Still Another Chance ~ Book Four of Another Chance

by Zarek Dragon

 

It was a day before his and Tuck's big day and Zarek was getting nervous. He was at the ranch talking with Jim and Zac. "Colt said that he would be my best man, but what if Jackson can't make it for some reason. Jim, would you be willing to fill in?"

Jim smiled, "I'd be happy to, but I spoke to Jackson this morning, and…"

Jim paused because Colt came in and wrapped his arms around Zarek. The boy whispered, "Big day tomorrow. I can't believe my foster dad is getting married."

Zarek turned around and hugged the boy that stayed in his house while things were getting sorted out. "I missed you so much. I can't believe you don't live here anymore. Midnight tells me that it's not the same, having someone else take care of him."

"I know," Colt frowned. "I miss taking care of him, and I don't understand why we moved. We don't get to see Dad Ryan even two days a week. It's so unfair. Even Dad seems frustrated."

Jim asked, "So, it should be easy to convince Jackson into moving back here?"

Colt looked down, "I don't know, maybe. For our new ranch, he paid slightly more than fifty percent of what he sold Another Chance to you and it's not even half as big, but he was talking to someone yesterday. They offered to buy it from him."

Zac queried, "Did he seem interested in selling?"

"Nope, I turned the guy down," Jackson stated as he entered the office. "Ryan needs a place in Denver where he can call home, so as long as he remains a Federal Judge, we need to keep the ranch down there."

"He will be here tomorrow," Zarek worried. "I hope so, he said that he would officiate."

Jackson replied, "He just left South Dakota. There's an orphanage there where he's befriended two boys. He's been telling me that he would like to adopt one of them. But the boy doesn't want to be adopted unless the other is adopted, too. I would really like to go with him and meet them someday."

Zarek smirked, "If he likes them that much, maybe Tuck and I should consider adopting the other one, that is, if you don't."

Jackson continued, "Their names are Alex and Nigel, and from what I understand, they are boyfriends. Ryan really likes Alex and they've become close friends ever since they met in April."

Zarek inquired, "What about Nigel? You can't split them up if they're boyfriends, but you really shouldn't adopt both, I mean they would be brothers. Should we start adoption procedures?"

"Do you remember when Jacob and Elizabeth first moved here?" Jackson asked. "Elizabeth was pregnant, but she lost the baby at three months. The doctor told her that carrying a baby full term wasn't very likely, and if she did, one or both may not survive. When she saw the picture of Nigel, she and Jacob already filed paperwork to adopt. They were told that they should know something by August. Ryan's doing his best to assist and make it happen. And if their adoption is approved, we will definitely take Alex in."

"Man, that would still be rough on them, Nigel here and Alex in Denver," Zarek pointed out.

Jackson said, "Yes, but Mom and Dad offered to let Alex stay with them through the week so he could spend as much time as possible with Nigel. They'd be right across the driveway from each other."

Zarek slowly shook his head, "I'm not crazy about it, but I guess that's better than one boy being adopted and the other staying in the orphanage over there. Still, he'll either be unable to bond new adoptive parents or be away from the boy he loves." Then leaving Jackson to think about what he said, Zarek turned towards Jim, "By the way, Gerry Ryder did an awesome job moving the house. I can't even tell where they sectioned the house to make the move possible."

Jim declared, "I'm sure Nick will be happy to know you are pleased. Gerry is almost done building the pool for Nick and Mom. Once it's done, the fence that separated the two properties will be put up on the Mustang side."

Zarek surmised, "I'll bet your Mom and them will enjoy that." Jim nodded his head. Then Zarek hinted, "Tuck has a degree in teaching, but right now none of the schools need a teacher. He's thinking of asking if he could assist Buster once you start taking in boys. If necessary, he'll do it as a volunteer."

Zac looked excitedly surprised, "Are you kidding!? When can he start? All we need is one teacher to open and start accepting boys. Aunt Sallie said that she would visit once a week until Joe is far enough along in his classes to take over."

Zarek smiled, "I'll have him contact you after we return from our honeymoon."

Buster was sitting quietly in the corner this whole time, "And once I am able to fulfill the position, I don't want him as an assistant."

Everyone was a bit surprised to hear that. Zarek inquired, "May I ask why?"

Buster smiled, "It's simple really, I don't want him as an assistant because he's a little older than me. He knows more about teaching than I do, and I would rather either assist him, or us work as a team."

Zarek started to chuckle, "OK, you had me, and those are good reasons."

Zac sorted out, "So we can hire Tucker when he's ready, then once Buster is ready, they can work together. I will get with whomever I need to consult, to figure out a salary for Tuck."

With a grin on his face, Zarek said, "Just make it fair for both of you, but Tuck was ready to volunteer his time if need be. I appreciate you making him feel useful."

Jim was walking with Zarek out to his car when he saw Joe and Eric coming out of the stables. He said goodbye to Zarek and ran over to Patrick. "Bud, why don't you take Eric to select a horse for Uncle Joe to teach him to ride. Papa, Uncle Joe, Uncle Chris and I need to have a meeting really quick."

Patrick ran over to Eric and asked, "Uncle Joe, can I help Eric find a horse to use until he gets his own?"

Joe looked at Eric, whose face was smiling, "I think that smile says it all. Have fun looking over the horses. I'm leaning towards Bootsie."

As the boys ran back into the stables, Jim told Joe that they needed to have a meeting. All five boys were in the office; they invited Jackson since he was there, but Jackson declined, claiming to be a silent partner. Joe said, "If this is about Eric helping…"

Jim cut him off, "Zac and I bring Patrick and he helps, but since you brought it up… we are putting Patrick on payroll. Since he is our son and we are part owners of the ranch, we can do that. And since Eric is your son…"

Joe smiled, "Yeah, I think he would like that."

Jim commented, "Now, the main reason for this meeting, you three knew about the foundation that was started, Zac and I didn't. Mom and I were talking this morning and she advised that the boys' shelter and foundation need to be a separate entity from the ranch since they will be nonprofit."

Buster stated, "We only knew about it since Joe, Chris, and now, I live with her. She wanted to surprise the two of you. She told us that while the shelter is a part of the ranch, the ranch is set up to make money. But, the shelter needs to remain nonprofit."

Zac added, "Well, she did surprise us. Jim and I were thinking that since you and Joe will be heading the shelter, you should decide how we name it."

Joe said, "Another Chance Boys' Home works for me."

Chris spoke up, "I agree, it should have Another Chance in the name and I like it." Buster just nodded his head.

Jim averred, "Mom said that the foundation is named Another Chance Foundation for Boys, so I think that is an appropriate name." Everyone looked at Zac; he just smiled. "I guess we have the name. And we'll have a teacher once he gets back from his honeymoon. The only issue we may have would be that someone probably should be living over there once we accept our first boy."

Joe looked at Buster and Buster slowly nodded his head. "Buster and I wanted to see how things went with school before moving out of Mom's place, but we can start moving in. When do you plan to tell Aunt Sallie?"

Zac replied, "I talked with her already. As soon as we had Tuck lined up to be the teacher, I called her. I told her that everything should be good by the first of August. She advised that the boys we take in do 'home schooling' as it would be easier to keep an eye on them."

Buster chimed in, "And even though I haven't gone to school yet, I can assist Tucker and it will add life experience to my college credits."

Jim said, "Patrick, Eric and Jake could attend the classes, but Patrick asked if he could continue going to public school to be with Scott and his friends. Jake wants public school, too."

Joe looked at Buster, "Perhaps we should talk to Eric about it." They wrapped up the meeting and everyone went home.

It was 18 June 2016, a Saturday; Zarek and Noah showed up early and went to change into their tuxes. Ryan had arrived just before midnight the previous night, so he was rested and ready to go. Jim felt bad because almost everyone that showed up were family and friends of Zarek. Tuck said that his parents "died" shortly after they found out he was gay and they wouldn't be coming. And most of his "friends" had left him once they found out. It was no wonder he and Zarek asked Zac to be Tuck's best man.

The wedding was very nicely done. After all of the guests had been seated, a ten-year-old boy walked down the aisle carpeting it with white and peach rose petals. Jake was asked if he would be the ring bearer since he did such a good job every time that he did it. Ryan stood at the front waiting as Zarek walked down the aisle. Zarek wore a white tux that gave the appearance of freshly fallen snow. Tuck wore a peach colored tux. Once they were side by side, one could envision them bonding like peaches and cream. Colt looked stunning in his tux as he stood beside Zarek, as did Zac as he stood beside Tuck.

Zarek looked at Tuck and said, "You were my friend from the moment we had our first play date at two years old. You have stood by my side growing up and sacrificed so much, trying to make me happy. What you didn't realize at the time was, you were the one who really made me happy. Tuck, I have loved you more than even I realized for as long as I have known you. When I saw you at that gas station talking to Zac, you put the biggest smile on my face. I promise to do my best to try and make you just as happy."

"You already do," Tuck replied, "All I have ever wanted for you was to be truly happy. I knew from the age of twelve that I wanted to marry you, but I thought you would be happier with Tonya so I pushed you away. Then when I ran into her and she told me that you were in Cody, and still single, I had to come find you. I am glad that you saw me at the gas station and pulled in. The look on your face told me exactly what I wanted to know. You have and always will be my best friend, but more than that, you are my love and my family. I love you, man."

During the reception, Tuck spoke to Zac and Jim, "Zarek said that he spoke to you about me helping with the boys once you open that part of the ranch. Just so you know, as long as my expenses are covered, I will be happy. You discovered my secret with all of my 'friends' not showing up, so helping these boys will mean a lot to me."

Jim queried, "I don't mean to pry, and if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, but what happened?"

Tuck answered, "When I went to the prom with Zarek, I came home and my key no longer worked. Everything that I owned was on the front lawn, minus whatever was snatched. My friends turned their backs on me, but what I don't understand is, they stayed friends with Zarek until he told them to accept me or neither of us."

Zac frowned, "I can only imagine what that was like. It had to be rough, and the short time I've known you, it was their loss. At least Zarek was there for you."

Tuck gave a cockeyed grin, "Yeah, even when I dumped him so he could be with Tonya, I could tell, he always felt something for me and was always a friend. His parents let me stay with them until after I graduated and went to college."

Zac shook his head, "We appreciate you helping us, but we feel you deserve more than just your expenses."

Tuck gave a grin, "I just want to help, and I appreciate what Buster said, too. I'll be happy to help him get where he needs to be and then the two of us being a team working together."

Zac said, "I really don't want to discuss this here at your reception, so when you and Zarek return, stop in the office. I think you'll be more than pleased with what I want to offer."

"I already am," Tuck stated as he moved along to other guests. As the party died down, Zarek and Tuck departed for their honeymoon.

Monday was Jim and Zac's first wedding anniversary. They didn't plan a party, just a nice dinner with the boys and a quiet night at home. That was what they planned, but Matt stopped by, along with Gina and their baby. And they brought a cake. Jim fixed a nice dinner for the six of them while Gina borrowed a room to feed the baby in private.

After Dinner, Matt handed Zac an envelope and said, "Happy Anniversary from Gina and me."

Zac took the envelope, thanking Matt. He opened it up to discover a hand-written letter. Matt and Gina started to leave as he read the letter to Jim.

Zac and Jim,

This being your first wedding anniversary, Gina and I wanted to do something really special. You both mean the world to us, and we know how much getting the boys' shelter going means to you, so as your gift, consider the ranch paid off. Whatever money you have left after completing school, put it towards Patrick's and Jake's college funds. And just so you know, when I say that the ranch is paid off, that includes everyone. You both have been like brothers to us and so have your brothers, so Happy Anniversary!

Always your friend and brother,

And sister,

Matt and Gina

Jim's mouth went agape. Zac went to catch Matt and tell him that this was too much, and he barely caught them getting into Matt's truck. "Matt," Zac stated, "we can't accept this. That was a lot of money that you paid out."

"For friends," Matt stated. "When you commented about paying me back with my own money, you started me thinking of this. You know I value friendship over all of that money, and if I can help friends out with it, then why not."

Zac started to cry, "You know I have loved you like a brother ever since we met. We have been there for one another through good times and bad. I never cared whether you had money. Don't get me wrong, I have always appreciated the college fund you started, but…"

Matt interrupted him, "I know. To be honest, if I thought you would have accepted it, I would have given you half of what I got. That's one of the reasons I want to do this for you, Jim, Joe and Chris. None of you have ever treated me any differently than as a friend before and after finding out I had money. And as I said, if I can't help friends, or rather brothers, then what good is it?"

Zac wiped his eyes and choked back a little, "I won't argue with you. I know Jim and I appreciate this, and I'm sure Joe and Chris will. Thank you, not so much for this generous gift, but for truly being a friend."

Matt smiled, "Any time, Bro. After Gina, you mean the world to me. Besides, Dad taught me how to invest and I've already made that money back."

Zac walked back to the house and waved at Matt as he drove away. As he walked in the house, Jim simply asked, "Well, did you make him understand that we can't accept this?"

Zac shook his head, "No, he said that if he can't help friends out, he doesn't want the money. He considers all of us to be more than just friends."

"Well, yeah, you are like a brother to him," Jim stated.

Zac smiled, "And he says that he feels that way about you, Joe and Chris. He knows that we care about him and not what he has. That is why he wants us to accept this."

Jim insisted, "That being the case, I guess we can, but he gets invited to anything we would invite family to."

Zac chuckled, "Yeah, I agree, and I think he will appreciate that."

The next day, Jim and Zac shared the letter with Joe and Chris. Joe couldn't believe his ears, "Is he serious? I have the money to cover my share."

Jim nodded his head and said, "We know you do, but Matt will tell you to put it in a college fund for Eric. He considers you a brother, too."

"I hope you told him how much we appreciate this," Joe declared.

Zac stated, "I told him that I was sure you and Chris did."

Chris declared, "I hope Chelsie understands when I want to name our first child Matt. I can't believe he included me on that. You guys knew him way before I did, and I haven't interacted with him nearly as much."

Zac explained, "None of that matters. The fact that you've always treated Matt as a friend is all that matters to him. He and I have talked on many occasions. He's commented about how friendly you are with him and treat him like any other friend. You talk with him and care about how he's feeling. He has so called friends who only seem to chat with him when they need something. They constantly try to borrow from him."

Chris looked hurt, "I borrowed from him for my share of the ranch."

Zac put his arm around Chris, "But did you ask him to lend you the money?"

Chris started to smile, "I didn't have to, he offered."

Zac averred, "Because he sees you as a friend. He discovered that you had a need so he helped you out. That's different."

Chris gave Zac a hug, "Thanks, I feel so much better. Matt really is a friend."

Zac agreed, "That he is."

Jim, Joe and Chris went to take care of the horses. They decided to leave the boys to themselves so they could enjoy themselves. Zac sat behind the computer and turned it on. As the computer was coming on, it started to hiss and then smoke. Zac went to unplug the computer when the phone rang. "Another Chance Ranch, this is Zac. How may I help you?"

"Good morning, Zac. This is Nate King," the person on the other end stated. "I would like to schedule a wedding for Bobby and Nick."

Zac spoke with a chipper voice, "Sure Nate, let me grab some paper and a pen; I think our computer just fried."

Nate was patient and said, "Let me know when you're ready." Sitting back down, Zac told Nate that he was and Nate continued, "I would like to schedule the wedding for July 21st at one, if I may."

Zac stated, "I can't see if we have anything else scheduled for that time until I can get the system up, but to my knowledge, we don't. If there is a problem, can I call you back?"

Nate pleasantly requested, "Call me back either way so I know it's confirmed." Zac assured Nate that he would and they hung up. Then Zac headed upstairs to talk to the boys.

Patrick, Scott, Jake, Austin and Eric were playing in Patrick's room when Patrick asked if they wanted to Skype with Trevor and Roger. Eric seemed nervous, but he asked, "Who are they? Dad mentioned them that first day, but never really explained who they are."

Patrick answered, "They are friends that we made when we went to South Dakota. They helped me feel comfortable and realize that I am gay. You'll like them."

Eric looked down, "You're younger than me. How did you know that you are gay when I don't have a clue about myself?"

Patrick sat on his bed beside Eric. "Everyone discovers whether they are gay or not differently. Papa told me that some don't realize it until they are much older, maybe in their twenties, or even older. For me, I felt a weird feeling every time I saw Scott. At first it scared me, but after talking with Trevor and Roger, I felt better."

Eric looked at Austin, "Are you gay?"

Austin shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. Right now, I don't feel attracted to boys or girls."

"What if I decide that I'm straight?" Eric asked.

Patrick chuckled, "You can't 'decide' that. You can decide to act straight and go through the actions, but Dad and Papa tell me that being gay isn't a choice. And if you are straight, that shouldn't matter. Uncle Chris is straight and we love him just as much as Uncle Joe. Let me bring up some pictures and ask who you would rather kiss." Patrick turned on his laptop and pulled up a picture of Dean Geyer and then a picture of Maddie Zeigler.

Eric looked at both images, "Umm, do I have to say who I pick?"

Patrick assured him, "Only if you want to. This is just to help you discover if you're gay or not."

Eric blurted, "Both are attractive, but I wouldn't mind experimenting with the boy."

Patrick didn't say anything, but pulled up a younger picture of Mitch Hewer and placed it beside Rowan Blanchard's. Eric blushed as he looked. "That boy is very attractive. I think I might be gay. The girl is pretty, but she doesn't do anything for me like Mitch. He's really cute." Patrick had just pulled up Troye Sivan's image when his laptop made a "dweep" noise. "He's really cute," Eric said, but when he recognized the sound, he became nervous. He asked, "Is that your Skype? My laptop makes that noise whenever you send me a message."

Patrick smiled, "Speaking of the devil. It's Trevor. I'm telling you, you will like him. If you're not ready to talk with him, you can sit in that chair out of sight." Eric still seemed nervous, but he moved out of the camera's view so Patrick could talk to his friends. "Hey Trevor, where's Roger? Taking a dump?"

Trevor just laughed and said, "No, Daddy and Ange just made some chocolate chip cookies. He went to grab us some and two glasses of milk. Want some?"

Before Patrick could answer, he heard Roger say, "Hey Patrick, we have some of the best chocolate chip cookies. Want one?"

Patrick grinned, "Ha, Trevor offered some, you only offered one."

"He hasn't eaten one yet. They are sooooo good," Roger chuckled.

Trevor got all excited, "The reason I called was to let you know, we will be spending a few weeks with you when we come in July. Roger and I can't wait, we can go camping as we planned, and ride horses. And I can meet that new cousin of yours. He's so cute."

Eric's eyes went wide, he yelled, "HOW DOES HE KNOW WHAT I LOOK LIKE?!?!"

Patrick quietly tried to calm Eric down, "Remember the picture I took of you and Uncle Joe? Uncle Joe said I could send it to Trevor."

Eric started to blush but calmed down drastically, "Oh, yeah I remember that picture and Dad wanting a copy. And he said that he trusts Trevor and Roger." Eric wiped the tears from his face and moved the chair. He figured that since Trevor and Roger already knows what he looks like, it wouldn't hurt for them to see him, and this way, he could see them.

Trevor apologized, "I'm sorry if I upset you, but you are cute. Even more so live than the picture."

Eric looked down, "You didn't upset me, I was just taken by surprise when you said it. I wasn't thinking about that picture. Thanks. You're kinda cute, too."

Patrick joked, "The cute one is Trevor, the almost cute one is Roger."

Eric heard Roger speaking with a mouthful of cookie, "HEY!"

Patrick looked at Eric, "Do you mind if I tell them what we were discussing when they called? They can help you, I swear. They really helped me."

Eric went flushed and stammered, "I, ummm, I... I'd rather not, at least right now."

Trevor saw how nervous Eric became and surmised what they were discussing. He attempted to calm Eric down, "It's OK, I'm sure whatever you were discussing gave you a lot to think about. We can discuss it whenever you feel comfortable."

Eric's color returned and he said, "Thanks Roger, or are you Trevor." Roger started laughing.

Trevor responded, "I'm the cute one, remember."

Eric gave a sheepish grin, "I think both of you are cute."

Patrick gave Eric a smile, "And I think I know your answer, but you have to figure it out for yourself."

Eric looked down, but he smiled. Patrick had a feeling that Eric knew the answer as well.

Zac knocked on Patrick's door and Austin opened it. "Boys, I need to run and get a new computer, I think the one in the office just fried. Eric and Patrick, you are in charge until I get back or when Dad, Uncle Joe or Uncle Chris comes in."

Eric offered, "Uncle Zac, would you like for us to maybe look at the computer before you go? Maybe you don't need a new one."

Zac gave Eric a smile and responded, "You can look at it if you want, but I'm fairly sure it's fried. I saw smoke."

The boys rushed downstairs and Eric went to unplug the computer. As he did, what he saw gave him a slight scare, "Um… Uncle Zac, I know what the problem is, come look."

Zac went into the office and looked at what Eric saw. There was a dead snake hanging out of the computer. His mind went into overdrive. How did the snake get into the office without anyone seeing? How did it get into the computer? Are there any other snakes in the rest of the house? How safe are the boys? He got on his phone and called an exterminator to look for any other snakes.

Zac took the boys with him out to the barn. When he found Jim and Joe, he explained, "We need a new computer. Somehow a snake got in the office and into the computer and it's fried."

Joe looked puzzled, "The snake or the computer?"

"Both," Zac stated. "I already called an exterminator to check the house for more, and I'm going to the store to buy a new system. Hopefully, insurance will cover this."

Jim nodded, "Hopefully, after all, that system wasn't that old. Jackson just replaced it after the tornado last year." As Zac left, Jim went into the office. He carefully opened the computer, just in case there were more inside. While he was looking at the system, a man walked in. Jim set the system down and asked, "May I help you?"

"It looks like that was a pale milk snake. Only it doesn't look so pale, now, it's kinda cooked," the man stated. "I'm Mitch with Truphan's Exterminating service. Are you the owner?"

Jim shook his hand, "I'm one of them. I believe my husband called you."

Mitch kind of cocked his head, and raised one side of his smile as he said, "I really couldn't tell you who called. My partner took the call."

"Zac turned on the computer and this is the result. So how dangerous was this snake?" Jim asked.

"The pale milk snake isn't dangerous at all except to small mammals, reptiles, birds, bird eggs and other snakes. They also eat insects. Maybe that one was looking for a computer bug."

Jim chuckled, "Cute."

Mitch smiled, "Seriously, it got a little cool, down to seventy this morning, so he probably crawled inside for warmth."

Jim inquired, "So, how did he get in the office, let alone the computer?"

"You'd be surprised how easily snakes can enter homes. They enter through plumbing, maybe a small, unnoticeable hole, doors, windows. As for the computer, I would guess that he entered it the same way he was trying to come out. you probably don't need it, but I can inspect for more snakes if you would like. The fee is fifty dollars."

Jim smiled, "Please do. I don't mind snakes as long as they are safe, but there's only one type of snake I want in this house."

Mitch laughed, "Let me guess, the one-eyed kind?"

Jim chuckled, "You guessed it."

Mitch did a thorough inspection and reported that no more snakes were around. Jim gave him the money and then called the insurance company. They offered to send an agent out to confirm what happened, but said other than the deductible, it would be covered under their business insurance, as well as the exterminator fee.

When Zac returned, he had a new computer and a new laptop. Jim gave him a funny look. Zac explained, "While I was there, I saw this nice gaming laptop, and you know, mine is four years old, barely playing World of Warcraft. I figured we could set my old one up for Jake to be able to play on. I hope you don't mind."

Jim gave Zac a kiss and said, "Yes. we should have discussed it, but I understand you needed a new one. Yours really was getting old as far as laptops are concerned."

Zac smiled, "So, you're not mad about it?"

Jim said, "We have the money, and you did need a new one. Plus, now Jake can play on a laptop, too."

Zac stated, "I didn't think you would be too upset. So, was the exterminator here?" Jim explained what the exterminator had said about the pale milk snake and what all he did. He told Zac about the insurance company willing to cover the loss of the computer minus the deductible.

Jim removed the hard drive from the old system and placed it in the new one as a secondary drive. Zac started the system up and started installing the programs that the ranch uses. It took hours before everything was installed. With it being so late, Zac waited to transfer files from the old drive to the new one.

In the morning, Zac transferred the calendar over. He went to July 21st, planning to put the wedding in for Nate King. He discovered there was already a tour scheduled for that day. A summer camp planned a visit and tour. Zac dialed Nate King's phone number.

"This is Nate King; how may I help you?"

"Mr. King, this is Zac Bolt in Cody. I had to buy a new system and was just able to get into our appointments. It seems that we do have an event scheduled for the twenty-first."

"Please, call me Nate. That won't be an issue; it may be easier for everyone to hold it on the following Saturday, anyway."

Zac felt at ease, "So you want to reserve the twenty-third? The only thing we have scheduled that day is a few riding lessons, so that shouldn't be a problem.

"Excellent," Nate stated. "While I have you on the phone, I'm curious. How are your plans coming to open your ranch for the boys?"

Zac got excited, "We are looking to open much sooner than we planned. We had it on hold until we had a teacher and a case worker. You remember Joe, he will eventually be the case worker and he recently got married." Zac went on to explain what was happening and the fact that they were shooting to open their doors on the first of August. Nate seemed to listen intently. Zac explained that the dorms were completely ready and offered their use to the King family. "I know you're not worried about the money, but I believe you would like to know how comfortable the dorms will be for the boys. Each room will have two single beds in it."

Eric helped Joe take care of the horses and then Joe had Eric on a horse. This wasn't the most docile animal on the ranch, but Eric did say that he wanted to learn how to really ride. He believed that Eric had learned enough to move to this next stage. While Eric had a few issues, Joe encouraged him. Considering that the boy came to the ranch, never being on a horse, Joe told him that he was doing great.

Patrick and Scott had time to themselves for the first time since summer break started. They were happy spending time with Eric, Austin, and/or Jake, but they really enjoyed this time together. Instead of going to the lake, they decided to explore other parts of the ranch. They came upon a cave. It wasn't a big cave, but it was big enough. Inside they found the remains of a campfire. When Patrick checked it, there was still a little warmth to it. "Someone's been here recently," Patrick surmised.

Scott asked, "Do you think they will come back?"

Patrick replied, "I hope not, I was hoping that we could do stuff. Right now, the house is so busy that we never get time to ourselves."

Scott grinned, "Yeah, I wish I had siblings."

"I love Jake to death, but he always wants to be with me. And it's not just him, Austin is always wanting to play. And since I learned about jacking off, I need some private time," Patrick complained. "And now you're spending the summer with us, we need some private time. Then in thirteen days, Patrick Henry will be staying with us."

Scott shook his head, "Jake looked hurt when he wanted to come with us and you asked if we could have some time to ourselves. I love that boy, too, but…"

Patrick asked, "So, do you want to take a chance and do some stuff? Maybe whoever was here won't come back."

Scott acknowledged, "This is private property. Hopefully our horses will scare them away." And with that, the boys started undressing.

Later that night, Patrick was telling Jim about the cave. Jim responded, "Yeah, I remember that cave. We used it to hide from some bad guys once.  Grandpa Vince and Papa go camping there a few times."

"Were either of them there recently?" Scott asked. "When we found it, we also discovered ashes that were still warm."

Jim shook his head, "Not that I am aware of. It was probably some hikers that stumbled into the area and spent the night. No big deal." At least that's what Jim told the boys and hoped, but if he was totally honest, he wondered who it could have been and whether they were a threat to the boys. He planned to ask Vince to check it out.

The next day, Jim talked to Vince and then asked Joe and Chris into the office. "Both of you are part owner of the ranch, so you should know how to order things. And should Zac and I take a vacation before things get hectic, you'll need to know."

Joe chuckled, "And let me guess, you and Zac would like would like to take the boys somewhere?"

Jim smiled, "If you and Chris don't have a problem with it. Patrick was talking about wanting to see Mount Rushmore. Aunt Brenda has already given us a letter allowing us to take Austin anyplace that we go, and Scott's parents said that we can stop by and they will give us a letter granting permission as well."

Chris stated, "I'm glad that you feel confident in us. I hope you have a nice trip. Bring me back one of those 'family visited and I got this t-shirt' t-shirts, please."

Jim chuckled, "I'll get you one, but if I see something that makes me think of you, you're getting it, too."

Joe agreed, "Yeah, have fun; when do you want to leave?"

Jim replied, "If we leave after the truck delivers hay on Sunday, we can be back by Friday, the first. That way we are here to assist with preparations for the wedding."

Chris asked, "Today is Thursday, so that means we need to order hay, right?"

Jim acknowledged, "You are correct, Chris. Would you like to place the order to see how easy it is?"

"Sure!" Chris responded, excited about Jim willing to entrust him.

Jim started explaining, "Click on the 'Ordering' file."

Chris did and commented, "That looks just like an excel spread sheet."

"It is," Jim explained. "Notice at the bottom, it shows the different sheets for each item that we order. On Wednesday nights, we do an inventory. Then we add the count to the individual sheets.  The hard part is remembering to change the 'current order' to the correct week. Everything is explained on the side; all you add is the delivered amount and the count in inventory and the computer does the rest."

Chris was looking at the spreadsheet. After a few minutes he asked, "Once I have everything entered and make sure the current week is correct, do I go to the sheet marked 'Order Sheet?'"

Jim said, "See, easy to understand. If you correctly changed to the correct week on your worksheets, it will pull the order amount from each sheet."

Chris asked, "I noticed that the orders are almost the same each week, so if we forget, will it hurt anything?"

Jim replied, "Jackson used to order eight days' worth and then he needed to cut back occasionally. Zac and I have it figure up how much we need for eight days but then subtract what we have on hand, so yeah, our orders stay very close to the same. So to answer your question, no, it won't be a big deal. We usually have excess for just in case the order is running late. The important thing is, don't let the projected remainder go below zero, or you won't have enough hay for Sunday."

Chris ran through each sheet, double checking for accuracy. Once he was satisfied, he opened the "Order Sheet" and dialed the phone number listed.  He listened as the person answered, "Bowen Feed and Grain, this is David, how may I help you?"

"David, this is Chris at Another Chance Ranch, and I would like to place our order for Sunday."

David was a friendly guy, "OK, Chris. Jim and Zac said that you or Joe may be ordering some time. What can we send to you?" Chris read off what the order sheet recommended and David acknowledged each item. Once done, David repeated the order back and Chris confirmed what he ordered. Then Chris said goodbye and hung up the phone.

He looked at Jim, "That was easy, thanks,"

Jim slapped his shoulder and said, "Any time. Bro." Then he started planning their trip with Zac and the boys.

 

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.

 

 

If you would like to help make this ranch a reality, you may donate at the Another Chance GoFundMe Account.