Another Chance - Book Three

by Zarek Dragon

 

Jim had invited the other Patrick's family to come out to the ranch early. The hospital had loaned them a wheelchair and Jim agreed to give them a tour of the stables. As they walked through the stables, Jim sprung another surprise on them, "At the start of the rodeo, we are having a parade. Patrick, we would like for you to be in the parade as our special guest. Do you feel up to riding by yourself at a slow pace? I'll have you on Aurixi, Patrick will be riding Patrick's Dream beside you, and I will be riding my horse behind you."

"Oh yes," the other Patrick gleamed. "I have regained enough of my strength; I can sit on a horse by myself."

Patrick's mom shared with them, "The doctor's think that when your Patrick took him for that ride, it was just what was needed to lift his spirits and that is what encouraged his body to go into remission. And when we told him about the rodeo… I just can't thank you enough."

"Thanks aren't necessary," Patrick said. "I just did what I felt was the right thing to do."

"You've taught him well," Patrick's mom replied.

Jim placed an arm around Patrick, "I wish I could take credit, but Patrick's only been with us three months. He amazes me every day with his compassion and behavior." Patrick looked up at his dad and smiled.

When they got to Patrick's Dream, the horse looked at the other Patrick. The boy asked, "Do you think he understands why I gave him away?" Before anyone could speak, Gold was there nodding his head. "Whoa, did that horse just answer me?"

Jim chuckled, "That's my horse. His name is Gold and he seems to understand every word I say. Yes, Patrick's Dream very much understands why you gave him away. He's happy, but will always think of you as one of his boys."

"Gold is beautiful, but I will always love Patrick's Dream," the other Patrick averred.

"If you want, I can ride Aurixi in the parade so you can ride him," Patrick offered.

The other Patrick shook his head, "No, I appreciate the offer, but he's your horse now. I will ride Aurixi."

When Patrick saw Aurixi, he was as amazed by her beauty as he was Gold's. Jim told him, "This is Aurixi, she's Gold's dame, or mother."

The other Patrick got out of the wheelchair and gave her a hug, "I don't know why, but I feel compelled to do this. I feel like she is talking to me."

Jim had a tear in his eye, "That's nothing unusual. When Jackson's dad was here last year, he said the same thing. He had cancer, and was in the latter stages. He said that she told him somehow that everything would be alright. Before Christmas, they said his cancer was gone. He's back to the strong healthy man that he was before he had cancer."

"And he's here," Jack Sprayberry said. "When Jackson called us a couple of weeks ago to see if we could make Colt's party, he told us about this rodeo. We didn't make the party, but I had to come to the rodeo and help where I could."

"It's good to see you, Jack," Jim grinned.

Jack told the other Patrick, "I can't prove it, but I swear, this horse had something to do with my cancer going away. Maybe she'll do the same for you."

"Wouldn't that be nice," Patrick stated.

It was time to get ready for the parade and everyone mounted their horses. Patrick and Patrick were at the front of the line. Jim and Zac were behind them. As they entered the rodeo arena, Ben announced, "Leading the parade is Patrick Bolt and our special guest of honor, Patrick Henry. Yes, folks, that is his real name. Mr. and Mrs. Henry are so patriotic that they named their son after one of our founding fathers. They don't know it yet, but Jackson Sprayberry, the owner of this ranch, has decided to sponsor this rodeo. Every penny that you spend today will be donated. Half will go to the Leukemia Foundation to help work for a cure, and the other half will go to the Henry's to help with any medical bills not covered by their insurance. Patrick, this rodeo is for you."

Ben no sooner finished speaking and Patrick H. went limp. Jim rode up beside him, "Are you alright?"

"I just feel really tired all of a sudden," Patrick H. stated.

"Dad, is he going to be alright?" Patrick asked.

Jim had a tear in his eye, "I hope so, Bud, I hope so. Let me get him to his seat."

Jim held Patrick H. on Aurixi until they were near where Mr. and Mrs. Henry were sitting. Then he dismounted Gold and pulled the boy off his horse to carry him to his seat. Patrick H. said as Jim sat him down, "I think the excitement took a lot out of me, but I'll be fine."

Patrick leaned over and whispered into his horse's ear, "We have to win the barrel racing for Patrick. I'll give you some carrots as a treat if we do."

After the parade ended, ranch hands were setting up the barrels. Ben got on the PA again, "Folks, I understand that barrel racing is Patrick Henry's favorite part of the rodeo, so we are running it first. Our first contestant is Brandon T. Russell. If you were here for our first rodeo, you may remember that he came in second to Jim Bolt. Then in our fall rodeo, he placed first. He's still trying to beat the record set by Jim Bolt of 14.946 seconds. Let's see if he can do it."

Brandon rode his horse and he rode hard. He looped the first barrel and was tight. Then he looped the second barrel and could almost feel it. He was feeling good about his time but went a little wider than he wanted to on the third barrel. Ben called out his time, "Whoa, he was so close! He had a time of 14.951 seconds. That didn't break the record, but that puts a lot of pressure on the other contestants."

Jim and Patrick went to congratulate Brandon on a good time. Jim started, "Yo Brandon, that was an awesome time. Keep improving and you should break my record next time."

"You are racing in this, I hope," Brandon stated.

Jim replied, "No, but my son is. This is Patrick and he'll be riding Patrick's Dream. His horse used to belong to our special guest of honor."

"Oh man, I'm glad you didn't tell me before. I might have thrown the race for him to win and I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted that," Brandon responded. "I hope you beat my time, for Patrick Henry."

"You're right, I wouldn't want that. I want to win this for Patrick and I'll do my best, but I want to win fairly." Patrick said modestly, "It won't be easy."

Brandon encouraged Patrick, "I'll be rooting for you Patrick."

Joseph Lutherman just finished his ride and only managed a time of 15.250 seconds. The rest of the riders went before Patrick. When it was Patrick's turn Brandon still had the best time. "You can do it, Patrick. I have faith in you," Brandon shouted.

Patrick waited until Ben was done talking. "Our next and last rider is Patrick Bolt, he is the son of Zac and Jim Bolt. While I tried to talk Jim into riding, he opted to have his son ride instead. Patrick is only eleven, making him our youngest rider. While normally we prefer our riders to be fourteen or older, we are making an exception this time. Patrick will be riding Patrick's Dream which was owned by our special guest of honor. In essence, Patrick is riding for him."

Patrick started his ride and he rode hard. He sat low in the saddle and kept encouraging Patrick's Dream. After he completed his run, he was pleased with the ride but he wasn't sure of his time. Ben called it out, "Folks, the judges seem to be having a discussion. From the looks of things, Patrick had a time of 14.951 seconds also. We have a tie and they are debating on whether to give it to Brandon since Patrick is technically too young, or if they should have a tie-breaking race."

Patrick heard that they were talking about giving it to Brandon and he was disappointed. "Hey Bud, you tied for first with this being your first time trying. That's awesome," Jim tried lifting his spirits.

"Yeah, but I was hoping to win for Patrick," Patrick cried.

Jim gave Patrick a hug, "I know you were, Bud, but I am proud of you, and Patrick stood clapping the whole time you raced. He knows that you tied for first place and he's happy for you."

"As long as he's happy," Patrick conceded.

Brandon had ridden over to the judges' table. He told them, "We need to do a tie-breaker. If you just give it to me, I'll refuse to take it."

"Folks, Brandon is requesting a tie-breaker. He has the heart of a true champion and I applaud him for that. I hope both boys and their horses are ready to race again, but before they do, we're going to have the team calf roping contest to give them a short rest," Ben announced.

Patrick heard that and he asked, "Did he say that we were racing again? I get another chance to try and win? I just hope it's not too much on Patrick's Dream."

"Yeah Bud, I just hope that Brandon doesn't throw it for you to win. I want you to win, but I know it'll mean much more if you earn it," Jim declared.

Brandon rode up beside Patrick, "I won't throw it. I'm going for your record, but I also hope Patrick beats me for Patrick Henry's sake."

"I think it would be cool if either of you beat my record. I'm rooting for my son, but I won't be too upset if you win, Brandon," Jim admitted.

After they declared a winner for the team calf roping, the arena was set up for the barrel racing again. Brandon looked at Patrick and said, "Good luck."

"You too, Brandon. I'll try to beat you, but if I don't, I'm glad it's you who I'm riding against," Patrick stated.

Brandon rode hard and he rode fast. When he was done, he heard Ben announce, "Folks, Brandon beat his time and was so close to a new record. He just turned in a time of 14.947 seconds. For Patrick to win, he has to at least tie the record set by his dad. Can he do it?"

"No pressure, Bud. Just do your best and you're already a champion," Jim said and gave Patrick a kiss on the cheek.

"In Spring, I will beat your time," Brandon told Jim. Then he turned to Patrick, "You can do this. You have a fast horse and you're light. Now, go beat your dad's time."

Patrick felt nervous, but all he could think about was Jim saying, "You're already a champion." He rode as hard as he could and kept saying, "This is for Patrick, this is for Patrick." He finished his race and listened for Ben to announce his time.

"Folks, I don't believe this, we have a new record. Patrick just turned in a time of 14.940 seconds. He killed it folks, and I am so proud of him. I know that his dad has to be ecstatic. If you ask me, I think both boys are champions."

"You did it, Bud, you broke my record and you won for Patrick. You are awesome," Jim said, pulling Patrick off his horse in a hug.

Brandon walked over, "Congratulations, I hope they let you keep racing, even though you are younger than they prefer. You earned that win."

"Thank you, and thank you for making me earn it. I'm so happy that Patrick got to see his horse do it," Patrick said, looking over at Patrick H. standing and cheering. Brandon escorted him to the stage.

Ben stood up, "We normally wait to give out all the trophies until after all of the events are over, but I think Mr. and Mrs. Henry may need to get Patrick home soon, and I know Patrick Bolt is anxious to say a few words to him, so in third place we have Joseph Lutherman." Joseph came up and received his trophy.

"In second place, we have a true champion by any definition of a champion. Brandon, I wish that I had a championship trophy for you, because you are a champion in my book."

Brandon took the stage and asked if he could say a few words. "This may not be a first-place trophy, but Patrick Henry, I wish to give it to you. In my book, you are the true champion and I am so glad it was Patrick riding your horse that beat me. Come spring, I will pay for you and your family to be here." Brandon walked over to Patrick H. and handed him his trophy.

Ben was choked up, "As I said, you are a true champion. Now the winner of this event, setting a new record with a time of 14.940 seconds, we have Patrick Bolt."

Patrick walked up to the stage and accepted his trophy. The he turned to face Patrick H., "Patrick, I am so glad to know you, you are truly an inspiration to all of us. This trophy is from Brandon as well as me. I had a feeling before, but now I know if he would have won it, he planned to give it to you as well. I am so thankful for you giving Patrick's Dream to me and that he won the race for you. We did this for you."

Ben took the mike as Patrick walked over to Patrick H., struggling to carry his trophy, it was so big. "As I said, both boys are champions. Brandon, you needn't pay for him to be here in spring. And Patrick Henry, I know there's no cure for leukemia at the moment, but I hope you're around for a very long time. As long as you are, that seat will be reserved for you. Your family will always be our guest at no cost. We're all praying for you." Patrick H. had tears running down his face. Ben walked over to him with the mike. "Once we have the final amount counted, we are going to call the Leukemia Foundation and we would like for you to present them with the check. Do you think you would be up for that?"

Patrick H. took the mike, "Before I answer, I want to thank Brandon and Patrick for their trophies. It means a lot to me that you gave them, but I want you to take them back. And Patrick, I am so happy that I gave you Patrick's Dream. You made my dreams come true. Now Mr. Brodie, I would consider it an honor to present the check for you. You have no idea how much this special rodeo you did just for me means."

"Thank you Patrick, but it was all Jim Bolt's idea. I still think he should have raced today, but I am happy with how things turned out. Now, shall we continue with the rest of the rodeo, and if you need to leave, feel free to make your way out. We'll understand."

The Henry family stayed until the end of the rodeo. When they finally handed out the rest of the trophies, all the winners tried giving their trophies to Patrick H., but he kept telling them to keep it. He didn't know how long he would be around, so why burden his parents with these trophies.

Zac was carrying a sleeping Jake after the rodeo and found Jim and Patrick. "I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You set a new record," Zac said.

Patrick smiled, "Thanks Papa, and I'm glad I got to meet Brandon. He's a cool guy."

Zac nodded his head, "Yeah he is, and he's dating a friend of mine. You'll never guess the name of Brandon's boyfriend."

"Please tell me that it's not Patrick, there's two of us already," Patrick requested.

Zac gave Patrick a smile, "One of you is awesome enough. No, Brandon's boyfriend is named Scott, but we call him Scooter."

"Scott's a good name," Patrick declared.

"And speaking of Scott," Jim started, just before Scott jumped on Patrick.

Scott cheered, "You did it, you won the barrel racing for your friend and even set a record. I think that deserves a kiss."

Patrick embraced Scott and pressed their lips together. While he's normally the dominate kisser, he let Scott be this time. "Aren't they so cute together," Jim chuckled.

For a couple of weeks, everyone at school treated Patrick like a celebrity. He did his best to stay modest and tell them that it was the horse racing for Patrick Henry who really won, but he also felt good. A girl offered to buy him lunch and even kissed his cheek. He turned her down and told Scott, "I like your kisses better." Scott just smiled.

An eighth grader was walking by and turned towards Patrick, "Hey, did your faggot dads give you any head yet?"

"Excuse me?" Patrick looked agitated.

"You heard me, I bet they turn you gay before you graduate," the boy declared.

Patrick shook his head, "That just shows how ignorant you are. Either you're gay or you're not. And as homophobic as you seem, I would bet that you're a closet case."

Scott got worried, "Dude, chill. He's two years older than us and a lot bigger."

"What did you say," the eighth grader asked.

"Ooooo," Patrick said, "Your breath smells like butt, have you been licking your boyfriend's butt?"

The eighth grader swung at Patrick, but Patrick ducked and the punch connected with Scott's left eye. Patrick went to Scott's side and started apologizing. The eighth grader laughed as he started to walk away but a teacher stopped him and ordered him to the principal's office. She walked over to Patrick and Scott, "You two need to report to the principal's office as well."

"I think Scott may need to see the nurse," Patrick suggested.

"I'll let the principal decide that, now move it," the teacher demanded.

They sat in the outer office with the eighth grader while the teacher spoke to the principal. The older boy looked at Patrick, and declared, "If I get in trouble over this, you will be dead, do you get what I'm saying?"

Patrick glared at him, "Why? You started it. I don't care if you can kill me, I will not let you talk about my family."

The teacher came out and told Scott to go in. He went in and sat in the chair shaking. The principal looked at him, "According to Miss DeWine, you were an innocent bystander. You are not in trouble; I just want to hear your version of what happened."

Scott calmed down a bit and started to tell the principal exactly what happened. He hoped that he didn't get Patrick in trouble, but he had to be honest. The principal was writing notes as he spoke. Once he was done, the principal told him, "I need to call your parents, but I will explain that you were innocent in all of this. I just need to let them know what happened and that we are taking care of it. Now go see the nurse."

As Scott headed for the nurse, Patrick was told to go in. The principal looked at him, "Son, what were you thinking?"

Patrick looked down, "I'm sorry, he was badmouthing my family and…"

The principal cut him off, "You provoked him and Scott ended up getting punched."

"Scott didn't get in trouble, did he?" Patrick inquired. "Honest, the only thing he did was try talking me down."

"No, Scott didn't get in trouble," the principal clarified, "You on the other hand, will be suspended for two days."

"Please, no," Patrick begged, "Give me a month, two months of detention, but don't suspend me. School means too much to me." Tears started flowing.

The principal started smiling, he had never seen a kid beg so much not to be suspended. "Fine, I won't suspend you, but I expect you to apologize to Scott and you'll have a week of detention. As for your parents, I do need to call them and explain what happened."

Patrick looked directly at the principal, "I'm so sorry. I already apologized to Scott, but I'll gladly do it again, and thank you."

"You're a good kid, Patrick," the principal stated. "I understand why you did what you did, but you provoked Sean into punching another student and I can't condone that. If you fulfill your detention today, I will suspend the rest. As long as you don't get in trouble before Christmas, I will drop them."

Patrick explained, "I didn't mean for him to punch Scott, I just thought he'd miss. Believe me, I really didn't mean for Scott to get hurt."

"I know, you and Scott are really good friends, and I believe you, but he did get hurt," the principal stated. "Here's a slip, now get to class."

After school, Patrick completed his homework while in detention. One of the other students commented that Sean had received five days of suspension and was furious. Patrick was a little worried about the next time Sean sees him.

Jim and Zac were not happy about having to wait for Patrick in detention. He saw the looks on their faces and began apologizing. Jim asked him, "What were you thinking? Scott's parents are angry and threatening to keep you and Scott apart."

"I'm sorry, but Sean was badmouthing the two of you. I didn't mean for Scott to get punched, he was trying to calm me down. I love him," Patrick apologized, and started to cry.

Zac responded, "Patrick, we're glad that you felt a need to defend us, but those were just words. You provoked a kid and when he swung at you, Scott got hurt."

"I know, and I'm sorry. What's head?" Patrick questioned.

"WHAT?" Jim was shocked.

Patrick was nervous, "Sean said, and his exact words were 'did your faggot dads give you any head yet?' So I'm curious about what head is."

"And that's why you provoked him?" Zac asked. "You don't even know what head is and you picked a fight?"

"Well, he called you faggots and it sounded mean coming from him," Patrick answered.

"Do you know what a faggot is?" Jim inquired.

"Yeah, it's a derogatory term for a homosexual," Patrick replied.

Jim watched Jake for a few minutes and the boy was asleep, so he answered Patrick's question. "If someone sucks your penis, they are said to be giving you head."

"Ewww, I pee out of that," Patrick declared. Jim and Zac chuckled.

Jim sighed, "I knew this day would come eventually, and I do this out of love, Bud."

Patrick looked down, "I know, I screwed up. My only defense was that I was sticking up for you and Papa. I'm sorry. What's my punishment?"

"You're grounded until Tuesday," Zac said.

Patrick thought it sounded weird, "Tuesday? Why Tuesday? And what does it entail?"

"When you are at the ranch, you will go directly to the office and just sit there. You won't get any horseback riding, you can't even help me clean the stalls or anything," Jim started.

"When you are at home, you get no TV, or any electronics. Not even your cell phone; if you want to call Patrick, Scott, Trevor or Roger, you have to use the land line." Zac added.

"And here is why Tuesday," Jim replied, "You can't go to the dojo Monday night."

"But I was defending you," Patrick cried.

"And you provoked him, thinking martial arts would help keep you from getting injured," Jim responded. "We let you take martial arts for defensive purposes, but you went beyond. While you may have only used your reflexes this time, you were still relying on martial arts if things got worse. You were being a bully to the bully."

Patrick was weeping, "I guess I was, I'm sorry. Now Scott probably hates me."

Zac averred, "I don't think so. When his parents threatened to keep the two of you apart, he begged them not to. He still loves you, Bud, and so do we. When you truly love someone, that doesn't change because they screwed up."

"I know, and I love you, too. Even if I do think my punishment is excessive, if you didn't love me, it probably would have been worse."

Jim's heart was breaking, "I wish I could just say no martial arts on Monday and we'd forgo the rest, but what message would that give you?"

"I know, Dad," Patrick sobbed, "Don't feel bad, I screwed up, not you. We talked about this and I have to do the punishment as set. Can I use my cell phone one last time to call and apologize to Scott, or do I have to wait until we get home?"

"You can call Scott," Zac said, "The no electronics doesn't start until you get home, and you will have your cell phone with you when you're not with us, but for emergency use only."

"Thanks Papa, I do have one question, though," Patrick said.

Jim was curious, "Which is?"

"What about Uncle Chris's birthday party on Saturday?" Patrick asked.

Jim stated, "I guess you and I will have to sit it out."

"No, he can go to the party," Zac announced. "It is a family event."

Patrick pulled his cell phone out and called Scott's house. Dena answered the phone, "Hello Patrick, I'm guessing you want to speak with Scott."

Patrick cried, "Yes ma'am, I want to see how he is and apologize again. I really didn't mean for him to get hurt and I'm sorry."

"Scott knows that, and I'm glad you called. Listening to your voice, I believe you truly are. You love my son, don't you?"

Patrick sobbed, "Yes ma'am, I truly do. He means the world to me and when I saw Sean hit him when he meant to hit me, I wished I hadn't ducked and I had taken the blow."

Dena replied, "You're a good kid, Patrick, you just made a simple mistake. I hope your dads go easy on you."

"I'm grounded until Tuesday and can't take martial arts class on Monday night," Patrick informed her.

"Here's Scott, he's dying to speak to you," Dena handed the phone to Scott.

"Next time you duck, take me with you," Scott joked.

"There won't be a next time. I shouldn't have provoked Sean," Patrick explained.

Scott declared, "I tried to stop you."

"I know," Patrick said, "and I should have listened to you. I'm really sorry, Scott. Do you forgive me?"

"Only if I can give you a kiss tomorrow," Scott countered.

"Babe," Patrick grinned, "you can give me a kiss whenever you want, but I'm grounded until Tuesday, after I miss martial art class."

"Before you go to homeroom, meet me in the first-floor restroom, then," Scott suggested.

"OK, I love you. I'll see you tomorrow," Patrick kissed the phone and after hanging up, he handed it to Jim. "I'm so lucky to have Scott being so forgiving when I screw up and understanding parents who care enough to punish me. This may seem weird, but thank you."

"It's not weird at all when you understand why we punish you," Jim declared.

Patrick asked, "After school next Tuesday, will I still be grounded, and if not, can I go to Scott's for an hour?"

Zac looked in his rearview mirror at Patrick, "Your grounding ends when your first class starts on Tuesday, so if Scott's parents don't mind, you can go."

"Thank you, Papa and Dad," Patrick cheered.

Zac gave Patrick a funny look, "What did Dad do, I'm the one who said you can go."

Patrick smiled, "But he didn't say no or challenge you. You two are a team and I love that."

"OK," Zac agreed, "I guess Dad does deserve a thank you too, then. We are a team and should be in agreement when it comes to you boys."

"I wanted to say yes," Jim clarified, "but waited to see what Papa said and would have backed him, either way."

Patrick smiled at them. While he wasn't happy about his punishment, he felt that it was fair and that it was out of love. "You know, the principal was going to suspend me for two days, but I begged him to give me a month or two of detentions rather than miss school. He gave me five days, but suspended four of them. As long as I don't get in trouble before Christmas break, they'll be dropped."

"Are you hinting?" Zac asked.

"Maybe kinda, but I'm mainly informing you," Patrick honestly answered.

Jim asked, "You plan to use martial arts for anything other than defensive purposes?"

Patrick shook his head, "I've learned my lesson."

"Here's the deal, then," Zac offered, "Your ground will end Saturday night, just before Chris's party. You can go to martial arts class on Monday."

"But, if you do anything wrong before Christmas," Jim added, "No martial arts for a year."

"Then I can help Dad with the horses on Sunday?" Patrick asked, seeming eager.

Jim chirped, "Yeah Bud, you can help with the horses on Sunday if you accept the deal."

"I can do that. I went three months before I screwed up, what's one month, one week and one day?" Patrick grinned.

Zac stated, "Mind you, there won't be any deals if you get in trouble before Christmas. You're only getting it this time because we believe you're remorseful. Don't think we caved in to your cuteness."

Patrick grinned, "While I am cute, I trust that you wouldn't do that. You love me too much to let me get away with it."

"And not conceited at all," Jim chuckled.

"I'm not conceited, you have told me enough that I'm cute, and I believe you," Patrick argued.

Jim conceded, "You are cute."

"See," Patrick laughed.

Zac smiled and shook his head. He said, "Bud, I am so glad that you came into our lives."

"While not happy with what caused it, I am happy that I have you and Dad in my life as well," Patrick concurred.

They got home, Joe came over so he and Jim could do homework together. Patrick sat and watched, since he already had his done and had nothing better to do. As Jim explained some of the homework to Joe, Patrick listened intently. He asked questions and Jim explained it so that he could understand. Once done, Joe felt like he learned more from Jim than he did the teachers. "You ever consider being a teacher? You know how to break this stuff down so that even Patrick understood it."

"Hey!" Patrick exclaimed, "I'm no dummy."

"I didn't mean that you were, but this is advanced compared to where you are in school," Joe explained. "You are smart and learning this stuff now, you'll probably be the top of your class. You're already a straight A student."

Jim commented to Joe, "Please don't give my son a swelled head. As for teaching, I like helping others learn, but I don't want to be a teacher. I want to run a ranch, train people to ride horses, and maybe do computers on the side. When we get our ranch going, and Buster is teaching the boys we take in, I wouldn't mind helping him, but he will be the teacher."

"Just thought I would ask," Joe replied.

"What?" Jim asked as Patrick was staring at him.

Patrick stated, "I don't have a swelled head. Sure, I know I'm a straight A student and therefore not a dummy, but I also know that I have a lot to learn."

"I can't argue with that," Jim agreed. "I love you."

"I know, you love me so much that I get two desserts after supper tonight," Patrick suggested.

"Nice try, but I think I heard you say Jake gets your desserts this week," Jim teased.

Patrick looked down, "If he wants them, he can have them."

"You don't have to give up your dessert, Bud," Jim stated, "I was only messing with you. Besides, I don't think it would be a good idea for either of you to have too much."

Patrick asked, "How much more homework do you have?"

Jim looked at Joe and then Patrick, "We have Calculus yet, and then we are done, but you don't have to sit here and watch."

"I want to," Patrick insisted, "I was hoping maybe I could kinda sit on your left leg so I could see it better."

"Joe, let's take a five-minute break," Jim suggested, "We have Coke in the fridge if you want one."

"Sure, thanks," Joe replied. "Would you like one?"

"Yes please," Jim answered. He looked at Patrick, "Do you seriously want to watch us do homework, or are you just wanting something to do?"

Patrick explained, "I like watching you do homework and I learn things. Like when you were talking about if something happened to the President and Vice President, next in line would be the Speaker of the House and then the President pro tempore of the US Senate. I also like being close to you or Papa. Nothing to be afraid of right now, but I feel more secure."

Jim gave Patrick a quick hug and said, "I see nothing wrong with you sitting on my leg while I do my homework, so long as I am able to write."

Patrick joked, "I'll write it for you."

Joe came back with the Cokes and laughed, "I can just see you explaining why the paper isn't in your writing, 'My son was sitting on my lap and wrote for me.'"

"I bet they've never heard that one before," Jim quipped.

After the homework was done, Joe stayed for supper and then went home. Jim and Zac were getting ready for bed and Jim asked, "Do you think we may have been too harsh on Patrick today?"

Zac looked thoughtful, "I don't know, the only time I ever punished anyone was when I punished you for lying, and you see how that turned out. What are your thoughts?"

Jim said, "Patrick's a good kid. This was his first mistake and I think he's learned from it. I want to tell him that he's not grounded, but I'm not about to do that without talking to you and us agreeing to it."

"Let's go talk to him and see what he thinks, and if he learned anything from it. If I agree with you, I'll give you a nod," Zac offered.

"Thank you," Jim responded. They headed to Patrick's room and knocked on the door. Patrick told them to come in and they found him sitting on his bed. "Bud, why aren't you ready for bed?"

"I was thinking," Patrick replied. "I could have gotten Scott hurt a lot worse than just a black eye. I really screwed up."

"We all make mistakes, believe me, I've had my share and then some," Zac admitted. "In fact, I think I made a mistake today."

"Oh?" Patrick's interest was piqued.

Zac nodded at Jim, "Yeah, Papa and I both may have. See, one of our sons got in trouble at school. To our knowledge, this was his first time, and we punished him."

Patrick was quick to jump to their aid, "But I was a bully, even if the bully did deserve it, I had no right to taunt him. And Scott got injured because of it. I deserved to be punished."

"Yes," Zac stated, "but you learned from it and I don't believe you will do it again. Punishments should be used to keep you from doing it again, and I think you are punishing yourself more than enough."

Patrick cried, "I promise, I will never ever do that again. Who knows what might happen if I did."

"Then, you can consider your punishment served. It's not suspended, it is served. Do you understand what I am saying?" Jim asked.

"That I don't have to worry about having martial arts taken away. I can act like I always have," Patrick responded.

Zac smiled, "Yeah, because you're a cool kid. We like how you usually are."

"I have a question," Patrick announced, "Sean returns to school next Wednesday, and he threatened to kill me if he got in trouble."

"Is Sean the eighth grader?" Zac inquired. Patrick nodded his head slowly. "Is the principal aware of his threat?" Patrick shook his head.

Jim looked Patrick in the eye, "Tell your principal first thing tomorrow. If Sean takes a swing at you, you can defend yourself. Block the punch, avoid it, or whatever you deem necessary. Do not taunt him or hit him and you shouldn't get into trouble. You won't with us, anyway. I don't know if he knows any martial arts, but if not, you are good enough to protect yourself."

"Thanks, Dad. I love you," Patrick said, giving Jim a hug. Then he walked over to Zac. Giving him a hug, he said, "I love you too, Papa."

Zac smiled, "You love Dad and a music group from the nineties, what about me?"

"What?" Patrick asked.

Jim started snickering, "He's probably never heard of the group."

Patrick asked, "What group?"

Zac slowly shook his head, "I guess it doesn't work if you've never heard of the group U2."

"Who are they?" Patrick asked.

Jim smiled, "They were a band from before Papa or I were born. Get some sleep and we'll see you in the morning."

In the morning, Patrick went straight to the principal's office. The principal was surprised to see him. "What can I do for you, Patrick? You're not in trouble, I hope."

Patrick seemed a little nervous, "No sir, but Dad suggested that I talk to you. I guess I should have told you yesterday."

"What should you have told me yesterday?"

Patrick fidgeted a bit, "When we were sitting in the outer office, Sean said that if he got in trouble, he was going to kill me. Then when I was in detention, some of the students said that he was furious for being suspended."

"I see," the principal said. "Thank you for saying something. I will make sure Sean knows that we are keeping an eye on him. I promise, he won't try anything at school, and if he tries elsewhere, you can't get in trouble for defending yourself. All I ask is that while on school grounds, you don't taunt him or hit him."

Patrick stated, "Dad told me that as long as I don't do either, I shouldn't get into trouble, but if he does swing at me, I can either block or avoid the hit."

The principal nodded, "Your dad seems very smart. Like I said, he'll know that he's being watched so I don't believe he will try anything at school. Should I be wrong and you block his punch, I won't hold it against you."

"Thank you, sir," Patrick grinned. "I need to be heading for Homeroom, the warning bell should be ringing soon."

"Thank you, Patrick. Let me give you a pass, just in case you don't make it on time." The warning bell rang as Patrick left. He got in his seat just before the tardy bell rang. He felt less nervous about Sean returning to school but he also realized that he stood Scott up. He hoped that Scott would understand.

He saw Scott as he was heading for first class, "Scott, I am so sorry. Dad told me to talk to Principal Davenport first thing and I barely made it to homeroom."

"What about?" Scott inquired.

Patrick asked, "Do you remember what Sean said while Miss DeWine was talking to the principal? Dad thought I should warn Principal Davenport so I don't get into trouble."

Scott agreed, "I guess that's a good excuse and you can make it up to me at lunch."

Patrick lowered his voice, "By the way, I found out what head is," then he whispered in Scott's ear.

Scott blurted, "Ooooo, you use that to go to the bathroom, there's no way it's going in my mouth."

The rest of the week went smooth without incidents. As school was letting out Friday, Patrick saw some boys picking on another boy. Patrick asked, "Hey, what did he do to you?"

One of the boys laughed and said, "Kennedy is funny, you should come listen to him talk."

"Gabriel?" Patrick asked. The boy turned away.

"You know this freak?" the boy asked.

Patrick said, "Yeah, kind of. His parents bought my house when my parents died. You should leave him alone; he hasn't done anything to you."

"Whatever," the boy said and walked away.

Patrick heard clapping from behind him. He turned around to see an older boy clapping. "I'm proud to see someone else stand up for a weaker classmate. My name is Walker Jenkins," the older boy stated.

"The quarterback for our football team?" Patrick was amazed.

The kid laughed, "Yeah, I may be a jock, but I care about my classmates, unlike some of the jocks you see on TV. One of Gabriel's classmates came and got me."

Patrick shook Walker's hand, "My name's Patrick. My dads work at the Another Chance Ranch."

Walker smiled, "I was there to see you win the barrel racing for the boy with leukemia. I would consider it an honor to consider you a friend."

Patrick was pleased, "I'd like that. So, why were those boys picking on Gabriel?"

Walker looked sad, "Gabriel has Aspergers, which is a form of autism. Some kids are just mean when it comes to people who are different."

"I'm glad you're not like that," Patrick claimed.

"Likewise, I have my faults, but that isn't one of them," Walker declared. "One fault I do have, I live in horse country and don't know how to ride."

"I didn't until my dad taught me," Patrick confessed.

Walker responded, "Cool, maybe I should hire him to teach me."

Patrick chimed, "I think he's one of the best teachers."

"I do a paper route, so I have money. If my parents let me, I'll come by tomorrow and talk to him."

Patrick offered, "I hope they let you. Dad and Papa are out in their truck waiting on me if you'd like to meet him."

Walker said, "Sure, I need to grab my books from my locker. You can either walk with me, or I'll meet you at the front doors."

Patrick commented, "I can walk with you, I already have my books."

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.

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