Another Chance - Book Three

by Zarek Dragon

 

January was a typical January, very cold and snowy. Jackson wouldn't let the boys do much other than take care of the horses. Zac was learning more about the management aspect of the ranch as Jackson wanted to be sure he would be successful.

While things at the ranch were slow, Jackson advised Jim and Zac that it would be a great time for them to take off for a weekend to enjoy their dinner and weekend in Cheyenne. They made arrangements with Joe and Buster.

After school on Friday, they packed up their truck. Jim and Zac gave Jake and Patrick one last hug. Jim looked at Patrick, "We'll call you when we get there. Thank you for doing this for us."

Patrick was shaking a little and Jim noticed, but the boy replied, "You don't have to call. Just have fun and don't worry about us. Uncle Joe will be here for us."

Sounding like he was on the verge of crying, Jim replied, "Bud, I will always worry about you two when you're not around us. I love you both too much not to worry. We haven't left yet and you're shaking."

"I know, but I need to face this fear. I know you and Papa will be alright, but a part of me is still worried," Patrick confessed.

"It's because you love us so much and with what happened to your parents, I totally understand. Just know, I am proud of you. Even if you call and ask us to come home early, I am proud that you even attempted," Jim stated and kissed Patrick's forehead.

Patrick smiled, "Knowing that, I can do this. I will miss you both, but I can do this."

Zac suggested, "And you can Skype with Scott or Trevor and Roger the entire weekend, if it helps."

Patrick gave Zac another hug and responded, "Thanks Papa. You and Dad have fun."

Jim hugged his brother, "Joe, we're not going to give you any special instructions, you know how we are with them. Just keep them safe and have fun."

"I thought you weren't giving any special instructions," Joe sniggered.

As Jim and Zac pulled away, Joe put his arm around Patrick, "Bud, are you alright? You're shaking like a leaf."

"To be honest, I wish that I didn't agree to this, but I also know that I need to face this fear. I'm really scared," Patrick cried, holding Joe.

Joe confided, "You put on a nice front for your dads, but I think they know how scared you are."

"Can I sleep in their bed with you and Uncle Buster tonight?" Patrick asked, ready to beg.

Joe mussed Patrick's hair, "We were already expecting you to."

"And," Patrick began, "please don't tell them how scared I am at least until they get home. I want them to have fun."

"Don't worry, Bud. I wouldn't do that unless you asked me to. When they get home, I won't even say anything but of how proud I am of you for facing your fear."

Patrick felt a little better, "Thank you, Uncle Joe. I love you."

As Zac was driving down the road, Jim questioned, "Are we doing the right thing? I know Patrick says that he wants us to do this, but did you see how much he was shaking?"

Zac tried to assure Jim, "Hon, he needs to face this fear. I know that he's more scared than he was trying to let on, but he needs this almost as much as we do. If he calls and says that it's too much, I will happily rush back to him, but I believe he can do this."

"That's all I ask," Jim averred, "but you can't blame me for worrying about him, especially since I know you too well."

Zac gave Jim a smile, "Yeah, I'm worried about him, too, so I can't blame you. It won't be easy, but we need to trust that he will be alright and just have fun."

As soon as they reached their hotel, Jim called the house. Joe answered the phone, "Hey, you guys made it, I take it."

Jim explained, "Yes, but Zac's worried about Patrick and insisted that I call right away."

"Zac's the one worried, eh?" Joe smirked.

Jim laughed, "OK, we both are. Is he still shaking like he was?"

"Not at the moment, he's asleep in your bed. He wanted to sleep in the middle so he could smell both of you," Joe admitted.

Jim had a tear run down his cheek, "I knew he was more scared than he admitted, but I'm so proud that he was trying to hide it."

"He didn't want you to know and asked me not to tell you. I told him that you probably already knew and that we all are so proud of him."

Jim asked, "So will you and Buster sleep in his bed or will you sleep on either side of him?"

Joe answered, "I hope you don't mind, but he asked to sleep with us in your bed."

"You know the answer to that. If it makes him feel better, I'm all for it. And you know how much I trust you," Jim replied.

Joe chuckled, "Yeah, I do. I just didn't want to do it without you knowing."

"Thanks Joe," Jim said, "for everything."

On Saturday, Scott came over for a few hours and they built a snow fort in the back yard. They "stole" some snow from Heather's yard to make the fort massive. When they started getting too cold, they went inside. "Uncle Joe, can we Skype with Trevor and Roger?"

Joe was happy that Patrick asked, but he also knew Zac already gave him permission, "You already know the answer to that. Would you like some hot cocoa to help you warm up?"

"I know that Papa said that I could, but you're in charge right now, so I thought I should ask," Patrick explained.

Joe gave Patrick a grin, "I wish all children were as respectful as you. You were definitely raised proper."

Patrick gave Joe a hug, then he and Scott went to his room and started Skype. After a few minutes, Joe brought up two cups of hot cocoa and a bag of mini marshmallows.

Jim and Zac went out to the restaurant and were surprised when they ran into Heather. "Mom, why are you here? You didn't bring Patrick, did you?"

"He's not here with you boys?" Heather was surprised, "I've been here for a few days. The law firm thinks I should take the bar exam to be a lawyer. Since Ryan is definitely not coming back, they think I would be the perfect replacement."

"But you never finished law school, did you?" Jim inquired.

Heather shook her head, "Nope, but as long as I can pass the bar, I can be a lawyer. I took the final exam yesterday and will be heading home tomorrow. What brought you to Cheyenne?"

"Joe's Christmas present. He gave us a gift certificate for Le Chene Restaurant and reserved a weekend for us at a really nice manor."

"OOOO!!!" Heather exclaimed, "I ate there last night and it was so good, I'm heading back. Mind you, it's not quite as good as Henri's, but it's really good."

Zac spoke up, "Why don't you join us, Mom?"

"I don't want to intrude on your romantic dinner," she insisted.

Jim just started nodding his head, "It's just dinner at a nice romantic French restaurant. We're inviting you, so you're not intruding."

Heather accepted, "If you don't mind, then how can I say no to two very handsome young men."

"So, how do you think you did on the exam?" Zac asked.

Heather smiled, "Being a paralegal and looking things up for the lawyers really helped. I am sure that I passed."

Jim gave her a hug, "So you're becoming a lawyer? I'm proud of you, Mom. You must feel good that your firm asked you to take it."

"I am, but they not only asked for me to take it, they are paying for everything. And once I have my license, I will almost double my salary. I'll move into a six-figure salary," Heather explained. During dinner, they conversed more.

The weekend was closing fast and Jim couldn't wait to get home. He no sooner got his bags in the house and he felt Patrick hugging him tightly. Jake came running down the stairs. Jim hugged Patrick back and said, "I am so proud of you, Bud. Papa and I had a good time, but we both were concerned about you the whole time. Grandma was there and we thought maybe you had another anxiety attack and she brought you."

Patrick started crying, "You weren't supposed to worry about us. It was supposed to be a weekend for the two of you."

Jim picked Jake up and told Patrick, "It was a weekend for us, but I told you, we love you too much not to worry. We love you both."

"And we love you, Daddy," Jake expressed before kissing Jim on the cheek. Zac came in and the boys hugged him.

The ranch next door to Another Chance had been losing business to the ranch ever since Jackson started it. They finally closed their doors in the middle of January and Another Chance received more clients wanting to board their horses.

On February first, Jackson thought about buying that ranch and merging the property, but when he went to inquire about it, he was told that the sale of it was already pending with a new owner. Jackson called Marilyn Abrams to see what she might know about it. "The ranch just closed their doors two weeks ago and went on the market yesterday. I went to talk with the realtor today and was told it's already sold. Is there any way that you can find out who bought it?" he asked.

Marilyn was at her computer doing a search and responded, "There must be a computer glitch or something."

Jackson queried, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I do see that it was bought yesterday and the sale is pending," Marilyn stated, "but the new owner is Jackson Sprayberry. You are the one who purchased it."

Jackson was puzzled, "That's weird, I wouldn't have gone today if I were the one who purchased it yesterday, and the realtor didn't even say anything about me buying it."

"Like I said," Marilyn reiterated, "there must be a computer glitch. I'll look every few days to see if it clears up, but we should definitely know who the new owner is when it closes in a month."

"Thanks Marilyn," Jackson said before hanging up.

Zac looked at him and inquired, "My mom wasn't able to help?"

Jackson shook his head, "It's a confusing puzzle and I'm confuzzled. When she searched, my name came up as the buyer. She said that it was probably a computer glitch."

Zac questioned, "You don't suppose there's a chance that a second Jackson Sprayberry bought it. I mean, you are unique; but is it possible someone else has the same name as you? The chances are slim and improbable, but…"

Jackson agreed, "As improbable as those chances are, it does seem possible. The weird part would be his buying a ranch beside mine. Now I'm a little eager to meet the new owner."

Zac laughed, "Of course, Mom could be right about it being a computer glitch."

"Hush," Jackson ordered.

The days rolled on by and Dusty was having another Valentine's Day party, but he rented Another Chance for it. Jackson asked him if he would like to have his dance at the ranch and offered to rent him the "party" barn for a dollar, so Dusty couldn't pass it up.

Dusty came to decorate the barn, but stopped in the office. "Jackson, did you buy the ranch next door?"

"I tried, but someone else beat me to it. Why do you ask?" Jackson looked confused.

Dusty replied, "As I was coming here, I thought I saw your SUV there. It even had your logo on it. The sign with the ranch name was taken down, so I thought maybe…"

Now Jackson looked upset, "This is more than just a coincidence, and I don't think that's a computer glitch. Someone is trying to steal my identity or something. I'm going over there and Zac, I would like for you to come with me as a witness."

"With my dad being head of security, wouldn't he be a better choice? Then he can apprehend the person until Nick can come arrest him," Zac suggested.

Jackson shook his head, "He's off today, and I'd rather not wait for him to drive from his house."

Zac smiled, "He's here at the ranch. He brought ten gallons of gas to put in Patrick's Mustang. He wants to see how well the new engine and transmission work. He just finished installing everything yesterday. Patrick won't be able to drive for a few years, but Dad wants to make sure the car is a hundred percent ready by his birthday."

Jackson nodded his head and said, "Call him."

Zac dialed his number and put it on speaker. "Yeah Zac, what do you need?"

Zac spoke into the phone, "Dad, someone bought the ranch next door, using Jackson's name. Now Dusty saw an SUV that looks like Jackson's, including the logo. Jackson would like for you to go with him to confront the guy."

Vince came back, "I'll be there in a few minutes, but call Nick. It would be wise to have law enforcement."

Zac was a little surprised when he saw Patrick's Mustang pull up. Vince got out and walked into the office. "Other than needing a paint job and new tires, I think she's ready," Vince declared.

Zac averred, "Jim and I will buy the tires for his birthday, but will you pick out the best ones for him?"

"I'll start looking into it after Jackson and I return. Did you call Nick?" Vince responded.

Jackson answered, "He said that he'll meet us there."

Vince rode with Jackson as they went to visit. They were blown away when they saw the sign at the entrance. Nick was standing outside his SUV and approached them. Jackson asked, "What gives, Nick, do you have any ideas?"

Shaking his head, Nick stated, "Whoever it is, they are gone now. I will ask my deputies to keep an eye out. Someone thinks you're planning to move part of the ranch, it seems."

Jackson sounded exasperated, "If I could have bought this ranch, I would have considered it. With them using my name, is there anything I can do to stop this?"

"You can file a petition with the courts, but until we know who the real buyer is, it's hard to take any action. As I said, I will have my deputies keep an eye out for activity here," Nick assured.

Jackson urged Nick, "Just note, I would like to confront them before charging them. Make no mistake, if they are trying to use my name, I will file charges."

"I'm not sure it would be wise for you to confront them, but yeah, if you didn't give permission to anyone, you should file charges," Nick advised.

Jackson shook his head, "Nick, you know me. I just want to know why they purchased this property in my name and have this sign. If they give a reasonable response, I won't press charges."

"I won't make you any promises, but if we see someone, we will let you know," Nick offered.

They returned to the ranch and Dusty had the barn completely decorated. He had gotten measurements earlier and Cheyenne made streamers to fit perfectly, making a rectangle between the posts and an "X" covering the diagonals. More streamers were hanging at different lengths with red or pink hearts at the ends. There was a pink sheet cake with a red heart in the center. Words on the cake read "True Love is Forever!!!" and the cake was carefully sliced. Dusty set up a taco table with soft tortillas, taco meat, lettuce, onions, sliced jalapeño peppers, cheese, sour cream and for the really daring, sliced habanero peppers.

On the table beside the snack table was a punch bowl. After helping Dusty finish with the decorations, Jim went to grab a glass of punch. He tasted it and asked, "Wow Dusty, this is really good, it's not quite Dragon's Blood but is close. What is it?"

"It's a gallon of lemonade, half a gallon for cherry juice, half a gallon of cranberry juice and two two-liters of Sprite," Dusty answered as Jackson walked towards him. When Jackson was close enough, he asked, "Did you find anything out?"

"No, they left before we arrived," Jackson responded, "But they do have a sign up."

Jim was curious, "What does the sign say?"

Jackson replied, "The main part of the sign said, 'Another Chance Horse Rescue' but there was a piece that could be removed later that said, 'Possible Future Site of.'"

Zac had a funny look on his face as he stated, "That doesn't sound like they are trying to steal your name or anything."

"I honestly don't know what to think and won't make up my mind until I find out who is behind this. What gets me is, why would a complete stranger spend the money for the sign without asking me first?" Jackson posed some serious thought.

"Unless it's not a stranger," Dusty offered. "Don't get me wrong, I haven't a clue as to who it is, but what if the person knows you and knows that you'll agree to move The Rescue to there?"

Jackson calmed down a bit, "There's only three people that I know with that kind of money and I doubt CJ would do it."

"I can think of four, but I don't see any of them doing it," Zac agreed. "The Kings, who are the family we met when we picked up the yearlings have that kind of money, but I don't see a reason why they would do it. And Matt will be too busy with becoming a vet and his practice, so I don't see him doing it, either. As for Brock's dad, that's a possibility. And you already ruled out CJ."

Jackson pondered, "Who else could it be? The only other person who I know would want to do a rescue would be my dad, but with his medical expenses when he had cancer, he and Mom would have had to sell their home for just a down payment. And at their age, do you think a bank would give them such a large loan?"

"It's doubtful," Vince agreed. "We won't know until you're able to talk to them, so let's forget about it for now and just enjoy this evening. I don't know about anyone else, but I have a lovely wife to take out to the fanciest restaurant."

As Vince walked away, Zac ran up to him. "I did think of someone else who has access to those kind of funds…"

Vince interrupted him, "If you're thinking what I'm thinking, that's my parents' money, not mine. No, I did not buy that property."

"Well, it would have been nice if you did," Zac said, grinning.

Vince put his arm around Zac, "I'm glad you feel that way, but no, I assure you, I didn't buy the property. I do know who did since he went through your mother."

Zac looked surprised, "But, Mom told Jackson that it was in his name."

Vince grinned, "The computer did have a glitch with putting in the name, but the name is close to Jackson's and he is associated with Another Chance. Jackson will find out who it is soon enough. He will be surprised, totally surprised when he finds out who the new owner is. And I doubt he will object to moving The Rescue. It'll give them more space to take better care of rescued horses. And when you're ready, it'll be easy for you to convert the current rescue into your home for 'unwanted' boys."

Zac smiled at Vince and waited about a minute before finally inquiring, "So, who bought the property? Was it Jack?"

Vince looked around, and motioned for Zac to come closer. Zac leaned in and Vince put his mouth to his ear, "It's a surprise, I promised that I wouldn't say who it is."

Zac playfully slugged Vince in the arm, and said, "Since you promised, I won't push for an answer, but did you have to act like you were going to tell me?"

"All in love, son, all in love."

Zac gave Vince a hug, stating, "I love you too, Dad. I hope you and Mom have a nice evening."

Zac pulled out his phone and texted Matt: You didn't by any chance buy the ranch next door, did you?

Matt replied quickly: No, but the new owner did contact my office about using us if Jackson allows The Rescue to move there. I believe he will and told them that we don't charge for our services now, just accept tips, but they would be a nice write-off.

Zac typed: So, you know who is the new owner?

Matt answered: Yes, but don't ask who. They asked me not to say anything until they approach Jackson.

Zac responded: You're as bad as my dad. I'll see you in class next week.

Zac shared with Jackson what he found out. Jackson responded, "That being the case, I'm not going to worry about it. When they are ready, I guess they will come to me. I'll let Nick know so that he's not wasting manpower, keeping surveillance on the place."

Dusty nodded his head and added, "Still a mystery, but now it's more like a "Whatchagetme for Christmas mystery instead of an NCIS mystery."

Jim smiled, "I'll let Nick know that you just compared him to Gibbs."

"He should like that," Zac chuckled.

Dusty's party was its usual success and everyone had a great time. Buster came dressed in his teddy bear costume, which made Joe laugh. "It's the second anniversary of when I gave you the bear and we started dating, so I thought you would like it."

Joe assured him, "I do like it, but even more, I love you. The fact that you thought of this means so much to me. You are so special to me."

Buster gave Joe a kiss. "How you phrased that means so much to me. Joe, it's a Saturday night and I would love spending the rest of the weekend with you. I can't wait until we can spend the rest of our lives together."

Joe pulled Buster in as close as he could, "I know what you mean. Don't get me wrong, I think we need to wait until we graduate and have most of our schooling done before we get married, but I would marry you today if that were an option."

"Do we have to wait until we have most of our schooling done? I mean, you'll be as much of a distraction with us single as married, maybe even more," Buster inquired.

Joe gave him a funny look, "Are you saying that you don't want to wait to get married?

Buster hugged Joe and whispered in his ear, "Babe, I love you and will wait until you are ready to get married. I'm just saying that I don't see that it'll make any difference whether we wait or not. I mean, look how happy Zac and Jim are."

Joe kissed Buster on the cheek and said, "I understand what you're saying and I see your point. We can discuss it with your parents and mine, but I want to wait until we graduate from college before we consider children."

Buster gave Joe a big smile, "I can agree with that. I love you so much Joseph Charles Bolt-Archer."

Jim was dancing with Patrick and Zac was beside him dancing with Jake. Patrick looked over and asked, "Doesn't Uncle Joe and Uncle Buster look so happy together. They love each other almost as much as you and Papa."

Jim hugged Patrick and agreed, "I think maybe as much, but then as much as I love Papa, it is hard to say. It's a shame that Scott couldn't come tonight. I bet you wish you could be dancing with him."

Patrick chuckled a little, "Not to hurt your feelings, but yeah I do. You are a nice alternative, though. I can dance with Jake if you want to dance with Papa."

"Thank you, but before the night is over, I wouldn't mind a chance to dance with you as well," Zac shot out.

Patrick responded, "Thanks Papa, I would like that." Patrick looked up at Jim's face and he was pouting. "What?"

Jim teased, "You hurt my feelings and basically said that you don't want to dance with me."

Patrick was caught off guard, "You asked if I would rather be dancing with Scott. As much as I love you, I would still prefer dancing with him, and I said that you were a nice alternative."

Jim continued, "And then offered to dance with Jake. I'm hurt, hurt I tell you."

Patrick wasn't sure what to say, but offered, "I only offered to dance with Jake because I know how much Papa means to you. I'm happy that you are dancing with me."

Jim smiled and said, "Gotcha."

Patrick shook his head, "I should have known, I should have known."

When they got home, Patrick hugged everyone and went upstairs to go to bed. Jake followed him. Jim looked at Zac, "I'll bet you a kiss that they end up sleeping in the same bed."

Laughing, Zac agreed, "Win or lose, we kiss and they usually do when Scott's not here and sometimes when he is."

Giving a slight grin, Jim asked, "So then, you want to just make out and check on them later?"

"How'd I get so lucky to meet you?" Zac questioned as he sat on the couch.

Jim started, "Well see, I was in a really bad place and I guess the universe thought that maybe I deserved some happiness and…"

"Then why did the universe send you to me? You deserve so much more," Zac teased.

Jim sat on Zac's lap and started kissing him, "There is no one better than you. You make what's his name seem like a dog. You know, the guy I like so much in the Twilight movies. You have me so turned on that I can't think of his name."

Zac started laughing, "Are you trying to convince me that you honestly can't think of Taylor Lautner?"

Jim continued kissing Zac, but between kisses, he answered, "Is that his name?"

"I love you, sweetheart," Zac said before kissing Jim one more time.

They went upstairs and looked in on Jake's room. Jim nudge Zac when they saw both boys asleep in the bed, "I really expected this room to be empty, but I guess Jake invited Patrick to his room tonight."

Zac added, "And I'm guessing that seeing Buster in his teddy bear outfit prompted Jake to wear his. Patrick looks so cute hugging his Jakey Bear."

The rest of the month crept by. Heather received word that she passed the Bar Exam with flying colors and received her license to practice law in the State of Wyoming. As for the ranch next door, everyone kept watch as they drove by the other ranch, but they never did see anyone there. Zac even drove by the ranch when he went to school even though it was out of the way.

They did see construction being done, the existing house was demolished and two new houses were being built. The weird thing was, the new houses looked very much like the house Jackson had built. That was when they noticed it was Gerry Ryder's team building it.

Zac and Jim approached Gerry. "This house looks familiar," Jim chuckled.

Gerry responded, "Yeah, Jackson let me keep a copy of the blueprints, and the owner of this ranch likes his house so much that he asked me to build two houses like it here, except, you may notice one mirrors the other, and the offices do not have exterior doors."

"So," Zac questioned, "who is the new owner?"

Gerry hung his head, "I had a feeling that you would ask me. I'm sorry, but I was asked not to say. The new owner wants to surprise Jackson."

Jim patted him on the back and said, "You're a good man, Gerry."

It was the beginning of March and Jackson received a phone call. "Jacky Boy, your mother and I will be coming to visit Jake in a few days and we would like to see you as well."

Jackson began smiling as he spoke, "Dad, I would love to see you, you never need to ask. I do have a question for you, though. You didn't happen to buy the ranch next door did you?"

"Was it for sale?" Jack Sprayberry asked.

"It was," Jackson stated. "I went to buy it and merge it with Another Chance, but someone bought it the day before. And the new owner wants to move The Rescue to it, but have yet to speak to me."

"Huh," Jack commented, "If they want to move The Rescue, you would have thought that they would have spoken to you before even buying the ranch."

"You would think," Jackson responded. "I don't know who would have bought it, but you're the only one I know who cares enough about horses."

Jack's voice sounded cheery, "I'm glad that you thought about me. We should be at Jake's on the sixth and possibly see you, Ryan and Colt the same day."

"We can do that, except Ryan has already moved to Colorado," Jackson agreed. "How long do you plan to stay?"

"I forgot about that," Jack stated. "I'll be there for that one boy's birthday. I think his name is Joe."

Jackson grinned, "Yeah, Joe turns eighteen on the thirteenth. Well, I look forward to seeing you."

"So it wasn't him?" Zac asked as Jackson was hanging up the phone.

Jackson thought, "You know he never really said, he just gave me the impression that it wasn't him. It sounded funny hearing him call Jacob Jake… I have gone back to calling him Jacob so as to keep him straight from your Jake."

Zac smiled as he said, "Not to mention Jake Shadetree. I noticed you smiling a few times. I'm guessing that those were the times he mentioned Jacob."

"Yeah, it was," Jackson acknowledged.

A black SUV pulled onto the lot and parked beside Zac's truck. Jacob Dylan got out of it. He walked to the office and entered. Jackson was ready to give him a hug as he did. "I hear that Mom and Dad are planning to visit you."

Jacob explained, "That's why I came, I would like to take everyone out to eat."

Nodding his head, Jackson replied, "We can do that, but why don't I treat?"

"But, I'm inviting you and Colt," Jacob insisted. "I should be the one paying."

Jackson questioned, "Are you sure you can afford it? No offense, but how much do you make a year?"

Jacob looked upset, "I am offended, and just because you have money doesn't mean that I can't treat once in a while."

Jackson held his hands up, "You're right, I am sorry. You invited us and I should have never offered to pay. How much you make should never have been an issue."

Jacob sat down, "I accept your apology, but don't ever try to make me feel inferior again."

Jackson looked surprised, "I never meant that you were inferior. You are not. Just because I was lucky and came upon a large money source, I don't think I am superior, just lucky. I am so sorry if you thought I inferred that you were inferior. Hell, in my book, you are superior to me, if anything."

Jacob shook his head, "How can I be superior to you? You have this beautiful ranch, we both have a great spouse, though I would rather be married to mine."

Jackson started to laugh, "I would hope. I would hate it if you stole Ryan from me."

"Even if I could, I never would," Jacob offered. "So can I expect you and Colt for dinner on the sixth?"

Jackson offered Jacob another hug. With his arms out, he said, "You can expect us. I'm sure Colt will enjoy seeing his Grandpa and your family again. You and Elizabeth haven't been around since Christmas. I see Jared once in a while when he goes to The Rescue to see Brock."

"Yeah, Elizabeth and I have been a bit busy," Jacob said sheepishly. "You know, she was adopted, right?"

"Yes, I remember," Jackson replied.

Jacob continued, "Well, we recently heard from her birth father. He reached out to us and explained why he put her up for adoption. He said that she was put up for adoption because her birth mother died during delivery and he was too busy to take care of a child at the time."

Jackson frowned, "That's sad. At least he thought he was doing the right thing for her, and he did contact her eventually. It would have been nicer if he would have made more time to take care of her."

Jacob gave a weak smile, "She's accepted that he thought he was doing what was best for her. He made a down payment on property for us to move into a better house. And he agreed to make the payments, so we will be virtually rent free."

Jackson smiled, "It's not next door is it?"

Jacob had a cheeky grin, "I'm not supposed to tell you until Jack gets here, but yes. We bought the property next door. Jack and Mom sold their house and contributed to it. They aren't just visiting, but are actually moving here. We'd like to move The Rescue to it since you'll be moving. And when you come to visit, you'll have your option of who you want to stay with."

"I'm glad that it's you who bought the property," Jackson said. "As for The Rescue, I can't make a decision without consulting Zac and Jim. After all, they will be the new owners of this ranch."

"I can speak for both of us," Zac averred, watching the whole interaction. "We've been discussing it ever since you discovered the sign next door. As long as the new owner was someone that we felt we could trust, we are in agreement to allow the move."

"In that case, Jacob, you have permission to move The Rescue next door, but what about Josh?" Jackson queried.

Jacob turned serious, "You've been paying him from Another Chance's account. The Rescue will thrive totally off donations and what little we charge for the horses. Based on what I was able to find out, he will be able to make the same amount. Plus, I will be working with him, making as much. Jack wants to volunteer, and we would like to hire Brock as a hand instead of a volunteer. He won't make as much as us since he is a student and can't put the hours in, but Josh and I have been talking and he thinks Brock deserves to get paid for how hard he works."

"Josh knew about this?" Jackson questioned.

Jacob chuckled, "Yeah, I talked with him to see what he thought before we bought the ranch. I did ask him to keep it quiet, though."

Jackson shook his head, "And I never thought to ask him to see if he knew anything about The Rescue being moved."

Jacob assured, "Just like here, The Rescue won't be paying for rent or utilities. Josh will retain the same salary, but it'll be coming from Another Chance Horse Rescue instead of Another Chance Ranch. The main difference will be we have more land designated for The Rescue only. And we will have two more paid personnel other than Josh. This will actually double my income."

"It sounds like you've thought of everything to ease my mind. Again, I am so happy that you are the one who bought the property. Just one question, why did you put it in my name?" Jackson asked.

Jacob explained, "We actually put it in Jack's name, but the computer added the 'son' because Another Chance is associated with you. No one caught it at first, but it has been fixed."

"So when do you want to move The Rescue?" Zac inquired.

"We would like to do it before you take possession of the ranch. The inspector just signed off stating that our place is approved. The only thing left is for Jackson to sign over rights with the SPCA. We were thinking sometime after the houses are done."

Jackson agreed, "I will do that when you're ready, you have any idea as to when that will be?"

Jacob said, "Gerry said that we will be able to move in before Easter. We know that you have your anniversary during spring break, so we want to do it either before or after that week."

"The people often visit The Rescue during that week, so what if we get everything taken care of the week after. Then, we can let everyone know about the move throughout that week," Jackson said.

Jacob stood up and hugged Jackson, "I'm glad that I could finally tell you and get this approved."

"You?" Jackson chuckled, "I thought someone was trying to steal my identity when you first bought the ranch."

"I can understand and I'm sorry," Jacob offered.

Jackson asked, "So is Dad and Mom staying with you the whole time until the houses are ready?"

"Yeah, Mom and Jack will be staying with me, but if you would like to have them stay with you for some of it, I don't think they would object to it," Jacob agreed.

Jackson suggested, "I think Mom wants to spend time with you, and I'm happy for you, but I would hope that they would want to spend time with Colt. After all, in three months, we will be moving to Colorado."

Jacob nodded his head, "I will remind them of that. Maybe they should stay with you. I mean, I would love them to stay with us, but they will be living across the driveway from us once the houses are done."

"I guess that depends on them, but I'd be happy with just a couple days or the whole three weeks," Jackson stated.

"I can understand that," Jacob offered. "We'll talk with them when they get here. I'll see you then."

Jackson gave his brother one last hug before he left, "We'll see you the sixth, unless you want to visit sooner."

As Jacob left, Zac asked Jackson, "Do you feel better now that you know?"

"Much," was all that Jackson said.

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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