Chapter Four
Kids, Deuce discovered, were a lot less assuming that adults.
In town, Deuce felt like everyone judged him from where he had come from.
In the gym, Deuce knew that the kids looked to him to win a basketball game.
It was the craziest thing really, to win a basketball game.
The first time it had happen, Deuce had been caught completely off guard.
Deuce's team played another Paris High School team, two homeschool teams, and ten teams from surrounding towns.
They had been losing by seven points when Deuce, listening to the stuttering advice from John (or Stats as the team called him) had subbed in Nate who was still learning the game.
Two minutes later, Deuce sat on the edge of the bench, watching as his team jumped and hollered as if they had just won a game in the Final Four.
Winning was a crazy thing.
Deuce liked the feeling.
Max watched as Deuce fixed the saddle on Trey.
"Come here Max," Deuce smiled, indicating from Max to step on the wooden box, "This is Trey. I know he's big but once you get up there, it won't seem bad. And I'll be up there too."
Max took a tentative step forward, "Promise?"
Deuce smiled, "Yes."
Max hurried towards the wooden box and Deuce stepped into the stirrups and leaned over to lift Max up and onto the special double seated saddle that Brooke had used when she had been a young girl.
"Hold on, okay?" Deuce spoke quietly, as if talking to a spooked horse. Max still didn't interact well with other male figures. It had been Brooke's idea for Max to go on a riding day with Deuce. Even though it was mid-January, the day was pretty warm at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
The perfect day for a horse ride in the winter.
"Is the horse cold?" Max asked as he held onto Deuce's belt.
"Trey?" Deuce smiled and patted the horse's neck affectionately, "Nope. He's got a nice winter coat. It keeps him warm. And since he's moving around, he's nice and toasty."
Max nodded and looked around the pasture. Deuce followed Max's gaze. The cows were on the other side of TJ's house and thus, not visible over here. But they were a horse ride that way and based on what Nate had told him, he and his brothers had never been on any type of ranch before.
"You want to see some cows Max?" Deuce asked.
"Yes please," came the quiet reply. Max was always quiet, always polite.
"Then let's go," Deuce kicked Trey gently with his heels. His horse never needed much encouragement to move.
Deuce would go, once every month, up into the attic and take out the wooden box he had placed up there.
He would wipe any dust or dirt that had fallen on it before carefully undoing the locks.
He would then walk to the attic window, and sit on the chair he had placed there.
He would spend a good ten to twenty minutes, it never really mattered, and he would just look out into the pasture and listen for his family.
Brooke might be cooking a meal, and Pete was usually talking rather loudly to the TV because even though the man didn't live in their house, he was still around all the time.
Nate would be outside sometimes with Lee playing, and Max would be there with him, watching his brother with his arms around his knees and his chin resting on the top.
Jake might be crying, or laughing, or singing a song in the way that little kids do.
And Deuce would watch and listen and smile.
Then ever so gently, he would open the box and look at the knife and the coin.
He would say a silent thank you and sorry and goodbye to whoever had been from before.
Because once a month Deuce let himself realize that maybe, someone was out there missing him.
And once a month Deuce would think of them and hope that that would be enough.
Deuce watched as his team played their last game of his first season coaching.
They had finished 9-6. Not wonderful, by any standards, but they had finished with a winning season, something that Deuce was incredibly proud of.
So as the final seconds ticked away of the final game, Deuce sat on the coach's bench and watched, thankful that John, his ever present, and ever nervous, coaching assistant, watched also.
They watched all their seniors play the last few minutes of high school basketball, and Deuce had to hold back tears to realize he would never coach these players, the seniors, again.
By the looks of it, Deuce guessed, they were probably going to lose the last game. Horribly.
But Deuce watched as the five players on the court worked their hardest to score and when the final buzzard rang, Deuce walked forward and congratulated each one of them.
They were smiling, despite their loss, and Deuce figured that was alright.
Sometimes, losing was alright too.
Kids, Deuce discovered, were a lot easier to understand than adults.
Deuce had a hard time meeting new adults, mainly because almost every adult seemed to already know more about him than Deuce knew about himself.
Kids on the other hand, didn't start judging you till they met you.
Deuce didn't remember if he had ever been around kids or if he had ever known how to treat them.
But after he got over that fact, he figured that they would want to be treated like Deuce had wanted to be treated when he had first met Pete.
So he gave them a warm bed, food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a quiet place to sit and someone who could listen without judging.
It was simple really, to give foster kids this, but at the same time it was so incredibly complicated.
"Pops," Nate ran through the screen door, practically plowing Deuce over, "Can I take the truck to town?"
Deuce regarded his son, because he was in all manners but legally, with caution, "Why do you want the truck?"
"Theresthisparty," Nate said as fast as he could, as if by not understanding him, Deuce would tell him yes.
"You're a sophomore," Deuce laughed, "I didn't think you'd be invited to any graduation parties."
"It's Jerry's party," Nate said, "And come one pops, I finished my chores and even helped Brooke with the clothes for the new kids coming."
"Alright," Deuce fished the keys out of his pocket but pulled them back to say one last piece of advice before handing them over, "And if you aren't back by midnight-"
"Pete will come and get me," Nate smiled at the real threat, "Come on Pops, I promise."
"Alright then," Tony handed the keys to the six foot five boy, "Don't forget you have to help Pete tomorrow."
"Yes sir!" Nate hurried out of the house, giving a kiss goodbye to Brooke who happened to walk by him.
"Food run?" Brooke asked, her eyebrows lifting. That boy could just eat and eat…
"Party," Deuce answered, "He knows his curfew and the consequences."
"I bet Uncle Pete would enjoy tracking him down," Brooke gave Deuce a small kiss, "Now come on. Ms. Strand says that she has two girls coming tomorrow. Girls!"
Deuce lifted the basket of clean linens and followed his wife down the hall.
A/N: Thanks to all those who are still reading and reviewing and alerting. :) Hope you liked this chapter. I finished writing the next one already (I know O.O) lol So it should be up Sunday or Monday.
As always reviews are very much welcomed.