Dear Readers-
Just a reminder, I will not be updating regularly on Sundays anymore. My life is really busy right now. I will be updating my stories as often as I can. Please be on the lookout for updates. I will not be updating on any particular day of the week right now.
Remember we are heading towards the supplement story, Reba Nell Got Married. We really are so close to getting into that story. If you have any ideas for Believe in Love Again, Reba Nell Got Married, or Drop Dead Hero, please feel free to PM me or send your suggestions in a review for that story. Thanks.
Let me know that you want me to keep this story going! Show your love for this story by reviewing. Let me know what you think about the story so far. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you hope will happen in the future. It also would be great to have plenty of feedback for this chapter. Remember your responses keep 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 own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.
The characters of Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Nick Holliway, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, Emma Holliway, and Maggie 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 fall 2008.
This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis and flashbacks.
Previously- Reba was unprepared for how she would feel at seeing Max again, sitting casually with Mike. Max was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt like Mike was. He stood up off the bar stool upon seeing her. Max was six feet tall with an average build. He carried himself with an air of confidence. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes like Mike did. He really didn't look like he was a man in his fifties. The only thing that would give away his age would be the gray outlining his beard.
He was sporting new facial hair- the moustache and beard. She was sorry that she ever told him that she'd found that so attractive about Brock in their early years. Why in the world was he there right now with her boyfriend, Mike? What was going on? She couldn't wait to get the answers. Mike was startled to see her. "You're early. Honey, I'm not ready. I wanted to look good for you when you arrived. I've got to shower and change. I wanted things to be romantic for you when you came home."
Reba smiled, but was thrown by this exchange happening in front of Brock and Max. She lost her head for a moment, sauntered over to the bar, and gave Mike her standard greeting. "How's my favorite ex-husband?" Brock winced. Barbra Jean felt bad for him.
"Better now that you're here. Hello, darlin'." Mike pulled her into his embrace.
"I just had to see you. I left Nana's early."
"You're a sight for sore eyes, darlin'. It's so good to see you again. I missed ya all week." Reba lifted her head up and kissed him.
"You owe me a dance, Cowboy."
"Just let me get cleaned up and I'll give ya that dance, Sal. Why don't you catch up with Max until I get back?"
"Je t'aime de tout mon cœur. Tu es ma meilleure amie y amour de ma vie. Je veux passer la reste de ma vie avec vous. Dans tes bras c'est mon destin."
Author's note- Translation- I love you with all my heart. You are my best friend and love of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. My destiny is in your arms.
"God, you're so sexy when you're speaking French." Mike bent his head down and kissed her neck, taking in her fragrance. "I've got to go before I change my mind. I've got a big surprise planned for ya. You stay here and I'll be right back." He turned to the others. "Keep an eye on my girl, Max. Good to see ya, Brock. It's nice to see you with Barbra Jean. I'll be right back." Mike ran upstairs to their apartment.
Reba was left to talk to Max, in front of Brock and Barbra Jean. "What are you doin' here, Max?" she asked him sharply, abandoning all pretense. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes as she spoke. His electric blue eyes smoldered with fire.
Brock was watching this exchange with curiosity. Again, he was seeing a new side of Reba that he hadn't seen before. She'd had an affair and hid it rather successfully for a long time. She'd actually had casual sex without a real relationship. This wiped away the entire pretense that she'd held up against him. She could be seduced. This man had done that. She had given herself to him when she wouldn't give herself to any other man that she'd had a real relationship with during the past six years. It was clear that she was fighting off any attraction that she felt. She was frustrated because she did not have a physical relationship with Mike right now. Brock had to figure out how to work that situation to his advantage and get this Max guy away from Reba. But how?...
What will Brock do after this? What will happen between Reba and Max? What is Mike's surprise? What will Brock do to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike in their old apartment? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!
Author's note- Note to readers: This chapter will deal with Reba's visit to McAlester. There is also an old-fashioned sleepover with Reba, Kim, Barbra Jean, and Paige at the apartment. It's Barbra Jean's idea. Mike surprises Reba with a remodeled apartment and her old vehicle fixed much to Reba's delight.
On Friday, Reba and Mike will take everyone to dinner with their parents. Everyone is gathered to show approval to Mike and Reba's relationship at Frontier's. Reba's father is giving the couple a custom built house on their family's land. Mike's father paid for the renovations to the apartment. The Holliways give the bar and the restaurant over to Mike and Reba to own jointly. Mike is avoiding Reba's efforts at lovemaking because he wants her to agree to marry him first. He wants proof of a commitment. Mike takes on a silent partner in the bar. Reba is not happy with the silent partner.
Remember the most important thing that you can do to keep this story going is to Read and Review! Any comments and feedback is appreciated. I may consider using one of your suggestions and giving you full credit. I need feedback so I know if I should keep the story going. Please let me know if you like this story and want it to continue.
The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the latest installment of Believe in Love Again.
Now on with our next chapter-
"Well Morticia, I was waiting for Gomez to leave so we could talk. Can we sit down and talk like civilized people?"
"Ha, ha very funny. Mike is sweet and wonderful. We are not dark and twisted, unlike you." Reba put her hands on her hips at this point.
"I seem to remember a good many times when dark and twisted suited you just fine." Max enjoyed sparring with her. It was like the warm-up to start things off between them each time.
"Touché, have a seat." Reba responded, pointing to a nearby table. She gestured for Brock and Barbra Jean to join them.
"You want witnesses now. I thought that you didn't want anyone to know." Max asked softly.
"They already know. These are my two best friends. I've got nothin' to hide from them."
"Okay. Have it your way. I don't mind if you don't."
They all sat down at a nearby table. Reba sat across from Max. She didn't want to sit next to him because she didn't want to give him the wrong idea. She wanted to end things cleanly and smoothly. "I hadn't heard from you for awhile, and then I got a call from Mike asking me to meet with him."
"I challenged him to work on his jealousy issues. That was his idea, not mine. I had no idea that he would call you."
"It's really nice to see you again, sweetness. I've missed you," Max replied, taking her hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "It's been too long this time."
"It's only been since March. It's October now. We've gone longer."
"Seven months in a long time. We usually see each other at least twice a year."
"Yeah, I know. You know that we don't have a real relationship. I'd like us to go back to being friends again. I love Mike and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."
"So you keep saying, but here we are. You two have been on and off forever so I don't expect that this time will be any different."
Reba shook her head. "But it is different. I am ready to make a lifetime commitment to him. We want to have another baby."
"I heard about that, too. I understand why you'd want to get back together with him. It's safe and comforting. You two share a history. I heard that you lost a child with him six years ago. I'm so sorry, but that doesn't mean that you owe the guy the rest of your life."
"I love him."
"And I love you." Max insisted, looking into Reba's eyes.
Reba rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't say that. Please don't use the L word. Come on, that's totally against the rules. You know how I feel about that. I care about you. We've had a lot of fun together, but that's where it ends. I just wanna be friends."
"And then when this comes crashing down, we'll see where you'll be."
"It's over. I really mean it this time. I have something to tell you.
In June, after Mike and I broke up, there was someone else. It was one time thing and we're friends. If I ever needed any more stress relief, I'd go to him before I'd come back to you, believe me."
"You really are cold. Don't you have any feelings at all? Do you know how much I've done for you? And you still treat me as if I don't matter. I took you in when you had no one else in the world."
"And I'm grateful. You helped me start a new life. You helped me build a life for my child. You were there throughout the pregnancy and after he died."
"And I thought that we were getting somewhere. You took care of my home and my children. We were getting closer every day until your husband had show up and ruin it all." Max explained, pointing to Brock.
"Don't blame him. Besides he wasn't my husband. Mike was my husband and John's father. That's why I left. I left to go back to Mike."
Max looks shocked and glanced at Brock. "When he came to the house, he told me that he was your husband and the baby's father."
Reba's mouth flew open. She turned her gaze to Brock as well. "Why would you say that?" she pondered the question for a minute before shaking it off. "Never mind, I'll talk to you about that later." She turned her eyes back to Max. "I'm sorry. I helped you when you lost Sarah. I was paid to take care of the house and the kids. I was scared, pregnant, and on my own at eighteen. We became friends. You helped me after John died. Everything was fine until you crossed the line!"
"Fine, blame me for that. I don't care. You just left in the middle of the night without a word. You left three small children who had just lost their mother and were depending on you. How could you do that to them? And when I saw you again in the bar, you acted like you didn't even know me. How could you do that to me?"
"When I woke up in your bed that night, I was ashamed. I felt like I'd cheated on Mike, okay? I didn't want to have to face you in the mornin'. I just wanted to go home to him and start all over again. I wanted to pretend like the whole thing never happened. It was selfish. I was eighteen and all I thought about was my own feelings. I didn't want Mike to find out what happened. I have three children of my own now so I know how wrong that was. I had severe postpartum depression. I wasn't myself."
"Obviously, you and Mike didn't make things work so you ended up with this guy. I know the rest of that story. How about the night we saw each other again after all those years? You said that it was a sign."
"That was alcohol and severe emotional distress. I'd had a miscarriage. I'd broken up with Mike. I'd gotten divorced and my husband had just gotten remarried that day. Mike wasn't there to comfort me and you were. Mike's comfort comes with lifetime commitment as a price tag. You didn't ask for anything. You agreed to my terms. Nobody got hurt and it was fun while it lasted."
"I'm the one who's there to get you through the toughest times of your life. And all I get is this."
Barbra Jean turned her attentions to Max. "I'm available and I can see what a great guy you are." Max returned the smile.
"Yeah, you'll like her way more than me. Men usually do. She's a lot younger than me. She's tall, blonde, and thin. She's a television news reporter and she's got a hero complex. She likes to be rescued."
Max didn't want her to think that she could be so easily replaced. "Is this Barbra Jean?"
"Yeah. She and Brock are separated. I really don't care. I'm movin' on with Mike and that's all that matters to me."
"Still got that wall up, I see. Let's see how Mike likes it when you say another man's name when he's in bed with you." Max grabbed her wrist fast before she could slap him. "Temper, temper. I thought that nothing else mattered."
Brock meanwhile was paying full attention to this little exchange between them. Barbra Jean was dying to know whose name Reba said when she was with Max. "How about a dance, handsome?" the blonde offered her hand to the wealthy stranger eagerly. She put a slow song on the jukebox and moved into his arms.
Reba was eyeing the pair while Brock was watching her. "Jealous?" he asked.
"Not a chance. I wonder if she'll still be interested in him when she finds out that he's twenty years older than her. I'll save you the trouble of doing the math. He's fifty-four. And I know that you're disappointed in me. I told ya. I'm not good at casual sex. I don't like complications and confrontations."
"Just so we're clear, I still love ya, tarnished halo and all." Brock looked at her with his usual boyish grin.
"Okay, but I'm still way better than you. I wasn't going for a cheap thrill in an x-ray room. I was drunk out of my mind and he found me that way. I was just fortunate enough to run into him. That's how the affair got started."
Barbra Jean couldn't keep from asking the question on her mind any longer. "Whose name did Reba say when she was in bed with you? I'm her best friend and I just have to know."
"Since she says that it doesn't matter anymore, I'll tell ya, but don't tell anyone else. I don't really wanna embarrass or hurt Reba in any way," Max responded.
Barbra Jean nestled herself into the safety of his arms. "I would never do anything to hurt Reba so you can tell me."
"Aren't you married to Brock?"
"I was, but not anymore. We're over."
"And Reba's still with Mike? That's interesting," he paused. Barbra Jean lifted her head to look at him. Max looked into her eyes and decided that she truly was someone that Reba could trust. "It was Brock's name. She said his name every time she was with me. That was something that I always had to deal with. I should've known that it would've never really lasted. She never even left her eyes open because she wasn't truly with me."
Barbra Jean understood where Max was coming from. She'd always felt like Brock was never truly with her either.
Just then, Mike came down the stairs. He was dressed in a suit and carrying a single red rose. "For you, darlin'." He offered her a chair to sit down in and then he became to sing to her. He sang 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't keep my eyes off you.
You feel like heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
Pardon the way that I stare.
There's nothing else to compare.
The sight of you makes me weak.
There are no words left to speak,
But if you feel like I feel,
Please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
I love you, baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm the lonely nights.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh pretty baby,
Now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby.
Let me love you.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't keep my eyes off of you.
You feel like heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.
I love you baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm the lonely nights.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh pretty baby,
Now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby.
Let me love you...
Paige and Michael arrived just as Mike was getting down on one knee. He pulled out a box from the pocket of his suit coat. Reba began to panic despite the spell. She wasn't ready to give Mike an answer to his proposal yet. She quickly rose up on her feet from the chair. "I'm sorry. I'm not ready. I can't do this just yet." She ran past Mike and out the front door of the bar. Once outside, she noticed that it began to rain. Mike chased after Reba outside. That's when Reba saw her old car, a 1979 pink VW bug convertible. Reba ran to her car. She struggled to get the car door open.
"Did you leave the keys locked inside your car again, honey?" Mike asked, jokingly. Reba looked back to see Mike standing in front of the car. "I'm not letting you leave like this," Mike stated firmly.
Reba's eyes were filled with tears. "That isn't funny. Now give me the key so I can leave now or you can keep standing there so I can run you over once I get in this car!" Reba hissed at him.
"Not until you listen to me!" he shouted back.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I wanted to tell you that I love you," he said.
"I'm still mad!" Reba insisted.
"Fine, have it your way." Mike shouted back at her. Mike scooped Reba up over his shoulder and then he carried her back into the bar. He sat her back down in the chair. "Just like old times, ain't it? You're gonna listen to me and then you can take off if you want to."
Reba nodded silently. She waited to hear what he was going to say next. "Open the box, honey." Mike handed her the box. She opened it to find two keys on a heart keychain. "One of those is the key to your car and the other one is for the apartment upstairs." Mike had restored her beloved car to working order. She felt so ashamed that he put so much work into making her happy when all she did was get scared and run off on him again.
"I love you so much that it scares me. I hate how much I love you. I spent a long time telling you that I didn't love you anymore or that I hated you. I'm sorry that I did that because I've always loved you, but the word hate always comes flying out of my mouth every time we get into a fight. It's funny because I wrote you a poem about this. I worked on it all week."
"You wrote me a poem?" he asked softly. Reba nodded. Mike silently anticipated Reba's poem.
Author's note: The original poem was called Katarina's poem. I adapted it to fit Reba.
I hate the way you talk to me
and the way you cut your hair
I hate the way you drive
I hate it when you stare
I hate your stupid pickup truck
and the way you read my mind
I hate you so much it makes me sick
it even makes me rhyme
I hate the way you're always right
I hate it when you lie
I hate it when you make me laugh
even worse when you make me cry
I hate it when you're not around
and when you don't call
but mostly I hate it that I don't hate you
not even close,
not a little bit,
not even at all.
Reba's voice started to break near the end. A tear escaped both of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Mike pulled her into his arms. He pulled her over to the jukebox. He pressed a button and pulled her into a dance to a Beach Boys song called 'Don't Worry Baby'.
Well it's been building up inside of me
For oh I don't know how long
I don't know why
But I keep thinking
Something's bound to go wrong
But she looks in my eyes
And makes me realize
When she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
The song ended and Mike put his finger under Reba's chin and lifted it up so he could look her right in the eye. "That was the song that played on the jukebox on the night that you came back from Ada. I told you that night that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Now, do you wanna come upstairs and see your surprise?"
Reba nodded. She captured his lips fiercely. "I should be furious with you," she said after the kiss.
"Welcome home, honey." Mike said with a smirk.
"You seem pretty sure of yourself. You're lucky I'm so sentimental."
Mike picked Reba up and carried her bridal style up the stairs to the apartment. He opened the door and carried her over the threshold of the doorway before setting her down on her feet. Her hands flew up to her mouth in surprise and she gasped. The apartment was completely remodeled. It looked completely different. It was decorated exactly as Reba had always wanted. Mike ordered all new furniture and appliances. The kitchen had a stove with glass cook top and a refrigerator with an ice and water dispenser.
The living room had two sleeper sofas, two recliners, and a 60 inch plasma screen TV. Reba was pretty sure that the TV was for Mike's benefit as well as Reba's. He wanted to watch football on a big screen. Reba walked around and checked out all the rooms. Everyone else followed her. She stopped in their bedroom. It was their old bed and bedroom set. It was filled with pink roses. There were pink rose petals on the bed.
Reba turned to Mike. "This is so wonderful!" She pressed her lips to his as gently as a whisper. "Thank you. I love it."
"We have two more nights with our old bedroom set. The new furniture comes on Saturday." Mike explained.
Reba continued into the adjoining bathroom. There were his and hers sinks. The bathroom was remodeled with a standingshower and a separate whirlpool bathtub. There was a connecting walk-in closet full of their clothing past the bathroom. Reba jumped into Mike's arms and showered him with kisses. "How do you always know exactly what I want? This is just perfect. It's the way that I've always wanted it to be. This is the most romantic thing that anyone has ever done for me."
That's when she realized that Brock was in the room and she suddenly felt very conflicted. Everything had a price. She'd paid dearly to get to this point in time. She wanted to be happy and she was, but she also felt sad for Brock. His life was going downhill while hers was working out so well. Then she remembered the baby. It didn't cut as deep as it usually did, but she realized that for the first time in years she was putting herself and her own needs first. She couldn't help but feel like she was being selfish.
She didn't want Mike to think that she wasn't happy with all the work that he did for her. She just needed some air and some time to get these negative thoughts out of her head. She grabbed the keys, kissed his cheek, and ran out the door. She was eager to take her car for a spin. She decided that a drive would do her some good. She jumped into the car. She was shocked when Brock got into the passenger seat. "Where do you think that you're goin'?" she asked.
"Are you kiddin' me? I'm your best friend and we're gonna take your new wheels for a spin." Brock smiled mischievously and put his arm around her.
Reba drove just outside of McAlester to Memory Gardens Memorial Park Cemetery after stopping to buy a bouquet of flowers from Foster's Flowers. It was a beautiful place. She drove past the pond to see the ducks swimming. The leaves on the trees were changing their colors. Today was the day that she would be able to come here and not feel the ache in her heart that had been there for the past twenty-four years. She stopped the car and opened her door to get out.
Brock grabbed her arm. "Where do you think that you're goin', honey?"
"I'm here to be with my son. You can stay in the car. I'll be back in few minutes."
Brock looked Reba square in the eye. "Not a chance, Sunshine. I'm comin' with you whether you like it or not."
Reba nodded and accepted the fact that he was coming with her. It was unlike her to give in without some kind of argument, but right now she couldn't find it in her heart to be so negative with him. He was her best friend and she wanted to lean on him. She'd been strong for so long that she wanted someone else to gather strength from for a change. She walked over to the spot and looked at the headstone that read John Christopher McKinney, Beloved son, Died too soon. Reba stood there, trying not to let the tears in her eyes fall. Brock came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
"It's okay, honey. I'm here for you. You don't always have to be strong. It's okay to need someone every once in a while."
"I haven't been here in years. The last time that I was here I let the drama keep me from comin' here. Does that make me a bad mother?"
"No, of course, it doesn't."
"Mike is a wonderful father. He's here every year on our anniversary and John's birthday. I used to come up here with him. But since things got complicated between Mike and me, I haven't been here like I should. Do you think that he thinks that I forgot about him?"
Brock turned her around to face him. "Reba, life goes on. We live in Houston. You have children and grandchildren who need you every day. It's not that you forgot about him. It's just that we live so far away. You don't have to be here to remember him. His memory lives in your heart so he's with you wherever you go. You think about him every day, don'tcha?"
Reba nodded. She was grateful for the support. She was always much harder on herself than she should be. It was because of all the responsibility that she took on at home. She always felt like she had the world on her shoulders because she was a single mother raising two kids, a pair of married teenagers, and grandchildren. She knew that she was crazy to want to add to that, but she deserved it. She deserved to be selfish for once in her life. She hated that the divorce took away the support she needed from Brock.
But if she was honest with herself, Brock hadn't really been around to offer his support to her towards the end of their marriage. Mike was her support and her friend all those years. He was the one that she turned to with her problems until they decided to get involved again. Was that what she really wanted? She missed having that support from Mike also. Maybe she was the one with the problem. Communication in a relationship was definitely not her strong suit unless she was yelling during an argument. She needed to work on letting the man in her life understand and support her with her real-life problems.
She couldn't keep hiding behind the iron mask that made her appear to be strong. She knew that a breakdown would be coming and she couldn't afford another one. "You're right, Brock." Reba admitted.
"Mark this day on the calendar. Reba said that I was right!" Brock announced loudly. He put his fist in the air as a sign of victory.
Reba laughed. "Just because you're right now doesn't mean much. I'm still way more right about things than you are most of the time."
"Ha ha, nobody likes a sore loser, Red."
Reba stuck her tongue out at Brock before moving back to focus on her son. She remembered the flowers in her hands. The bouquet was a mix of yellow daisy chrysanthemums, purple asters and hot pink and orange carnations called the Make a Wish bouquet. She put the flowers in her hands down on the grave and said a prayer. When she turned around, she saw Brock crying. "What's the matter? Are you cryin'?"
"You're not the only one who loved him, Reba." Brock said, as he wiped away the tears. His voice was cracking from the strain of the deep emotion that he felt at that moment.
"I had no idea that you felt that way, Brock. Thank you, but he was my son."
"I know that. You say that over and over again. You say it as if you're the only one who had the right to love him and mourn him. You've used his death as an excuse to claim exclusive possession over his memory," Brock challenged in a stern tone.
"That's because I carried him inside me for seven months. Those were seven months when I was alone and struggling to provide a life for him. I talked to him every day. I read to him and sang to him. I made plans for a new life for both of us. I was his mother," Reba insisted. Her voice was rising because she was getting defensive.
"Well, I wanted to be his father, but you wouldn't let me. I was there when he was born. I was there for the two days that he lived on this Earth and I was there when he died. I had plans, too. Don't you think that I had plans for a life with the both of you as soon as you finally agreed to marry me in Ada? Don't you think that I should mourn that life too? I have that right! Mike took that right away from me on the day that John was born. I have every right to love him as much I love our other children. What about my son? Don't you love Henry?"
"I tried to keep my distance, but I couldn't. These last few months have allowed me time to really get to know him. I do love him because he is a part of Cheyenne, Kyra, Jake, and you. He is an important part of our family. I can't believe that you'd ask me that, but I guess I can see why." Reba put her arms around his neck and moved to hug him. "I guess I love your son as much as you love mine. I'm sorry, Brock."
Brock wrapped his arms around Reba's waist. His eyes were still shedding tears. The last time she comforted him when he'd been this upset was when he'd started therapy and admitted his fault in their breakup. "I wish that we could stay this way forever. Can't we just keep our family the way it is?"
Reba chuckled and pulled back to look at him. "I didn't get any say when we added Barbra Jean to our family. So, why should you get a say in who I add to this family?"
"Okay, Red. Come here. I wanna take you somewhere," Brock grabbed her hand and led her to her car. He grabbed the keys out of her hand and climbed into the drivers' seat. The move was so unexpected that Reba was too shocked to do anything other than sit down in the passenger seat and see what Brock had in mind.
He didn't give her any indication as to where their destination would be. Reba turned on the radio. A song by Faith Hill called Stealing Kisses was playing. Reba immediately identified with the lyrics and started to sing along with the song on the radio.
"It's late enough,
all you kids should be home."
The policeman says
as he takes your beer for his own.
You remember,
wondering what his wife thought
about his occupation
He knows that you were just chasing a dream
to the town line and back and over again
So he winks at you girls
and tells you all "I'll see you later"
I was stealing kisses from a boy
now I'm begging affection from a man
in my house dress,
don't you know who I am,
don't you know who I am.
Standing in your kitchen.
It's late enough,
your husband's dinner is cold,
so you wrap it up and leave it for him on the stove.
It's probably the traffic again.
Another important meeting.
You haven't talked to an adult all day,
'cept for your neighbor who drives you crazy.
When he finally gets in,
he's sure not in the mood for talkin'.
I was stealing kisses from a boy
now I'm begging affection from a man
in my house dress,
don't you know who I am,
don't you know who I am.
I'm standing in your kitchen.
And hours become days,
days become years.
And you could burn down this town
if they made matches from fear.
Cause you're no worse off than anybody else.
Hey, don't you even know,
don't you even know yourself?
So you're standing outside your high school doors.
The ones you walked through 20 years before,
and you whisper to all the girls:
"run, run, oh, run"
I was stealing kisses from a boy
now I'm begging affection from a man
in my house dress,
don't you know who I am,
don't you know who I am.
Take a look at who I am
Take a look at who I am.
I'm stealing kisses.
Stealing kisses.
The song ended and Reba realized that Brock was listening to the lyrics she sang. His right arm was wrapped firmly around her as he drove. She relaxed against him, wondering where in the world he was taking her. The car stopped and Reba was shocked to realize that they were at Lake McAlester. They got out of the car and Brock led her down the path to the beach. This was when it got awkward between them. They walked along the beach together side by side, not touching or talking when Reba finally broke the silence.
"Why did you bring me here, Brock?" she asked, still not looking in his direction.
"So many emotions and memories to experience at once. I thought that you might need a break."
"So you bring me here? There are memories here, too." Reba responded.
Brock simply shrugged, without a word. Reba caught that shrug. She eyed him suspiciously. "So you bring me here to the place where we conceived Cheyenne? That night was a lot like this one."
Brock smiled widely. "Yeah, that was some night, except we didn't have dinner with your grandmother and we didn't go to Holliway's."
Reba smiled back at him without a reply. She was lost in the memory of that night. It was interesting that they ended up at the cemetery and then at the beach just like that night. Brock was as tender with her at the cemetery as he'd been that night, holding her while she said a prayer and shed some tears. They'd brought flowers to the baby's grave. Brock held her in his arms while she cried. She never bothered to look up as her tears soaked into his shirt. It was then that Reba wondered if Brock had cried that night at the cemetery, too.
She never looked up at him to see. It would've never occurred to her to look up to find out. She was sad because she'd gone through twenty-four years of grief alone, never thinking that she had anybody to share it with when it seemed that Brock loved and mourned the baby's loss as well. They had so many things to share in common and now this would be one of them. Reba found it odd that it had taken twenty-four years to find this out. She figured that it was because she'd started to lock away the baby's memory in her heart from the day that they got married. They never really spoke about him again during all their years of marriage together. They put all of their focus into Cheyenne, and later Kyra and Jake. Reba remembered Kyra and her hostility towards Cheyenne during most of their lives.
Flashback- It was the Christmas after Elizabeth was born. They'd been admired the Christmas tree that Van bought.
"Oh, this is so special. It's our first Christmas with Elizabeth." Cheyenne remarked.
"Oh, I remembered our first Christmas with you, Cheyenne. You're the reason we started all of our Christmas traditions." Reba said, hugging Cheyenne.
"Ooh, another Cheyenne is great story. My favorite is how she makes the sun come up in the morning." Kyra remarked sarcastically.
"Kyra's right, Mom. You should tell a nice story about her," Cheyenne responded, then looked Kyra up and down. "Oh, right." Cheyenne then turned to walk to Van's side by the tree.
Reba hugged Kyra. "One of the hardest things that I ever did was to tell my mama that we weren't goin' to her house for Christmas."
Reba put an arm around each of her daughters. "But waking up and sharing the moment together, it really felt right. You were the start of our little family." Reba thought about how wonderful that first Christmas was because they were celebrating the fact that they had a healthy happy baby girl to shower with all the motherly love and affection that she'd kept inside since John died.
"Cheyenne is great, everybody. What an unexpected twist." Kyra replied and then walked away out of Reba's embrace.
Reba thought about that story. The reason why Reba didn't want to come back to McAlester for Christmas was to avoid seeing Mike. She didn't wanna shove her happiness with Brock in his face. That was one of the few times that she missed celebrating Christmas with Paige and Barbara Ann. She made up for it in all of the years since. If she was to be honest with herself, she really didn't wanna see Mike happily married to Kim, who was expecting their first child together that year. She needed to sit down and have a long talk with Kyra. She put so much importance on Cheyenne's life because John died that she made Kyra feel insignificant by comparison. That made Reba sad. She realized that she put too much of herself into Cheyenne and Paige, and not enough of herself into Kyra and Jake. Reba resolved to correct that situation immediately.
She became lost in her memories again. She thought about how she felt to lose her babies that Christmas because they were growing up. Van and Cheyenne wanted a special Christmas of their own. Kyra wanted to celebrate Christmas with her friends. Jake wanted to spend Christmas with Brock, Barbra Jean, and Henry. She found herself alone without anybody to celebrate the holiday with. It made her sad. She remembered that she was supposed to have a little one of her own crawling around the house.
That would have been her baby's first Christmas, too. She remembered how mad she got when Brock announced that Jake would be staying with him for Christmas. She remembered how Jake wanted to spend Christmas with his new baby brother. She remembered how angry she got at Brock. She felt like she did the right thing in not telling him about the baby. It would be the one thing that he couldn't take from her. She remembered how sad she was all evening that night. She knew that she was supposed to be spending Christmas with Mike and the new baby.
She was supposed to have a new family of her own. She hated Brock so much that night. He ruined their Christmas traditions. He got Jake the bike that they'd planned to give him together when he turned eight. She'd lost so much and he was happily living his life oblivious to her pain. She really hated Barbra Jean so much back then. She was the one who stole Reba's life away from her. Why did she have to still be in love with this man?
She wanted to move on and find her own happiness and instead was wallowing in her misery. The lowest point was when she took her aggression out by attacking the Christmas tree. That's what led her to spend the evening helping out at the homeless shelter. She had almost considered getting on a plane and going home to McAlester. The man at the homeless shelter reminded her of the magic of Christmas. She had to believe that her life held some magic in it somehow. She'd given up on believing in magic years ago, but she'd regretted that decision on that night. If she could still do magic, then she'd still have her husband and their family together and whole again.
Ah, magic. She smiled at the thought. Was it magic or Santa that made her Christmas all right again? Perhaps a little bit of both. Her family came home to spend Christmas with her. Her sweet Kyra didn't want her mom to be alone for Christmas. Cheyenne and Van returned home with Elizabeth and Brock brought Jake home to be with Reba.
The storm forced Brock and Barbra Jean to spend the night at Reba's house. Reba watched as Brock helped the kids decorate the Christmas tree. The kids were so happy to have their father at home. Secretly, she was glad to be able to have him in their home for Christmas one more time. The nicest part was waking up to spend time with Brock alone in the kitchen. The power was out and they were talking about old times over cups of eggnog. It wasn't much, but it was romantic to her especially with the candles to set the mood. The only thing that would've made it more perfect would be mistletoe, but she didn't put any up around the house that year.
Brock asked, "Do you think that they remember it? I mean, do you think that they remember it as good?" He had such happy memories of Christmas when they were a family. He'd hoped that the divorce didn't spoil those memories for the kids.
Reba smiled at him. "Yeah, I really do." That's when the lights came back on. They blew out the candles. They shared a moment right then when they looked into each other's eyes. In that moment, Reba knew that Brock still loved her. That's when it didn't bother her anymore that she wasn't able to move on with a new life and a new family. She didn't want one.
She was happy with what she had. The love that she had for Brock would carry her through the hard times. She didn't hate him like she thought that she did. She was just mad at herself that day because she loved him so much and was mad that he still had the power to hurt her. That Christmas was every bit as magical as the ones she'd had when she was a child. Jake's new bike appeared by the Christmas tree by magic. Whether it was Santa or Nana, she didn't know. At first, she thought that Brock did it. The storm was so bad outside that it was impossible. What was she supposed to do, tell Brock that the bike really did appear by magic? What she didn't know was that Elizabeth was part of the magic. She also didn't know was that it wouldn't be the last time that she and Brock slept under the same roof. Flashback ended.
It was over now. She'd dragged her feelings around for six years and she couldn't do it anymore. This was the last Christmas that they'd share under the same roof as a family. She was going to move on with Mike. She had to. It was time. She decided that she needed closure to do it.
Brock was watched Reba as she thought about those memories. "You're deep in thought. Whatcha thinkin' about?"
Reba chose her answer carefully. "Our first Christmas with Elizabeth."
Brock smiled. "I remember that night. We got to spend Christmas all together. It was nice waking up Christmas morning as a family." They stopped walking. Brock sat down on the sand and patted the spot next to him for Reba sit down as well. "Do you know what I was thinkin' about?" Reba shook her head. "I was thinking about the night that we conceived Cheyenne."
Reba gulped. Why did he have to bring that up? Brock put his arm around Reba again and she shivered from the contact. "I guess you and I do have memories here too. It's not unusual. Look, we had life together for eighteen years. There are a lot of memories between us and not all of them are bad."
"The thing is that we're here and I'm dealing with a lot of memories-having John, creating Cheyenne, falling in love, and getting married. All of that happened here in Oklahoma. I know that you ran here as soon as you found out that you were pregnant the last time. You feel safe here and I understand that. Mike makes you feel safe. I don't like it, but it's my fault. We would still be together if you felt safe with me. You'd still feel safe with me if I hadn't gotten another woman pregnant. I'm sorry about that. I want to make you feel safe again. I want you to feel safe enough to tell me everything. I want to talk about the other baby that we lost."
"Okay. What do you want to know?" Reba was determined not to fall apart in front of him. This was a delicate subject for her.
"When did you find out that you were pregnant?"
"A few days before that family therapy session when you told me that Barbra Jean was pregnant. The pregnancy test in the trash can was mine. It was just a coincidence that Cheyenne was pregnant too."
"And you never thought about tellin' me?" Brock looked her in the eye, hoping to get some insight into her actions.
"Sure I did. I wanted to at Cheyenne's wedding. I was ready to when you took me into your arms, but then Barbra Jean showed up."
"Oh honey, I'm really sorry about that." Brock tried to hug her.
"No! It's not okay. You let her do whatever she wanted. You made me look like a fool. You treated her like part of our family. She wasn't part of the family, Brock. I could've dealt with it someday, but not then."
Brock saw the hurt in her eyes. It hurt him to know that he caused her so much pain. "You hurt me too. You ran to Mike Holliway, of all people. It was like you couldn't wait to get me out of the way so you could be with him again."
"If that was true, then why has it taken six years for us to get together?"
"The ironic thing is that I got the vasectomy about a week before Cheyenne told us that she was pregnant. If I had waited, then you and I wouldn't have had that fight over the phone."
"Yeah, but I was living in a dream world for awhile being here with Mike, with him wanting to marry me and take care of me and the baby. He said everything that I ever wanted to hear when I got pregnant with John. Then you came back into the picture with just a phone call. I wanted to tell you what was goin' on, but you didn't want to have another child with me so I kept my mouth shut."
"Oh honey, I'm sorry that I said that. I just didn't wanna lie to ya. I didn't want ya to think that we could have another baby when I knew that we couldn't because of the vasectomy. I didn't think that you could already be pregnant."
"Because you never pay attention! It was always about you-your wants and your needs. You didn't bother to pay attention to me, especially not towards the end."
"If I could take it back, then I would! I didn't mean that I didn't want a child that was already inside of you, our child. I have changed! I pay attention now. I got the vasectomy reversed and in Vegas, of all places. If that's not a sign, then I don't know what is. You helped me come to that decision. I want another baby and you want another baby. We could do that together."
"Because you think that I really want to be the other woman to the other woman! What is wrong with you? What sort of woman do you think that I am?" Reba's tone became defensive.
"I don't know. There's a lot about you that I don't know. You claimed to be against casual sex because it went against your beliefs, but now I find out that you've been havin' an affair for the last five years."
"I would've moved on by now with Mike, but he wanted to marry me first. He wouldn't marry me until he was sure that I was over you. Max offered me comfort that I couldn't get anywhere else. You drove me to it. It started the day that you married BJ. All those times that I had to help you with your marriage were too much. I had to find a way to deal with it and I did. Do you think that I liked having to talk to you about your sex life with her? You want to blame me for what I did, then fine; but you should think about how I felt for a change. You kissed her right in front of me in our house. Did you ever think about how that made me feel? And those divorce dates! You were makin' out with her all over Houston. She'd tell me about it the next day. Max cares about me. He doesn't ask questions and he drops everything at the drop of a hat when I need him. Look, there was no cuddling afterwards, no promises, no commitments, no morning after, and no love talk. It was just sex. I needed it. It helped with my stress level. If I didn't have Max, I'd have had another heart attack long ago."
"You lied to me about that, too. You were dying and you just disappeared without a word."
"I didn't plan on losing the baby and having a heart attack! It happened the next morning after our talk on the phone. I lost our baby right there on the floor. My heart stopped twice. The second time it was stopped for four minutes. They didn't think that I would make it. I was in a coma for days. I called you as soon as I was able to. I came home right after I was released from the hospital. I was very depressed. I was on medication, but you didn't notice that anything was wrong. You went back to BJ."
"After you told me to! Honey, I'm sorry that I didn't notice that anything was wrong. I was wrong not to pay attention to you. I heard what you said to Barbra Jean back in June. You said that I only got married because of a pregnancy. I married you because I loved you. You are the only woman that I ever married for love. That should count for somethin'. I want us to have more children. I want to grow old with my wife, the only one who ever counted."
"Are you talkin' about me? I wasn't sure because you already have a wife. We're not married anymore. As far as Vegas is concerned, you go there to gamble and go to strip clubs. Vegas is not special to you like it is to me. I've seen a lot of signs lately and they're all pointin' me towards Mike. He came after me this time. Mike will be the first one to tell you that I tend to run from my feelings and from commitment. You never came after me. You let me go and I saw that as a sign that we're over. Relationships are hard work. You and I are not good at working things out. Please just do what you were supposed to do in the first place and let this happen. Let me find my own happiness. I am happy with Mike. I love him."
Brock took a hold of both of her arms. "But you love me too!" His lips came crashing down on hers. He laid her down on the sand, rolling his body on top of hers. His hands were moving through the waves of her soft red hair. He ran his hands along the sides of her face before moving down her body. "Lord knows how much I love you. I've loved you since the moment we first met."
Reba wasn't thinking, just reacting. When her brain finally caught up to what her heart and the rest of her body was feeling, she pulled back. He said that he'd loved her since the night that they met at Mike's party. That was the night that she first told Mike that she loved him and the night that they'd almost made love. Mike was at home waiting for her. She'd wasted enough time on a man who couldn't show her that he really loved her when push came to shove. She pushed Brock off of her. "What in the heck do you think that you're doin'? I didn't come here to do this. I'm not interested in recreating the night that we made Cheyenne. I'm goin' home. Are you comin?" Reba said, standing up and brushing the sand off of her.
"Fine, I'll take you back to Mike, but that is not your home." Brock said sternly as he looked into her eyes once more.
They got back to the apartment over Holliway's. Max was still there. Mike explained to Reba that Max was his new business partner in both of the Holliway family businesses. Reba had good ideas to improve the business. Mike wanted to make those changes and it would be like killing two birds with one stone, so to speak, because it would be good for his relationship with Reba and increase revenue. Mike didn't have the money to incorporate the changes on his own so he had to get a business partner fast. After meeting Max, he decided that he was a man who would bring new capital and new perspective to how the businesses were ran. He felt that Max wasn't a threat to his relationship with Reba.
Max seemed to also have Reba's best interests at heart so he could be trusted to help Reba and Mike make the family business grow. Reba wasn't happy with this arrangement. She wanted to close the door on her relationship with Max, who didn't seem ready to let her go yet. She didn't want Mike to find out the whole ugly truth about her and Max. All she could do was smile and accept the arrangement without question. She was thrilled that Mike was putting her ideas into place, but worried about what the future consequences might be from taking money from Max. Reba looked forward to spending the rest of the night with Mike alone, but that didn't seem to work out in their favor. Reba and Mike sat down to play poker with Barbra Jean, Max, Brock, and Kim.
Reba felt a renewed energy between her and Mike. They exchanged little looks and touches whenever possible. They were careful not to be too affectionate around their guests. Reba was concerned about being openly affectionate with Mike in front of Brock and Kim. It was strange how the past six years changed her outlook on things. She no longer wanted to flaunt the relationship in front of their exes. Max went home after the poker game. Paige and Jenny arrived at the apartment.
Mike explained that he invited Brock and Barbra Jean to stay the weekend with them in the apartment. Barbra Jean excitedly told Reba that she planned to surprise Reba with an old-fashioned sleepover for the ladies. Barbra Jean had rented The Notebook, Sweet Home Alabama, and Runaway Bride. Paige popped the popcorn and told Reba how happy she was to bond with everyone so they could really become a family. Reba wasn't as thrilled with the idea, but put on a happy face for Barbra Jean and Paige. She was disappointed about not spending a romantic night alone with Mike. She knew that he was trying hard to prove himself to Reba by showing her that he was working on his jealousy and what better way than to invite Brock to stay with them in the apartment for the weekend. Reba snuck away during part of the movie to be with Mike downstairs in the bar.
Author's note: This next part is inspired by watching Jennifer Grey's performance on Dancing with the Stars. She danced so beautifully and it seemed like she hadn't lost any of the talent or skills that she learned while filming Dirty Dancing almost twenty-five years before. I felt that I could use that idea that the talent and skill remains years later for Reba Hart. Plus, I also think that it would be so cool if Reba was on Dancing with the Stars!
She put on her soundtrack CD from the movie, Dirty Dancing. She was inspired to dance with him the way that she used to. She hoped that it hadn't been too long that they'd be out of rhythm with each other. She remembered how they used to be so in tune with each other that they could try even difficult dance steps without much difficulty. It had been years since she'd danced like that. She'd always loved the movie, Dirty Dancing. It reminded her of all the times that she danced with Mike when they were younger. She watched those dancing shows on TV, especially Dancing with the Stars and thought that she and Mike were every bit as good as the dancers on TV.
They'd been dancing together for years before her life began in Houston. She remembered how she sat down with the kids to watch Dancing with the Stars and remarked how she could dance like that if she tried. The kids just laughed off her comment. She couldn't wait to show Kyra, Van, and Cheyenne what a good dancer she was when they came to Holliway's on Friday. Good Lord, Mike was such a good dancer. She remembered how sparks flew whenever they danced together. She was going to need a cold shower after all that touching. Brock and Barbra Jean came down the stairs towards the bar. They stopped when they saw Reba and Mike dancing.
They remained hidden in the shadows on the stairs watching the pair. Barbra Jean started whispering to Brock. "Wow, I wish that Mike could show me how to dance like that. Reba is really lucky. They look like they are having fun."
"Barbra Jean, if you remember, I wanted to become a professional dancer when I was younger. I could dance like that if I wanted to."
"Well, do you want to now? That seems to be something that he can do to woo Reba and it's workin'. What can you do?" Barbra Jean pointed out.
"We've been takin' the dance classes so I have practiced some of the more complicated dance steps. I think that I can match him evenly in dancing skills." Brock responded.
"That's not enough. He's looking into her eyes and touching her body as they dance. It's so intimate. He's romancing the socks off of her without even takin' her to bed tonight. It's like somethin' out of a romantic movie."
"You don't have to rub that in, Barbra Jean. I feel bad enough as it is."
"No, I mean that dancing is an important part of wooing Reba, so how do we get you in a situation where you dance with her?" Brock shrugged and Barbra Jean came up with an idea.
"You could always watch some of those romantic movies to get a few tips, but you could also try dancing with me. You're supposed to be working things out with me, at least that's what you want Reba to think. It might even make her jealous when she sees us together. Later, we could switch partners. You would be dancin' with Reba and I could be dancin' with Tall Dark and Handsome over there. That way, we could both get what we want. Besides, it might even make her uncomfortable to be dancin' so closely with Mike in front of you. You want to throw her off guard. If she puts her defenses down, then you've got a good chance. Max told me a secret about Reba."
"What was it?"
"Forget I said anything. I don't wanna hurt my best friend."
"You're not hurtin' her. You're helpin' her. Come on, BJ. Tell me."
"He said that Reba said your name every time they were in bed together!" Barbra Jean blurted out, still whispering so they could continue spying on Reba. She covered her mouth with her hand. She was mad at herself for not keeping a tighter rein on the blurting. Brock smiled proudly. He knew that he still had a chance with Reba. That gave him all the hope and courage that he needed for now.
Brock needed a fresh game plan for wooing Reba. Barbra Jean's suggestions made sense and that was a new development in itself. Barbra Jean was giving him insight into romancing a woman. If she'd told him about things like this when they were married, then maybe he wouldn't have been such an awful husband to her. It occurred to him that women like Reba and Barbra Jean expect men to know what they want without being told. This was something that Mike seemed to understand. He was doing well in winning Reba over, but Brock figured that the game was only half over and there was still time for him to win back the love of his life. He just had to come up with a strategy that would work...
What will Brock try in wooing Reba? What will happen between Reba and Max now that Brock and Barbra Jean are staying in the apartment with them all weekend? What will Max do next? Who will Brock turn to for advice to help his chances with Reba? What will happen to stop Reba from reconnecting with Mike now that she's figured out how to lure him away so they can be alone? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!
Coming up: Reba, Mike, Brock, and Barbra Jean have a night out at Holliway's. Reba and Mike sing with the band. Kim and Jenny sing with the band also. After a night of fun and too much to drink, Reba is hopeful that she will have a romantic night with Mike. She proceeds to seduce him, but wakes up to the shock of her life.
There is a new poll question this week on my FF profile. Should Brock keep spying on Reba? Please let me know what you think. Thanks.
Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….
If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.
I had a great week, very inspiring. Reba concert tickets are very affordable for her latest tour. I managed to get a ticket for her concert in Kansas City. I'm very happy. I got a ticket for only $25.00. I also got to chat with Melissa Peterman on twitter last week. I couldn't believe that she responded to my tweets. We were talking about Patrick Fabian and Ed Asner. I hope that she guest stars on Ed Asner's new CMT show, Average Joe. Ed Asner and Tom Arnold play father and son. It ought to be really funny.
Shout out to Chatte578. Thanks for your feedback! Max isn't much competition with Brock, so don't worry. Reba doesn't want Max anymore. Reba didn't start the affair with Max until Brock married Barbra Jean. I hope that you'll be happy with this chapter and the next one. Spoiler: Reba isn't going to sleep with Max again. Reba isn't going to bed with Max on the night when she drinks too much, but she will not wake up alone from her drunken crazy night. This chapter revealed Mike's big surprise for Reba. Coming up, Brock will do something big to woo Reba. I will be updating Drop Dead Hero soon.
Shout out to RMandMSFan: Thanks for your encouragement! I really appreciate your terrific review! Thank you for your kind words. I'm addicted to writing this story so I'm glad that there are readers out there who are addicted to reading it. There are many more Breba moments coming up soon.
Shout out to iNxC0NCERTx2010: Thanks for your encouragement! I love your new story, Dying Embers. Keep those updates coming. I love them. Your Breba moments are amazing!
Shout out to countrygirls86: I love your story, Hart Breaking Words. I'm addicted to reading it and I hope that you are able to update it soon.
Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy day to read my story and send me a review. This is a thank you for anyone who has ever submitted a review. It is appreciated!
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Thanks for reading my stories. These are my usernames for each fan fiction site. The poll is on my profile on the FF site. I hope that you vote soon. I plan to have a new poll up frequently for readers to vote on. Just cut and paste the web addresses in without the spaces.
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