Reba quietly giggled as she lied on top of Brock, running a finger gently down his nose as he slept. She held her breath when he crinkled his nose and let out an annoyed sigh. "Honey, it's not nice," He quickly snapped into motion, rolling over and trapping her underneath him as he tickled her sides. "To tease someone while they're sleeping." Reba laughed as she tried to push him away, but between his strength and her laughter she was barely even touching him. Brock laughed, stopping before he caused her to suffocate. "Good morning, Angel. How'd you sleep?" Reba took a deep breath, resting her hands on his shoulders as he hovered above her.
"Very well. Thank you." He smiled, enjoying how well-rested she appeared. "I'm starving now though." Brock chuckled as he playfully rolled his eyes before moving away from her. "I'm guessing my subtle hint was taken." She chuckled for a moment, following him as he climbed out of bed.
"Oh, you think I'm getting up for you?" Brock glanced at her, pretending to think it over. Reba smiled at him, making her eyes bigger as she stuck out her bottom lip. "You keep doing that and we won't be having breakfast for a while." He smirked when she quickly relaxed her face, gently pushing him away from the bed and towards the bedroom door.
"Seriously, Brock, I'm about to die of hunger." Reba stopped pushing when they reached the door, waiting until he turned to look at her. "And there will be no more of that if you don't feed me now." He kept his face straight, letting a moment of silence pass between them.
"Have I spoiled you that badly, so much so that you've forgotten how to cook?" Reba glared at him, shaking her head before trying to slip past him. Brock held her in place between his body and the door frame. "I'm kidding, Honey. Of course I'll make you breakfast." He kissed her gently, winking at her before heading for the kitchen. Reba sighed, shaking her head at him before running after him. When she caught up to him, she jumped on his back, squealing when he caught her. "Now, you've forgotten how to walk?"
"Yep! I figured if you were spoiling me, I might as well take full advantage of it. Now, let's go before I start eating you!" She acted like she was eating his neck for a moment before laughing as she rested her head on her arm wrapped around his shoulders.
"Aw, come on, guys! I don't need to see that!" Jake covered his eyes, mumbling under his breath. Brock spun around so he and Reba could look at Jake.
"Whoa! When did you get here?" Brock asked as he let go of Reba's legs so she could stand on her own. Reba slipped around him, easing under his arm as she stood next to him.
"Ugh, like seven thirty last night. Don't worry though. Kyra made us dinner." Reba bit her bottom lip, realizing she'd hadn't thought once about her kids last night. Brock squeezed her, letting her know he was thinking the same thing.
"I'm sorry, Bud, but you're mother had a horrible day so I treated her to a personal spa day." He smiled, kissing the side of Reba's head. "I'm making breakfast though. Would a big breakfast make up for last night?" Jake was about to answer, but Reba beat him to it.
"YES! YES IT WOULD!" Jake jumped slightly when she glared at him. "Wouldn't it, Jake?" He quickly nodded his head, telling her chill out before leaving the hall way for the bathroom. Reba took a deep breath and blushed when she saw Brock staring at her.
"We do need to feed you and soon, too." Reba nodded her head with wide eyes, saying she'd warned him. He laughed, shaking his head. "Well, come on then, I love my children and don't want to lose any of them." Reba scoffed, narrowing her eyes when he stuck his tongue out at her.
"Oh, that's it. I'm eating you first!" Brock took off running, barely staying out of her reach as she chased him into the kitchen where the scent of fresh coffee and the sound of Kyra's guitar awaited them.
Brock turned quickly when he reached the counter, catching Reba as she crashed into him. "I'm here first so I get the first cup of coffee." He could see her competitive nature kicking in, and kept an eye out for any flying limbs.
"But coffee might keep me from eating you while you cook…" She reached for a coffee cup, but her attention was captured by Brock's knees bending as he feigned falling asleep.
"Oh, no, suddenly, I'm too tired to cook. I think I need to go back to bed." He closed his eyes, beginning to snore as he leaned against the counter. Reba glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. Kyra shook her head at her parents, setting her guitar against the wall next to her.
"You both could have had a cup already if you weren't arguing." She stood up with a cup in her hand, holding it out for them to see. "Besides, I was the first one to get coffee." With that being said, she walked out of the kitchen. Reba chuckled at her as she watched her leave before turning around to finish her dispute with Brock. She was startled when a coffee cup was waiting in front of her face. She smiled, thanking him softly as she took the mug from him.
"Little did she know…you've already had a cup." Reba scoffed, asking how he knew. Brock swallowed his sip of coffee, setting his mug on the counter next to the sink. "I could taste it when I kissed you." She grinned behind her cup, choosing not to respond. Brock smirked, loving when she stared over her cup at him. "Now, do you want to help me with breakfast or watch me, waiting for sample bites?"
Reba glanced around the kitchen, weighing her options. "I might as well help. I'll get bored if I don't." Brock laughed, knowing she had a good point. They moved about the kitchen, skillfully avoiding each other as one breakfast item after another was completed.
After breakfast, Reba stepped outside, watching as Brock pulled into the driveway. She let out a deep breath as she rubbed her hands together. She called out for Brock, wondering why he wasn't coming to the house. She started walking towards him, but stopped when he waved at her before moving further away. She narrowed her eyes, folding her arms in front of her. She could tell he was talking on the phone, and sat down on the porch bench to wait.
Brock took a deep breath, answering his phone as he moved to the back of his truck. "Hey, Bradley, thanks for returning my call. I was wondering if you have a minute to talk." He smiled glancing over his shoulder to make sure Reba was still on the porch. "Great! I was wondering if your dad's drive-in was playing anything tonight. I wanted to take Reba."
"Oh, no, I'm sorry, Brock. He closed it tonight, tomorrow, and the day after. I hope Reba wasn't looking forward to it." Brock let out a deep breath, beginning to pace. "Wait, he's trying to tell me something." Brock perked up, impatiently waiting for his friend to get back to him. "Do you remember how much my dad loves Reba?" Brock chuckled, answering the question. "Well, he told me to let y'all have the keys to the place, and to set up any movie that y'all want…Yes, Dad, I'll tell him. Also, he says Merry Christmas."
"Well, the same to him, and thank him for letting us use it. Reba will be extremely happy." Brock glanced back at Reba, knowing he didn't have a lot of time left before her curiosity got the best of her. "Uh, Bradley, can I ask a favor? I really want to surprise Reba." He moved to his back seat, grabbing the grocery bag. He finished his phone call before heading towards Reba.
Reba stood up as she waited for Brock, glancing next to her briefly when Barbra Jean stepped out on the porch. "What is he doing?" Barbra Jean glanced at Reba who shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know. He just got back from getting the milk, butter, and chocolate. I guess he got an important phone call or something." Brock smiled as he joined the ladies on the porch. "Is everything okay?" Brock nodded his head, leading the way into the house.
"Yeah, I was talking to a friend from college. You remember Bradley and Stacey?" She nodded her head, taking the bag from his hand. "Well, he called me wanting to hang out soon. I figured we could go out to lunch with them sometime next week."
"Yeah, that'll be great. I'm going to bake another batch of cookies for the kids. Do you want some?" Brock nodded his head, waiting until she was out of the room before motioning to his daughters. They quickly walked upstairs, entering Kyra's room.
"Did you get it?" Cheyenne giddily asked, bouncing with excitement. Brock nodded his head as he pulled out a small jewelry box. He opened it, carefully taking out the diamond ring for his daughters to see. "Oh, Dad, it's beautiful. She'll love it." He smiled, letting out a nervous breath.
"I sure hope so. Now, let's figure out how to do this." Kyra moved to her desk, pulling out a long, thick green ribbon. She worked with Cheyenne to tie it with the ring around their father's head. When they pulled on the end, the ring fell to the floor. "Wow, that was quick." Kyra rolled her eyes as Cheyenne raised an eyebrow at him.
"Dad, we're girls. We've tied bows our entire lives." She chuckled at him as Kyra grabbed the ring and ribbon to test it again. "Just in case though, we're going to do it a couple more times. Try not to move so much." Brock nodded his head as he let his daughters work their magic.
Hours later, the family gathered in the living room for an after dinner movie while Reba and Brock rinsed off the dinner dishes. "You know what, Reba, why don't we save these for later?" Reba stopped what she was doing to look at Brock.
"Why? We don't have anything else to do right now." Brock frowned at her, wiping his hands on a dish towel. Reba slipped a few plates into the sink slowly filling with water and soap. She glanced back at him, waiting on an answer.
"Why not?" Before she could answer, Barbra Jean was walking into the room. Brock smiled when she shooed Reba away from the dishes.
"It's only fair that someone else does the dishes since you cooked." Reba narrowed her eyes, glancing between her best friend and her boyfriend. They both smiled at her, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"All right, what are y'all up to, and don't lie to me either 'cause I know when you're lying." Brock took a step back, leaning against the stove when Barbra Jean took the lead. He watched the women argue back and forth for a moment before his laughter caused Reba's attention to shoot to him. "And what are you laughing at? You're not off the hook." He licked his lips, gaining his composure.
"Reba, Honey, come with me, please. I promise you'll like it." She folded her arms across her chest, pursing her lips together tightly. Brock sighed, standing straight and walking to her side. "Why can't you go with the magic of the holiday season and trust me?" Her face relaxed, but she looked away from him. Brock smirked, knowing she was being stubborn now. "Don't I know you?" He gently placed a finger under her chin, turning her head to look at him. "Well, wouldn't I know if you'd like it or not?" Reba took a deep breath, letting her arms fall to her sides.
"Fine! Let's go." Barbra Jean squealed, clapping her hands as she watched them walk towards the back door. "Wait, do you know what's happening?" Barbra Jean shook her head, stating it was still exciting. Reba rolled her eyes as Brock chuckled. He helped her into her jacket before grabbing his and following her out of the house. "I'd ask where we're going, but I have a feeling it's a surprise." Reba glanced at Brock as they walked to his truck.
"Oh, you know me so well." She shook her head as he helped her into the passenger seat before running to his side. He smiled with childlike excitement as he started the truck, and she couldn't help but laugh at him as they pulled out of the driveway, heading towards their destination.
Twenty minutes later, Brock was bringing the truck to a standstill. Reba glanced around her, unsure where they were. "What are we doing?" She turned to look at Brock, and suddenly her face went blank at the blindfold in his hand. "Really?" He nodded his head, smiling at her. "I'm only doing this because you're so excited…and I want to know what is it." Brock laughed at her as she turned around, allowing him to tie the blindfold securely over her eyes.
"We have one more stop before we get there, okay?" She nodded her head, taking a deep breath. "I know you don't like not being able to see so I'll try to be quick about it." She smiled, thanking him softly. Brock sent a quick text message before starting to drive again. He reached for her hand, wrapping it tightly with his own. "You're gonna love it. I can't wait." Reba chuckled, shaking her head.
Within ten minutes they were coming to a stop again. Brock smirked when he felt Reba's hand flinched, and forced back his laughter when her annoyance was evident in her body language. "Almost sweet heart. I'll be right back." Brock quickly pulled his hand away, ignoring Reba as her hand flew around in search of his. He ran around his truck to the small building where a slender blonde man stood waiting for him.
"A blindfold, really? I thought she didn't like those things?" Brock nodded his head, glancing at Reba. He returned his attention to his friend, following him inside.
"Yeah, Bradley, that's the exact reason I don't have a lot of time to do this." Brock handed a small item over to him, taking a deep breath as he heard Reba yell for him. "See." Bradley laughed, shaking his head.
"Well, I got this." Bradley smiled before remembering the surprise he had for Brock. "Oh, I almost forgot, but I fixed y'all up some snacks while I waited for you." Brock thanked him as he took the food and drinks. "I remembered Reba made you get popcorn and candy every time we were here." Brock laughed, knowing her reasons behind it.
"Don't worry. I didn't forget. I think it was her way of telling me not to be cheap." Bradley laughed, waving to Brock as he darted back to his truck. He turned back to his task, moving quickly to set up the big screen. Brock jumped into his truck, apologizing for taking so long.
"What took you so long? I almost took this off." She pointed to the cloth over her eyes before sniffing. "Wait, is that fresh popcorn?" Brock shook his head as he passed the large bag to her. She ate a few pieces as Brock started to drive again. "Man, this taste just like the popcorn from Bradley's drive-in we used to go to." Brock glanced at her, unsure if she had peeked or if she had remembered the popcorn that well.
He parked the truck, smiling when the screen lit up the area around them. Reba froze, and Brock waited a moment before telling her she could remove the blindfold. She quickly did as he said, her face lighting up when she noticed where they were. "Told you." She smiled, leaning over to kiss him.
"This is amazing. I can't believe you did this." Brock smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "Does Brad's family still own it?" Brock nodded his head, saying his father came in for an appointment and he asked him then. "Really? That's amazing. I didn't think this place was still running." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she stared at the screen. "So, what movie are we watching?"
"Well, it's a surprise." Reba rolled her eyes, and he knew she was tired of surprises. "First though, I think we should do like we used to in college." He winked at her before climbing out of the vehicle. He disappeared for a moment, returning with two pillows and a giant blanket. Reba smiled until a memory shot to the forefront of her mind. She leaned out of the truck, gaining Brock's attention.
"Wait, Brock, we always sat in the back of the truck, didn't we? The windshield wipers bothered us, remember?" Brock stopped walking, glancing between the truck and the screen. He sighed frustrated that he had forgotten. He had wanted it to be perfect. Reba chuckled as she scooted to the driver seat, put the truck in gear, and turned it around while Brock pouted a few steps away. She giggled at him as she walked to his side. "Honey, it's okay. I wouldn't have remembered if it wasn't for Elizabeth's sticker in the windshield."
Brock took a deep breath, accepting the kiss Reba was offering. "I know. I…wanted it to be perfect." Reba tenderly glared at him, shaking her head before taking the pillows from him. He followed her, lowering the tailgate and helping her into the back. Reba stood still as she noticed the pile of blankets already spread out on the truck bed. "Are you okay, Honey?" Reba nodded her head, smiling at him.
"It's great, Brock. I was a little worried we'd get cold, but I think we have enough blankets." She chuckled before suddenly freezing. "Wait a minute." Brock smirked, hiding his laughter as it slowly registered in her mind. "But…" She pointed in several directions, not being able to word what she needed to express.
Brock jumped onto the tailgate, letting out a deep breath before looking at her. "I haven't forgotten anything, Reba. You're the one who turned my truck around in college because there was more room and you didn't feel so out in the open for everyone to see. You blamed it on the wipers." Reba blushed, rolling her eyes before finding her spot on the pile of blankets.
"Whatever. Let's just watch the movie…Wait!" She sat up, glancing around the parking lot. "Why are we the only ones here?" Brock took a deep breath as he crawled to his spot, waving his hand over the top of the truck for Bradley to see.
"It was closed, but Brad's dad gave us the keys. Bradley's starting the movie for us and then going home. I have his key so I can lock up when we leave." Reba smiled before moving to her knees to stare over the truck. She waved when Bradley did, and as he climbed into his car, she settled in next to Brock.
"This is so…" Reba searched for the right word, but was distracted when a homemade movie filled the screen. Brock smirked when she zoned in on the movie, wrapped one blanket around their shoulders, and tossed another one across their laps. Reba snuggled against his chest, smiling when videos of them in college flashed before her eyes. Brock relaxed as he watched the movie, knowing what came next.
Reba took a deep breath as tears filled her eyes, and she smiled when video from their wedding day played out in front of her. She shook her head as she remained speechless. Brock glanced at her, realizing for the thousandth time how little she had changed over the years. "You're still as beautiful as you were that day." He whispered in her ear as the screen turned a bright white. "I love you." He kissed her cheek, turning his attention back to the screen as a blurry poster board slowly came into view.
"How did you do this?...Why isn't this camera working? Ugh, forget it!" Reba chuckled as Brock came into view in the movie. "I'll just tell you my twelve reasons. I love you, Reba, because…" He stopped talking, shaking his head as he grabbed the poster boards again. "No, I'm getting this." The screen went white for a moment before the poster board and Brock were back on screen. Reba smiled when she could read the posters. "Told you I'd get this. Now, Reba, I love…" He flipped the first poster, letting it fall to the floor at his feet.
Your fiery temper and your intense passion. (flip)
How you can be strong and vulnerable all at once and how I'm the only one you show how vulnerable you really are at times. (flip)
How your smile can light up a room, and how easily you can take my breath away. (flip)
Reba took a deep breath, smiling as she read the cards. Brock watched her, his eyes dancing over her features. He could count each time a poster was dropped to the floor, and it brought a small grin to his face to see how much she enjoyed reading each reason.
How peaceful and angelic you look when sleeping and how I could watch you sleep all night. (flip)
How you remind me of everything good in my life. (flip)
That I rarely have a memory without you in it. (flip)
Reba swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking back tears. She reached for Brock's hand, squeezing it slightly. He pulled her closer to him, kissing the side of her head.
How we can have wordless conversations, and how you can keep up with our friendly banter so well. (flip)
How you know everything about me and still love me as much as you do. (flip)
The way you take care of everyone, including strangers. (flip)
Brock gently wiped away the tear slipping down her cheek, watching the flashing of light on her face. It had taken him so long to narrow down his reasons, and seeing the emotion on her face now, led him to believe he had chosen the right ones. Reba took a shaky breath, trying to prepare herself for the last three.
That you gave me a second chance, and were a naughty elf. (flip)
Reba chuckled, shaking her head. Brock smirked, winking at her when she glanced in his direction. She was grateful for the joke, needing the relief it brought.
How I can't imagine a life without you, and how I prefer to never have to experience it. (flip)
How twelve reasons aren't enough to express how much in love with you I am. (flip)
The movie screen flashed white before rolling into darkness. Music began playing from the speaker next to them as Reba turned to look at Brock. She was startled when she saw a large jar in his hand. "Like I said, Reba, twelve reasons…wasn't enough. So, I wrote down every little, tiny thing that I love about you and every single memory that I can remember, and I put them in this jar. This way you can have this moment as often as you want." Reba finally lost it, tears pouring down her cheeks as she pulled Brock towards her for a hug. She told him over and over how perfect the night was and that she loved him. He smiled, holding her until she pulled away. He gently wiped her cheeks, smirking when she took a deep breath to gain her composure. She reached for the jar, opening it slowly. She picked out the piece of paper on top, unfolding it to read.
"I love that you couldn't resist reading one." Reba smiled as Brock chuckled. She put the paper back in the jar, and set it next to her as she moved closer to Brock. "Well, don't you think you're so smart?" He nodded his head, smiling as she leaned in close. Reba shook her head, playing with the buttons on his shirt. "Hmm…how do I repay such a genius?" She smirked, kissing him tenderly before he could answer. Brock wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him. He deepened the kiss, rolling her onto her back. When they pulled apart, Reba smiled, cupping his face with her hands. "Thank you so much, Brock. This was wonderfully perfect." She stared at him for a moment before telling him that she loved him and bringing him to her for another kiss.