Love by Love – 06
Reba mentally kicked herself for that slip. She turned away and went on her business. She was in the middle of cleaning her living room after Kyra had made a big mess finger painting. Reba just finished giving her a bath and put her down for a nap before Brock barged in.
"What?" Brock was still stunned of what he had heard.
"What did I just say? I said forget about it!" Reba hissed.
"Forget about what?"
"Good, you're on the right track."
Grabbing her torso, Brock looked deeply into her eyes. Reba looked nervous at first, but his bright blue eyes staring intensely into hers had her mesmerized.
"I kissed you?"
Avoiding his gaze, she whispered, "yes".
"The night before my wedding?"
"Look, Brock, you were drunk. You probably thought I was Lori-Ann. It didn't mean anything then and it doesn't mean anything now. It's been almost ten years. Forget about it. I did."
"No you didn't, or you wouldn't bring it up."
"I slipped. If I could take it back. I would!" Reba struggled from his grip.
She paused when he questioned, "Did I say anything that night?" Reba swallowed hard. "I did, didn't I?" He wasn't sure before but he knew he did it! He was too drunk to remember but he had a vague memory that it happened.
"You said so many things, I don't remember them all, and I'm sure you didn't mean it. Can we just let it go now? Like I said, it was almost ten years ago." Reba tried once again to get out of his hands that held her torso.
"Reba, look at me." Brock demanded firmly. He waited until her eyes met his. "I don't know what I said back then, but I'm sure I said what I really felt. And I meant it when I said…"
"Hi Brock, I knew I'd find you here." Barbra Jean came in with Cheyenne. She noticed the tension in the room. "Am I interrupting something?"
Brock let Reba go but he didn't answer Barbra Jean.
"Mrs. H, do you want to go shopping with us?" Cheyenne asked. Barbra Jean induced Cheyenne to go shopping, hoping Brock would come along. But Cheyenne insisted in asking Reba too.
"I'm sorry, honey. I have a lot to do around the house. I'll take a rain check" Reba gently pinched the girl's cheek. She looked so darn like Lori-Ann with her blond hair and hazel eyes. The girl nodded in acceptance. Barbra Jean took Brock's arm pulling him out.
"C'mon Brock. Let's go." He glanced at Reba one last time before he had to go out with his daughter and girlfriend. Barbra Jean worried about their relationship, but she didn't show. She had feelings that something had happened between her boyfriend and her new founded best friend.
Weeks had gone by and no one ever mentioned the bathroom incident or the night before his wedding. Brock didn't know how to bring up the fact that he once told her he loved her. Reba simply just wanted to forget.
"Reba…" called Barbra Jean sitting at Reba's breakfast table. She came to her house so often now, Reba grew accustomed to having her around. Sometimes if Reba was in the middle of cleaning, Barbra Jean would help.
"Hmm…?" Reba responded without looking up from the sink while washing dishes.
"Do you think Brock would ever propose to me?"
Reba stopped doing the dishes and glared at Barbra Jean. "What makes you think I know the answer to that question?"
"You said 'who would want to buy a cow when you can get milk for free.' I've stopped giving him free milk for almost two months now and it didn't seem to affect him." Barbra Jean frowned. Reba rolled her eyes.
"Make sure he's not wandering to another field." Reba cracked.
Glancing over at Reba, Barbra Jean said, "A neighbouring field?"
"What are saying? You implying there's another cow nearby?"
"Is there?" Questioned Barbra Jean staring at Reba.
"Oh cut that out! I'm not a cow!" Reba hollered.
"I didn't say it's you. Did I say it's you?"
"Would you quit that?!" Hissing at Barbra Jean, Reba turned red. Barbra Jean had been studying her reaction since the day she came in and caught them staring at each other intensely. She knew, Brock would never propose to her because he loved someone else. She knew he wasn't in love with her before, but it was different. She had hoped then, but since it was clear to her as daylight that he was in love with someone else. She lost that hope.
"Brock, we need to talk." Barbra Jean decided to put an end to their so called relationship. Brock accepted the fact that she broke up with him. Their friendship still remained. Brock told her she could still stay with him, rent free, in exchange of her helping him out around her house. Brock was now free to move forward. If only Reba was ready to date again.
Reba dropped Kyra off at her friend's house. Her friend just turned five today and she invited Kyra to her birthday party. It was just 10AM. Reba had some time to herself. She looked over at the pool and she went to swim. But before she dipped her feet into the water, she had a little wild idea. She bought a dress to a charity event that an important client asked her to come. Reba still didn't know who to go with, she just moved in town only for a few months. She didn't know many people yet. Her life was busy. Weekdays, she dropped Kyra off at pre-school, then she went to work. After work, she went to pick up Kyra and went straight home. Weekends, she took care of the housework and took care of her daughter. Although she didn't know whom she would go with, but she knew what she would wear already. A halter-top backless dress. It was a little too sexy for her taste. But ever since she started working with Dolly Majors. Reba grew accustomed to dressing a little sexy. It was Dolly that always did everything for a sale. She had charm. She said since Reba was the prettiest one in the office she should showed off her assets too. Reba argued that she was going to sale the house, not herself. She didn't have to put anything of her on display. However, working in the environment that every body was dressing up. Reba took a good look at herself and started to dress up too. But hip hugging short skirts was still a little too much for her. She started to show her God given gift, but still left a lot to the imagination.
Reba changed to a two-piece leopard print bikini. She grabbed a book and a blow-up floating mattress. She set it on the water and she lay on her stomach. She looked around and made sure nobody could see her. She untied the bow on her back and behind her neck, hoping for no bikini tan line.
Brock climbed the ladder to fix the leaking roof. Barbra Jean had been nagging him to fix it for a while now. And he just had time today. He stopped dead in his tracks at the top of the ladder when he looked down at Reba's side of the house and saw her laying on her stomach reading the book above the water surface. She wore just a bikini bottom. He swallowed hard. Maybe he should get down. Brock didn't know how long he stood and stared, but the next thing he knew, Barbra Jean opened the window and accidentally pushed his ladder aside.
"Ahh!!" Screamed Brock holding on to the falling ladder. The ladder hit the fence and threw Brock off it. Luckily, he fell into the pool, taking Reba down with him into the water.
"Brock! What the heck is wrong with you? Ya think you can fly?" Reba punched him on the shoulder after they came back to the surface. She was too startled to realize that her book sank into the water together with her bikini top. Brock's breath got caught in his throat. He was almost unable to move. "Errmmm... Reba.." He turned away motioning at her chest."
"Ahh!!" Reba screamed grasping her arms across her chest, covering herself, turning away from him. Brock spotted the bikini top at the bottom of the pool. He dove into the water. He came back to the surface without looking her way, he held the bikini top in front of her. Reba blushed from head to toe snatching her top from his hand and quickly putting it back on. Once she was decent, she pounded his back violently out of anger.
"Sorry Brock, are you alright?" Barbra Jean couldn't see the pool from her window, but she heard him fall into the water. She ran down and checked to see if he was okay. He was trying to protect himself from Reba beating him. "I'm sorry Reba, it's my fault. He was fixing the roof and I accidentally pushed his ladder. He didn't hurt you did he?"
Reba was unable to speak, she was too angry and embarrassed that Brock just had a full view of her chest, she left the pool sulking. Brock was going to follow her, but he saw her book at the bottom of the pool, he dove down to fetch it up. He would have to dry it and give it back to her somehow. Reba went to her room and had a shower. She then sat in front of her vanity and she buried her face in her hands. First she saw him naked, and now he saw her upper body. Terry was the only one who ever had the privilege. Reba didn't know if she could ever face Brock again.