~ Mine ~

Secret

"Reba!" Narvel hollered as he knocked on the front door of his old Tennessee mansion, stepping away a moment to pace nervously.

"Reba!" He called out knocking once again when there was no answer.

"Reba!" He yelled out this time, urgently, as he began to now repeatedly knock on the door.

"Hold on Brandon."

"Pregnant women gotta pee," Reba mumbled under her breath as she jogged towards the door. Before Shawna had taken Chassidy to the airport, they had called Brandon to make sure he was available to take Reba to her appointment early next week. He had been a little protective when they told him it was an emergency appointment due to the supposed spotting. Even though Reba had assured him that the doctor had assured her it was nothing to worry about, Brandon had insisted she stop by his house, in which she declined until the next morning.

"I told you -" Reba started as she flung the door open, only to be met with Narvel's flustered face.

"You're not Brandon." She muttered in shock, quickly trying to shut the door again to shield herself from him, anxiety causing her to panic. Only it was too late, the new butterfly shirt she had just been trying on, that highlighted her newly bulging tummy, had already given it away.

"What is that?" Narvel mumbled in disbelief as if he'd never seen a pregnant stomach before.

"What's what?" Reba said as she stepped further into her house, the darkness from the hallway casting a shadow on her frightened face.

"Don't play stupid with me." He said bitterly, trying to control his temper.

"How far along are you?"

"You didn't think I deserved to know?" He continued to question, everything just spilling out one after the other.

"Deserve?"

"What makes you think you deserve to be a part of her life?!" Reba spat back bitterly. She had to laugh at that one. He divorced her, screws their friend, drops her from her own company, and now claims that he DESERVES anything from her? No.

"Her?"

"It's a girl?" Narvel breathed out, his anger suddenly dissipating. In that moment he realized that there was an innocent life that Reba was currently carrying. She was currently carrying his flesh and blood, his little girl.

"I don't want you apart of her life."

"I don't need you, just like you didn't need me," Reba stated, walking back into the light, her anger rising with her words.

"I will get full custody of MY daughter and YOU will do nothing about it!" She said pointing at herself, the tag that was still attached to the shirt swimming into view from underneath her arm. Narvel just stood there a moment in silence as she finished. There really wasn't anything left for him to say. There wasn't anything he could do either. He could try to fight it in court but winning against the Queen of Country in Nashville, Tennessee after everyone had been speculating his relationship and loyalty status? He didn't stand a chance.

"You made your bed Narvel, now go lie in it." She said emotionlessly. He couldn't tell but her hands were shaking and the lump in her throat felt like it was multiplying. She had never felt this much panic before but the anger and resentment she had built up for him kept her adrenaline pumping, and somehow her anxiety at bay.

"It's time for you to go."

"And don't come back." She added again as she walked towards the entrance of the door, inadvertently making him walk backward and further onto the porch. She hadn't really envisioned how this confrontation would go but for her daughter's sake, a small part of her had wished he would have fought. Clearly, that was beneath this new Narvel. Standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, Narvel watched as she stepped back into the house, not even bothering to take another look at him, and closing the door behind her. He breathed in a pained breath as he slowly began to walk to his dark gray car, almost hidden in the Tennessee sunset. What was his goal through all of this? He got his answer but he surely didn't feel like a winner. He'd give her time to cool down, he thought. Time to process it all and then maybe when it came closer to the birth of this little girl her mind would be changed, or at least he hoped.