Another Chance - Book Three

by Zarek Dragon

When they came home, the light was flashing indicating a voice message. Jim let it play, "Heather, this is Aunt Sallie. I know this is Sunday, but can you call me as soon as you receive this message?"

Jim called Aunt Sallie, "I'm sorry Aunt Sallie, but Mom and Nick were married yesterday and are on their way to Barbados."

"Have you and Zac moved out of that house, then?" Aunt Sallie asked, sounding hopeful.

Jim was curious, "We are tomorrow, why?

Aunt Sallie paused for a few minutes, "Did you by any chance see the news, the couple who were killed by the drunk driver? They left an eleven-year-old son. I need to find him a home, and I thought maybe you could relate to him."

Jim felt bad for the boy. It was sad thinking of the family before, but now knowing they left a young son and Aunt Sallie wanted to bring him by, he really felt bad. "What's his name?"

Jim could hear a smile in Sallie's voice, "Patrick Andrew Roberts, can I bring him by in a few minutes?"

Jim looked at Zac, who just nodded, "If I can be of help to the boy, of course. Zac and I were wanting to talk to you anyways, we were just waiting until we moved to do so."

Sallie sounded even happier than when Jim asked the boy's name, "I'll see you in about ten to fifteen minutes."

Jim hung up the phone and looked at Jake, "Aunt Sallie is bringing a boy who needs Daddy's help. He may be staying with us for a while."

Jake smiled, "Can I help, too?"

"He'll need a friend," Zac stated. "Just be yourself and be willing to be his friend and that will be a big help."

Jake grinned, "I can do that."

It took Aunt Sallie a little longer to get there than she expected, but she did arrive. She helped Patrick out of the passenger side of her car and walked him to the door. Patrick was of average height for an eleven-year-old boy, a little on the skinny side and had dark brown, almost black hair. Jim startled Sallie by opening the door as she reached for the doorbell. "Jim, this is Patrick. Patrick, Jim's dad was killed by a drunk driver," Aunt Sallie explained.

"So, you know how I feel?" Patrick was almost in tears.

Jim knelt down so he could look Patrick in his saddened brown eyes, "No, I can't really say that I do, but I have a general idea. I only lost my dad, you lost both of your parents, so you're probably hurting worse than I ever did."

"You're the first person besides Aunt Sallie to admit you don't know how I feel. Does the pain ever go away?" Patrick was now letting his tears flow freely and Jim pulled him in for a hug.

Jim held Patrick tight and spoke caringly to him, "Not completely. I still miss my dad and cry sometimes, but when you have people around you who love you, it helps ease the pain. When I first met Zac, I cried so much onto his shoulder that it looked like I poured water on him, but then I was crying because I missed my dog, too."

"I have no family left to love me, I had no aunts or uncles and my parents are gone," Patrick cried.

Jim smiled, "I just met you and you seem loveable. Would you like to stay with us and see what happens?"

"Do I have any choice?" Patrick blurted out.

"Well you can't live alone, but if you don't want to stay here, I'm sure Aunt Sallie can find somewhere else for you," Jim suggested. "If I can help you ease your pain, I would like to try, but the decision is yours."

"We can try, but I don't know," Patrick sobbed. "At least you seem to care."

Sallie put her hand on Patrick's shoulder, "I brought you here first because I know the love in this family. Little Jake felt like no one wanted him until he met Jim. If anyone can help you feel better, it is this family."

"Who's Jake" Patrick asked.

"That would be me," Jake stated. "My daddy is the one hugging you, but I don't mind if it makes you feel better. Want to be friends?"

"Give him time to get to know you, Jake," Zac admonished. "Hi, I'm Zac, the guy hugging you is my husband.

"You're gay?" Patrick was surprised.

Zac looked at him for a reaction, "Is that a problem?"

Patrick never moved his arms from Jim, "Dad always said that gay people are perverted and going to hell, but I know some older boys who are gay and they seem like anyone else, so I don't know."

Zac explained, "We are like anyone else, it's just I love Jim instead of some girl."

"Well," Patrick started once Jim let him go, "I'm willing to stay until either you creep me out or decide I don't fit in."

Jim looked Patrick straight in the eye, "All we ask is that you respect us and respect Jake. As long as you do that, you'll always fit in with this family. As for creeping you out, I hope we never do anything to cause that. If we do, feel free to let us know."

Patrick gave a small smile for the first time since Jim met him, "Just so you know, I don't mind you kissing, or holding hands, and I know what you guys do, I just prefer to not see it or hear about it. That would be what would creep me out."

"Daddy and Papa hug and kiss a lot," Jake threw in.

Patrick snickered, "So did my parents, but they said it was because they loved each other."

Zac stated, "As for the rest, we try to keep that private."

"Aunt Sallie," Patrick asked, "Can I stay here? Next to bringing my parents back, it seems my best option."

Aunt Sallie looked at Jim, "You said that you were wanting to talk with me?"

Jim smiled, "We were considering talking to you about adopting another boy so Jake could have a brother. Now, if it's alright, we'd like to take Patrick in. If everything works out and he would like, then maybe we can adopt him."

Aunt Sallie looked at Patrick. The boy started to smile, it wasn't very big, maybe slightly bigger than the first one, but then after losing his parents, any smile was good. "Yes, I was hoping you would take him in. We'll see how things go and if you decide that you want to adopt him and he feels comfortable with it, there shouldn't be any problem. I'll go grab his bags from my car."

Jake was quick to grab Patrick's attention, "You can sleep in my bed tonight, Patrick. Then when we move into Grandpa's old house, you'll have your own room. I'll show you where my room is and we can play cars."

Zac looked at Jim and chuckled, "I guess we don't need to worry about Jake being jealous."

Jim was getting ready to comment but then it hit him, "I'm surprised that Colby and Kuno didn't come to the door. And where's Joe and Chris?"

"DADDY!" Jake yelled.

Jim and Zac ran upstairs. There, Kunoichi was on Jake's bed giving birth. Some of the puppies were yellow. Joe and Colby came out of Joe's room. Upon seeing the puppies, Joe asked, "Since you're planning to steal my dog, can I have one of the yellow puppies?" Joe asked.

Jim smiled, "I knew she was pregnant, and was going to ask if you wanted one. I didn't know if Colby or Shinobi was the father."

"Who are you?" Patrick asked, taken aback a little by Joe's appearance. He did a double take as Chris came up the stairs.

Jim looked at Patrick, "I haven't introduced you to my brothers yet. This is Joe, I'll leave it up to him to tell you his story. And Chris's dad married my mom yesterday. Tomorrow, we'll be moving into Nick and Chris's house. Bros, this is Patrick. It was his parents on the news last night, he will be staying with Zac, Jake and me."

"Hey Patrick," Joe shook his hand. "My parents are gone too. It doesn't bother me though as they kicked me out of the house when they found out I was gay. I'm sorry about your loss, and I'm sure it hurts."

Patrick looked Joe up and down, "Don't you mean, you know how I feel?"

Joe shook his head, "No way, sometimes I don't know how I feel, how can I possibly know how you do?"

Patrick hugged Joe, "Thank you, I think I really like this family."

Joe quipped, "And Jim is the best friend any guy can ask for. He and I like to argue over which one of us is luckiest, but I know I am."

Jim shook his head and mouthed to Patrick, "I am, I have Joe for a brother." Patrick laughed.

Chris looked at Patrick, "And I now have both of these guys as brothers, so guess who the real luckiest one is."

"I never thought I would smile again after losing my parents, but you guys make me laugh. I need to thank Aunt Sallie for bringing me here."

"No thanks are necessary," Aunt Sallie said, coming up the stairs with Patrick's bags. "I'm just glad that you still have joy in your heart."

"Like I said, the pain never really goes away, but when you are surrounded by people who love and care about you, it doesn't hurt as badly," Jim shared, "When you feel up to it, I would love to hear about your parents, and maybe I could share with you about my dad. I think you would have liked him and I know he would have liked you."

Patrick looked sad and Jim thought maybe he should have waited to say anything. "If you adopt me, would you expect for me to call you Dad?"

Jim gave a weak smile, "That would be entirely up to you. If you feel that it disrespects your dad by doing so, then no, you can call me Jim. You may hear Joe call Nick Dad whereas I call him Nick out of respect for my dad."

"Thank you," Patrick responded, wrapping his arms around Jim.

"And just so you know, I was adopted, too," Zac stated. "I was a couple years older than you are when my father took off, but Mom married the man I call Dad almost a year ago and he adopted me."

"This is a lot to take in all at once, so do you mind if I take a nap?" Patrick requested.

Zac offered, "Since Kuno is still giving birth, if you want to use our bed, you can. I'll wake you for supper."

Jake tapped Patrick on the arm, "Can I take a nap with you?"

"I don't mind," answered the recent addition.

When Kunoichi was done having pups, there were a total of six; three were yellow males, one was a yellow female, a black male and a black female. Jim suggested to Joe, "Go grab Colby's first collar and we'll put that on the puppy that you want."

"The puppy I want," Joe responded, "is already wearing his collar." Then Joe smiled.

Jim laughed, "Colby, do you want to stay with Joe, or move with me?" Colby looked at Jim and Joe for a few seconds. Joe tried convincing him to stay with him, and Colby started walking towards Joe, but then Jim sat on the floor, ready to feel defeated when Colby ran over to him and started licking his face. "You know who your owner is, don't you?"

Joe looked at Colby and called him, "Traitor! You were supposed to come to me."

Jim couldn't help but laugh with how Joe was talking to Colby, "He may have slept in your bed more recently, but I took care of him for months before you had the privilege. And you can always visit."

Joe was looking at Colby as he spoke, "Why would I want to visit a traitorous dog?" Colby sat at Joe's feet and whined. "Fine, I can't stay mad at you, I'll visit. Are you going to sleep in my bed for your last night here?"

Colby let out a bark and ran into Joe's room. They found him lying on the bed with his head on Joe's pillow. "You're not going to bed yet, goofball," Jim stated, "Zac's fixing supper and I need to fix yours." Colby ran downstairs.

"I hope the puppies are half as smart as him," Joe chuckled.

Jim replied, "They may be smarter. He's the father and Kuno is the mother."

Joe agreed, "You have a point. I will always love Colby, but I guess I can settle for my own puppy."

Jim placed his arm around Joe, "And you know, Colby will always love you."

Jim checked in on Jake and Patrick. Patrick was sleeping on Jim's side of the bed and Jake was sleeping on Zac's. The boys looked so peaceful, you would have never guessed how hurt Patrick had to be feeling. Zac came upstairs stating that supper was ready.

Jim shook his head, "You weren't supposed to cook, I was. Today is your birthday."

Zac chuckled, "It's no big deal, but I wanted to fix bacon cheeseburgers as I figured what boy doesn't like that. And Colby was staring at his food dish, so I fed him."

Jim concurred, "I was debating on what to fix since we don't know anything about Patrick, really." Joe chuckled about Colby.

Zac shook his head, "We do know that he loved his parents and doesn't seem to mind the fact that we are gay. Other than that, you're right."

Zac nudged Patrick a little, "Hey, supper is ready."

Patrick looked at Zac's face and started to cry, "It wasn't a dream, was it? I was hoping that I'd wake up in my bed and find out it was only a nightmare. No offense, you guys seem great, but I wish my parents didn't die."

Zac pulled Patrick into a hug, "I know, and there's no offense taken. When my father took off, I used to cry when I woke up too. I was trying to figure out why he didn't love me."

Patrick looked at Zac for a few seconds, trying to think of what to say, "He didn't love you?"

"Best as I can tell. I haven't seen him since he took off, so you tell me," Zac stated.

Patrick hugged Zac, "At least I knew Dad loved me, I'm sorry."

Zac smiled, "Don't be, it was his loss and I have a dad who does love me now. After supper, would you like to cross the street and meet him?"

Patrick looked down, "Can we wait until tomorrow? I hope that doesn't upset you, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything that's happened."

Zac smiled, "That's cool, we can wait however long as you need, but tomorrow, we'll be moving and he may come over to help."

Patrick gave Zac a quick hug, "Thank you."

Jake started to stir while they were talking, but he lay there, not wanting to interrupt them. "Papa, is supper ready?" asked the little boy.

"Yes, it is, and I know you'll like it."

Patrick surprised Zac, he walked downstairs with his left arm around Zac's waist and Zac had his right hand on Patrick's shoulder. Patrick saw the burgers on the table, "Are those cheeseburgers?"

Zac began to grin, "Bacon cheeseburgers, actually. I figured unless you are vegan, you would like it."

"I am vegan," Patrick replied and Zac looked depressed. Then Patrick smiled and confessed, "I'm kidding, I love cheeseburgers and bacon only makes them better."

Zac looked at Jim chuckling, "I think this boy might be related to you somehow."

Joe offered Patrick some sautéed mushrooms to put on his burgers. Patrick ate two burgers and some fries and asked if he could have another. "Help yourself, I fixed three for you since you are a growing boy. If that's not enough, I can fix more."

"No, three should fill me, thank you," Patrick politely responded. "If I may ask, what do you plan to do with the puppies?"

Jim replied, "You don't need permission to ask a question, just ask. As for the puppies, when they are old enough, Joe will get first pick to get his own puppy since Colby will be moving with us and then I plan to give the others away."

"Unless it's the one Joe wants," Patrick began, "Can I have the black male puppy?"

"Joe wants a yellow one," Jim declared, "so you can have the black male."

Jake looked at Patrick and then Jim, "Can I have a puppy, too?"

Zac gave Jake a grin, "Do you think we would let Patrick have one and not you?"

"No," Jake quietly answered.

"If you want a puppy, you'll have to help take care of him," Jim stated, "I know some things you may be too small for now, and we will help, but you need to do what you are able. That goes for both of you."

Patrick looked at the smile on Jake's face, "I can help him with what he's too small to do. He wants to be my friend and that's what friends do."

"Are you sure you're only eleven?" Joe asked.

Patrick gave him a funny face, "Why do you ask that?"

"You seem more mature than eleven."

Patrick wasn't sure what to say, but he told Joe, "That's one thing my dad stressed many times. Friends help friends when they need it so long as you are able."

"I can see why you miss your dad so much. Things you are saying remind me of my dad," Jim spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry that it makes you sad," Patrick offered.

"Don't be, I'm sad because I miss my dad, but I love the memories you're stirring up. I wish you could have met my dad." Jim had to wipe his eyes.

"With your dad, who knows, he might still," Zac offered.

Patrick gave Zac a funny look so Jim explained. "My dad has visited Joe in his dreams when Joe really needed him, and he visits me on occasion."

Patrick looked down, "You mean you dream about him?"

Jim smiled, "No, I mean he actually visits. He told Joe things that Joe couldn't possibly have known without someone who knew Dad telling him, like Dad told him his middle name and how he likes French toast. He told me Mom's wedding date before she picked a date. And there are other things so bizarre that you would never believe."

Patrick looked at Jim, "Do you think there's a chance my dad could visit me? Right before he and Mom left, I yelled at him, saying that I hated him because I wanted to go with them but they were leaving me at a friend's house." Patrick started to cry.

Jim pulled the boy into a hug, "Shhhh, shhhh, I am sure your dad knows that you don't hate him. I'll bet he's watching you right now wishing he could tell you that himself."

"What makes you think that?" Patrick sobbed.

Jim started rocking Patrick a little, "Because how you talk about him, I know you love him and you know that he loved you. I have little doubt that he knows you love him and is watching you."

Patrick was feeling a little better and he spoke into Jim's shoulder, "Dad, if you can hear me, I am so sorry for what I said before you left."

"Do you feel any better?" Jim asked.

"I do a little," Patrick sobbed. "Thank you for caring."

"Caring is my middle name," Jim teased.

"I thought it was Patrick," Zac chuckled.

"Wait, your middle name is Patrick?" Patrick asked.

"You caught me," Jim confessed.

"That's cool," Patrick chimed.

After they finished their meal, Zac gave everyone a piece of cake. Patrick asked if it was left over wedding cake and chuckled. "It could be, or it might be birthday cake. We put the two together," Joe answered.

"Whose birthday?"

"Today is mine, and I gained a son for it," Zac quipped.

"Happy birthday, but I'm only a foster son right now."

"That doesn't matter to us, we want to treat you as though you are our son," Zac replied. Patrick gave Zac a hug.

After supper, Patrick helped Jim put the puppies onto a doggie bed and then Jim took the bedspread down to the washer. Jake asked Patrick if he wanted to play cars now that the bed was cleared of puppies. "Can I play with the red Lamborghini? Red is my favorite color," Patrick asked.

"You can play with any car you want," Jake offered. "These were Daddy's cars and he gave them to me, but you can play with them any time. I'll share them with you."

"That means a lot," Patrick responded.

"Daddy said that you're hurting, if I can help, I want you to not hurt anymore," Jake stated.

"That should be not to hurt anymore," Patrick corrected. "By putting the 'not' after the 'to', you are splitting an infinitive. You'll learn that in school. And thank you for wanting to help. I think I'll like having you as a brother."

Jake walked over to Patrick and hugged him, "I know I'll like having you as a brother. You already care enough to help me talk better."

It was getting late and Jim told the boys it was time for baths and bed. "You can either shower or take a bath, it's your choice," Jim told Patrick, "And if you don't want to wait for Jake to get his bath, you can use Zac's and mine."

"I have a submarine you can play with in the tub," Jake offered. "And we have bubbles."

"I think Jake wants me to take a bath. Can we take one together so we can play with the bubbles? And I can wash his back for him," Patrick had really taken a liking to Jake, and Jake was all smiles.

"If you want," Jim said with a grin.

They played for several minutes until Jim told them it was time to finish up and get to bed. As Patrick drifted off to sleep, he was thinking of his dad and hoping that would cause him to dream of him.

"Hello Patrick," someone called out.

Patrick looked at the man who spoke, "You're not my dad, who are you?"

"My son told you about me," the stranger stated.

Patrick thought for a few minutes, "I've seen your picture before, are you Jim's dad? You really do visit him in his dreams, don't you?"

"Guilty as charged, I know Jim and Zac told you I might visit you, but I brought someone with me," Jon stated.

Patrick looked as someone else was approaching him, "Dad, I am so sorry for what I said before you left."

"I know you didn't mean it. I love you more than anything. Jon tells me that if you keep me in your heart, I can visit you whenever you really need me to, like now."

Patrick hugged his dad, "I'm with a good family Dad, but you may not like them."

"I know, you are with Jon's son and his husband. They will treat you right and I won't be upset when you start calling them Dad and Papa after they adopt you. I know it won't diminish what you feel for me."

"Jim said that I can keep calling him Jim out of respect for you," Patrick cried.

"I know he did, but you have permission to call him Dad. I feel that he really cares about your relationship with me, and I think you should call him Dad out of respect."

"That could get confusing when I talk about you and him," Patrick debated.

"You'll figure it out, but know, he does love you like a son and he will be there for you when I cannot."

"You surprise me by accepting him. I thought you hated gays," Patrick questioned.

"There are things that you learn after death that I can't share with you. One I can share is that homosexuals are people just like you and me. Who they love shouldn't matter."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because I really like Jim and Zac," Patrick confessed. "And you should see Jake, he's trying to help me not hurt so much."

"Yes, Jake will worm his way into your heart and do his best to help you. He's a bit young, but he has a good heart," Mr. Roberts told his son. "We need to go now, but remember, I will always love you and if you keep me in your heart, I will try to talk with you when you need me most, but Jim and Zac are now your dads."

"Thank you Dad, I will always have a place in my heart just for you. I love you," Patrick said with a tear in his eye. He woke up and looked at the clock. It was only ten thirty, so he made his way downstairs. He found Zac and Jim on the couch watching TV and talking.

Jim noticed him coming downstairs and asked, "Hey Bud, why aren't you in bed?"

"I met him," Patrick stated.

Jim was curious as to who Patrick was talking about, "Met who?"

Patrick rambled, "The man in that picture. He said that he was your dad, and he brought my dad to see me. I got to apologize to him and you were right. He said that he knew I didn't mean what I said. And he said that he doesn't hate gays anymore. He approves of you adopting me and said I can call you Dad and Papa. I told him that you said I could call you Jim to not be disrespectful to him, but he insisted that I call you Dad out of respect to you. I can't explain it, but I think I love the two of you almost as much as I love my dad." Once he finished speaking, he hugged Zac and Jim. "Can I sit here with the two of you for just a few minutes before I go back to bed?"

"Wow, I think I caught all of that," Zac chuckled. "If you want to talk about what you experienced, then yes, you may sit here and we'll discuss it. I know it can be a little unnerving the first time."

Patrick smiled, "I don't know about unnerving, but I feel better knowing that my Dad can visit me and he approves of the two of you. And Dad," Patrick said, looking at Jim, "you were right, the pain is still there, but knowing I have people around me who love me, that makes it not as noticeable."

"Be warned," Jim advised, "You'll have your good days and your bad. Wait, did you call me Dad?"

"Yes," Patrick grinned, "I wanted to try it out and it actually felt good."

Zac smiled at the two of them, "I'm glad you're feeling better. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so don't stay up too late. I'm heading up to bed myself."

"Thank you, Papa. I love you," Patrick said before running over to Zac to hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek. "I think I'm going back to bed, thank you both."

"I'll turn everything off and be up in a few," Jim offered.

When Patrick woke up in the morning, he went downstairs to see if he could find cereal or anything for breakfast. He was surprised when he saw Jim at the stove. "Hope you like puppy pancakes. Jake and everyone else do," Jim stated.

Patrick had a shocked look on his face, "You didn't really make pancakes out of the puppies, I hope."

Chuckling, Jim shook his head, "No, these are just pancakes made to look like a puppy head."

"Phewww, you had me scared for a second. I mean, I didn't think you would do that, but I didn't know what else puppy pancakes could be," Patrick wiped his brow.

Jim made up the first order of puppy pancakes and placed it in front of Patrick. Patrick looked at his plate, "I don't want to eat this, it's too cute."

Jim chuckled a bit then asked, "Would you like a glass of juice, milk, both or just water?"

"Is it orange juice?"

"Yes, Minute Maid brand," Jim replied.

"I'd like a glass of that please," Patrick requested. Jim poured him a glass and went back to fixing more pancakes. Jake was the next one to come down, he got excited when he saw the pancakes and bacon.

After Jim fixed enough for everyone, he sat down and started to eat. While eating, he asked Patrick how he slept. "Since I got to talk with my dad, I slept so much better, Dad." Jake gave him a funny look.

"Did you just call Daddy Dad?" the boy asked. "That would make you my brother."

Patrick was unsure how Jake felt, "You don't have a problem with me being your brother, do you?"

"No, I would like that," Jake responded, "You just surprised me."

Patrick explained, "Dad visited me in a dream and told me that I should start calling your daddy Dad."

"Then you will be my brother?" Jake grinned like the cat who swallowed the canary.

"Yup, I will be your brother," Patrick declared.

Jim looked at the two boys, "Finish eating and wash up. I'm going upstairs to pack Jake's clothes. After we get everything over to our new place, we need to take Patrick and register him at school. What grade are you in?"

"I'll be starting sixth grade this year," Patrick answered.

Jim chirped, "So, you won't be going to the same school as Jake, will you?"

"No, sixth grade goes to Cody Middle School whereas Jake should be going to Sunset Elementary," Patrick confirmed.

Jim felt a little silly for not knowing that for sure, but then he went to sixth grade in Montana and wasn't sure how the different school system handled it. "Since you'll be going to Cody Middle School and there's only one, you should already be registered, right?"

Patrick thought for a few seconds, "I think so, but can we check to make sure? I don't want to miss any school if it can be avoided."

Joe looked at the boy, "You must be a straight A student. They're the only ones who seem to love school. The kids who have to struggle and still get C's tend to not like it."

Patrick looked a little sad, "I get B's for penmanship, but the rest are A's."

Jim placed his hands onto Patrick's shoulders, "Penmanship doesn't count towards academics, and I never was graded on penmanship from middle school to present. I got B's and C's for penmanship and if you ask my principal, I'm a straight A student."

Patrick smiled, "That's good to know."

After they finished eating, Joe and Chris did the dishes while Zac went to get Vince and his mom. Jim took the boys upstairs to get Patrick's bags and what was packed for Jake. Knowing they were moving, Jim and Zac packed everything they were taking and wouldn't need before the move. Jim had Patrick's bags and Patrick carried one of Jake's while Jake carried the other. Even though they weren't moving that far, Jim suggested loading everything in the trucks to make it easier.

They just finished loading everything into the trucks when Zac, Vince, Marilyn and Zayne came over. Marilyn went to hug Patrick, "I'm sorry about your loss and am glad I have nothing with which to compare it. Zac has told us some about you, but says there is so much more he's looking forward to learning."

"You're his mom and dad?" Patrick asked. He figured they were but didn't just want to assume. "That would make you Grandma and Grandpa once they adopt me."

Vince looked at Patrick, "You're putting up a strong front, I imagine you are torn up inside. I know I would be."

Patrick nodded his head, "Yes sir, I've cried so much since I found out and then I came here. I was surprised by how much love and compassion this family had for me."

"Yes, this family does know how to love," Vince agreed. "It actually scares me for them because I worry someone will take advantage of that."

"I can assure you, that's not my intention, sir," Patrick said defensively, not sure if he'll like this guy or not.

"I'm sorry," Vince apologized, "I wasn't referring to you. You were just dealt a gut wrenching bad hand that I wouldn't wish upon anyone and I shouldn't have made that comment at this time. I don't think you will take advantage of them, but I do worry that some people might."

Patrick thought, 'OK, this guy may not be so bad after all. At least he cares about this family.' He concurred, "I can understand that."

Zac looked at Jim, "Is everything in the trucks?"

"Yes slacker," Jim kidded, "Well, except for the puppies. I was saving them for last."

Zac suggested, "Why don't Dad and I take the trucks around, and you can load the dogs and puppies in your car. Then you and the boys can drive it around and we'll knock this out."

The phone rang as Jim was walking by it. He jumped, not expecting the sudden noise and caller ID said the call was from "out of area." Jim answered the phone, "Hello?"

"I was wondering if I would catch you," a familiar voice said.

"MOM!" Jim got excited. "I was hoping to hear from you. Can I have the picture of Dad? Then you can place your painting there. Also, I have a surprise for you."

Heather chuckled, "I think you should have it. Remember, Nick only agreed it should stay up for you. Don't get me wrong, I will always love your dad, but as you pointed out, I am with Nick now and your father IS in the picture with Nick."

"Thanks Mom," Jim said, "I love you."

Heather acknowledged, "I know you do. Are you wanting to take the Winchester as well?"

"That's up to Joe," Jim stated, "I would love to have it, but Joe doesn't have anything of Dad's and Dad used it to protect him, so I think he should have it."

Joe started to cry, hearing Jim, "I think you should have first right to it, but for the very reasons you mentioned, I would like to have it. Would you mount it with his picture like it is here so we can both enjoy it when I visit? Right now, it would just go in my closet."

Jim gave Joe a hug until they were interrupted by Heather, "So, what surprise do you have for me or do I have to wait until we get home?"

Jim laughed, "Remember when I said that I was pregnant?"

"You mean three weeks ago, after Joe's abduction?" Heather inquired.

Jim continued, "Yes, then. Well, I am now the proud father of an eleven-year-old boy. Foster father, technically, but in twenty-four hours, he has already wormed himself into Zac's heart and of course mine. And I sense that he loves us as well. We are talking about adoption and he's all for it."

"Wow!!!" Heather was a bit surprised to hear this. "First, he's only six years younger than you, are you sure you're ready for a soon-to-be teenage son? Second, how does Jake feel about this?"

Jim was elated, "I don't think Patrick will be too much trouble. The way he talks about his dad, he reminds me of me, except he's not withdrawing like I did. I think Patrick will respect us like I do you. As for Jake…"

"Hi Grandma," Jake interrupted, "I really like Patrick, and I know you will as well."

You could hear Nick chuckling in the background. "Hi Jake," Heather responded, "I guess you answered my concerns in a nutshell. Patrick, if you're there, I think you will be happy with my son watching over you."

"Can I call you Grandma, too?" Patrick asked. "I know technically, you're not yet, but I feel so much a part of this family already."

"Jim, give that boy a hug for me," Heather requested. "And Patrick, yes you may. I can't wait to meet you and get to know you." Patrick put his arms around Jim, and Jim held him close. "The reason I called was to see how things are going there and to let you know that we are fine. We're getting ready to try snorkeling."

"Have fun, Mom. We're in the process of moving, but if you want to talk with Joe, he's right here," Jim asked.

"Of course, I do," Heather retorted, "and Chris." Chris felt good hearing her include him.

Zac drove his and Jim's truck while Vince drove Zac's. They had unloaded most of the trucks when Jim pulled into the driveway. "Who's slacking now?" Zac teased.

"Sorry, Mom called right after you were out the door," Jim chuckled.

Patrick was quick to back Jim up, "Talking with her for the short time I did, I see where Dad gets his compassion. I haven't actually met her, but I like her."

Zac, put an arm around Patrick, "Wait until you do meet her, you'll love her instantly, and I know she'll love you."

"I could sense that," Patrick assured.

Zac inquired, "So, the master bedroom is Jim's and mine. The other two bedrooms are almost identical, just a reverse of one another. And the middle room doesn't have as many windows. Who wants which bedroom?" They took the boys to the rooms so they could look at them.

"If they are only a reverse of each other, does it make a difference? I'll take whichever one Jake doesn't want," Patrick answered.

Jake ran to the middle room through the shared bathroom. "Can I have this room?" the boy asked. "Patrick might want more windows."

"It doesn't matter to me, if you want the windows, you can have them," Patrick offered.

Jake ran to the other bedroom and looked around for a bit, "OK, I take this room. I can put our cars on window frames."

"You mean the window ledges?" Zac asked.

"These things," Jake said as he pointed at a window ledge.

Patrick whispered in Jake's ear, "Those are called ledges."

"Yes, I mean the ledge," Jake stated.

Jim went to get Patrick's bags and set them in the middle bedroom. Patrick started opening the first bag. "If you want privacy, I can leave you be. I don't know what's in your bags, and if there's something you'd rather I not see, that's your business."

"Thanks Dad, but all I have is clothes. I wasn't given a chance to grab anything else," Patrick looked like he was about to cry.

Jim felt heartbroken, "Is there anything that you would have liked to have? Perhaps we can see about getting some things from your house, or we can go buy you some stuff. You need more than just clothes."

"You amaze me every time you talk to me; do you know that?" Patrick asked. "You've known me less than a day and I feel loved as much as if my father were here."

Jim got choked up, "That's my goal. I want you to know that I do love you like my dad loved me. My dad set the perfect example of how a dad should be, and I sense that you feel the same way about your dad, so I can do no less."

"Thank you," Patrick said, giving Jim a hug.

"And I want to thank you for how you are with Jake," Jim offered, "That little guy has taken such a liking to you."

Patrick chuckled, "He makes it easy."

"That he does," Jim concurred, "that he does."

After everything was unpacked, Jim hung the picture of his dad above the fireplace and displayed the Winchester for Joe. He was just about to call Patrick and Jake downstairs when the doorbell rang. Patrick answered the door. "Hello, I am Miss Childress with Children's Protective Service. Are you Patrick?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I am," Patrick answered.

She asked, "Are either James or Zac Bolt around?"

Jim came to the door, "I prefer Jim. What can I do for you?"

The social worker looked skeptical, "You seem a bit young to be fostering an eleven-year-old. I'm sure Miss Dewill had her reasons."

"It may have to do with the fact I lost my dad to a drunk driver, so I can relate to Patrick," Jim stated. "And she knows that my husband and I have the backing of our parents to help us raise our son, and now Patrick."

"I see," Miss Childress stated. "I'm willing to see how things go, but would you be upset if I visit on a weekly basis for a few months? I don't have a problem with you being so young provided you are providing proper care for Patrick."

Jim smiled. "I am glad that you care enough about this young man to give us a chance. If it means we get to help him out, I wouldn't be upset if you came a couple of times a week."

"No, four times a month will suffice, but I may do two in one week and skip another week, just to be sure. That is at least the first month or two. May I see Patrick's room?"

"It's a little Spartan right now, he says that he was only allowed to grab clothes. It's right this way," Jim stated, leading her upstairs. "Is there any way we can go to his old house and grab some things for him?"

"That would be up to the lawyer handling the estate. I can give you his card," Miss Childress offered. Looking around the room, she added, "This is a nice room. I agree that he needs more to add character, but I am pleased."

Jim placed his arm around Patrick, "I'm glad, we've already taken a liking to Patrick and I sense the same from him."

Opening her binder, Miss Childress pulled two cards out. "The first card is my card. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to call me any time. The second card is the lawyer, Harvey Cox. I don't have a copy of it, so if you can just write the information down…"

Jim laughed, "My mom is a paralegal for the same law firm. He's also the lawyer we had for Jake's custody hearing, I already have his card."

"Then you should have no problem talking with him. I take it Jake is your son," Miss Childress stated.

As if his ears were burning, Jake came into the room, "Hi, I'm Jake. You're not planning to take Patrick away from us, are you?"

Miss Childress looked at Jake, "If Patrick is happy and treated well, no I don't. You seem to have grown fond of him already."

"He's my brother, or he will be once Daddy and Papa adopt him."

Miss Childress was a bit surprised, "Are you interested in adopting him already?"

Jim got serious, "Yes, we have discussed it, and I'm ready to do it whenever Patrick decides he wants to be a permanent member of this family."

Patrick hugged Jim. With a tear in his eye, he declared, "I'm a hundred percent sure of that now, Dad."

Miss Childress watched them interact, "OK then, give me a couple months so that I can be sure this will work and if neither of you change your minds, I will file the adoption papers. Does that work for you?"

"As long as Patrick stays here and can be considered Zac's and my son, take whatever time you need. I can tell you, we will not be changing our minds."

"I'm happy for both of you, and before I forget, here is the check for your first month of foster care. It only covers two weeks and then you will get a full month check on the first," Miss Childress stated and handed a check to Jim.

Looking at the check, Jim couldn't believe how big it was for only two weeks. "Thank you, I wasn't even expecting this. We can use it to get Patrick things he may need for school."

"You don't know how good it makes me feel to hear you say that," Miss Childress cooed, "So many people become foster parents just for that check and don't want to use it for the child. We try to weed those people out."

"My brother came to live with us under the foster care system before my mom adopted him. His caseworker stated that his happiness was her main priority over Mom's or his birth parents. Now he wants to go to school to be a case worker and help kids just like him."

"He must have had a good social worker to make such an impact," Miss Childress stated.

"All I can say is, everyone with CPS that we have dealt with seems to put the children as their priority," Jim started to tear up.

Miss Childress smiled, "That's the way it should be. Unfortunately, in the major cities, thanks to budget cuts, there are never enough workers and the children are the ones who suffer because of it. Here in Park County, we aren't as hectic. I need to be going, but if you need anything, call me."

Jim found Zac napping in their bed and woke him up. "You missed Patrick's social worker. I'm surprised that she didn't ask to meet you."

"Maybe she thought I was at work or something. Speaking of which, I'm going out to the ranch after we make sure Patrick is registered at school. The horse barns were completed and the noisy part of rebuilding the house is done so Jackson wants to move the horses back."

Jim explained, "We were going to go see Harvey Cox about getting some of Patrick's things from his old house. Harvey is the lawyer handling the estate. And then we were going to go shopping for anything he might need for school. We can do all that after. I think Patrick might like a visit to the ranch and meeting the horses."

Zac suggested, "So if you're planning to ride with me, we can stop to see Harvey before going as he may leave before we leave the ranch. But shopping, we can do after."

I hope you enjoy the story and that it draws you in, wanting more. If you have any suggestions or concerns, don’t hesitate to email me.  Thoughts and suggestions are always welcomed and may or may not be implemented. Concerns will be considered and addressed as much as possible.

Also, I have created a mailing list.  If you would like to be added to it to be informed of new submission, please contact me at Zarek Dragon.  Please let me know that you read it on The Story Lovers' Website.