store, crossing food off her list as she went. It wasn't that she hated shopping for groceries; it just wasn't her favorite task; especially since she had no one to make the time pass. Stop it! She mentally scolded herself. You've been doing fine without him; you will find someone to settle down with eventually. She laughed at herself, wondering why she was bargaining; she knew it wasn't true.
After purchasing everything she needed, Reba hurried out to the parking lot, fumbling awkwardly for her keys. She had bags in both hands, so this proved to be more difficult than not.
Brock put his truck in park and got out, locking the doors before heading to the front of the grocery store. When he and Reba were married, they always did their grocery shopping at the end of the week. He supposed it was just a habit he hadn't given up, because here he was, grocery shopping.
He walked past countless cars, seeing a woman who had dropped her bags in the distance. As he got closer, he could see that the woman was Reba. He picked up the pace; bending down to help her pick up the bags she had dropped. She smiled gratefully as he helped her carry the bags to her car. "Thanks." she whispered quietly as he placed the final bag in the trunk.
"No problem." he gave her his signature smile before winking and heading back toward the front of the building. Reba blushed, watching him walk away. She quickly looked around, as if someone had seen her blush. Rolling her eyes, she started up the car and headed for home.
Brock wandered through the aisles aimlessly. He should have made a list; but if he was being completely honest, a grocery list was the last thing on his mind. His thoughts were occupied by a certain redhead. He smiled just thinking about her. Just seeing her was enough to fill his day with joy.
He continued to walk through the store, absentmindedly throwing food into the basket he was carrying. When he arrived home, he emptied the grocery bags, and laughed at the sight before him. It looked as if Reba had gone shopping. Sweet Tea, Italian dressing, and low fat cookies, among other things, filled the counter. He sighed, knowing it was a wasted trip. The only thing he would get use of was the sweet tea.
Reba slumped over the stove, watching the water in the pot begin to boil. Why did everything have to be so complicated lately? Why couldn't she turn back time 10 years when her life was settled, comfortable, cozy even. She thought back to a few months prior when she stood in this exact spot and met Brock's fiancée. Reba scoffed pouring rice into the boiling water and taking it off of the burner.
That whole situation was hard for her to grasp. Brock seemed to be blindly, madly in love with Carmen, but as soon as Reba spoke out against her, Brock was suddenly 'having issues' with her. Was it all a hoax? She hoped to never find out the answer to that question. She let the steam take her thoughts as the oven timer beeped. She pulled out the single chicken breast, sighing. She was alone for dinner...again.
"Hey Reba!" Brock waltzed through the door just as soon as she sat down at the table with her plate. Reba rolled her eyes, hiding her smile with a bite of chicken.
"Why are you here?" she asked between bites of food and gulps of her wine. Brock set the bag he had with him on the counter before joining Reba at the table.
"My trip to the grocery store today was sort of a waste." Reba looked at him with an eyebrow raised, continuing to jab at the piece of meat on her plate. "In other words, i have some fat free cookies and some Italian dressing for you." Reba laughed, not understanding why he would go to the store, but not buy anything that he needed. Then again, though, she didn't understand a lot of things Brock did...like Carmen.
Reba had finished her meal nearly fifteen minutes ago, but she had just placed her plate in the sink. She filled the sink with soapy water, continuing her conversation with Brock. Brock saw her fill the water and promptly left his seat at the table, making his way to the sink. "Don't you worry about that tonight, i will do the dishes for you." he placed a strong hand on the small of her back. "Why don't you get yourself a glass of wine and relax."
Reba graciously took him up on his offer, refilling her wine glass and heading into the living room. Less than five minutes later, Brock made his presence known, as he joined Reba on the couch to watch the evening news. Reba felt her heart flutter when Brock wrapped an arm around her shoulder comfortingly. She closed her eyes instinctively, getting a whiff of his cologne. Yep, it still smells better on him than in the bottle. She had a hidden bottle in her dresser for the days that loneliness became unbearable, but she wouldn't dare tell anyone that.
The ten o'clock news was only halfway over, yet Reba was already fighting herself to stay awake. Before the next commercial break, she was out. Brock looked down at the sleeping angel. When she had fallen asleep, she had INSTINCTIVELY laid her head on Brock's shoulder, and he couldn't say that he minded.
"Let's get you to bed." he whispered before gently picking up the redhead and carrying her to her bed.
As he laid her down, she began to stir. "Don't forget to put Jake to bed. Make sure he brushes his teeth." she mumbled groggily. "Good night." she mumbled again, before giving Brock a kiss.
She was out like a light. Brock, however, would stay up half the night thinking about that one, simple goodnight kiss. It had been part of their routine for so long, that it still felt natural. If Reba fell asleep before the kids, Brock would always give them a bath when they were younger, or tell them to hurry off to their rooms when they were older. He chocked it up to be the three glasses of wine Reba had had. The wine must have made her think of older times. There was nothing behind it.
Deep down though, he couldn't help but think that he had just conquered stepping stone number three.