Believe in Love Again Chapter 41: Surprise Reunion, a reba fanfic

Title: Believe in Love Again

Chapter 41: Surprise reunion

Time: September-December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)

Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney-Hart, Brock Hart, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Jack Morgan, Brian Collins, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.

Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: 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, Frank Campbell, and Maggie.

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Now on with the story-

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- 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. Mike 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 this chapter!

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-

Reba and Mike were still dancing to the Dirty Dancing CD. Reba was finding it hard to concentrate anymore. She wanted Mike so badly that she couldn't stand it.

"Let's go upstairs. Maybe it's time to go to bed." Reba told him, pressing her lips to his hungrily. She was moving her lips to his neck. Mike was struggling to resist her. There was always just something about her that he could never resist, especially when she initiated their lovemaking. It had just been too darn long. He had a goal. If he wanted to get Reba to marry him, he was going to have to play hardball with her. It was time to lay his cards on the table.

"Reba, don't!" Mike said sharply, pulling away from her.

Reba stopped uncertain of where to go from here. He'd never actually turned her down before, especially not at their place. "It's been awhile. I must be doin' somethin' wrong," she joked. She put her arms around him and placed her lips on his ever so softly. That was Mike's undoing. She pressed her body closer to his. She was gentle and careful. It reminded Mike of how she was in the beginning, before the trip to Las Vegas when everything got so complicated. Her perfume was filling his senses and he started kissing her again. She spoke in a gentle whisper. "Mmm. This is nice. I always loved the way that you kiss. Oh, I missed you. I missed this. No one makes me feel the way that you do."

Mike pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "Your eyes look like silver pools of moonlight and the tide rushes in."

She was amused that he would use that old line on her, but she understood what he was aiming for. He wanted a new beginning for them, not just a continuation of what they had before. He was trying to put things back to the way that they were in the beginning before Kim, Terry, and Brock messed everything up. He wanted to go back to the days when their relationship was innocent and full of hope. If that's what he wanted, Reba sure wasn't going to object. She changed tactics with him. She lowered her voice to a soft, soothing tone. "You really love me, don't you?" she questioned as if she didn't know the answer. She put her hand to his cheek and smiled.

He took her face into his hands. "You know I do. Everything that I have is yours, baby. I swear. I'll cherish you forever." He was saying the same things to her that he said the night that he proposed after they'd arrive at the apartment to start their new life together. She didn't care. She thought that it was sweet that he remembered. He was trying to make this sentimental. She smiled and kissed him again.

She kissed him feverishly. "Oh Jack, I love you so much. Let's make love tonight."

Mike pulled away again. "What? We're supposed to be taking things slowly. I want to marry you."

"Oh come on, for heaven's sakes, Jack, it's not exactly our first time. We've made love thousands of times. We've been married. We've had a child together. We once had an affair goin' on for weeks without anyone knowin' about it. I appreciate everything that you're tryin' to do. It's so sweet. I love that you remember how to say all the right words. I'm meltin' right into your arms. I don't care where we go, but I really want us to make love right now. We can try out that old pool table in the back, if you want to. We were makin' sweet memories that night too before we were so rudely interrupted." Reba unbuttoned the top two buttons on her dress.

Mike looked uncomfortable. This wasn't going how he planned. He wanted to pace things right so he could work in a proposal that he was sure that Reba would say yes to. "Wait, Reba! I'm gonna tell ya for the second time tonight that I wanna marry ya. I want to get married, then we can make love, and then we can have a baby. Call me old-fashioned, but that's the way that I want things to be between us this time. Will you mar..."

Reba knew what he was going to say. She kissed him again fast before he could say the words. She was not ready to give him an answer to his proposal. Why did he have to make things so complicated? Why couldn't they just throw caution to the wind and simply love each other without the hassle of commitments? She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and she told him so. Why did he need that stupid piece of paper so much? It wasn't like they were happy in their other marriages. They'd both been through painful divorces. She wasn't ready to put herself out there like that.

"Reba, hold on a second! I'm tryin' to say somethin' here." His voice was filled with impatience. He didn't like how this was going one little bit. He expected her to melt into his arms and accept his proposal. It looked like that wasn't going to happen.

"That's the third time that you've called me Reba tonight," she remarked. Her voice was cracking with emotion. She was disappointed. She felt rejected and she didn't like it at all. She didn't like feeling rejected by the love of her life. Now she knew how Brock felt because Barbra Jean was rejecting him too.

"What do you want me to call you, babe?"

"I don't know, Mike." Reba put an emphasis on the way that she said his name. She wanted him to get the message. "If you don't know, then I'm not gonna bother tellin' ya!"

He got the message alright. He knew exactly how to deal with the situation. He captured her lips fiercely, pulling her roughly to him. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. "Where?" he asked.

She broke off her kiss to answer. "I don't care. The closest available place would be the bar counter."

He nodded and carried her over the bar counter. He laid her down and kissed her. "Do you want me, Sal?"

"You know I do," she answered breathlessly.

He got off of her and stood up quickly. "It seems to me that we've got a problem here. We both want somethin' and we each wanna be the one to win. I propose that we make a new bet. This one should be a real challenge for ya. If you can seduce me, then I'll agree to wait to get married. I'll even wait until after December. We can try for a baby right away. The catch is if I can seduce you first, then I win and you have to agree to marry me. It doesn't have to be right away. We can wait until December if that's what you want. Either way you still come out a winner because we'll make love and start tryin' for a baby. Do you wanna take the bet?" Mike grinned and stuck out his hand for Reba to shake.

"Absolutely! You're gonna lose. I'm gonna win and then we'll stop all this talk about marriage. I'm gonna have ya beggin' to make love to me." She sat up on the counter and shook Mike's hand. Then she hopped off the bar counter and took Mike by the hand. "I want ya to dance with me some more." She led him to the area where they were dancing before, near the stage and the jukebox. She let go of his hand and turned to face him. "I don't wanna talk anymore. Just dance with me."

"Are you sure that's all you want? You just wanna dance?" Mike asked. He wanted to be sure of what she wanted. She nodded wordlessly. She walked towards him, closing the space between them. She was close enough to kiss him. She put her hand on his shoulder and then reached around to grab the back of his neck. Her arm was finally around him. He didn't let her proximity get to him. He put his arms around her to guide her movements. His actions were slow and deliberate. He knew that she was trying to entice him, but he was determined to stay one step ahead of her. She ran her hands up and down his back. Mike held Reba close as they continued to move to the beat. He dipped her. She slowly lifted herself up to Mike. Mike rubbed up against her. He put his hands on either side of her face and brought her in for a kiss. It was gentle this time and less fierce. Reba lost track of how long that kiss was. He gently pulled away first. Reba's eyes were closed. She slowly opened her eyes. "Now do ya want me to drive you up the wall?" he asked her in that low tone that she always found so sexy.

"Yeah, but I wanna win more so I'm not gonna be the one to surrender. You are and I'm gonna use every trick in the book to get what I want. You can do anything you want to me and you still won't win." Reba answered him with an outward façade of calm while inside his actions were turning her into jelly. She was determined not to let him affect her.

Barbra Jean and Brock were still sitting near the top of the stairs unseen. Brock didn't like watching what was happening, but he was afraid to move and get caught spying on them. "Okay, you've done enough research on Reba. Now's the time for action. If we don't act soon, she just might let him win." Barbra Jean stood up and pulled Brock to his feet. Then they walked down the stairs together hand in hand.

At that moment, Reba was kissing Mike's neck and running her hands up and down his muscular chest. Mike's hands were on Reba's backside. They were moving slowly to the music. What they were doing had changed from the simple dance that Reba had originally told him that she wanted.

Barbra Jean knew that it was time to play the part of the loving wife. She cleared her throat once they got to the bottom of the stairs. "Wow, it looks like we had the same idea as you guys. I just had to get Brock to dance with me."

Reba's arms returned to encircle the back of Mike's neck while Mike's arms were around Reba's waist. They were carefully slow dancing. Reba was embarrassed to be caught in such as intimate position by Brock and Barbra Jean. Reba was trying to slow her breathing down. Her pulse was racing. She didn't think that anyone would've noticed that they'd slipped away. If they did, she'd hoped that they figured that the two were in their bedroom together and not down here. Reba hoped that her sister hadn't guessed her location and given it away to the others.

Reba continued to dance with Mike while Brock danced with Barbra Jean. Mike put on one of their favorite songs on the jukebox, "Bring It on Home to Me" by Sam Cooke. Reba always found meaning in the words of the song. Mike was mouthing the words while they danced.

If you ever change your mind
About leavin', leavin' me behind
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'

Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)

You know I laughed when you left
But now I know I've only hurt myself
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)

Reba smiled. He dipped, spun, and turned her around the dance floor. Brock held Barbra Jean close as they slow danced. Reba watched the pair carefully with mixed emotions.

She wanted them to get along. They needed to make their marriage work. She told Brock to try to make the marriage work and he seemed to actually be listening to her, but Brock's words from the beach came flooding back in her mind. "You are the only woman that I ever married for love. That should count for somethin'. I want us to have more children. I wanna grow old with my wife, the only one who ever counted. Lord knows how much I love you. I've loved you since the moment we first met."

At that moment, she felt like she did when Brock brought Barbra Jean to Cheyenne and Van's first wedding. She felt betrayed, even though she knew that she had no right to feel that way. She and Brock had been over for the last six years. She took a deep breath and looked into Mike's eyes. They were so gentle and trusting. It was everything that she'd ever wanted. Mike whispered into her ear. He wanted to try some of the more difficult moves.

He wanted to try a lift. She told him to put on "I've Had the Time of My Life". Barbra Jean heard the song play. She'd always wanted to learn to dance like that. She'd always loved that movie. She'd been twelve when the movie came out, but she was fascinated by the romance and the dancing. Dancing with Brock was nice, but it clearly wasn't anywhere near close to dancing like a professional. Why did Reba always have to be so lucky?

She always ended up with the best guys. Mike was nice looking, fun, devoted, and danced with Reba like he was Patrick Swayze. Barbra Jean was no longer married to Brock. Their divorce was finalized two weeks ago. Helping Brock could also serve her own purposes. She wanted to know what it was like to be romanced the way that Mike was romancing Reba. She stopped dancing with Brock and urged him to watch the other pair on the dance floor. "Are you watchin'? Because that is what a woman wants! I wanna learn to dance like that. Reba obviously wants to be able to dance like that with the man that she loves."

They watched as Mike lifted Reba up into the air over his head. That was an amazing moment for Barbra Jean. It was like watching the movie, only it was real. Barbra Jean clapped loudly. She rushed over to Mike and Reba. "Oh my gosh, that was so great! I've always wanted to dance like that. Brock can't dance like that. Please teach us."

"It's not that hard. You just have to be in sync with your partner. There has to be a lot of trust and good non-verbal communication going on. It also takes practice," Reba responded.

"Brock is not that graceful. It will take us forever to learn to dance like you guys. Please help us. You've got to help us, Reba. You're always so good at helping us. Pleaseeee!" Barbra Jean begged.

"If it will get you to stop, then we will help you." Reba looked at Barbra Jean with frustration. She was tired of helping those two, but she gave in because she knew that their marriage was in a fragile place right now. She did want Brock to be able to get it back on track. Reba looked at Mike. "Is this okay?"

"Sure. I'll work with Barbra Jean and you can work with Brock. That way, they will each learn the steps from an experienced dance partner."

Brock couldn't believe his ears. This was working out better than he had anticipated. Two minutes later, he was dancing with Reba in his arms. Mike was working with Barbra Jean to teach her the dance steps. He dipped her and then swung her back up. Reba turned around so that her back was to Brock.

"Now follow me. Take my left arm and guide while I lift it to the back of your head. You're gonna take your fingers and trail them down my arm and past the side of my chest. You have to make your fingers glide down gently. Then you kiss the side of her face, but we can skip that. Then you spin me out and bring me back towards you. That's when we start into the steps of the mambo." Brock looked at her accusingly. "I only know how to do the mambo. I didn't know how to do the salsa or calypso before last June. Honest." Brock's eyes softened towards her.

Reba shivered as Brock followed her movements, especially as his fingertips run down her arm and over the side of her left breast. He didn't skip the kiss on the cheek either. Reba showed him the movements step by step. "So, how long have you known how to dance like this?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Mike and I have danced together for most of our lives. We used to dance together a lot in high school. We've been doing this one particular dance since the movie came out."

Brock's stare drilled into Reba. "So, you were dancing like this with Mike while you were married to me?"

Reba met his accusing eyes without flinching. "It was just dancing. For heaven's sake, Brock, dancing isn't the same as having ring-a-ding." Brock laughed when she said ring-a-ding. "What?"

"You haven't said ring-a-ding in a long time." He spoke in a casual, jesting way.

"Well, fine. Tease me then. It's just that being here reminds me who I used to be. I used to say things like ring-a-ding instead of making love."

"I know. I remember. So, why did you dance like that with him and not me, your husband?" The amused look suddenly left his eyes.

Reba swallowed to ease the lump that she felt in her throat. "Do you remember what you were like back then? You had dental classes, a job, and an internship. You were busy with that and then you would go out with your buddies to drink beer and play golf. I sat at home, taking care of Cheyenne. We didn't do much together. When I came back here for my birthday, Mike took me to see the movie. I mentioned that I wanted to learn to dance like that so he taught me. We were just friends. That's all. He was married and so was I. We didn't do anything wrong. He was my best friend." The look in Brock's eyes became gentle and understanding.

"Well now, I'm your best friend and I'm gonna need you to help me learn how to do this. We're gonna practice until I can dance like this with my wife perfectly. It's important to her for me to dance with her like this. She wants romance and I'm gonna give it to her."

Reba placed her hand on Brock's forearm. "I'm really glad, Brock. You know I like this Brock Hart a lot better than the old one. It's nice."

"Thank you. I think so, too. I'll let you know how it all turns out when I'm finished wooing my wife."

Reba giggled. "I'd pay good money to see that. I've never seen Brock Hart try to woo a woman."

"Hey, I got you to fall in love with me, didn't I?

"We were friends and that led into something more. You didn't have to work very hard to get me to marry you. There wasn't any wooing. You weren't exactly Mr. Romance."

"That's why I have to change. I wasn't a good husband, but I want to learn how to be one. I'm not good at this type of stuff. Do you think that you could help me with it?"

"Yeah, but only because we're friends. I don't wanna let you down. I don't wanna see ya get hurt again. I know how hard it is when you and Barbra Jean have problems."

"So how are you and Mike doin'?"

"It's different, but in a good way. We're building the foundation for a lasting relationship. That takes time. He loves me so much and I'm back to being that girl who felt lucky to get him to fall in love with me in the first place. You remember how I was. I wasn't exactly Miss Oklahoma. He sees something in me that I don't even see in myself. It's beautiful and perfect. I don't wanna let it go for anything else in the world."

"Sweetheart, I always thought that you were a beauty queen," Brock said tenderly.

"Shut up and dance, you mo-ron!"

"Anything you say, dear." Brock's remark caused Reba to roll her eyes at him.

Author's note: When Brock mentions wanting to be a better man for his wife or wanting to woo his wife, he's talking about Reba. He wants her to be his wife. She doesn't get it. She hasn't caught on yet. Brock is being very careful not to have Reba catch on yet because he knows that she'll push him away. He's even become familiar enough with Paige to treat her like a little sister.

The next morning, Reba woke up next to Paige on the sleeper sofa bed. She woke up and fixed breakfast for everyone. Mike woke up to the sounds and smells of Reba's cooking. He came into the kitchen to greet her with a kiss. Brock woke up and got dressed. He came out and walked into the kitchen. Paige woke up and saw Brock coming out of her bedroom.

"Ugh, why isn't he staying in the other bedroom with Barbra Jean?" Paige responded.

"Because she won't let me. I didn't have any other choice for a place to sleep last night. Unless you'd rather slept in your own bed while I slept on the sleeper sofa next to Reba? Or maybe you'd like to have slept with your husband at his place?"

Paige was shocked. Her mouth hung open. "Reba, are you gonna let him talk to me like that? This is our home."

"And he is a guest," Reba explained to Paige before turning to Brock. "Brock, are you seriously gonna pick on my sister?"

"She started it."

Reba rolled her eyes at Brock's childishly response. Her cell phone was ringing. It was Cheyenne. "Good morning, Cheyenne. How's everyone doin' at Meemaw and Grandpa's house?"

Cheyenne was calling because Elizabeth and Henry were upset. They overheard a conversation between Van and Cheyenne about Reba. Elizabeth and Henry wanted to talk to Reba. They were sad and confused. Cheyenne was not able to calm the kids down. She needed Reba to come over and do that.

Reba got off the phone. "I have to get over to Mama and Daddy's house. There's trouble with the kids. The little ones overheard a private conversation and it upset them."

Mike flew into action. He went to finish cooking. He poured Reba some coffee in a travel mug to take with her, then he put a fried egg and a slice of cheese on some bread for a quick breakfast sandwich to go. It was the same thing that she did for him when they were in a hurry in the mornings and late for school back in Houston. Reba got dressed and rushed to get ready to go.

"Thank you. I love you and I'll be home as soon as I can. This shouldn't take long," Reba said to Mike.

"What happened?" Brock asked.

"It's Henry and Elizabeth. I'm takin' care of it."

"While you're over there, do you plan on walkin' around much?" Mike asked.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Your dad wants to give us a house on their land. I don't wanna waste any time. I thought that you could pick the location. I had some plans drawn up for you to look at. I wanna start building as soon as possible."

Reba shook her head and laughed. "What's funny?" Mike asked.

"My dad wantin' us to get married. He actually wants to give us a house? It's just too weird considering how things went before."

"I know. Let's be open-minded and hear what our folks have to say at dinner tonight. Just look around the property and see if there's any special place that appeals to ya. My dad offered us some of his land, but your dad insisted on us buildin' on McKinney land. The land has been in your family for generations and your dad wants to pass it on."

"I agree. I'd love for us to live on the family's land. It's just perfect. When we were growin' up, it was somethin' that I'd always wanted." Reba kissed him before heading to the door.

When she opened it, Kim was there with little Terry. "Terry really wanted to spend some time today with his dad." Terry went run up to greet Mike with a big hug. Mike scooped Terry up in his arms.

"That's fine. I was just leavin'."

"Reba, you should stay and spend some time with Terry and me. Please?"

"I'm sorry. I have to go now. I won't be long."

Mike's face twisted into a look of clear frustration. "Everything will be fine. Let Cheyenne handle her own daughter. Let Brock handle his own son. Why do you always have to put everyone else first in life? We need this time to come together as a family," he gently pleaded.

"Because Elizabeth is my granddaughter. I've been there from the moment that she was born. We are very close. Henry is also a part of our family. I was there on the day when he was born. He lives in my house and he is a half-brother to my kids. I don't treat him any differently than I do my own kids. This is about family. Henry is as important to me as Terry is, okay? I'll be right back. We can take Terry out to the park and go swimmin'. How about a picnic?"

Little Terry nodded his head and ran over to hug Reba. "Bye, Aunt Reba." Reba looked at him and started to cry. He looked so much like Terry. It struck her just how much she missed Terry. "Why are you cryin'?" he asked her innocently.

"You look so much like your father, that's all."

"My mommy says that all the time. Do you have kids, Aunt Reba?

"Yes, and you'll meet them tonight. My oldest daughter is Cheyenne. She has a husband named Van. They have two children, Elizabeth and John. My other daughter is Kyra. Then there's Jake and Henry. Elizabeth and Henry are a little older than you. They just started kindergarten."

"Are you gonna be my new mommy?" Terry asked.

"Well, Kim is your mommy and she loves you very much. I'm with your dad, but I would never want to replace your mommy. I like being your Aunt Reba. If you have any more questions, your dad is right there to answer them."

Reba left out the door to go to her parents' house. Barbra Jean, who had woken up during Reba's conversation with Mike, followed her out to her car.

"Reba, I want to thank you for what you said back there."

"Don't mention it."

"Did you mean it?

"Yes, you, Brock, and Henry are part of my family." Barbra Jean got excited and hugged Reba tightly. "Barbra Jean, I can't breathe."

"I'm sorry. It just means so much for me to hear you say that. You love Henry as much as I love Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake."

"He's their half-brother and he's living in my house part-time. Of course, I'm gonna treat him the same as the other kids. I do love him, Barbra Jean. Now, let go so I can go and talk to him. I'll let you know what's got him so upset when I get back, okay." Barbra Jean nodded and wiped tears off her cheeks.

Reba got into her car quickly and headed over to the McKinney family ranch. She arrived and took Elizabeth and Henry over to the barn. She took them horseback riding. The kids were smiling and laughing. So far, Reba didn't see them get upset at all. She wondered just what all the commotion was about. She was about to find out. After the horseback riding, she took the kids on a walk around the ranch. She was interested in finding the perfect spot to build her dream house.

"So, kids, I need your help. I'm tryin' to find the perfect place to build a house," Reba began.

"Who is the house for, Grandma?" Elizabeth asked.

"The house is for me. My boyfriend, Mike and I are gonna get married and we want to have a place to live in Houston and a place to live here."

"But you already have a place to live here. My mommy said that you have a nice apartment. That's where she and my daddy are staying this weekend," Henry responded.

"That's right, Henry. The apartment is nice, but it's a little small. I have three children and Mike has four children. We want to have more children so we need a place that is big enough for lots of children."

"We don't have much room in our house in Houston. Are we getting a bigger house in Houston too?" Henry asked.

"No, kids. I'm moving in with Mike in his apartment. We're gonna stay there until we finish college."

"But then you're gonna move, right? I heard my mommy and daddy talkin' about it," Elizabeth questioned.

"Yes, honey. We're movin' back here in a couple of years. Brock and Henry will move back home with Barbra Jean. Your mommy and daddy will get to stay at our house. Jake will probably move in with Brock too."

"That would be nice, Aunt Reba, but my mommy and daddy aren't gettin' back together. My mommy wants a divorce. She says that it will make everyone happy again. Does that mean that Daddy and I won't have a place to live?"

"You and your daddy are welcomed to stay in our house for as long as you want. It'll be okay."

"No, it won't! You're moving away. You can't go. Who will read me a bedtime story and tuck me in with Daddy? You're supposed to be with Daddy. He needs you."

"Henry, your daddy is a brave man. He loves you very much. He will take very good care of you, Elizabeth, Jake, Kyra, Cheyenne, Van, and their new baby."

"Grampy will be so sad without you," Elizabeth said tearfully.

Reba heard a voice coming from behind them. "That's because every daddy needs a mommy at home too." Reba shook her head in disbelief. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Do me a favor. My kid has been through enough already with the separation. He's just getting used to things and feelin' safe again. Don't take that away from him right now."

"I don't understand all of this commotion. I'm not moving out here for another two years or so, maybe even longer." Reba whispered back.

"They feel like their family is being torn apart like Jake did when we got divorced. All these years we've managed to stay a family through everything. The kids feel like our family is slipping away from them."

"It wasn't supposed to stay this way forever. Fine, I'll play along for now. Once the time comes for me to get married, we'll have to get them used to the idea that I'll be livin' across town."

"That's better than a whole state away. You've been there for Elizabeth her whole life. It will be hard for her to lose you that way."

"I said that I would play along. Honestly, you have to stop playin' the guilt card. I love my family."

"I know you do, Red." Brock kissed her on the forehead. "See, she isn't goin' anywhere." Brock happily told the kids. They cheered.

"Good! Now I wanna see Grampy and Grandma kiss." Both of the kids started chanting. "Kiss, kiss, kiss."

Brock leaned in and pressed his lips to Reba. Reba felt a spark of electricity flowing through both of them. She would've pulled away from the shock, but she felt herself being pulled into a flashback and she was pulling Brock into the flashback with her. She was reliving their wedding day when the minister pronounced them husband and wife and told Brock to kiss his bride. They were both reliving that first kiss as husband and wife. As soon as the flashback ended, Reba pulled away slightly embarrassed. Brock was grinning.

"I don't know about you, but this family still needs a vacation house. If Grandpa JV is goin' build a house for us, then we should find a place to build it." Reba remarked.

During that time that Brock and Reba spent with the kids that morning, it had almost felt like it used to when they were married. Reba thought that it was a nice feeling until Frank Campbell showed up. Frank Campbell was Kim's younger brother and a friend of Mike's. He came to find Reba to talk with her about the legal matters that he'd been working with Mike on. The kids were playing ball out in an open field. Brock and Reba had just sat down by Reba's favorite tree.

"Hey, Reba, how are ya?" Frank greeted.

"I'm fine. What are you doin' here, Frank?" Reba asked.

"Has Mike talked to ya about all the legal issues that have been goin' on?"

"Of course, Mike and I don't have any secrets from each other."

"Sure. This is a sensitive matter. Can we talk in private?"

"Why? You can say whatever it is that you have to say in front of Brock. He's family."

"There are papers that have to be signed about your marriage to Mike."

"We have plenty of time. It's still two months until December. What's the rush?"

"There's no need for another wedding unless you both want to renew your vows."

"What do you mean, renew our vows?"

"That's what most couples do when they're already married."

"What?"

"Mike was supposed to talk to ya about this. You two are legally married. You have been for the last twenty-five years. There are papers that the two of you need to go over and finalize in my office."

Reba suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her world was getting smaller and smaller. She was lucky that she was sitting down because she didn't have far to fall. She passed out. When she regained consciousness, Brock was sitting right beside her, telling her to take slow, deeper breaths. She told Frank that she wasn't feeling well and asked him to leave. Frank briefly explained the legalities of the situation before leaving. Brock was patient. He sat beside her and waited for her to get over her shock.

"So, are you okay?"

"Not exactly. When I woke up this morning, I wasn't married and now I am."

"Well honey, technically you were married when you got up this morning too," Brock remarked jokingly.

That got Reba to smile. "Ha ha, Brock, very funny."

"I thought so. So, how did this happen?"

"I don't know all the details, but we did make vows and we did live together. It must have something to do all the things that we did before we left for Vegas."

"What do you mean? What did you do?"

"The lease on the apartment says that the place is occupied by Mike and Reba Holliway. I signed the lease as Reba Holliway. I also got the name on my driver's license changed from Reba McKinney to Reba Holliway. I changed my name on everything before I left. That's why I got the apartment when we returned. He treated everything as if we got divorced because he considered us living together as husband and wife until we got back from Vegas. To be honest, it was like we were married until I left for Ada. For the first three weeks after Vegas, we were polite roommates. One night, we went to dinner and a movie together. We came home and reconciled. We didn't spend not one night apart until the day I packed up and left."

Brock listened tentatively without any trace on emotion on his face. Reba was grateful that he wasn't judging her at this point. She saw his expression change to one of obvious amusement. He had a boyish smirk on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm just thinkin' of the night of the engagement party. I'm so irresistible that a married woman tried to seduce me."

"That's not funny. I wasn't tryin' to seduce you. I was tryin' to teach ya a lesson."

"You can teach me a lesson like that anytime, Red," he said, laughing. Somehow Reba also found this funny as well. That night was one of those someday we'll look back on this and laugh moments.

Reba went through the rest of her day on auto pilot. She returned back to the bar and explained why the kids were so upset. Mike had to understand that things were changing for the kids and they just needed time to adjust. He promised to stop talking about getting married and moving to Oklahoma around the kids. She waited for him to tell her that they were still married, but he didn't. Reba figured that Mike had the same trust issues that she had. She decided that being married to Mike wasn't such a bad thing. It was something that she'd wanted for so long and she began to relax in her role as Mrs. Reba Holliway.

That didn't mean that they would stop being the people that they were yesterday. She wasn't going to give in that easily. There was a new bet in place that she would win. That would put them on even ground. He would get to be married to her, but on her terms. She decided to win that bet at all costs. Reba knew that she still had what it took to seduce Mike. They were about to reconnect as husband and wife.

She decided to have some fun with this. The family dinner wasn't something that she looked forward to anyway. She'd rather get a root canal. She was going to have to sit at the same table as JV, who was sitting next to Helen. JV was blissfully unaware that his wife was seated next to her lover. It was so embarrassing to Reba to know about the affair, but by now that information was common knowledge around town. Reba was both grateful, but disturbed to know that JV was clueless to his wife's infidelity. Reba didn't want to see her father hurt and she didn't want to see her parents' marriage end, but she couldn't figure out why he didn't realize that something was wrong in his marriage.

Was he walking around with blinders on? Maybe he just didn't want to see things for what they really were. Reba would keep what she knew a secret from her father. She loved Mike, but she was not going to play the dutiful daughter and daughter-in-law tonight. It was time to rewind the clock and slip into some old habits. No one knew that they were married so she was ready to shame her mother in behaving herself by focusing on being a mother for a change. It was fine for Mike and Reba to date, but JV and Helen always found it unacceptable for Reba and Mike to be fooling around in public or sneaking around when they knew exactly what the pair was up to. Reba knew that JV would reprimand her on displaying that type of behavior when she was a mother herself.

The entire McKinney/Hart and Holliway clans would be there. When they did this at teenagers, it was because they wanted to stop Helen and Jason's relationship before it destroyed two families and two marriages. That's how Mike and Reba fell back into dating after being friends for so long. It was easy enough for Reba to remember what to do and she had fun planning exactly how the evening would go. Not everything was perfect that evening. She was seated across from Mike instead of beside him at the table. She was seated beside Barbra Jean and Brock was seated next to Mike, also across from Reba. Reba sat there subtly flirting with Mike from across the table.

This irked Brock because he couldn't figure out how Mike was getting away with deceiving Reba. Reba knew that Mike still hadn't confessed that they were married and yet acted as if nothing had happened earlier when Brock knew that Reba had a deep fear of making a marital commitment to Mike. That's why she hadn't accepted his marriage proposal yet. There she was acting as if all was right in the relationship. The signs and signals were clear. Reba was trying to be as bold as she could be right under everyone's noses. It was time for a little interference. Brock prayed that luck would come his way.

Luck was smiling on Brock Hart that evening. Reba was passing a note under the table to Mike, but she misjudged the distance and the note landed in Brock's direction. Brock opened the note carefully in his lap. Reba wanted to sneak away from dinner to fool around in a closet with Mike. He saw her sneak off first. He waited until the coast was clear. Mike hadn't gotten the message and everyone at the table was busy talking. Brock carefully maneuvered his exit from the table.

So far, so good. Reba was waiting in a dark closet to make out with her husband. She felt him quickly enter the dark sanctuary. "I just had to get away from there. Our parents are creating more drama than Barbra Jean usually does on a good day," she said to him. Her lips greeted his fiercely. Her tongue tangled with his briefly before she moved the attention to his neck. She licked, nipped, and sucked at his neck gently and her hands made their way south in a hurry to touch the growing bulge in his pants. She didn't want to have to tell him what she wanted.

She didn't want him to think that he was winning. She'd made it clear that he'd have to seduce her in any way necessary to win. She would not admit defeat and she would not surrender. He didn't disappoint her. His hands were under her shirt, moving past her bra. She moved her hands back up to his abs and chest. "Somebody's been workin' out. Keep it up," she commented breathlessly. She grinded her hips against his.

He groaned. Reba was satisfied that she'd teased him long enough. She stopped everything to whisper in his ear. "That was fun. If you want more, then you'll have to wait 'til later. I'm goin' back to the table now. You should wait five minutes before you head back to the table. I love you." She kissed him again quickly on the mouth. He didn't hesitate to make another move on her. He grabbed her behind and backed her up against the wall. "Someone's anxious, but we have to get back. I promise that I'll make this up to you later." Reba slipped out of the room as fast as she could get out of his grasp.

She cracked the door open slightly and slipped out. Brock couldn't believe his luck. He never dreamed to be in this situation with Reba again. It was like a dream having her kiss him, touch him, and tell him that she loved him. That declaration of love almost undid him, but he decided that it was better to win the war because he didn't need to be the one to win the battle. She did, even if she didn't know who her play mate was right now. He was winning in little ways that made all the difference in the world to him. He felt bad about deceiving her, but she would never let him near her otherwise. He was definitely in love with the most stubborn woman in all of Oklahoma and Texas combined, but he wouldn't want to have it any other way.

The fathers made their announcements after dinner when the family was having dessert. JV stood up with a proud look on his face. "I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the Holliways into our family. Helen and I are very proud to see Reba and Mike back together again. But this isn't the only thing that joins our two families because we also have the memory of a wonderful little boy that will tie us together always. Now, your mother and I have a gift for ya. We know that you have a home in Houston, but we'd like you to have a place to call home here in McAlester for your family."

"As soon as plans are approved and you've selected a spot to build, then construction will start on your new house. Reba, your mother and I would like to tell you how much we love you and how proud we are of you. You've given us four beautiful grandchildren and we look forward to the day when you and Mike give us another beautiful grandbaby. We haven't always been there for you girls as we should have, but we promise to be there for ya now and in the future. So I'd like to make a toast to little John, who can't be with us now but who will always be in our hearts." JV raised his glass and invited everyone else to do the same.

JV sat down and Jason stood up, with his face full of genuine affection as he looked at Mike and Reba. "It's been a hard year for this family because not so long ago we lost Emma to cancer. I know that she is in a better place because she's in heaven with our boy, Terry. We haven't had a lot to smile about until Mike told me that he and Reba were reunited, working on a family and a life together. Reba, I just know that Emma is up there in heaven taking care of your boy, too and I know that Emma and Terry are looking down on us right now, smiling. Mike came to Emma and me in June and told us that the two of you were trying to find your way back to each other. It made us think about how much time you've lost together. Time is precious and you never know how fast time really goes."

"Emma wanted me to give you our blessing. We'd decided to make Reba truly feel like part of the family right away. We've made you an equal partner to Mike in our family businesses. That means that you own 50% of Mike's shares in Frontier's and Holliway's. We've divided them so Kim owns 20% of Holliway's. Sam, Nick, Josh, and Terry each own five percent of Frontier's. Their mother holds onto and manages the profits from those shares until the youngest boy turns age 21. Mike has a new business partner who now owns ten percent of Frontier's and ten percent of Holliway's. Mike owns 35% in Frontier's and 35% in Holliway's. Reba, what Emma and I did was sign over 35% of Frontier's and 35% of Holliway's in your current name, no strings attached. You will always be a part of our family whether you decide to marry Mike or not. We love you and we wanted to welcome you as a daughter to our family." Jason walked over to Reba and hugged her.

Jason sat back down and Reba remained standing. She had a speech to deliver, too. "Wow, I feel so surprised, but in a good way. This is so great that both sets of parents are so accepting and so loving. I feel so blessed, not only for me but for John also. For a long time, his life was mourned and it was never celebrated like it should have been. I just feel so happy that we are finally celebrating what he meant to all of us. My children, my grandchildren, and I are so touched to be entering into your family. We are happy to have the Holliways join our family because in the McKinney family there's always room for more. As I look around at all of the faces at this table, I feel so blessed because we are becoming one big happy family. This family includes more than just McKinneys and Holliways. We have Kim, who enjoyed being a Holliway so much that she did it twice." Kim laughed at Reba's joke.

"We have Mike and Kim's children. I am growing to love you guys more each day. We have Jenny, who will be becoming a Holliway soon and blessing us with a new grandchild." Jenny met Reba's eyes and smiled. "We have Van, who has married my daughter, Cheyenne, who is half McKinney." Van looked at Reba and smiled. He had a tear in his eye that he wiped on his sleeve. "Van and Cheyenne have blessed me with two wonderful grandchildren. We have my three children who are all half-McKinney and half-Hart because 25 years ago we added the Harts into the McKinney family. That means that any and all Harts will always be a part of our family."

"So we also have Barbra Jean and Henry as honorary members of our family. Barbra Jean, I know that I don't have to tell you this because you know that my mama welcomed you into our family six years ago. It just took me a little longer to accept it, but I did and now I can honestly say that I'm glad that you are in my life and part of my family." Barbra Jean reached over to Reba and hugged her. "Barbra Jean, I might reconsider 'cause you're squeezin' the life outta me." Barbra Jean let go and quickly sat back down in her seat.

"Henry, you are the newest Hart and very precious to your parents, and to me."

Henry ran over to give Reba a bear hug around her middle. "I love you, Aunt Reba." Reba put her arms around the little boy. He pulled on her sleeve to get her down to his level. He wanted to whisper something in her ear. "I love you the mostest, Aunt Reba."

Reba looked at him with tears in her eyes. She was caught off guard by the rush of emotions that she felt when Henry told her that while he hugged her so fiercely as if he were afraid to let go. Reba turned to whisper in his ear. "Have I told ya that you're my favorite?" Henry beamed at her. He let go and ran back to his seat. Reba was choked up by all of this emotion. She was having trouble finishing her speech. She tried to collect herself to continue. "And last but not least, we have Brock, who became an honorary Holliway when he became Mike's best friend. He also became a McKinney when he became my best friend. You will always have a place in this family because we are linked by five terrific kids, well six if you count Van."

"You're darn right. You better count me in there. I love you and Mr. H more than my own parents." Reba laughed and went over to hug Van. She then in turn hugged all the rest of the children around the table, giving equal attention to Mike's children as she did for her own children and grandchildren. She looked over at Brock, who mouthed 'love you, Red' to her. Reba nodded and returned to her seat. She raised her glass. "I would like to give a toast to everyone in this family. I am blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. To the McKinney-Holliway family."

Two hours later, Reba, Barbra Jean, Kim, Mike, and Brock were getting ready for the night ahead at Holliway's. Reba was nervous. Kim got a great idea. Kim and Reba were in a band in junior high. It might be fun to get the girls together to play a couple of songs. She'd had Reba's costume altered to fit earlier in the week. Reba agreed and Kim couldn't wait to see the look on Mike's face. When Reba walked down the stairs, it was priceless.

Mike's jaw had dropped to the floor. Reba was wearing a short white dress. The top was accented with rhinestones. The length of the dress only went down to her knees. The dress had a black belt that wrapped around the waist, accentuating Reba's curves. The top of the dress fit snug so Reba's bosom was clearly defined through the material. The material was a cotton/polyester blend and was not sheer or see-through in any way. That didn't stop Mike from getting jealous about her appearing in public dressed like that.

The most shocking part was her hair. Kim was dressed in the same outfit and was having a good time with this. Reba was wearing a blonde wig and Kim was wearing a red wig. Mike didn't approve of this, but he was too afraid of incurring Reba's wrath to say much. Brock was grinning mischievously. No matter what she looked like, she would always be his fantasy. He'd never seen her dressed like this though. He finally saw what a temptation she'd been before.

It was already too late by the time that Brock met her. She only had eyes for Mike and all he could do was run interference. "I see that you still look like jailbait, Red." Reba turned around and smacked Brock on the back of the head.

"At least I can have the ability to look like I did 25 years ago. Can you say the same thing? Nope, because you're an over tanned manatee with an obvious beer gut. At least, I look like I have the body of a twenty year old." Brock looked upset that her words, but he didn't take offense to them. She was wrong about part of it. He had been working out lately and Reba noticed, even if it was in the dark. He was going to have to do something about the tanning. It clearly didn't impress Reba. It would probably impress her more if he sold the tanning bed and the country club membership. After all, they did need the money.

It was expensive for three members of the household to be in college at the same time. Reba caught Brock in deep thought. "Don't think too hard. You'll strain whatever brain cells you still have left." She enjoyed sparring with him. She always did. That's how it was in the beginning before they were a couple.

Brock went in for the kill. "At least my wife doesn't have to drastically alter her appearance to get me to sleep with her 'cause she's too sexy without even tryin' to be." He hated to say that to her, but she didn't give any indication that she'd let up on him until he forced her to stop. He felt bad because he knew that Reba thought that he was talking about Barbra Jean and he wasn't.

"You may think that you're married to Marilyn Monroe, but you're really married to Anna Nicole Smith. Good luck with that." Reba turned and walked away triumphantly. Brock chuckled. Reba always had to have the last word.

Reba got up on stage with her four best friends from junior high, minus Lori Ann. Kim started the set with a song from the Runaways. Reba had learned to play just about any song on her guitar whether it was country or rock. Reba loved seeing the look on everyone's faces when she and Kim began singing Queens of Noise. They'd played the song so often when they were younger that it wasn't hard to Reba to remember the words. Van and Cheyenne was clearly shocked. Cheyenne was mad because Van was obviously drooling over Reba, who was up on that stage playing as wonderfully as he'd heard Kyra play with her band before. Mrs. H needed to be a full time singer in his opinion.

He couldn't help looking her body either. Cheyenne smacked him on the back of the head. Kyra was shocked, too. Her mom was up on the stage and she was awesome. She finally understood where she'd got it from. No wonder why she was so encouraging of Kyra's interest in music. She was proud. She had a natural talent that she'd inherited from her mother.

She looked over and saw men drooling over her and Van was one of them. Cheyenne was angry and it was hilarious. Barbra Jean knew that Reba was an awesome person already, but now she had more reasons to worship her. She couldn't wait to add this to her blog on Monday. She looked over at Brock. Brock looked like a deer in the headlights. He knew that she could sing. He'd seen her on stage before, but he had no idea that she could sing like this.

Reba could sing rock and looked really sexy doing it. She still had the power to surprise him after all these years. No wonder why Mike felt the need to make love to her right on the stage after everyone left. Reba had a wild side. Brock wouldn't mind helping her explore that further. Paige knew how cool Reba was. This was not a surprise. She gave Paige the courage to get on the stage at Holliway's and sing in the first place.

She just didn't like the look on her fiancé, Greg's face. He looked as if he'd never seen anyone so sexy in his whole life. She had a feeling that Greg had a past with Reba that he just didn't want to talk about. Max knew how great Reba looked on stage. She'd been on the stage at his club before. She looked so sexy on stage that night when she came in on her birthday back in June. His eyes were on the woman on the stage beside Reba. Reba's friend, Kim was a real looker.

She might be someone that he'd like to get to know further. He decided to buy her a drink later when the band took a break. Kyra looked over at her dad. She'd never seen anyone look so love struck in her whole life. He clearly needed help. She couldn't imagine what would happen if things were left in the hands of her mother and father alone. They'd totally mess it up. She decided to get her aunt's help with a plan.

The band played It's a Long Way to the Top, The Tide is High, Roll on Down the Highway, I Hate Myself For Loving You, and I Love Rock and Roll. Barbra Jean got the shock of her life when Reba pulled her on stage to sing Respect and 9 to 5 with her. This was way better than the time that they sang at the karaoke bar. Barbra Jean was thrilled. Reba and her friends finished their set and got off stage. Barbra Jean rushed over to Brock excitedly and hugged him. Reba was on cloud nine after performing until she saw BJ hug Brock. She was back to thinking of Barbra Jean as BJ again.

She needed to get a grip on the hostility that she felt in that moment. She needed a drink and she needed to dance with her man. She didn't need to be having thoughts of someone else. She was determined to get control on her feelings. Reba danced with Mike for two songs before she got on stage with Mike, Paige, Michael, Kim, Jenny, and the rest of Mike's band. She took the blonde wig off, shook out her ruby red locks, and waited for Mike's introduction.

"Folks, we have a special treat for you tonight all the way from Houston, Texas. I'm proud to introduce the best singer to perform on this stage, Reba McKinney-Hart." Reba stepped up to the microphone and the crowd cheered. Mike joined Reba in a duet. They sang together for a few songs. They sang Give In To Me, Like We Never Loved At All, Break Each Other's Hearts Again, Remind Me, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. Reba performed Somebody To Love as a solo with Kim and Paige singing backup. Mike pulled her into a dance right in the middle of the song during the instrumentals. He never ceased to surprise her.

Reba sang So Far Away as a tribute to Terry, and then she and Kim decided to do their duet. Reba and Kim each had microphones and started facing away from each other, with their backs to Mike in the chair between them. Kim turned to face Reba and Mike and she began singing.

Kim:
I've known about you for a while now
When he leaves me he wears a smile now
As soon as he's away from me
In your arms is where he wants to be

Reba turned towards Kim and Mike.

Reba:
But you're the one he rushes home to
You're the one he gave his name to
I'll never see his face in the early morning light
You have his mornings, his daytimes
And sometimes I have his nights

Reba and Kim are facing each other. Mike is sitting there, speechless.

Both:
But does he love you (Does he love you)
Like he loves me (Like he loves me)
Does he think of you (Does he think of you)
When he's holding me
And does he whisper (Does he whisper)
All his fantasies
Does he love you (Does he love you)
Like he's been loving me

Reba sings to Mike.

Reba:
But when he's with me
He says he needs me
And that he wants me
That he believes in me

Kim sings to Mike.

Kim:
And when I'm in his arms
Oh he swears there's no one else
Is he deceiving me
Or am I deceiving myself
(Am I deceiving myself)

Reba and Kim each put a hand on Mike's shoulders.

Reba:
Oh and shouldn't I be ashamed?

Kim:
'Cuz I have everything to lose

Reba:
And I, I have nothing to gain

Kim and Reba each take turns sliding Mike's face towards each of them as they sing their part like they really are fighting over him.

Reba holds Mike's gaze as she sings the final part.

Reba:
Oh does he love you

The song ends and Reba starts speaking to Mike in front of the crowd. "So, honey, what's it gonna be- the blonde or the redhead?" The crowd laughed.

"What do you think, folks? I know a challenge when I see one. I can't wait to tame the fiery temptress in front of me."

"Would that be because my daddy owns a shotgun and you've got a target on your back because you're datin' me?" The crowd roared with laughter.

Mike bows to Reba and kisses her hand. He starts to sing Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Reba giggled at the corny gesture. He had Reba sit in the chair. He began to sing I Think I Love You directly to Reba. Michael had Paige also sit on another chair while he joined in with Mike in sing the song to Paige.

Reba took a break from singing to jump back behind the bar to help serve customers. Brock saw her do this and decided to join her. Mike was still on stage with the band. Reba grabbed a shot of tequila for herself and then had another.

"Hey, slow down! You shouldn't be drinking like that. That stuff is pretty lethal," Brock commented.

"Who are you to tell me to slow down? If my husband doesn't care what I'm doin', then why should you?"

"Because I'm someone who cares about you. Because we're best friends. Because you're ten time meaner with a hangover, which you are bound to have in the mornin' if you keep drinkin' like that."

"Did you even know what was happening when I came here? Weren't you the least bit worried about your wife, partyin' and gettin' wild?"

"One, I did suspect the worst, but there's nothin' I could do. You hate dealin' with a jealous man. I just had to trust you. You were worth trustin'. Two, you are so responsible and you take care of so many people. You deserve to let your hair down and have some fun when you get the chance to. I just have to wonder why you're mainlining tequila tonight. Three, the developments of the day have me wonderin' just who was married to who around here."

"I'm sorry about that. If this marriage is actually legal, then we were never legally married. I'm not sure what to think about that. On the bright side, you never committed adultery. You have to be married to do that. On the other hand, I did and I never thought that I'd be that type of woman. I committed adultery every time I was with you and I don't feel very good about that at all." Reba explained while downing three more shots in a row.

"Honey, come on. Take it easy. Mike is the one who created this mess. None of that is your fault. Let's have a good time, okay?" Brock responded, pulling her onto the dance floor during a slow song.

"I'm havin' a good time. I promise. I've decided just what I wanna do tonight." Reba's spirits lifted as her mind formed a plan.

"What's that?" Brock questioned. He could see the wheels turning in her mind. He'd known her long enough to know when she was trying to move heaven and earth in her own direction.

"Never mind. Mike's had quite a bit to drink tonight. Just help me get him to bed tonight. I'm not gonna be able to get him up the stairs." Reba waved off Brock's concern as if he were crazy.

"No problem. Are you okay? You've got a funny look on your face." He was silently begging her to talk to him about whatever it was that she had on her mind. He knew what she was thinking about and he wanted to talk her out of it.

"I just came up with the best plan. Don't worry about a thing. I'll have everything fixed by morning. My life will be perfect when I wake up in the morning and nothing's gonna ruin it," she stated triumphantly.

Brock's plans were ruined if he couldn't keep Reba out of Mike's arms. He wanted her to stay right where she was with him. That's when he remembered the moment between them in the closet. He wanted to laugh. He finally knew how to get the better of Reba. She was spinning a web that she was going to trap herself in. He figured out her game and he was ready to play.

After the bar closed for the night, Brock promised Reba to get Mike upstairs to bed safely. He was all over the place. If Mike thought that getting drunk would solve his problem of resisting Reba, he was sorely mistaken. That just made Reba more determined. Her mind went back to what she could remember about that night in Vegas. What a night! She knew that she could be very persuasive when she wanted to be and she wanted to be just that persuasive tonight.

She entered the bedroom after Brock had put Mike to bed. The room was very dark. Reba could hardly see. She only hoped that Mike would be able to see enough to drive him crazy with wanting her. She turned on the song, In the Air Tonight. It was the song that he played during her bachelorette party in the apartment. She was carrying a bottle of champagne. She started her sexy striptease.

Mike always loved that. That's what she did for him in Vegas right after they exchanged vows. He groaned with frustration and aching want from Reba's actions. She leaned over him and grabbed a pair of handcuffs out from the drawer of the bedside table. She proceeded to handcuff him to the bed. "I'm gonna make you beg to make love to me. There will be no gettin' out of this tonight. Don't you wanna make love to your wife?" She saw him nod his head in the dark. "Good. I promise to be gentle until the handcuffs come off. I don't want you to use your hands right now. It's my turn to love you."

Reba began a long, slow exploration of his body. She removed his clothing and worked to satisfy his needs. She did her job well. He'd got the release and she'd gotten him ready again. "Please, baby." She got him to beg. His voice was low sounded as if he were in pain, barely able to speak. She finally got him to beg and she released the handcuffs. He grabbed her and rolled her under him. He began his own slow exploration. He poured the champagne on her and tasted it on her skin. Reba did the same. It was unlike anything that they'd done before. When Reba had been thoroughly satisfied many times, she fell asleep in his arms.

Reba began to dream. She saw Terry. He guided her to a playground where she saw two children playing. She saw a little girl with long red hair running to the swings, followed by a little boy with blonde hair. She heard a man call out to tell the kids to slow down. He came running after them. "Push me first. You promised," the girl told him. "Okay, sweetie. Let's wait for Mommy." Reba was shocked to see Brock's face when the man turned around.

Reba took off like a shot. She ran like the wind was at her heels. She had to get away from this. That was not what she wanted for her future. She was going to live in Oklahoma and raise a family with Mike. It was the fresh start that she'd waited so long for. She ran straight into Brock, who looked at her puzzled. "Get away from me and get away from my kid! Do you understand?" Brock didn't understand why she was so angry. She led him back to where she'd seen him before with the kids. They watched as observers as Brock took turns pushing each of the kids on the swings. "Two? There are two children comin' in the future now."

Reba whipped her head around angrily. "They are mine! I don't see them callin' you Daddy so just stay away from me. Please don't do anything to ruin this. I want this. I just don't want this with you. I've had it up to here with raising my children alone. We put Jake and Kyra through the wringer. I don't want any more children to suffer like that. Please go away! I'm beggin' you to just leave me alone." Reba put her hand up to stop Brock from talking any further. She stood there and watched the children play while Brock stepped back behind her. She thought that he'd left. He stayed just far enough away to make Reba comfortable. He wanted to stay and watch the kids too.

Reba flew up in bed. She was sitting up full of panic. Watching the children still hadn't brought her any peace. She needed to solidify things with Mike immediately. It was still the middle of the night. The bedroom was still dark without even the presence of moonlight. It was three o'clock in the morning. She woke Mike up beside her and began kissing him. "I need you to make love to me again. Please! I need you so much right now. I just feel so alone right now. I don't want to feel alone anymore."

He didn't have to be asked twice. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathlessly. They joined together two more times before Reba finally feel asleep satisfied in his arms. The next morning didn't bring that feeling of peace and oneness that she'd hoped that she'd feel with Mike. Instead, she would feel shock and panic again. She woke up slowly. She stirred in his arms. He woke up and kissed her forehead. "Mmm, good morning. We should wake up like this every morning," she said to him, sighing peacefully. Her inner peace wouldn't last long.

"I'm gonna hold ya to that." His hands were moved along her body to explore her again. She moaned and then opened her eyes to look into his. That's when the shock and panic set in.

"Brock, what are you doin' here?"

"If I have to tell ya, then I must not be doin' it right."

Reba's hand flew to her mouth. She looked under the sheet. She and Brock were both naked under the covers. Reba pulled the covers up around her. She sat up against the headboard. "This is bad, really bad. This is worse than how you and I got together in the first place. I didn't cheat on Mike before. I've cheated on Mike and you've cheated on Barbra Jean. Why am I not surprised? You don't have any problem committing adultery. You do it like some people change underwear."

"You take that back! I didn't seduce you. You just came on in here, stripped down, handcuffed me to the bed, and had your way with me."

"I will not take back anything that I've said. You could've said something, anything. Didn't you find it strange that I would come in here and do that? If you say that you thought that I was Barbra Jean, I'm gonna slap you. At least, I can honestly say that I didn't know that it was you. I thought that it was Mike. This is our bed. What are you doin' here in my bed anyway?"

Before Brock could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Hey honey, good morning. Why is the door locked?" Reba froze to the spot. Brock's features began to look as worried as Reba's did. Reba got up from the bed without thinking about her state of undress. She threw his clothes at him and told him to get into the closet, and then she quickly put on her robe to answer the door.

Brock pulled his clothes on quickly. He was anxiously to find out how Reba would handle Mike under the circumstances. Reba had accused him of committing adultery. Little did she know that this was not the case here with him. Brock was hoping that there was some way that let Reba out of her marriage to Mike on a technicality. He didn't like the idea that he and Reba were never married. He was running out of ideas. Last night had been sensational, but it saddened him to see how upset Reba was when she woke up in his arms. It had been quite a night for both of them and Brock woke up happy for the first time in quite a while. Too bad Reba didn't feel the same. Brock had to figure out a way to convince Reba that they belonged together...

What will Brock do to try to convince Reba to give him another chance? What will happen between Reba and Mike now? How will Reba handle sharing the apartment with Brock after what just happened between them? Who will Brock turn to for help? How will the rest of the weekend turn out? Who will Reba end up with in Vegas?

What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

Dear Readers-

I think that we have only 2-3 chapters before we transition from Believe in Love Again into the supplemental story, Reba Nell Got Married. If you have any ideas for Believe in Love Again, Reba Nell Got Married, Deceived, or Drop Dead Hero, please feel free to PM me or send your suggestions in a review for that story. Thanks.

There is still a poll question on my FF profile. Should Brock keep spying on Reba? Please let me know what you think. I only got a couple of responses. 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.

Many readers have asked when the next chapter for Drop Dead Hero will be posted. I am working on it. I never post anything that I'm not happy with. I work on one chapter for each story for days, writing, editing, and revising. Now that I'm juggling two stories, it takes me longer to update. My goal is to post an update for Drop Dead Hero this week. That won't be easy because I just started a new job so I'm working full time during the day and going to college at night. I'll do my best to update as much as I can. I also have a new update of Deceived coming up soon.

Shout out to Chatte578: Thanks for your feedback! I hope that you liked the Breba moments in this chapter. Don't worry there will be more Breba moments ahead. Brock will figure out a way to get Reba to stop being mad at him. His goal is to reunite with Reba so he has to find a way to get her to break up with Mike and take him back. I hope that you liked the scenes where Reba got jealous. There should be more of those ahead. I also really like your story, Our Love Child. I hope that another chapter is on its way soon.

Shout out to kaity120boom: Thanks for taking the time to review even if Believe in Love Again isn't your favorite story. Don't worry. Another chapter of Drop Dead Hero is on its way soon.

Shout out to RMandMSFan: Thanks for the review. I'm glad that Believe in Love Again is one of your favorite stories. Barbra Jean will continue to guide Brock with ideas for wooing Reba. Brock will try many things to woo Reba. This was only one of them. Cliffhangers keep readers coming back to read more. There's fun to use too. I will be using them in a few upcoming chapters, but I will try not to leave you in suspense too long.

Shout out to Dr. Michaela Quinn: Thanks for your encouragement! I love your story, Reba's Dream. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Shout out to merylandrebafan: Thank you for the awesome praise! I love your chapter updates of Afraid to Sleep. I really appreciate your feedback on my stories. I'm so glad that you enjoy reading them. Thanks for all of your encouragement on my newest story, Deceived!

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!

I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.

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I thank all of you readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing!

Without you, the story wouldn't be continued every week.

Remember read and review, please!

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.

http:/www. fanfiction .net/~rebabrockfan

Reba-Brockfan— on FF

http:/ www. extremereba. com / forum / ?f=22

Rebafan72—on ExtremeReba

Disclaimer: The story is just a year off from the way that the seasons of Reba actually aired.

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.