Dear Readers-
I wanted to let you know that my new chapters will be posted on Sundays or Mondays, depending on how busy things get for me. I hope that you know that I have really appreciated the feedback and support that I've received from you. Thanks for continuing to read my story and letting me know that you still want to read more chapters. Keep leaving me comments and reviews. I love reading them. It keeps me writing. Here it goes…
Now on with the story-
I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not owe the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. The characters of Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway and Josh Holliway from this story are my creation though. The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired. The story picks up from after the sixth season of Reba and beyond from spring-summer 2008.
This chapter will consist of flashbacks that will be in regular font, instead of the italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between flashbacks and regular scenes. It's not necessary here because every scene is a flashback; only author's notes will be italicized.
Previously- Reba had her back to him. She just looked out the window as she spoke. She spoke softly, but her tone was emotionless and detached. Brock walked over to the bed. He moved to lie down beside Reba. He wrapped his arms around her. She turned towards him and buried her face in his chest sobbing. He rubbed her back gently while holding her.
"Shh, it's gonna be okay, honey. I'm here for you. I'm gonna stay right here all night like this so you won't have any nightmares. I remember that this is the only way to keep your nightmares away when you sleep." He kissed her on the top of her head.
Reba awoke early just as the sun was rising. She was wrapped in Brock's arms. Her telephone began to ring. She answered it quickly, but still feeling very sleepy. "Hello."
"Good morning. How are you?"
What will happen to Reba and Brock this time after she woke up wrapped in his arms in her bed, which used to be their bed? Is Kim actually trying to be Reba's friend? What's going on with Brock and Barbra Jean? What would Brock be trying to hide from Reba? What information does Kim have on Brock? Will Reba be able to stop having nightmares? What's happening with the mystery caller and Reba? Will Reba try to get back together with Mike or Brock?
It's finally 2008. What happens in the year 2008? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!
We left the story in chapter 16 in the year 2008 with a cliffhanger to introduce some new Reba/Brock flashbacks. What happens now in 2008? What happens in the present when Reba wakes up in Vegas? How did she end up in Vegas? Keep reading to find out more!
It's finally 2008 at this point in the story. Welcome to my version of what should have been the back nine episodes of season six. This will lead into my version of season seven, if there would have been a season seven. This part of the story will introduce you to the events that occurred during the spring and summer of 2008 (the missing back nine and more).
Author's note- Spring-Summer 2008: Brock told Reba that she's his best friend. They were working to put the animosity of the divorce behind them and work towards the friendship that they had years ago in Oklahoma. Brock was making that hard when his physical presence was all over her house again as a neighbor while living with Barbra Jean and as a roommate once he moved in. Brock and Barbra Jean got separated. The lingering physical attraction and brief reconciliation between Brock and Barbra Jean began in February and was over by May. Brock begged Reba to let him stay at her house temporarily while the two worked things out. When it looked like the separation wasn't so temporary, Brock suggested that he stay and help Reba out with the bills. He encouraged her to go back to college and finish her degree so she could become a teacher just like she always wanted to. The family jumped behind that idea. Van and Cheyenne offered to rent out their house and move back in to help Reba out to make things easier while she went back to school.
Van and Cheyenne were worried about being on their own so they quickly made the offer to help Reba so they could get the sanctuary and comfort from living at Reba's house. Van managed to set their new house on fire on their first day of living there. Brock offered to remodel the basement into an apartment for Van, Cheyenne, and their two kids. Cheyenne wanted her parents' help with the new baby. John Christopher Montgomery was born in July. The name made Reba sad and happy at the same time. Van and Cheyenne picked the name without knowing that it held special meaning for Reba. They still weren't aware that Cheyenne was not Reba's firstborn child. Reba saw a resemblance in her new grandson to her own baby John from twenty-five years before.
Van and Cheyenne were busy and extremely exhausted. Cheyenne returned to college classes in the fall. Van worked long hours at the real estate office. Baby John was put in campus daycare until five o'clock when Reba or Brock picked up the baby from the daycare. Brock offered to make the attic into a bedroom for Kyra so she'd have more privacy. Kyra graduated from high school in June. She spent the summer playing gigs with her band. She was home less often. In September, mother and daughter would both be college students.
Elizabeth and Henry would be starting kindergarten by then. Kyra would be staying in the dorms. She still had a bedroom at Reba's whenever she needed. Jake was thirteen and would be starting eighth grade in the fall. He started his own lawn mowing business in the neighborhood so he could have some spending money. Elizabeth and Henry started kindergarten in the fall. Henry spent weekends with Brock at Reba's house. He stayed in the guest bedroom, which was Kyra's old bedroom. Barbra Jean was very busy with her new job as a television news reporter so Henry also stayed at Reba's house after school until his mother got off work. Brock cut back his work hours so he could be home when Elizabeth, Henry, and Jake got home from school.
Reba was pleasantly surprised that her family was finally able to sit down all together for dinner at six o'clock every night after all these years like she always wished that they could. Reba and Brock traded off cooking duties. Everyone had assigned household chores to keep things running smoothly since Reba had so much on her plate while returning to school after all these years. Reba put the family on a budget so they could make it financially while she was in school and not working. Brock wanted Reba to be able to focus on school full-time so he suggested to her that having a job, being a full-time student, and being a full-time mother would be too stressful and hard on her blood pressure. Despite the budget, Brock paid for the family to have an in-ground pool built in the backyard for the kids to enjoy during the summer.
Brock was staying in Van and Cheyenne's old bedroom. This was hard for Reba to grow accustomed to. She was comfortable in her old routine. The change and disruption of her routine was hard for Reba to handle. She was used to living as a single mother alone. Reba and Brock's bedrooms were separated by just one wall. Reba was just getting out of a bad relationship with Jack Morgan that was rekindled in February. He'd tricked her into believing that his marriage to Cheryl was over. When she found out, she was furious and broke things off with him in March. Six months after the breakup, he wouldn't leave her alone. Lori Ann suggested setting her up with a blind date so Jack could see that Reba was dating again and off limits to him. Reba agreed. She was currently anticipating her new role as a full-time college student.
Now on with our next chapter-
Reba awoke early just as the sun was rising. She was wrapped in Brock's arms. Her telephone began to ring. She answered it quickly, but still feeling very sleepy. "Hello."
"Good morning. How are you?"
Reba's tired eyes flew open. She looked over at a sleeping Brock. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Good morning to you. I've been better. Having Kim here brought up a lot of unpleasant memories for me. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Let me pick up the extension in the kitchen. I have to be really quiet. I've got four children and a grandchild still asleep. Hold on."
Reba crept out of bed and out of the room. She tiptoed downstairs to pick up the phone in the kitchen. "I'm back."
Brock actually woke up when Reba began to stir in his arms. He lay silently pretending to be asleep when Reba got up to answer the phone. After Reba left the room, Brock decided to listen to the conversation on Reba's bedroom phone.
"What's up?"
"I'm confused by you saying that you have four children and one grandchild still asleep."
"There are Cheyenne, Van, Kyra, and Jake make four children. Elizabeth is my only grandchild until next month when Cheyenne gives birth to her new son."
"Cheyenne is having another baby. Wow, time has really gone by. Sam and Jenny aren't even married yet, let alone having a baby."
"How are Sam and Jenny doing?"
"They're still a couple and don't plan on getting married until they both finish college."
"Good for them. I'm still embarrassed by what they saw."
He softly chuckled for a moment. "Don't be. That was six years ago and should be forgotten by now."
"Right. Like that's gonna happen. Van got drunk one night about two and a half years ago. He accidentally came into my bedroom and climbed in bed with me because he thought he was in his room in Cheyenne's bed. He put his hand on my rear thinking that I was Cheyenne. I lifted my head up from under the covers and told him that I had a headache. He freaked out and fled the room. He's still embarrassed about it. It didn't help that I found it funny enough to tell the rest of the family about. I commented that it's not my fault that I have the body of a twenty year old. Whenever I make that comment, he gets upset and asks me not to talk about my body. I got something like that in the video I sent you."
"I saw that. It's no big deal."
"To you maybe. I think that it's a big deal for your son and his girlfriend to see his father foolin' around under the bleachers with his pregnant girlfriend. Even the thought that my father was having sex with someone other than my mother freaks me out. Why can't I have normal parents?"
"Because there is no such thing as normal anymore. Look at my parents. My father actually high-fived me when he found out that you were pregnant. We're about as close to normal as we can be."
"Both times? That's better than my father's reaction. The first time I was told that I didn't have a home anymore. My father threatened to force you to marry me with a shotgun to your back. The last time he accused you of coercing me into bed. I'm a grown woman for heaven's sakes. I'm frightened if we're your idea of a normal couple. I would've liked to have had the type of parents like I've been to Cheyenne. Why couldn't they just understand that teenagers rush into things and make mistakes? I need a little unconditional love."
"We're a couple trying to make a long-distance thing work because we're both stubborn. I love you. I've always loved ya, Sal. Did Dr. Love tell you that he loved you?"
Reba giggled. "Jack, his nickname was Dr. Hunky, not Dr. Love, and he never told me that he loved me. I didn't love him either. I did get free therapy though so I did get something out of the deal. We split up because I found out that he was still involved with his ex-wife. Before you ask, we didn't have sex. It's really not any of your business, but I didn't want that thought to fester in your mind. To be honest, we did come pretty close to that though."
"Reba! Why?"
"He's a very attractive man who can say and do the right things. It was easy to get sucked into that. He was offering a way for me to get over you. He knows everything about us. He was very easy to talk to. Even BJ wanted him. Do you think that was fun for Brock to watch?"
"It wasn't fun for me to watch. So you were trying to get over me? You've been sending me letters and videos. You've asked for us to get back together. I don't understand."
"I told you before that you were gonna have to make the next move and you didn't. You had an e-mail address, home address, and phone numbers. I didn't hear from you. I waited and after a couple of years went by I figured that you were with Kim so I started to give up hope."
"I tried to see you."
"In Houston? I don't remember you tryin' to see me since Terry's funeral."
"I can prove it. You were out with Lori Ann at a bar called the Blue Lounge. You were wearin' a black top that was slanted revealing your right shoulder and tight pants that showed off your butt. You were drinkin' Tahitian Sunsets. You were very drunk by the time that I arrived. You were flirtin' and dancin' with a couple of guys. You came into my arms. You didn't have any idea who I was. You were kissin' me and tellin' me that you wanted me to be your husband. You didn't even know who I was. Lori Ann and I brought you home and put you to bed. I found out about your situation and I left."
"That would explain so much about what happened in Vegas before. Thanks for not takin' advantage of me, Mike. It's would've been awkward to wake up married in a hotel room again. Thanks for takin' care of me again. I always appreciate it when you look out for me; but what situation are you referrin' to?"
"The situation where Brock is separated from his wife and spending all of his time over at your house, the one where he tells you that he made a mistake in leaving you. I'm not steppin' into that minefield again. First, you love me and hate him. You agree to marry me. We're gonna raise a child together. Then you suddenly decide that you still love him and you go running back to Houston. You start sending me letters and a video. You come back to see me. We kiss, dance, sing, have a few drinks, and talk. The next thing I know you're comin' on to me. I slow things down to play some pool, and then we end up on top of the pool table. Clothes are comin' off and we get caught by my hormonally challenged ex-wife."
"Are you kidding me? That's the part that I liked. I like the romantic stuff, but how often does a woman get a chance for some payback on the bimbo that stole her husband. I liked the part where we got payback on Brock. I think that I've proved that you are more than satisfied with me. She got mad because I wounded her ego and I won the little war that she started. Getting Brock in trouble was so much fun."
"Maybe. But you and Kim battling over Tommy Johnson? What do you women see in that guy?"
"Nothing. I wish that I'd never met him. He's a creep. I made a horrible decision that cost me everything that I ever wanted in the world."
"Don't you think that you're being a little dramatic?"
"Dramatic! She deliberately started dating you right after you came back to hurt me. She's the one who helped us get together in the first place. I wish that I could tell you the worst part, but I can't."
"We've known each other for almost thirty-eight years. You love me and trust me, right?"
"Not with this. I can't. Do you remember what happened when I found out I was pregnant the first time? My father threatened to come after you with his shotgun. I just sorta stepped in front of you to take the bullet in a way by planning to leave town. That's why I didn't say anything until the last minute. I want to protect you as much as you want to protect me. This is honestly for your own good, honey. The good news is that I cleared some of this stuff out of the way with Kim. Come on, we ended things on a good note that night, didn't we? It's fun to be bad every once in a while."
"What happened after that with the new wife?"
"She cried and screamed at him for days. She accused him of cheatin' on her. He tried to convince her that he was innocent, but it didn't work. Speaking of cheatin', I think that we need to talk."
"Uh, oh. I hate when you get that tone."
"I'm having trouble being friends with your ex-wife when I know that I'm not bein' honest with her. I've been everythin' to you. I've been your friend, girlfriend, lover, wife, ex-wife, and mistress. It's the guilt that I've carried from bein' your mistress that I can't hold in anymore. I can't keep the secret anymore. You've seen what happens when I struggle with a secret. My heart and my blood pressure won't be able to handle it anymore. The last time I actually died. Is that what you want to happen? It's a bad feeling bein' the other woman. It was bad when Jack Morgan tried to put me in that position. It hurts bad when your husband is out with another woman. It feels like you aren't woman enough to keep him at home."
"Brock's cheatin' was not your fault. He's a fool. You are an extremely passionate and loving woman. I know this from personal experience. You are a very hot-blooded wife. No, baby, I never want us to go through somethin' like that again. Let's talk this out. How is tellin' people about somethin' that happened 24-25 years ago gonna help anythin'."
"Kim wants to be friends with me. She used to be my best friend. Brock used to be your best friend. She has a right to know that you were cheatin' on her during the engagement and during the marriage. She has the right to know that I was the other woman during her marriage."
"Why involve Brock in this?"
"He and I are workin' on a friendship. I don't wanna build it on lies. He has a right to know everything, includin' what happened six years ago. I'm gonna say it again. I was the other woman in your marriage and you were the other man in mine."
"Wait a second, Sal. You said that it was nobody's business but ours. Come on, you weren't married when that happened. Were you havin' sex with Brock while we were involved before that marriage? Didn't you have divorce papers in hand when you came to me six years ago?"
"Yes, I had the initial divorce papers, but that doesn't clear my guilt. No, I wasn't having sex with Brock while we were involved. I would never cheat on you and I don't sleep around. I didn't get serious with Brock until I ended things with you and I don't want him thinkin' that I cheated on him before the divorce papers were filed. Kim's been threatenin' to spill secrets. I don't know what she has on Brock, but I know what she has on me. If she gets mad at me again, she'll tell him about the pregnancy. She'll tell him that you were the father."
"That was what you wanted people to think. What's goin' on with you?"
"I don't want Brock to think that I cheated on him before divorce papers were filed. I didn't want Barbra Jean to get her hands on my baby, that's all. I miscarried and now there is no baby to fight over. I'm not proud of the way that I behaved."
"Did you love me when you agreed to marry me back then? Do you even really love me now?"
"I'll admit that I jumped into things with you too fast. I wasn't over Brock then. I am now. I've always loved you. I just don't like the fact that I was the other woman to the other woman. I guess that I deserve what Brock did to me. I betrayed Kim and then I learned what it was like to be betrayed myself."
"Sal, I will not have you talkin' like that. Those are two different situations. My marriage to Kim wasn't a real one until you'd been gone awhile. Was your marriage to Brock real from the beginning?"
"Yes. It was very real. Real or not, didn't it hurt you when you found out that your own brother was the other man in your marriage?"
"Yeah, it did."
"See. When I heard Kim say that to me yesterday, I flew off the handle. I got mad on your behalf because I love you and you were hurt by Kim and Terry. I have to be honest though. Part of me is a little glad that you know what it is like to be betrayed like that. You were genuinely hurt. I need you to know what that feels like. The day that you ran out on our wedding was the worst day of my life. I was completely destroyed. To add insult to injury, you refused me when I came to you for comfort later. I just wanted us to have one more night together and you said no. The crazy thing is that you changed your mind about that later. What happened? Did you see how messed up I was and finally feel guilty?"
"I've seen you do that more than once, drinking yourself into oblivion. What was your excuse the last time?"
"Brock called me slutty. It kinda set me off. I was really mad and Lori Ann thought that I needed some stress relief."
"Drinking yourself into oblivion and having one-night stands is not an appropriate kind of stress relief. What is the world is goin' on with you?"
"You are such a mo-ron! I guess that having one-night stands is only appropriate as long as I'm having them with you."
"I'm sorry, honey. I don't like seein' other men putting their hands on you. I was jealous, but I didn't take advantage of you. We weren't gonna have a one-night stand. You didn't even know who I was. All I did was get you outta there before you did something you'd regret later. Now you're back to name callin'. I know that you love me though."
Reba groaned. "I hate you, love you, you mo-ron."
"I heard you say that you love me. You know if I was there we wouldn't be havin' this fight."
"Why is that?"
"Because I would kiss you and that would break the tension. You always start a fight when you're frustrated and most of the time you're frustrated when there's sexual attraction goin' on. See I know you. You usually reacted with name calling and then you smack me. There's always a lot of sexual tension between us."
Reba sighed. "Yeah, there's a lot of somethin' between us. I wish that I didn't love you anymore."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? It's crazy for me to keep putting myself in situations where I always end up alone and hurting. I'm hurting right now. Do you know why I have nightmares? Do you even remember what my nightmares are about?"
"I don't want you to be hurting. I want us to be together. You keep leaving. I don't wanna force you to be with me. If you were with me, I would try to help you so you wouldn't have nightmares anymore."
"I'll tell you what my nightmares are about. I have nightmares about Tommy Johnson, Kim, you leaving me at the wedding, the baby dying, our breakup, every time that I've came close to dyin', my miscarriage, me walkin' out on you, Brock walkin' out on me, Brock askin' for the divorce while tellin' me about BJ being pregnant, my dad walkin' out on my mom, and every fight that I've ever had with you and Brock. My heart has just been bleedin' all over the place. I can't handle any more heartache. I have to be sure about things before I go jumpin' into another marriage. I can't handle another divorce."
"We're gonna work on everything. I promise. I am not Brock. We're not like your parents. If you'd talk to me about what happened with Tommy Johnson, then maybe you'd feel better. You stuff down the bad things and ignore 'em. That's why it's eating you alive. We need to talk things out. I know that you never talk about John. You've gotta get that out and work on your feelings. You are only human, Reba. You aren't superhuman. You have strengths and weaknesses just like the rest of us. It's not wrong to ask for help or talk to people who love you when you're hurtin'. Do you want to talk about John or miscarriage? I'm here for ya, Sal. I loved John too. I lost him too. It's okay to grieve with me. When you come here, I'd like us to go put flowers on his grave together. I've gone every year on our anniversary and his birthday. I had hopes and plans for our children. We gave the other baby a name. We planned to have a life together. When we lost the pregnancy, I lost you."
"How do we work our way back to each other? I don't wanna keep goin' on the way we are. What we've had over the last six years seems like a few flings. I don't wanna just keep jumpin' into bed with you anymore."
"I never asked you to. You initiate that every time. And for the record, we aren't exactly jumpin' into beds. We never get that far."
Reba protests with embarrassment. "Jack, you could always say no."
"What man in his right mind would refuse to make love with a beautiful woman like you?"
Reba laughed softly. "What about my letter? Do you have an answer for me?"
"Yes, but I have some conditions. I am not agreeing to be a donor with no strings attached. If you want me to father your children, you are raising them with me."
"How do we do that? I live in Houston and you live in another state. It's not like you're prepared to come here. I can do this on my own. I really want this and I've wanted it since the miscarriage. I've wanted this since John died. You are the father of one of my children. Why shouldn't we do it again? You can be as involved as you want. We don't have to be married to have a baby. I told you that when I was pregnant with John."
"Sal, I want to be married to you. I'm not agreeing to father our child if you won't marry me. We have a deal in place to get married by December."
"Only if I'm not married by then."
"Who else are you gonna get to marry you and father your child by then?"
"Jack Morgan offered to be a donor with no strings attached."
Mike inhaled a breath sharply. "Honey, please don't do that."
"I'm not. I couldn't even have sex with him when we were in a relationship. Do you wanna know why? Because I haven't been able to have sex with any other man in the last six years. It's just so different. It doesn't feel right. When I'm with you, it feels right. When I was with Brock, it felt right too. I can't find that in other relationships."
"I can't believe that I'm askin' this. What about Brock? What's going on with him?"
"I'm not gonna lie to you. He is still married to Barbra Jean, but they are separated. He is stayin' here in Cheyenne's old bedroom until he finds a place of his own. You shouldn't feel threatened by this. I swear that nothing's goin' on. He doesn't even look at me in that way, let alone want me in his bed. I got over wanting him a long time ago. He didn't even want the baby that I was having the last time. This is a man who got a vasectomy because he was repulsed by the idea of having a baby with me.
He doesn't want any more children and he can't have any more children. You have no reason to be jealous of him. There is no way that he and I would ever think of having anything more than a friendship between us. He has a young blonde wife who is way more attractive than me. They've been having sex while separated. There is no need for him to cheat on his wife when he's getting satisfied at home. She's kinda crazy though. That's why they have problems. My only options for havin' a baby are artificial insemination with an anonymous donor in a lab or havin' a baby with you. I have some conditions of my own before I agree to marry you. First, I want us to go on a date."
"Honey, I find that hard to believe that Brock's wife is more attractive than you. You are the hottest woman I've ever seen. I agree to that condition. A date together sounds like a good idea. If you come out here, I could take you out for your birthday or for our anniversary. How about dinner and dancing? We always have fun together."
"Sounds good to me. Kim was suggesting that to me yesterday. We're going shopping today. I have another condition. We're not just getting into bed together. I'm serious. You are not getting lucky at the end of the date."
"I promise. I won't try anything, but I'm not refusing you if you initiate. I'll be a perfect gentleman, but I'm not rejecting your advances."
"Okay. But you've got to ask my father's permission to marry me again. We'll need permission from your children and mine. I'll have to get Kim's blessing and I'm comin' clean about everything to her. I had to swallow my pride and give my blessing to Brock and Barbra Jean when they got married. You've got to straight things out with Brock like I am with Kim. I mean it. We'll all have to get along for the sake of the children. We have to spend holidays with Sam, Jenny, Nick, Cheyenne, Van, and Kyra. We still have to raise Jake, Josh, and the youngest until they are 18. What's the little one's name? I forgot to ask Kim today."
"His name is Terry. Kim named him after Terry. Just don't mess up around the kids. I'm a dad to Terry, not Uncle Mike. You have to remember that."
"The last thing the world needed was another Terry Holliway. You don't have to worry. I cared about your brother a lot. I'll treat Terry just like the other kids. It will be just like if you'd had a baby during our on and off relationship. I can be a good stepmother to your children. I'll love them like my own. I will learn to get along with Kim. I can be forgiving. We just have to work out how things will work because we live in two different states. I'm starting college. I want to stay in Houston while I'm in school and Jake's in high school. I can live here. You can live in Oklahoma. We can see each other on weekends. I'll fly out there one weekend and you'll fly out here on the next weekend. That way we'll see each other all the time. We can talk on the phone every night. I have another condition. You should come clean with Brock and ask for his blessing. You're gonna have to swallow some pride just like I am. That condition is not up for negotiation."
"I'm not comfortable with that situation. You want to be a part-time wife and you want me to be a part-time dad. That's not much different than raising the kids together without being married. That would be like a divorced couple with visitation. We need to come up with a plan that works for both of us. You didn't want a life like that for Cheyenne or Maggie. Why would you want that for our children? I understand about asking the kids for permission to get married. I'll ask your father for permission also, but I don't understand why I should ask Brock. It's not like he asked my permission when he took you away from me."
"That's ridiculous. He didn't even know that I was with you. No one did. The secrecy was part of the affair. I ended things with you because I wanted something more permanent with Brock. I started to have feelings for him. We were having an affair that was going nowhere and it was killing me. Whatever happened to what's mine is ours? You said that we would've raised my babies as ours. You keep separating my children from our children. That's not gonna work, dear. I will treat your kids the same as I treat mine. You will treat my kids the same as you treat yours. Yours and mine will become ours. If you can't do that, the deal is off. I believe that we already had that argument just before I had my heart attack, the day that I died."
"He knew that I might still have feelings for you. He didn't talk to me about starting a relationship with you so soon after we broke up when John died. Why do you always say that? I hate when you talk about dying. You're still alive."
"I was legally dead for four minutes. That changed things. I'm not the same person I was before that happened. You only get this Reba. The old Reba isn't here anymore. I used to live in a shell, barely living. I lived my life on automatic ever since John died. Something has slowly been changing in me since the day that I woke up in the hospital. I have some doubts. I mean people don't usually meet the person that they're gonna marry at the ages of five and seven. Divorced people usually don't get remarried. Why do you want to marry me for anyway? Why get remarried? We didn't make it the first time. If it doesn't work out, there's gonna be so many people hurting-your kids, my kids, and any children that we have together."
"Once upon a time we promised to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. Did you mean it? I know that I did. I went into the marriage with Kim with the understanding that it was a marriage of convenience not love. That's why it didn't work out. We tried. I promise to keep working on our relationship every day of our lives. You said that you believed that fate brought us together. What do you think we have left between us? I think that things are good when we're together. We just can't live separate part-time lives."
"Yeah, I meant it when I said those vows. I will love you for the rest of my life. I couldn't get you out of my heart. You've been waiting for my marriage to Brock to end. That wasn't fair to Kim or Brock. Unlike you, I loved Brock, except in a different way. It was a mature relationship. I do believe that fate brought us together, but marriage is hard work. I haven't had much success in having a partner who will put in the work during the hard times. I love being with you. It's like wildfires every time I kiss ya. What we have is white-hot, but I'm afraid that it won't last forever. The passion is very intense. What happens when we don't feel that way anymore? It happens. It's not like you're gonna come out here to win me back. I've been waitin' for that to happen."
"Do you still want me? How long have you felt that way?"
"I want you every time you touch me. I've wanted you since I was fifteen."
"It's been twenty-seven years. That's almost thirty years. Honey, I'm still gonna want you every day for the next fifty years."
"I think that we need to take physical attraction out of the equation. I think that we should date and see where it goes. We've got time."
"How much time do we have? You're about to turn forty-two. You want us to have two more children. That's two years of time right there. We may not be able to conceive right away. How much time do you want to take?"
"I agree. We don't have much time left. I think that I'll be able to make a firm commitment by December. That shouldn't hurt our timetable. I want us to get to know each other again. I honestly want to make sure that we still have a strong relationship that will last. We used to have closeness. You were my best friend. I trusted you more than anyone else in the world. I need to be sure that I really feel that way in order to marry you again. We need to talk a lot. Communication is important."
"We'll talk every day. We can send e-mail back and forth and talk to each other online too. What's your screen name?"
"My screen name is RamblinRedRose. I like to play poker online. I'm pretty good too. I've even beaten Brock a few times. It'd be fun to see if I can beat you at poker."
"You're getting competitive now, huh? I don't have a screen name, but you already have my e-mail address."
"I play poker at the Best Poker Online website. I think that I have a screen name for you. You could be sexycowboy63 or luckycowboy80."
"I understand the first one, but why luckycowboy80?"
"That was the first time that you got lucky, cowboy. Remember that first party that you guys threw at your house after you moved back and your parents were away. That was the first time that we fooled around in your room. It was September 1980. The times before that was just kissin' in closets. That party was the first time that we did anything beyond kissin'. Listen, I have a tip for you for our date. Brush up on what I like. Try to remember all the things that we used to talk about. Try watchin' some of my favorite TV shows online. Wear some Stetson cologne or Carrington cologne. I love the way that the Carrington cologne smells on you and be sure to wear your Stetson hat."
"The same goes for you, except for the perfume. You're more of an Alexis than a Krystle, but I like the way that Forever Krystle smells on you."
"You remembered. I'm definitely more feisty than weepy. My favorite couple from that show was Alexis and Blake, even though they weren't together much. They were the couple who were divorced, but still had tons of chemistry. They just had to fight it because he got remarried to a much younger blonde."
"You also liked Dallas on Friday nights. You would tape it and we would watch it on Saturday afternoons."
"Yeah, the guys on that show were so good lookin'."
"Hey I take offensive to that. What about me? I met most of your criteria. You said that guys from Dallas were sexy and I moved to McAlester from Dallas. I played high school and college football. I wore the Stetson hat and cologne to impress you. I spent a lot of time getting to really know you. I listen to ya. I always get you flowers."
"I like the fact that you're jealous, but two can play at this game. I used to get jealous too. You used to watch Charlie's Angels and you had a crush on Farrah Fawcett. You even had her poster on your wall," Reba laughs softly, "Let's face it, we're fun together. I love to kid around with you and you like to tease me. Neither of us should take the jealousy stuff seriously. I need to get some more sleep before my kids wake up. I'm still really tired. Can we talk again later? Call me on my cell phone. I don't want my kids to answer your call. There will be too many questions. Fair enough?"
"I guess so. You wanna keep sneaking around a little longer. I'm disappointed, but we'll get a chance to make some decisions when you get here. I can't wait until you get here. I love you."
"Hey, sneaking around is kinda fun, you know. Some people consider it a turn-on. I'll see you soon. I kinda hate you, love you anyway. I'm still trying to decide if it's love, lust, or addiction. Go back to bed. Bye."
"You love me. I heard that hate had top billing, but I know that you love me. I've just gotta do some work to prove myself to you and I will. Go get your beauty sleep. Bye, darlin'."
Reba hung up the telephone and quickly tiptoed up the stairs to her bedroom. Meanwhile Brock was pondering the conversation that he had just listened to and tried to plan his next move. As he heard Reba's footsteps towards the bedroom, he closed his eyes and pretended to still be asleep. Reba crept into the room and gently slid into bed beside Brock. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Brock moved closer to Reba and pulled her back into his arms again.
What will happen to Reba and Brock this time after she wakes up still wrapped in his arms in her bed, which used to be their bed? What is Brock planning? What's going on with Brock and Reba? Is Brock going to find out what Reba is hiding from him? What information does Barbra Jean get from Kim? Will Reba keep having nightmares? What will happen when Reba goes to Oklahoma? Will Reba try to get back together with Mike or Brock?
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!
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