Chapter 36

Vic soon got over the feeling of the baby watching and now Reba couldn't keep him away, she sure didn't mind though. She soon developed a new craving that kept them both exhausted and yet completely satisfied. Vic never missed a doctor's appointment after he missed that one and Dr. Parks assured them both that everything was perfectly fine with Reba and the baby. Vic always wanted to double check, and sometimes triple check, to make sure everything was running smoothly. Reba thought it was sweet the way he was just so concerned for her and the baby. Vic was a little upset that she didn't find out the sex of the baby but she explained how much more exciting it would be once the baby arrives.

And Vic couldn't be more excited about the baby. Reba thought it was cute how he soon began to bring home huge stuff animals whenever they went shopping. Reba had to tell him it would be a year or so before the baby would actually start to play with them. She even caught him talking to the baby one afternoon when she had awoken from her nap. Reba thought it was the cutest and sweetest thing she had ever seen.

They had soon begun to remove things from Cheyenne's old room, slowly moving the extra beds and stuff into storage. They would need her old room for the baby. Vic wouldn't let Reba help, for anything. He wouldn't let her lift a finger. He wouldn't even let her move the small things. Reba listened to him though. She didn't overwork herself. Vic made sure Mr. Slaton understood she couldn't work any more than what they agreed to. When she was home he made sure she rested and she could never make the mistake of saying she was tired in front of him because he would carry her around the rest of the day or force her to go to bed early. She complained but she couldn't help but smile at some of his antics, it just showed how much he loved her.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. Reba groaned and rolled over on her side, slipping an arm around her husband. She smiled and buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Good morning." She heard him say as he slipped and arm around her.

Reba opened her tired blue eyes and stared into the beautiful green ones. "Good morning." She said kissing his bare chest.

Vic smiled and rolled her over onto her back. "I love waking up to you." He said, bringing her into a lustful kiss.

Reba wrapped her arms around him and pulled him just a bit closer. She broke the kiss a minute later to catch her breath. "I love waking up to you too." She said with ragged breath.

Vic grinned and brought her back into the kiss. Vic moved his hands to her sides and just as when things were about to get even hotter, Vic's cell phone began going off at that very moment. Vic broke the kiss and Reba groaned. He began to let go and reach over for it but Reba held a firm hand on him. "Ignore it." She said, bringing him back into the passionate kiss.

"It could be someone important." He said breaking the kiss.

He reached over but the ringing stopped. Reba smiled. "Apparently not very important, now come here." She pulled him back down once more. Vic immediately forgotten about the cell phone ringing when Reba put her best moves on him, "I love you…so much." She said lustfully between kisses.

Vic grinned and ran his hand over her hair, caressing her sweet face. "I love you too Red." Reba giggled at his nickname for her and brought him back down, really not in the mood for sweet talk anymore. They were just rounding second base when the phone began ringing again. Vic broke the kiss, knowing he couldn't just let the phone ring. "I swear if this whole, us never being alone thing, starts happening again I am going to hurt someone." Reba giggled and let him reach over to answer the phone. "This better be good." Vic said coldly into the phone.

Reba smiled and shook her head. She watched in confusion as his face turned into pure delight and he seemed to suddenly completely forget what was about to happen between them. Vic quickly moved away from Reba and sat on the end of the bed. Reba sat up and frowned. "Who's on the phone?" she whispered harshly. She wanted to know who interrupted their romantic morning.

Vic didn't even seem to hear her. He laughed. "I know…yeah…that's great…all right…I'll see you then…bye." Vic hung up and turned to see Reba, arms crossed, looking somewhat angry. "Sorry honey. That was my buddy Mike. You remember mike?"

Reba shook her head. "No because I don't believe we ever met."

Vic smiled. "Oh, right. Well, he is coming to visit. He's been out of town for a few months and I am anxious for you two to meet."

Reba raised an eyebrow. "Is this the same Mike that got drunk with you and that made you almost marry that Candy chick?"

Vic chuckled nervously. "Let the record show that I didn't marry her."

Reba smiled and nodded. "Yeah I know. I just like watching you squirm."

Vic smiled and moved to his previous spot next to her on the bed. "Oh really, well, lets have you squirm a while." He started tickling her sides and Reba couldn't stop laughing.

"Don't…please…I'm sorry…" she said still laughing.

Vic smiled and stopped, letting her breathe a moment. "What was that?"

Reba smiled. "I love you."

Vic shook his head. "Nope, that wasn't it." He continued on with his tickling.

Reba could barely breathe as Vic continued to tickle her most ticklish spots. "Stop…don't…" Vic just continued to tickle her and she knew what he was waiting for. "Okay, okay…" she said laughing. Vic stopped and smiled as he waited for those two precious words. "I'm sorry."

Vic smiled and lay on his side next to her, leaning on his elbow. "That's better and…" He leaned over and kissed her sweetly. "I love you too."

Reba smiled sweetly and moved her hand to the waist band of his pajama bottoms. "So…" she said, her sweet smile turning into a naughty one. "Where were we?" Vic chuckled and they resumed their lustful kissing.

Vic and Reba walked into the kitchen a little while later all smiles. "Good morning." Reba said cheerfully to everyone in the kitchen, which included Brock and Barbara Jean who were calmly sitting at the table with Kyra and Jake.

"It's about time you two finally decided to show up." Barbara Jean said, biting into her sandwich.

Reba rolled her eyes and pulled some juice out of the refrigerator. "It's not that late."

"It's one in the afternoon!" Barbara Jean exclaimed.

"It is not." Reba said turning toward the clock on the wall. Her eyes widened when the big hand was on the twelve and the little hand was toward the one. "Wow, I didn't realize."

Barbara Jean rolled her eyes. "Obviously." Barbara Jean sighed and took some chips from a bowl in the middle of the table. "I swear you two are like teenagers. You would think that you would get tired after so much…"

"Barbara Jean!" Reba warned.

Barbara Jean stopped and shrugged. "I am just saying, especially at your age."

"Will you stop?" Reba asked frustrated as she fixed herself a sandwich.

"Sorry, I am only concerned for you. It can't be good for you."

"What can't be good for you?" Van asked as he walked into the kitchen through the backdoor.

"Vic and Reba staying in bed until one in the afternoon." Barbara Jean said.

Van shrugged. "I thought it was always very good for her, especially someone with her high blood pressure." Everyone stared at Van, a little grossed out. "What?" he asked innocently. "I read that for someone with high blood pressure it was good to just relax."

"Wait…" Reba said stopping for a moment. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Sleep, what are you guys talking about?"

Reba just shook her head. "Don't you have a home?" Reba asked her son-in-law. She appreciated her family and she loved them very much but she had gotten so used to everyone have their own lives and she was finally having some time to herself and now they wanted to show up all the time.

Van frowned and sat on one of the stools. "Cheyenne kicked me out. Elizabeth is over a friend's house and I was only trying to help her with Danny for once and she told me I was doing it all wrong. She forced me out of my own home, told me to go golfing or something, like normal husbands. I thought the hormones stopped after the pregnancy was over!"

Brock sighed. "I wish my wife would tell me that."

Barbara Jean glared. "You are not allowed to leave me alone. It's your fault I'm pregnant and I have to have you around. What if something happened?"

"You mean if you ran out of popsicles? Who would go get them?"

Barbara Jean nodded. "Exactly."

Brock rolled his eyes and Reba laughed. "You should take Vic golfing with you." Reba said turning Van. "He needs to get out..." She turned to Vic. "And away from me."

Vic frowned. "What if something happened?"

"I am sure I will be fine and if I need something I still have Barbara Jean here, my kids, and I can call you."

"You want him to leave you alone?" Barbara Jean asked shocked.

Reba nodded and took the last empty seat at the table. "I can't keep him away."

Barbara Jean nodded, understanding. "Hence the reason you guys were in the bed until one in the afternoon."

Reba glared at her. "I didn't mean it like that. He's like a helicopter, he hovers. He always asks if I need something or if I am comfortable. Am I hot or cold?"

Barbara Jean giggled and Vic sat next to Van on the other stool. "I am only concerned for you and the baby. I don't think that is wrong."

Barbara Jean smiled. "Isn't that sweet?" She said. She then turned to Brock and smacked him across the arm. "Why aren't you concerned for me and our baby girl?"

Brock sighed and glared at Vic. "Thanks man."

Vic shrugged. "Hey, I am concerned because Reba's high blood pressure. She's a high risk pregnancy."

Reba decided to change the subject to something pleasant. "So you know it's a girl?" Reba asked smiling at Barbara Jean.

Brock spoke up. "No, she figures she doesn't need the doctor to tell her because she knows she's having a girl."

Reba turned to Barbara Jean and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Barbara Jean nodded. "Yup, I know I am having a girl. I went to a psychic when I found out I was pregnant and she said I was definitely having a girl. I am so happy. I have my baby boy and now I will have my baby girl."

"What if the baby is a boy?"

Barbara Jean glared at Reba. "I am having a girl. The psychic told me. Besides, I already picked out a bunch of pinks clothes and I just have a feeling. You know the feeling." She said smiling.

Reba couldn't help but smile and nod. She knew that feeling and she had been right at every single one of them. She knew Cheyenne and Kyra were girls, even though Brock predicted both were boys and she knew Jake was a boy as well. This knew baby though, she wasn't sure. Sophia said that all the Mariano's had boys, for the last one hundred years. It was a weird coincidence. She wouldn't mind a boy. She already had two girls. A little boy would even things out, not that she wouldn't love a little girl but a little boy would be such a lovely addition to their small family.

"Do you know what you're having?" Barbara Jean asked, snapping Reba out of her thoughts.

Reba shook her head. "I want to be surprised but…" Reba smiled. "I am kind of hoping for a little boy."

"Isn't it usually the guy who wants the boy?" Vic asked chuckling.

Reba rolled her eyes. "No." Reba then eyed him. "Do you want a boy?"

Vic smiled and shrugged. "It would be nice to have a little boy to teach everything I know to."

Reba shook her head. "There is no way you are teaching our son how to pick up women."

"That is not all I know."

Reba giggled. "I was only kidding. No need to worry. I know you will be a great dad." She said getting up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "And I know when it does become that time to tell him about girls and love, I know you will be great."

Vic nodded. "I will tell him you will never find a woman as wonderful as his mother."

"Aww." Reba said kissing his cheek.

Vic then smirked. "Unless he gets her drunk and gets married." Reba glared and smacked him on the back of the head. "Ouch, I was only kidding…" he said rubbing his head. "Kind of." He said softly. Reba glared even more and moved away from him.

"You're in trouble now." Barbara Jean said. "No friends over for a week."

Vic chuckled. "It's too late for that. My friend Mike is coming to visit in a few of days." Vic turned to Reba and smiled. "You're going to love him." Reba nodded but for some reason she surely doubted she would.

The closer the days got to Mike's visit the more excited he seemed to get. This had caused everyone to become quite amused at the sight of Vic getting all giddy like a little boy on Christmas Eve night waiting for Santa to show up. Reba had set up Cheyenne's old room with an air mattress since they had removed the bed and Vic had been making a list of all the things that he and Mike were going to do while he visited. Reba was quite amused by this.

"I thought he lived in Houston? Why do you need to make a list of things to take him to?" she asked the day Mike was supposed to show up.

Vic was at the table, writing a few things down. He shrugged. "He does live here but he doesn't get out much."

Reba rolled her eyes. "Says the guy that was right next to him when he was getting married to a woman he had only known for three hours."

"Well…" He was cut off by the doorbell ringing. "He's here!" he yelled while getting up and running to the door. Reba chuckled and followed him into the living room and to the door. Vic opened the door wide and smiled big, bringing the man behind the door into a hug. "I missed you man!"

Reba had to chuckle. He was so excited. Mike pushed him off. "You need to back up dude. There are chicks around."

Vic laughed and stepped aside. "Come on in. There is someone you need to meet."

Mike walked in smiling. He set down his bag and looked around nodding. "Nice house."

"Thank you." Reba said, standing by the stairs.

Mike turned his heard sharply towards her and smiled. "You must be the wife." He said approaching her.

Reba held out her hand to shake. "It's lovely to meet you."

Mike took her hand into his and kissed the top of it gently. "I was hoping you weren't the redhead I saw in the paper. I was going to ask for your number." He said smiling.

Reba chuckled. "Well…"

"She's taken." Vic said stepping up to Reba and wrapping an arm around her.

Mike smiled. "I can see that." He turned his attention back to Reba. "I can also see that congratulations are in order. Why didn't you tell me you were going to be a dad?" he asked Vic.

Vic shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "It just never came up in our short conversation a few days ago."

Mike rolled his eyes. "You couldn't say, hey dude I'm going to have a baby?"

Vic shrugged. "Sorry."

Mike waved it off. "Eh, whatever, so, what have we got planned the three days I am here?" he asked smiling big.

Reba left Vic and Mike to talk on the couch while she got them a couple of beers and to get the crab cheese she had in the refrigerator. "Here you are." She said, setting the tray and the beers on the coffee table.

Vic frowned. "You didn't have to do that. I could have gotten it."

"Don't start saying I can't lift a tray. I have you doing enough things for me already."

Mike chuckled and took a crab cheese off the plate. "Thank you Reba. I love these."

Vic smiled as he watched Reba sit on in the chair and grab a couple for herself. "Reba is addicted to these things ever since they had them at her baby shower." Vic cringed as he watch her dip it in the bowl of chocolate sauce on the tray, "With adding a few ingredients of her own."

Vic and Mike talked about what they both have been up to since they last saw each other. Mike explained that he had been out of town on business. He talked about the woman he met and spent a generous amount of time with. Vic talked about him and Reba. He talked about how they had gotten together, how he won her over, their marriage, and the family he had gained from marrying Reba and how they found out about the baby.

"So let me get this straight, you are best friends with your wife's ex-husband?" Mike asked when Vic talked about Brock and how Mike should meet him.

Vic nodded. "I know it sounds weird."

"I have to say it is a little weird but if it works for you then, hey, whatever." Mike said with a chuckle. "I'll have to meet this guy."

"You will. We should all get together and golf or something."

Mike's face then lit up. "I got the perfect idea!"

"What?"

Mike smiled. "Dude, since you eloped and didn't have one. I think it's only fair that I still give you a proper bachelor party."

Vic chuckled and shook his head. "No, I don't…"

"I think it's a great idea." Reba said, coming into the conversation.

Vic turned to Reba shocked. "What?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think you should have one. I had a wedding shower. You never had your party. I think it's a wonderful idea and I think you should do it."

Vic turned back to Mike and shrugged. "If you want to plan it, go ahead."

Mike laughed and smacked Vic on the back. "This is going to be great. You're going to love it."

End of Chapter