Still Another Chance ~ Book Four of Another Chance
Chapter Three: Phoenix
By Zarek Dragon
Before going to bed Thursday Night, Jim packed Jake's luggage for the trip and he asked Patrick, Scott and Austin to prepare theirs. Once everyone was finished, he kissed their foreheads and sent them to bed. Then he crawled into bed with Zac. Zac said, "While you took care of the boys, I packed ours." Jim snuggled against Zac and they went to sleep.
In the morning, Jim found Jake's bedroom door open, but no Jake. He was guessing that the boy was sleeping with Patrick and Scott. As he went downstairs, he heard the TV on with cartoons being played. He peeked, but no one was watching, so he turned the cartoons off. He started fixing breakfast.
Austin was the first one downstairs. He sat at the table and Jim started setting plates with sausage and fried potatoes for him to dig in. Scott and Patrick were the next two down. Jim asked, "Where's Jake?"
Patrick looked puzzled, "We thought he would be down here since his door was opened. Why'd you ask?"
"Then he didn't sleep with you?" Jim's voice showed a hint of panic.
"No, Scott and I were, ummm…" Patrick replied.
Jim cut him off, "I understand, but where can Jake be?" He stepped outside and called Jake's name. He didn't hear any response. He started walking towards the barns, still calling out Jake's name. About halfway to the barn, Jim could hear Jake yelling "help" and crying. He took off at full speed for the barn. When he got there, the sight he saw turned his worry into laughter. "Jake, how did you get tangled up in a rope? And where are your clothes?"
As Jim was untangling the boy from the lasso, Jake explained, "I was watching cartoons and Cowboy Bob was doing tricks with the lasso, so I wanted to try."
"And your clothes?" Jim asked.
Jake answered, "The rope was dirty so I took them off to keep them from getting dirty."
Jim chuckled, "That was smart, but now you need a shower before you get dressed again."
Jake looked down, "I'm sorry, Daddy. Are you mad at me?"
Jim picked Jake up and hugged him, "No, it would take a lot for me to ever get mad at you. But there is something that you should know about cartoons; the people in them can do things that real people just can't do. Sure, cowboys can do tricks with lassoes, but it takes years of practice before they get really good."
Jake looked Jim in the eyes and asked, "Can you teach me?"
Jim gave Jake a smile, "If you want to learn, I'll teach you, but you have to start simple at first, learning how we really use a lasso. Watching the tricks and stuff is really cool, but most of those tricks have no real application on a ranch." Jim set Jake down and told him to go shower. Then he went to change since he got his clothes dirty by picking up Jake.
As Jim and Zac walked into the office, they spotted Joe sitting at the desk. Joe commented, "Chris suggested that he, Buster and Eric take care of the horses while I watch the office. If you guys would like to get two extra days of vacation, you can leave today. We have this, and if there are any issues, we can call you."
"Are you sure?" Zac asked. "It means that you'll be three bodies short when the truck comes."
Joe nodded his head, "We can deal with it."
Jim gave Joe a hug, "Thanks, Bro. Just remember, when you and Buster decide to take time off to take Eric some place, we will cover for you as well."
Walking to the barn, Jim found Eric feeding the horses. He told his nephew, "I have a favor to ask of you. While we are gone, will you take care of Gold for me and make sure he gets exercised?"
"Do you mean it?" Eric was excited. "You're asking me to take care of your horse?"
Jim gave Eric a quick nod and stated, "Yeah, he won't let anyone else ride him, and you've learned a lot in the three weeks you've been with us. If you have any questions, your dad can answer them."
Eric was grinning from ear to ear. He gave Jim a hug and replied, "Thank you for entrusting your horse to me. I won't let you down"
Jim responded, "I know you won't, or I wouldn't have asked." Jim went to see Gold before leaving.
Meanwhile, Zac went looking for Chris. Finding him, Zac commented, "Joe suggested that we leave today, so the house is yours while we are gone."
Chris gave Zac a hug, "Thanks, but you guys be safe and come back. I'm looking forward to living by myself for a week, but I don't think I'm ready to make it permanent."
"We will," Zac declared.
Chris chuckled, as Kunoichi stared at him, "I guess I won't actually be living alone. I'll have you, Colby, Cheddar and Sam with me."
Jim started getting everything loaded into the truck while Zac googled the directions on his phone. When he saw exactly where Mount Rushmore is, he called Jim over and showed him what he discovered. "Do you see what I see?"
Jim exclaimed, "We were that close to Mount Rushmore?"
Patrick asked, "How close?"
Zac put his arm around Patrick and questioned, "Do you remember where Trevor and Roger live?"
Patrick replied, "Rapid City, South Dakota, why?" Zac showed Patrick the map on his phone. Patrick couldn't believe what he was looking at. The truck was packed and everybody started climbing in. As Zac set off toward South Dakota, Patrick sent a text to Trevor and Roger…
Yeah, I talked Dad and Papa into taking us to see Mount Rushmore. Until Papa showed me where it was on the map, I didn't realize that it was only like twenty-five minutes away from you guys. Maybe we can stop to visit during our stay.
Patrick waited, but didn't receive a response. He wasn't sure if Trevor and Roger received it. He looked and he had half his bars, so the message should have gone out. Maybe Trevor and Roger were busy doing "stuff." What if they went somewhere and forgot to take Trevor's phone? Patrick decided to wait until they stopped for lunch. If Trevor hadn't answered by then, he would send out another text after they ate.
Stopping in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, Zac found a nice "Mom and Pop" diner with home-style cooking. Zac requested that Patrick leave his phone in his pocket while they ate. "But Papa," Patrick pleaded, "I'm hoping that Trevor and Roger get back to me."
Zac acknowledged, "I know, but while we eat, it's family time. When we are done with family time, you may have a few minutes to chat with them."
Patrick looked defeated and Zac felt bad, but he didn't want electronic devices interfering with family time. Jake kept eyeballing Patrick's plate, so Patrick cut off a small piece and gave it to him. Zac wanted to get his phone out, but didn't feel it would be right after telling Patrick to leave his phone in his pocket. Jim couldn't resist. Jake took the small piece that Patrick gave him and put it in his mouth. It didn't take long before he realized Patrick was eating liver and onions. Jim took the picture of his face.
The boy spat the food into his napkin and said, "Yuck, I still don't like it."
Jim smiled, "I didn't think you would. Want to see your face?"
Zac was glad Jim got the picture, but made the request, "Babe, I asked Patrick to leave his phone in his pocket. On the one hand, I'm glad you got the picture, but would you mind putting your phone away until we are done eating."
Jim gave Zac a peck on the cheek. "Of course I will. I just knew that Jake would react, and I knew you wouldn't feel right getting your phone out." Patrick smiled at Jim and Zac and felt good that Zac said something.
After they were finished eating and spent a few minutes chatting, Zac told Patrick that he could text Trevor again. Zac looked up the steak houses around Mount Rushmore. Then when he found the place where they would eat supper, Zac excused himself to the restroom. Once in a stall, he sent Trevor a text.
Patrick is going nuts, worrying because you haven't returned his text. And we will be eating at the Dakota Cowboy, around six, your time.
Zac went back out to the table; Patrick looked sad as he was looking at his phone. "What's the matter, Bud?" Zac asked. "Still no answer?"
Patrick was looking at his phone and read, "'It would be awesome if you could come, but I believe we have plans for this weekend.' I was hoping we could visit but Trevor just blew me off."
Jim walked around the table and put his arm around Patrick. He asked, "Suppose Trevor's dads took him to Yellowstone this weekend and asked if he could stop by to visit. What would you say?"
Patrick replied, "We're not even home for them to visit."
Jim nodded, "Right, do you see what I'm saying? Their lives revolve around our plans just as much as our lives revolve around theirs. Trevor isn't just blowing you off. If his parents have plans, then he's just telling you, they won't be home. He wouldn't purposely hurt you."
"I know that," Patrick blurted, "but I thought it would be cool to visit."
Jim gave Patrick a kiss on the forehead, "I know Bud, but you can't be upset with Trevor for his parents having plans."
Patrick sat down and whispered, "I'm sorry, I see your point."
After they finished up, they drove the remainder of the trip to the hotel they had reserved. The porter explained, "This is a two-bedroom suite. There is one double-size bed in each room."
Zac looked agitated, "I told them when I reserved the suite that it would be two adults and four boys."
The porter apologized, "I'm sorry, sir. This is our largest room currently available, and the couch does convert into a bed. Would you like for me to continue?"
Zac took in a breath and slowly exhaled. As he slowly turned his head from side to side, Jim could hear the sound of bones popping in Zac's neck. He spoke up, "Yeah, we'll give it a try, but know that we are not happy. We were told that we would have a three-bedroom suite waiting."
The porter looked confident, "I understand, but then you did show up two days earlier than you originally scheduled. Our three-room suite should become available tomorrow. Did the manager not explain, we are giving you a discount for this room tonight, and we can move you to the suite you requested tomorrow."
Zac looked down, "I'm sorry that I became agitated. No, the manager didn't say anything other than you would show us to our room."
Now the porter looked slightly agitated, "I told him… Never mind, I will deal with him."
"Wait…" Jim looked surprised. "You told him what? Don't get yourself into trouble on our account."
"Do not worry, sir. As owner of this hotel, I won't be the one getting into trouble," the porter revealed.
Zac shook the cobwebs out of his head, "You're the owner and a porter?"
The porter smiled, "Yes, my first job was being a porter in this hotel. When the former owner stayed, he always requested that I be his porter. On his second visit, he asked if I knew of a young man who would 'take care of him.' Being gay, I'm sure you know what I mean. I was eighteen at the time and lonely. Plus, I thought he was attractive, so I volunteered. He wanted to move me into the room he stayed in when he was here, but before he could… anyway, when he passed away, he left me everything."
"I'm sorry for your loss. So you remained a porter?" Jim asked.
The porter replied, "I've always enjoyed it and what better way to make sure our guests are properly taken care of when they arrive."
Zac started to feel better, "I appreciate you taking care of us. Now I really feel bad about getting upset. So, do you still accept tips?"
"You had a reason for getting upset," the porter declared. "I'm just glad I am your porter and was able to make you feel better. As for tips, I do accept them but any that I receive, I put into a jar and at the end of the shift, I divvy them out evenly to the other employees on duty."
Zac handed the man the tip and said, "Thank you for everything."
"Not a problem and from my employees, thank you," the porter stated. "My name is Travis Rodgers, and if you need anything, feel free to ask for me. One last thing, if you make sure your bags are ready, I will transfer them to your new room tomorrow." Once Travis left, Zac told everyone to get ready for supper, and that they had reservations.
They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. The hostess greeted them, "Mr. Bolt, your table for six is prepared, and…" Zac cut her off by putting his finger to his lips. She led them back to the table. Zac had Jake and Austin sit at the ends and Patrick and Scott sit on the side towards the door. Patrick asked if he could use the bathroom before they ate. While he was away, Zac reminded Jake and Austin of what he told them earlier. Scott looked puzzled.
It wasn't long after Patrick sat back down and he felt hands covering his eyes. Someone had covered Scott's eyes as well. He heard a familiar voice say, "Guess who?" Patrick tried getting up, but the hands kept him seated. "You have to guess before you can get a look."
"OK," Patrick started. Jim saw what looked like a mischievous grin form on Patrick's face, "Are you Jaden Dusky?"
"OOOO," Scott moaned, "If Jaden is covering your eyes, would that make Seth covering my eyes?"
"Who?" the voice asked.
Patrick chuckled, "Jaden's the younger brother of Seth Dusky. Seth was really cute when he was young, and now that he's almost eighteen, he is really cute. Almost as cute as Scott." Patrick put a strong emphasis on the last "really."
Scott chuckled, "Nice save, Babe."
Patrick grinned, "Well no one is as cute as you, especially not Trevor."
"Heyyyyy!" Trevor moaned…
He let Patrick up and Patrick gave him a hug. "I couldn't resist, I knew it was you by your voice. I thought you have plans for this weekend."
"We do," Trevor explained. "Grandpa Nate brought us to dinner tonight. Tomorrow, Dad and Daddy are taking us to see Mount Rushmore, and then Sunday, we will be going to the Crazy Horse Memorial."
"Those are our plans!" Patrick exclaimed. "Wait, how did you know our plans?" Patrick looked at Jim who was tilting his head towards Zac.
Roger replied, "Your papa wanted us to surprise you."
Patrick thought about how upset he was at Trevor when he thought he was being blown off. "I owe you an apology. I got upset with you, and now I understand why you didn't tell me anything."
Trevor shook his head, "You don't need to apologize, I can understand how you felt. I'm just glad that you're happy with the surprise."
"Why don't we move Jake out of the way and move these tables together," Nate suggested.
Roger was quick to speak up, "Jake can sit between Patrick and me."
After the meal was finished, Nate went to pick up the check. Zac tried to argue that he can pay for his share, but Nate insisted. Patrick told Trevor and Roger that he would see them in the morning.
Once they were at the hotel, Jim stepped out on the balcony. He heard a noise and 
quickly turned to his right. There was a young boy climbing onto the balcony ledge. He calmly asked, "Kid, are you alright?"
The boy responded, "Just stay where you are. I will be, in a few minutes." Jim jumped over to the balcony where the boy was. "Wh… wh… what are you doing?"
Jim replied, "I thought we could talk. You look like you're about to jump, I'm just curious as to why. What could possibly be so bad as to make you want to die?"
"You would never understand," the boy stated.
"You can try me, I mean, what harm would there be?" Jim asked. "Perhaps I can help you, and if not, does it hurt if you die a few minutes later?"
"Just stay where you are," the boy demanded. "If you move any closer, I will jump."
"You're planning to already," Jim remarked. "Mind if I tell you a little about me?"
"You?" the boy questioned. "Why would I be interested in knowing about you?"
Jim smiled, "Because if you know something about me, you may feel better about telling me about you."
"What could you possibly tell me about you that could help me?"
Jim looked down, "I know about depression. When my dad was killed in a car accident…"
The boy interrupted, "How did you know?"
"What?" Jim looked puzzled, "I didn't get to see him until the funeral, but that was what Mom told me."
"No, I mean, how did you know about my father? My dad was killed in a car accident, and it was my fault," the boy admitted.
Jim felt like a light went on in his head, "Dude, I didn't know that, but I do know how depressed I became. I barely functioned. I never wanted to kill myself, but I did wish that I would die. I felt like my life was over, and that was before I had to give away my horse and put my dog down."
The boy smirked, "Now you are just making stuff up."
Jim looked down, tears were welling up in his eyes, "I wish that were true, but you can ask my husband."
"Husband?" the boy asked. "You're gay?"
Jim nodded his head, "Yeah, I hope that doesn't bother you."
"No, I wish that I weren't," the boy started crying. "My being gay is what killed my dad."
"No," Jim slowly shook his head, "You seem like a great kid and if he…"
The boy cut him off again, "See, you don't understand. Dad accepted me for being gay. He and Mom fought about it. She wanted him to kick me out of the house but he refused. The next day, she ran into him with her car as he was checking the mail. She killed him and it was all my fault."
Jim walked over to the boy and offered him a hug. Without thinking, the boy accepted. Jim whispered, "No, that's all on her, you are not at fault for being who you are." The boy cried into Jim's shoulder and Jim cried into his.
After a few minutes, the boy looked Jim in the face, "Be honest now that you are holding me, was any of what you said true?"
Jim wiped his face, "Every bit of it. So now what?"
The boy hung his head, "I don't know, I really didn't want to die, but my dad is dead, my mom is in jail, and they want to put me in foster care."
Jim offered, "By the way, my name is Jim. What if we found an alternative to foster care?"
"My name is Phoenix. What do you have in mind?"
Jim looked Phoenix in his green eyes, "Would you like to go over to my room so my husband and I can talk to you together?"
Phoenix gave a hint of a smile, "What can it hurt?" Jim let the boy go and then they both jumped over to Jim's balcony.
When Jim walked into their room with the boy, Zac looked surprised, "You just went out on the balcony and you come back in with a boy? We're four stories up."
Jim chuckled, "It's a long story, but Phoenix doesn't want to go into foster care and would like an alternative."
Phoenix looked at Jim, "You're not going to tell him that you stopped me?"
Jim shook his head, "I figured if you wanted him to know, you would."
Phoenix grinned, "Well I guess I kinda did, but I don't mind."
Zac looked at Phoenix, "I think what my husband is suggesting is, we have a ranch. On the ranch, we will be starting a shelter for young boys. Most will have been kicked out of their homes for being gay. We can't take you there ourselves, without the state giving permission, but we will help arrange it, if possible, if you would like that option."
Phoenix sat at the table and related his story to Zac and Jim in even greater detail than he had originally explained it to Jim. He also asked about some of the things Jim had told him. Zac confirmed what Jim said. Finally, Phoenix asked, "Are you going to turn me in?"
Zac had a tear in his eye, "I honestly don't want to, and you have no reason to trust me, but yeah, we have to turn you in, but not right away. I'm going to make some calls, some to a few very powerful people, including a Federal Judge. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we can get you to Cody the right way."
Phoenix looked at Zac and said, "I don't know why, but I do trust you. Anything I can do to help, I think I would like going to Cody. At least I feel like you care about me."
Jim asked, "Would you mind if I ask you your last name and age?"
Phoenix shook his head, "No, I wouldn't mind, but I can just tell you, my last name is Blaze and I turned fourteen in April."
Patrick came out of his room, hearing Phoenix talking. "My friend turned fourteen in April. Who are you?"
Jim smiled, "Patrick, this is Phoenix Blaze. Phoenix, this is Zac's and my oldest son. The little one sleeping on the couch is our other son. Phoenix will be staying with us for a few days and hopefully will be going to Cody with us."
Patrick shook Phoenix's hand, "It's cool to meet you. Wait until you meet Trevor and Roger,"
Phoenix looked at Austin and Jake, "Are they the two sleeping on the pull-out?"
Patrick chuckled, "No, that's my brother and cousin. We'll meet up with Trevor and Roger tomorrow. Trevor is the one who turned fourteen in April."
"What day?" Phoenix asked. "My birthday was the twenty-first."
Patrick had a surprised look on his face, "No way… You and Trevor were born the same day."
In the morning, Trevor knocked on the door early. Not everyone was awake yet. When Jim let him and Roger in, he did a double take, seeing an extra boy. He looked at Jim and then Zac. He said, "Dad and Daddy are waiting in the lobby, but who do we have the pleasure of meeting?"
Patrick got excited, "Trevor, this is Phoenix. Guess when his birthday is."
Trevor thought for a minute before answering, "I'm going to guess the same as mine since you asked like that, April 21st. It's nice to meet you Phoenix."
Phoenix shook Trevor's hand as Patrick explained, "And he just turned fourteen, so he's the same age as you. Dad and Papa are hoping to be able to take him with us when we go back to Cody."
Jim gave Patrick a stern look, "That's enough. Perhaps Phoenix doesn't appreciate you telling just anyone."
Patrick pleaded, "But Trevor isn't just anyone. I heard Papa tell Phoenix that he would talk to some important people, and we ARE practically in the Kings' realm."
Jim chuckled at how Patrick put that. "And Papa plans to talk to the Kings, but you should ask Phoenix before telling people that he doesn't know."
Phoenix looked at Jim, almost as if he were looking at someone in authority who cared about him, "If telling Trevor helps me get to stay in Cody with you, I don't mind. And I'm guessing the boy with him is Roger."
Roger was surprised that the boy knew his name, "Yeah, I'm Roger. I guess Patrick mentioned me."
Phoenix replied, "He just told me about being friends with Trevor and you. Since I was introduced to Trevor, I deduced that you were Roger."
"Good deduction," Roger chuckled.
The boys talked for a few minutes while Jim woke everyone else up and they got ready. Trevor told about the orphanage foundation he created and offered to help in any way he could. Zac decided not to see Mount Rushmore with the group; instead, he started making phone calls, beginning with Ryan Sprayberry.
"Ryan, I was wondering if you can help me," Zac inquired.
Ryan responded, "You know I will if I can. What do you need?" Zac explained everything to Ryan and listened to what Ryan had to say. Ryan advised him, "I know this isn't going to be easy, but you need to turn him in right away. Talk to Mrs. Granger and let her know that you would like to transfer his case to the Another Chance Boys' Home in Cody. I hate to say this, but it will take time to get the transfer approved."
Zac started to cry, "Can I wait until after we go to the Crazy Horse Memorial tomorrow?"
Ryan said, "Officially, I'm advising you that you need to turn him in right away, but unofficially, Children's Protective Service's offices are usually closed on the weekends. The sooner you turn him in, the sooner you can get the paperwork started so he can go to Cody."
As Zac was talking to Ryan, Trevor became the unofficial tour guide for the group. He was explaining everything that he had learned about Mount Rushmore. Listening to him talk, you would have thought that he was reading a brochure, but nothing was in his hands. He explained how long it took to carve all four Presidents. He explained why Borglum chose these four Presidents. Everyone was impressed with what Trevor knew about the landmark. Trevor admitted, "It was one of the last subjects that we discussed before Summer Break."
"Even so," Jim stated, "the fact that you retained all of that is impressive."
They returned to the hotel to find Zac crying and still holding his phone. Jim rushed over to him and asked what was wrong. Zac told them what Ryan told him. Phoenix had tears running down his face as he spoke, "I don't want to go into foster care; I want to stay with you, but if it means that it might happen sooner, I'm willing."
Zac hugged Phoenix and said, "I want to take you with us, too, but we have to do this the right way."
Nick and Bobby King went to the room with the group this time. Bobby looked at Nick and you would have thought they were conversing with their minds. Finally, Bobby suggested, "Would you like to stay with us until the State approves transferring your case to Wyoming?"
Phoenix looked like a weight had been taken off his shoulders, "Do you mean it? I wouldn't mind spending time with Trevor and Roger."
"We'll go with you when you talk to Mrs. Granger and I'm sure something can be worked out," Nick advised.
Phoenix was able to stay with Zac and Jim until Thursday night, when they departed for home, then with a tearful goodbye, he hugged them as Nick King waited to take him home. Zac and Jim gave Phoenix a smart phone with their numbers, the ranch's number and Patrick's already programmed in. Then, they and Patrick told the boy to expect a phone call from at least one of them every day.
Zac drove about halfway home with everyone remaining quiet. Jake was asleep in his car seat, but everyone else was just silent. It was obvious that they all missed Phoenix already. It was just before midnight when Zac pulled into a motel to sleep for a few hours. Patrick quietly said, "I wish it wasn't so late. I want to call Phoenix."
Jim gave a weak smile, "I know, Bud. I miss him, too. We'll be getting up in five hours and then it'll only be three hours to get home. He should be awake by then."
"Eight hours?" Patrick moaned.
Not everything went as planned and they didn't pull into the ranch until nine. Joe came out of the office to greet them. He stated, "Mrs. Granger called to get our certificate number for the Boys' Home. Fortunately, it arrived last Friday. And Phoenix called early this morning. I ended up talking to him for an hour. I guess he's having fun at the King's house but can't wait to stay at the home. He really misses you guys."
Patrick looked sad as he replied, "We really miss him too."
Jim mussed Patrick's hair up, "Why don't you call him. I'm sure he'll be excited to hear from you."
"Can I tell him how quiet the ride home was because we missed him?" Patrick asked.
After Patrick talked with Phoenix, those that returned from Mount Rushmore took a nap.
Saturday morning, Brock Radcliffe had professional designers come to decorate the rodeo arena for his wedding. He was expecting to fill the arena with guests from around the globe. Ben Brodie wasn't too happy about losing the use of the arena for four days, but Brock donated three million dollars to the Another Chance Junior Rodeo and Ben accepted that as adequate compensation. It's hard for Jim and Zac to fathom all the different "Another Chance" organizations developing, and each as its own entity.
Phoenix didn't wait for anyone to call him. He called Jim's phone. "I just had to hear your voice. Don't get me wrong, if I can't be there, I would love to stay here, but I am looking forward to being there. Joe was sharing with me some of the things that will happen. I like him."
Jim smiled, "Wait until you meet his son Eric. I have a feeling that the two of you will be good friends."
"Maybe boyfriends?" Phoenix asked, uncertainty was in his voice.
Even though Phoenix couldn't see him, Jim shook his head, "No, I'm not trying to set you up. As far as I know, Eric hasn't discovered whether he is gay or not yet. If he is gay and the two of you hit it off, I think it would be good for the both of you, but I would never push either of you in that direction."
Jim could hear what sounded like a sigh of relief, "I'm glad to hear that. Don't get me wrong, I don't know anything about the boy, so I don't know in what way we'll hit it off. I was just nervous that you might have been setting me up with him and if we don't like each other in that way, I didn't want to disappoint you."
Jim advised, "Phoenix, just be yourself. Like whoever makes you happy and I promise, you will never disappoint me. I have faith in you."
Phoenix sniffled a few times, giving Jim the impression that he started crying, "Thank you, I needed to hear that. I really wish the paperwork would hurry so I can be there. I love the Kings and they promised to remain friends with me after I move, but I wish that I could go there."
Jim's heart started breaking. He wished that Phoenix could have come to Cody with them, but he's happy that the Kings were willing to open their home and their hearts to a boy they barely even knew. Jim thought, 'Too bad more people weren't like them.' Jim responded to Phoenix, "The Kings are great people. Trevor and Roger have proven to be great friends with Patrick, and I think Roger really likes Jake. I'm thankful that they took you in, but I can't wait for you to be here either. I do know that the paperwork is in the process."
"Thanks Jim, that makes me happy," Phoenix chirped. "OH, by the way, there's a hot tub here. The Kings use it naked. They offered to put trunks on if I felt weird about it, but it feels good."
Jim started to laugh as he imagined Phoenix the first time they invited him to use the hot tub. As he giggled, he told Phoenix, "Ask them to take you to Tony's ranch. Tony has a nice lake."
"A horse ranch?" Phoenix squealed, "I've never been on a horse, but I've always wanted to learn to ride."
Jim informed him, "If you want to learn, you definitely will when you come here. In fact, all the boys at the home will have the opportunity to work at the ranch if they want."
"That sounds like fun. Nick just yelled that lunch is ready, so I gotta go. I love you Jim," Phoenix hung up before Jim could respond.
Even though the boy couldn't hear him, Jim said, "I love you too, Phoenix." He had a tear running down his cheek.
The rest of the day was dealing with people bringing flowers and other decorations. Besides the donation Brock made to Brodie, Jim guessed that he easily spent ten million dollars in decorations. As he was watching everything going into place, Joe came up to him, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could have had decorations this elaborate at your wedding?"
Jim replied, "This is nice, but I like what we had. It was more simple and down to earth. I think it reflected Zac and me very well."
Joe nodded his head, "Yeah, it did and I didn't mean to make it sound like it wasn't nice, I just meant, it would have been nice if we had the funds to do this."
Zac came up and said, "That would have been nice, but I think it's a waste of money. I think what we did reflected Jim and me so well."
Joe started to laugh, "You two are so meant for each other. That's almost word for word what Jim said."
Sunday after the hay was delivered, Zac told everyone to start getting ready for the wedding. Once they were ready, they started walking the two miles to the arena. Zac thought about driving, but with all of the guests, he figured some people would be parked in the Ranch parking lot. Zac started thinking of a shuttle service when a bus pulled up beside them. The driver asked, "Excuse me, but do you know where I might find Brock Radcliffe? He hired me to be a shuttle driver." Zac just laughed as they climbed onto the bus and directed him where to go.
The younger Brock looked so dashing standing next to his dad. He looked as if he had a bigger smile on his face than his dad did. They were standing at the front when Jared walked down the aisle carrying the pillow with the rings. He may be older than the usual ring bearer, but the younger Brock asked if his boyfriend could be in the wedding. Since Jared was the ring bearer, they asked Colt's girlfriend to be the flower girl.
Once she was at the front, Tonya Winslow stood at the back of the aisle. The pianist started playing the Wedding March. Tonya slowly walked down the aisle. Even with her veil down, the guests could see she was smiling. Once she reached the front, Brock took her hand while Mr. Winslow went to sit beside his wife.
Ryan started the ceremony and when he got to the vows, Brock looked at Tonya and said, "Darling, I was a fool for not noticing you sooner. My son opened my eyes to how you felt about me, and while I always felt an attraction to you, it took him to prod me in the right direction. Since that day, I have never been happier except maybe when I held him for the first time. What I mean is, I love you so much. The only one who even compares is my son. Listen to me, I can give speeches to the hardest of men without any problem, but when I try to express my love to you, I'm so nervous because words can't really describe how I feel. I just hope that I can make you as happy for the rest of your life as you have made me and my son."
Tonya smiled, "I know what you mean and I know what your son means to you. To compare your love for me to what you feel for your son, I am truly honored. To know that you are allowing me to be the step-mother to such a sweet loveable boy. Brock Allen Radcliffe VII, I can love no one more than I love you and Brock. Even when you were married, I felt something for you, but I never acted on those feelings out of respect. When you divorced your wife, I wanted to say something but wasn't sure it would be appropriate, so I waited. Young Brock and I had many conversations about how he thought I would be a good mother and how I cherished him like a son, but I never knew he was probing to see if I was interested. When he finally conned us into a date, you made me the happiest lady on the planet. I vow to always love you and be the best mother I can be to young Brock and if we decide to have children. I will always be faithful through sickness and in health. You are my pedestal on good days and my rock when things aren't so good. I hope that I can be the same for you."
Brock whispered, "As long as I am with you, there are no bad days."
Ryan stated, "By the power vested in me by the State of Wyoming and the Federal Government, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
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