I can't believe it's been over two months since I updated this story. I didn't really feel like writing tonight but I was reading the story over trying to get ideas and I got caught up again. So here is the next chapter. Thank you all so much for your patience. I promise I will try not to wait so long the next time. Happy reading.
Two years later. (In the past)
"John, if you bring one more snake into this house you're never going outside again. I mean it." Laura yelled out the back door at her eldest son as he combed the bushes near the house. Shaking her head she took the time to observe the rest of her clan. Brent was in the corral brushing down his pony. Horses were still the love of his life even after four years. Randy was kicking around a soccer ball, going around in circles where his sister sat playing tea with her friend.
"Did Kimberly say if she was going to be picking up the little one or is Princess Lexi staying for dinner again?" Nana asked as she sliced up pieces of potato.
Laura sighed as she turned away from the window. "She didn't say anything when she dropped her off."
Nana shook her head. "Something strange going on in that household if you ask me."
"She's just a little depressed. I've read that it can happen after the birth of a baby." Laura defended her friend.
"That baby's three already and it's just getting worse." The older woman pointed out.
Laura shrugged, wishing she wasn't involved in this conversation. "It's good for the girls to play together. Becca's so often overwhelmed by the boys."
Nana snorted. "I agree that it's good for children to have play dates. But you're being used girl and its time to face the truth. That baby out there is over here from dusk to dawn every night her daddy's out of town." She turned to stir the hamburger meat. "Makes you wonder what her momma's doing with all that time off."
"It's not like that." Laura protested, despite that knot in her stomach. "Kimberly's just not very maternal. She feels out of her element when Dallas isn't there to back her up." She walked back to the window to check on the kids, groaning as she saw Randy and John squaring off.
"World war three is about to start again." She murmured walking out the door.
"Leave them alone." She heard Randy shout as he pushed John away.
"I wasn't aiming for them. The ball hit the tree and went that way." The older boy answered. "You're a big pussy, always looking out for the girls."
Laura walked up behind him and grabbed the back of his neck, causing him to look up into her frowning face. "Care to repeat that?" She asked sweetly.
Eyes wide he hastily shook his head no.
"Good. Now why don't you go inside and help Nana set the table for dinner." She instructed.
His face immediately turned mutinous. "It's Brent's turn." He argued unwisely.
"But I'm telling you to do it. So unless you want to do it all week I'd get a move on." He kicked the dirt with the toe of his shoe but reluctantly headed for the house. Face stern she turned to Randy.
"The ball hit Lexi on the head." He immediately defended his position.
"Was he aiming for them?" She asked, turning to look at the two girls playing happily on the grass.
"No." He admitted reluctantly.
"And nobody was hurt by the accident?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
"No." He answered hanging his head.
"So you didn't have any reason to pick a fight with him?"
The little boy sneered. "With john there's always a reason." When his mother continued to stare sternly at him he admitted the truth. "No."
"Now you can to apologize to your brother for starting the fight and help him set the table." She waited until he had entered the house before turning to sit down next to the girls. "What are we having for tea?"
"We have cakes and cookies and brownies." Becca informed her solemnly as she poured her mother a cup of imaginary tea.
"If you want some you'll have to hurry. Brisco the rabbit and Ruffles the duck have eaten almost everything." Lexi announced as she held up the empty plate for Laura to choose from.
"Why thank you Princess Lexi." Laura smiled warmly at her as she pretended to grab a brownie. "Do you think Brisco and Ruffles are going to be able to eat dinner?" She asked the three year old.
Becca answered the question after holding a whispered conversation with Brisco. "They're not full yet and want to know if you want the last cookie."
"Hey mom." John yelled out the back door. "Dad's on the phone for you."
"Guess that answers that question." She murmured as she got up. She called out to Brent as she walked to the house. "Dinner's going to be ready soon so get cleaned up."
"Hey honey." She said as she picked up the phone.
"Hey baby. How are the monsters?" He pretended to cough. "Um I mean kids." He said causing her to laugh.
She saw John watching her nervously, waiting for her to tell Steve what he had said. "They're fine, no big drama's so far." She answered sending her oldest a wink and motioning for him to get back to work.
"Do you think we can handle one more for a couple of days?" He asked, his voice getting softer as he turned his back to the crowded room.
"I don't see why not." She told him, not mentioning that Lexi was over almost every day now.
"Well see, there's this kid, I'm not really sure where he came from but he's been around the last couple months. Everyone's been kind of taking care of him, one person taking him home with them on the days off." He explained in a rush.
Laura frowned as she wandered into the living room. "Is it safe? If you don't know where he comes from how do you know that his parents won't show up one day and accuse you'll of kidnapping him?" She asked in a worried tone.
"We don't." He answered simply. "The thing is nobody really remembers when he joined us or in what town. He just started showing up everywhere we went. After a while we found out he was sleeping in the alleys behind the arenas and eating out of garage cans. He was hitchhiking from arena to arena."
"How old is he?" She asked as her heart went out to the dirty little boy.
"He's seven. He reminds me a lot of John." Laura groaned when she heard that.
"Steve." She started in a warning voice. "I'm agreeing to him coming home with you. But if you want him to stay longer you need to find out more about his past." She advised him.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" He murmured into the phone.
"No but you can repeat it after you start breaking up the fights between Randy, John and the new kid." She grumbled before hanging up.
Steve turned around to face the group waiting anxiously for the news. "He can come for the week." He told them.
"And after that?" Jim Hellwig asked. "He can't keep going from house to house. He's needs to go to school."
Steve held up his hand. "I agree, but it depends on a lot of things. I don't want to force him into a situation he can't handle and I don't want to make my family miserable." He paused as he sighed heavily. "If everything goes okay this week and I have my families blessing then we will start the process. Legally." He stressed.
"How are you going to do things legally if we don't know anything about him?" Page asked from his position in the corner.
Steve shook his head. "It's time he starts giving us some answers." Leaving his friends he went searching for the child, finding him hanging out at ring side.
"Have you eaten yet?" He asked as he came up beside him.
The boy jerked his shoulder, the sleeve of his too big shirt sliding off his shoulder.
"Well, I'm hungry so why don't you join me?"
"Okay." The boy answered stuffing his hands in the pockets of his worn out jeans. "Can I get some French fries?" He asked as he walked stretched his long legs out to keep up with the older man.
Steve debated the answer. He knew that the kid had been given everything he had asked for in the last couple months by the sympathetic wrestles. He also knew that none of it was healthy. "We'll see what they have." He answered generically.
The kid shrugged his shoulders well naturedly. "Okay."
Steve shook his head. After interacting with the boy in the last couple months he knew that the child could take care of himself in any situation. What amazed him was how likeable and good-natured the kid was.
He waited until they had sat down at a table with their food before he began the questioning. "Do you have a last name Logan?"
The boy shrugged as he dipped a French fry in ketchup. "I don't know. Everyone just calls me Logan."
"When's your birthday?" Steve tried again. He frowned as he noticed the shadow move across the dark eyes' in front of him.
"They told me it was October 11th." He answered solemnly.
"Your parent's?" Steve prompted. He waited for a couple of minutes in silence before tapping the kid's arm to get his attention. "Logan, did your parent's tell you when your birthday was?"
Logan bit his lip as he played with the chicken on his plate. "No, they're dead." He answered slowly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
Steve nodded, not wanting to press the kid too hard. Instead he started describing some of the moves he was planning on doing in his match that night.
77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
Nana was waiting for her when she came down the stairs. "The girls tucked in for the night?" She asked softly.
Laura nodded as she walked to the doorway of the living room. "Boys, it's time to start getting ready for bed." She instructed deaf to their grumbles. She didn't turn around when Nana started speaking again.
"It's eight o'clock and she hasn't come to get her kid. Hasn't even called."
"She knows I would take care of her. She probably got involved in something and is running late." Laura answered slowly and a little desperately.
"She's using you and its going to keep getting worse." The older lady advised.
"What do you want me to do?" Laura cried out as she swung around. "Demand that Kimberly stop and stay home with a child she doesn't want? How is that good for that baby upstairs?"
"Don't worry." A small voice came from the foot of the stairs. Laura turned around to find her youngest son standing there looking determined. "We'll take care of Princess Lexi. I won't let nothing happen to her." Randy promised.
Laura smiled sadly. "You're our knight in shining armor." She said softly as she kissed his head. "Now go get ready for bed."
He gave her one last look before darting up the stairs. Passing John's room he could hear both his brothers arguing in low voices.
"What's going on?" He asked as he came into the room. The two older boys immediately shut up.
Randy folded his arms across his chest. "What's going on?" He demanded in a louder voice.
Brent shared a look with John before relenting. "John heard mom talking to dad tonight. He's bringing home another kid."
"Another boy." John clarified. He didn't look happy at the prospect.
"So?" Randy asked unconcerned.
"So we hardly get to spend any time with dad as it is. Then along comes this kid and Dad spends all his time with him trying to get him over his abuse or rejection or whatever." John spat out, too furious to see the looks his brothers exchanged.
"If you didn't want us here why didn't you just say so? We'll leave and then you can have dad all to your self." Randy yelled, unable to hide the hurt in his eyes.
John sighed. "That's not what I meant. I don't care if you're here. Who else would I play ball with?" He punched Randy in the shoulder showing him that he loved him. He turned to Brent. "And before you came I had to help Mom in the barn all the time. That really sucked." He made a face for his brother's benefit.
"How do you know the new boy won't be the same way?" Brent asked, not ready to forgive his brother just yet.
Laura moved away from the doorway back to the head of the stairs so they wouldn't know she had heard their conversation. "Boys? Are you ready for bed yet?" She called.
She raised her eyebrows as all three boys burst out of John's room. They flashed her guilty grins.
"Have to brush my teeth." John called as he rushed to the bathroom.
"I need a drink of water." Brent said as he slid past her to head downstairs.
"I can't find my pajamas." Randy grabbed her hand and dragged her into his room.
It was a half hour before she could sit down and relax, content with the knowledge that her family was safe and sound in bed.