The heat was almost bearable so Brock decided for another beer. They had a very alarming 2 hours of sheer quietness around them. It was alarming because Jake didn't yell for help or anything else for mere hours. Brock shifted to look if Reba was sleeping. His eyes reviewed her face for a few seconds. Sunglasses upon her head, eyes closed and lips slightly swollen because she not-knowingly bit it constantly. He wondered what was she thinking or dreaming about. Her red curls were a mess, but a nice mess. He could see a bit of silver hair gracefully peeking through her red locks but she was still breathtaking. It wasn't even a shock to think that. His eyes slowly roamed down, clinging and unhasty as half-melted ice cream sliding from a tipped up plate. He was taking her all in mentally. Her shoulders were relaxed. Her hands were still holding her book in her lap and he noticed that she was gently massaging her ring finger. She did that a lot, he thought. He was in awe of this woman. Feisty, yet sometimes she looked so peaceful and beautiful in this state of pure relaxation. He was definitely never aware of her stillness. She was always running around with the kids on their vacations.
He has probably fallen asleep because she finally got rid of her long dress and he saw her now in a really sexy black and white one-piece swimsuit. His eyes lingered on her assets a bit. Old habit. She was still in shape from her mid-twenties. Three labors didn't affect her body, just added strength and more power. Brock didn't really know why she was hiding her body under a lot of clothing.
"Do you see something you like, Brock?;.... Stop staring!" she said, her eyes still closed but she knew he was looking at her.
Brock smiled. "Where are the kids?"
"Jake is still in the pool. He is really enjoying himself. Kyra is probably still reading in her room and young lovebirds are shopping for Elizabeth."
"Van is probably very bored right now." Brock made an observation and got up from his sunbed. He looked around, over to the pool where Jake was and back to Reba again. Their eyes met and they were looking at each other for a full minute. There was a flow of heat running through Brock's spine. Her blue eyes were intensely looking at him like he was saying something important and he was feeling energized by them. He remembered that this powerful and passionate gaze was not really appropriate but he couldn't look away. There was a movie playing in her eyes, he saw him and her dancing and laughing together and it was a very beautiful sight. He missed this. The movie stopped abruptly and he slowly moved his eyes from her. At the same time, Reba coughed and turned her gaze to her book again. And the moment was over. He wasn't sure where was this heat coming from but he was positive it wasn't from the sun.
"I'm going to the pool to play with Jake. You need anything?" Brock announced.
"No, thank you." Reba said absently while still figuring out his traveling gaze a minute ago.
Reba took a long breath while Brock walked away. She felt his gaze in the abdomen. It was electric and she didn't know how hard his eyes affected her. She was hot and cold at the same time and her head was spinning. She took her Fiji water and almost choked at her hasty drinking. She needed to feel normal again. Maybe it was her menopause, or at least she hoped that was the answer. The realness of this moment was too hard for her to acknowledge.
"Oh, hey mom!" Cheyenne said cheerfully and stopped right before Reba's sunbed. "Hey, Mrs. H. What's cookin'?" asked Van and they both grabbed their sunbeds and plopped on them.
"Oh hey, guys. Did you find anything?"
"Oh my god, mom. They had a really cute little pink dress in Elizabeth's size and a matching shoes. And then I wanted a matching hat to go with it. I had to look in 7 different stores to find it. But I did. You'll see; it's so beautiful. She'll love it." Cheyenne excitedly rambled on and on. Van just sighed and looked at Reba who was very thoroughly listening to her daughter babbling about a stupid pink hat.
"Oh god, Cheyenne. Stop babbling about a stupid pink hat to Mrs. H. Nobody cares. I had to listen to this beautiful, yet so annoying wife of mine, talk endlessly about this matching hat for Elizabeth, who won't even wear it If I know her at all; and she dragged me to, not 7, but 10 different stores to get it. I'm so tired." Van blurted out and stood from his chair. "I'm going to lie down in our room. You, love of my life, stay here and annoy somebody else!"
"Oh, mom, don't listen to him. He doesn't know anything." Cheyenne angrily called after her husband.
Reba smiled at the couple and remembered all the little fights Brock and she have had.
"Mom, are you even listening? Mom, hello??" Cheyenne almost yelled at her mother. Reba was really focused on someone and she didn't hear her daughter at all.
"Yeah, honey. I'm listening."
" Who are we looking, mom?" Cheyenne noticed her mother's distant gawk and looked over at the pool to see who was Reba admiring. "Uuu is it the hot guy with the black shorts; he's hot but a bit old for me !" Cheyenne made an observation.
"Hey mom, stop drooling! Who are we watching?" Cheyenne was really impatient. She wanted to know who was her mother's center of attention. Reba didn't even acknowledge her daughter's impatience.
She silently coughed and whispered "The guy in the blue shorts with his kid."
"Who? Why are you whispering? Where is this guy?"Cheyenne was closely focusing her eyes on that blue shorts guy and she could hardly his face. He suddenly turned and Cheyenne gasped.
"Oh dear lord, mom! Are you drooling at dad?" Cheyenne said almost sadly.
"No! " Reba answered a bit ashamed that her daughter called on her. She blushed and started heavily breathing.
"Stop, Cheyenne! I need to go to the bathroom." Reba abruptly stood up from her sunbed and hastily started walking towards the bathroom.
"Ooooh yes you are, I can see you ogling him even with your sunglasses on!; just stop it's weird." Cheyenne called after her mother and started laughing.
***************************************************************
Super stoked that you read my story. Comment below for any tips, words of encuoragement or just to say hello :)
Love, T
