Part II

Reba thought about it. She couldn't think of anything else for the next week. In between going to work and taking care of Jake, she re-examined every inch of her life. She couldn't even snap at Brock for causing this because he actually left her alone. Her nights were way too quiet after Jake went to bed. She'd gotten used to joking around with Brock after dinner, or the three of them playing a board game. Maybe she didn't do so well on her own either.

It didn't help when Jake realized "family time" was over. He didn't question Reba about it, but all of a sudden he wanted to switch houses almost nightly. She couldn't blame Jake for being a little resentful. He finally had the home life he'd always wanted, then his parents screwed it up again.

Her son's reaction made her wake up from this daydream of her and Brock. Jake got used to them as a couple in a very short amount of time, so what would happen if his parents officially dated? As soon as Reba and Brock did anything, everyone would want to know when they were getting re-married. Telling the kids they were going out to dinner would be like setting a date for the wedding.

So, since there would be no room for trial and error, Reba couldn't risk it. Brock probably saw the flaws in his plan too after having a week to reconsider.

On the other hand, she did need to make some changes. That was one reason she invited him over.

Reba was checking her makeup in a compact mirror when Brock walked in. Smiling, he stayed quiet while she finished, undoubtedly thinking she was getting ready for him. Feeling guilty about that, she tossed her compact in her evening bag and pulled her sweater tighter around her dress. "Hi, Brock."

"Wow," he said, walking over to her and kissing her on the cheek. "I wish you'd told me earlier that your answer was yes. I would've made reservations to celebrate."

Stepping back from him, Reba shook her head. "I'm so sorry, but this is not my answer. I invited you over here now because I'm leaving for the night." She could see the confusion on his face. If she didn't do this quick, he'd interrupt with understandable questions. "This is going to to sound harsh, but it needs to because if it doesn't you might not take me seriously. We both need to date other people first. Getting back together is the easiest option right now, and that doesn't sit well with me. I need to find more of myself before committing the rest of my life to you, again."

Overwhelmed, Brock held up both hands in defense. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said anything about the rest of our lives?"

"We did, when we exchanged vows the first time," Reba reminded him. His eyes widened as he processed her meaning. "We said it again each time we had a child together. Starting up again might feel great in the beginning...hell, never mind 'might,' we both know it would." She returned his lewd grin but became somber again. "Then after a while...there would be hurt feelings, and not just ours. "

Brock's eyes went down to the floor. "You can't be sure about that."

"I can," Reba insisted. "You would be too if you were really serious about us."

"Maybe." The silence filled the space between them, neither knowing where to go from there. Letting out a regretful sigh, he shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance. "Can't blame a guy for trying, I guess."

"You weren't entirely wrong," Reba assured him. "You really threw me last week with those make-out sessions. I think there will always be an 'us,' because we've been an 'us' for most of our lives. We will always have that strong foundation of friendship. Unfortunately, that's why it's so easy to get confused. If we ever get back together, we need to be absolutely, one-hundred-percent in, no ifs-ands-buts-or maybes. We need to be willing to accept the consequences of our actions."

Brock nodded slowly. She hoped this truly sunk in for him. "I hear you, Reba. I had more of a 'no strings attached, let's see where this goes' attitude, but that was a fantasy. It can't be like that with us. Hearing you say these things now...I might need to do some thinking too."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it."

The tension fading, Brock gave her outfit another once-over. "So, where are you going tonight? PTA meeting?" As much as she claimed not to have a life, she occasionally went out to dinner with groups of past and present PTA moms. She kept in touch with mothers from Cheyenne's elementary school.

Picking up her purse, Reba gave him a sheepish grin. "I meant what I said, Brock. I have a date."

"Well you work fast."

"Says you."

"Okay, I deserved that. Who is it?"

Reba hesitated before answering. "Um, it's Jack. Dr. Morgan. His divorce has been final for a couple months and he got in touch with me."

"So I'm not the only recent divorcee making moves on you," Brock teased.

Some jealousy had been expected, so Reba didn't mind the joke. Brock actually seemed okay with this. "Honestly...I have mixed feelings about him too. He did go out with me when he was still married, and he didn't tell me that he was still married."

Brock chuckled. "You know, it did occur to me that this guy used to be my marriage counselor."

"It must be true that therapists can't help themselves," Reba replied, both of them sharing a laugh. Sometimes it was better to laugh than cry. "I think part of the reason I'm going out with him is because there's no pressure. We had a lot of heat in the beginning, but that's it. Wherever we go from here is up to fate."

Sadness in his smile, Brock replied, "Yeah, I guess it is." There was another awkward silence before he asked, "So where's Jake? I guess he's staying over my house tonight?"

"No, I suggested he stay with Cheyenne and Van," Reba answered. She wasn't about to ask Brock to baby-sit while she went out on a date. "You can go over and get him if you want..."

"Nah, I'll be okay on my own." Turning to the door, he paused, then briefly kissed Reba on the cheek. "You really look beautiful tonight, Reba. Have fun."

He meant it too. Reba smiled back at him as he stepped out onto the porch. "Thanks, Brock."

Dear Lord, the man signed up for charity work. Not her new boyfriend Dr. Morgan, which she would believe. Cheyenne had specifically mentioned her father. Dr. Brock Hart had volunteered to do pro bono dentistry through the homeless shelter.

"Hold on, he helped people? For free?" Reba demanded, hanging on her daughter's every word. They sat at the kitchen table less than two weeks after Reba's date with Dr. Morgan.

Equally stunned, Cheyenne nodded. Her baby boy slept in a carrier next to her, while Elizabeth watched television with Jake in the living room. "I know! One day he randomly starts talking about how much he admires me for changing over the years. It's weird, but I go along with it because he's totally right. Then he asks about the homeless shelter I worked in and wants to know if I found it 'fulfilling.' Now he's taking on all these homeless patients!"

Leaning back in her chair, Reba tapped the side of her coffee mug. What's he up to? Reba thought. This has to be because of our...thing, whatever that was. Is he trying to impress me? Is this his way of showing how much he's changed?

Meanwhile, Cheyenne gave her mother a scrutinizing glance. "This is because of you, isn't it?"

Reba blinked, surprised. "What?"

"Oh come on, he wouldn't have thought of this on his own," Cheyenne reasoned. "What happened? He was bugging you too much, so you told him to get a life?"

Relieved that Cheyenne hadn't guessed with more accuracy, Reba replied, "Yeah, something like that."

Dating without obstacles was a new sensation for Reba. The next month passed by in a whirl of surprise lunch outings, cozy movie nights on the couch, and more than one bouquet of flowers delivered to her office. All her single coworkers were jealous, especially after "Dr. Hunky" stopped by to pick Reba up for a dinner date. She couldn't ask for a more perfect boyfriend.

That was a problem. Reba didn't know how to handle "perfect." She was a nurturer, a Mother with a capital "M" who automatically took care of everyone around her. Jack had life mostly figured out (other than his divorce) and managed things on his own. He didn't need her to remind him where the car was parked, or how much to tip the waiter, or to do his grocery shopping because there was no milk in his refrigerator. He always had milk in his refrigerator.

He didn't need her advice on anything. In Reba's world, that meant he might not even need her.

The chemistry issue bothered her too. They struggled to recapture the heat from their earlier relationship. It was still there when they kissed, but when the kissing stopped, the heat fizzled. She didn't understand this because they'd dated before. Maybe they hadn't dated long enough back then to see the problems. She thought of Brock and Barbra Jean again, how those two still couldn't establish a platonic friendship.

She also admitted to herself that she thought of Brock way too much. In the past she'd always read him like a book, but these last weeks, she didn't know what he was doing half the time. This annoyed her more than she'd expected. While she tried to be happy about his charity work, she worried that it might be a symptom of his chronic depression. Brock buried himself in distractions when he couldn't face major issues in his life.

Everything hit the fan when Brock came over to pick up Jake one night. Jack was there since they'd made plans to see a movie. Seeing Brock out the front window, she said to Jack, "You can wait in the kitchen if you want. I should only be a minute."

She didn't mean anything by it, but Jack looked offended. "Reba, I've met Brock before, remember? I know he's a big part of your life. Since we've started dating, you've been working very hard to keep us apart. This makes me wonder if you consider me a big part of your life."

Well. That's a loaded topic to address in five seconds. Glancing at the door and feeling dread in her chest, Reba realized that Jack might not be completely wrong either. "Um...okay, stay here."

Brock opened the door to tense expressions on Reba and Jack's faces. "Oh...hi, Dr. Morgan. I, um, don't think we've seen each other since you've been back in town. Uh, how are you doing?" For the sake of formality, the two exchanged an extremely awkward handshake.

"Good, thanks." To Reba's horror, Jack attempted small talk. "So, Reba tells me you're volunteering? That's great."

Shrugging with forced modesty, Brock replied, "It's not a big deal. At first I just wanted to do some good, but then I saw how much people really need dental care. Now I can't not do it." His smile turned into a smug, competitive grin. "Ever do pro bono work, Dr. Morgan?"

"Yes, actually - "

Reba stepped in before this contest got ugly. "Hey, Jake should've been ready to leave by now. Brock, why don't you go up and see what's taking him so long?" She let out a sigh of relief when her ex-husband went upstairs, leaving her alone with Jack again. "Jake is becoming a real teenager, takes him forever to get ready these days..."

"Are you okay, Reba?" Jack asked. As a therapist, he tended to address uncomfortable situations head-on. "You mentioned in passing that you're concerned about Brock. I specialize in marriage counseling, but it might help if I talked to him..."

"No, that's okay, really."

She avoided Jack's bewildered expression as she said good-bye to Brock and Jake, who were finally ready to leave. Eager to start the evening, she grabbed her purse off the couch. "Well that's it then, let's get going..."

"Reba." Jack crossed the room to stand in front of her, then took her hands in his. "We need to talk about this. We can't move forward unless we're honest with each other." He paused. "Is this about what happened last year? Are you reluctant to trust me because my divorce wasn't final when we dated? I know that's a sensitive issue for you, but I swear, we were separated when I asked you out."

Shaking her head, Reba pulled away from him. "No, that's not it, Jack." She sighed as she moved over to the couch. "Have a seat. You're right, we do need to talk."

Reba used careful tact when expressing why they didn't work. At first Jack wanted to argue, but by the end, he agreed with her. He'd seen too many couples fall apart because they lacked a solid foundation. Reba and Jack decided to take an indefinite break. Since there was no animosity between them, they promised to "keep in touch." They'd see where they were in a few months.

Reba doubted they'd ever speak to each other again. While his physical attractiveness stirred desires she hadn't felt in a long time, she wondered if their relationship was shallow from the beginning.

Her ties with Brock ran as deep as they could get. And after dating someone else for a while, she didn't know if she could return to her self-imposed celibacy. Things were still weird between her and Brock. With the house almost empty and Barbra Jean out of the picture, she kept...fantasizing. The memory of kissing Brock in the kitchen riled her up more than Dr. Hunky had through most of their fling.

Maybe it wouldn't be so catastrophic if she and Brock made a few more memories.

Reba tried to be sensible. What would her family say if they found out? Jake would just be happy to have his parents back together, but what about Cheyenne? What about Kyra? Her youngest daughter would look at her parents like they'd both lost their minds. Then, as much as she pretended not to care, Reba thought about Barbra Jean. Their relationship was so convoluted, she wasn't sure what Barbra Jean's reaction would be. All Reba knew was, if they were truly best friends, she was crossing a line. Even if Barbra Jean crossed that line first six years ago.

Crap.

...but what if no one ever found out? What if she and Brock went for a round or two of passionate "ring-a-ding," then called it quits? They could both scratch an itch and no one would be worse for wear.

Yeah, right. When was her life ever that simple?

...but if it could be? If they were careful?

She'd have to think about this for a year before she ever talked to Brock about it.

Might as well talk to him now.

She reached out to him this time by inviting him over for dinner. It was a week after her breakup with Jack, and she hadn't seen Brock since. Cheyenne never left her alone though. Her oldest daughter overwhelmed her with tea and sympathy, constantly asking "what went wrong?" with the oh-so-perfect Dr. Hunky. Reba couldn't say anything about her feelings for Brock, so she blamed it all on the absence of chemistry. Cheyenne claimed to understand but still pushed her mother to give Jack another chance.

She got Cheyenne and the kids out of the house minutes before Brock arrived. Reba didn't even mention dinner, since Cheyenne would wonder what the big deal was.

As for Jake, she was grateful for his presence at dinner. When Jake went upstairs to play video games, she and Brock would talk...and that was it. Their son being in the house ensured nothing more would happen that night, no matter how the conversation went. Reba didn't want to rush into this. If she and Brock decided to ring-a-ding, they'd go on a proper date first.

That was the plan, at least. Reba crossed her fingers for the night's events to follow accordingly.

Nervous from anticipation, Reba waited for Brock to ask about her breakup all through dinner. He didn't say a word about it and it drove her crazy. They ate dinner with Jake like they had weeks ago, no awkwardness in the light conversation. She could tell Jake was happy to see them getting along again. He'd been okay with Dr. Morgan, but Jake didn't even mention him post-breakup.

After dessert, Reba sent Jake up to his room "just for a while" so she and Brock could talk. Jake looked confused but didn't object. Brock, on the other hand, knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. Unable to hide the grin, he finally asked, "So...you and Dr. 'Hunky'..."

"Yes, we didn't work out," Reba said, taking the seat directly across from him. Her next words held clear sarcasm. "You must be so worried about me."

Becoming sheepish, Brock explained, "In my defense, you seem fine."

Reba sighed, admitting to herself that he was right. "I just didn't feel a connection with him." She paused for emphasis. "Not like I do with you."

He stayed quiet for a second, unsure of the reaction she wanted. "Well, sure, we've always had that..."

Then she leaned in and kissed him.

His reaction was much tamer than hers had been. Pure happiness in his eyes, he pulled away only when she did. "What was that?" he asked quietly. She could tell he still didn't want to get ahead of himself by assuming she wanted to get back together. It took him long enough, but Reba had been noticing the signs that he'd finally grown up.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "All I know is, I won't be able to date anyone else until I...um, scratch a certain itch."

Brock laughed at the redness that appeared on her face just from suggesting it. "I'm an 'itch'?"

Glaring at him for mocking her, she snapped, "This is a limited-time opportunity and I might regain my sanity at any moment, so choose your words wisely. You, me, dinner in a restaurant that has tablecloths, then we both get this out of our systems. If we need a second dinner, we'll decide then."

"A restaurant with tablecloths? This is serious." He winced when she "playfully" smacked his arm, not amused. "So you have this all figured out, don't you?"

Reba's eyes made direct contact with his. "Yes. Either you agree to it, or we never bring up this particular subject again. We won't be able to coexist if one of us decides to make a move every few years. It's too risky, so we need to settle this now." She stared at him, noted that he'd become more contemplative. "So, are you free for dinner on Saturday?"