Carry On Dreaming (The Cowboy's Promise sequel) (SLOW UPDATES)

Chapter 5

Three months later, Blaze steps in our house. He looks around, the light glinting off his snakebites. He's. . . . . interesting, to say the least.

He stands at 5'11" and has short hair, dyed electric blue. He has snakebites and gauges in his ears. And, despite not even being sixteen, a class ring hangs on a chain around his neck. But his name isn't the one on it. That alone reminds me why we took him in.

His parents were both killed in a car crash on his 10th birthday. His dad was an only child, parents in a nursing home. His mom's dad was incapable of raising a teenager, his wife dead. Only one of his mother's siblings was willing to take their nephew in. But she turned abusive. He bounced from family to family in the foster system for almost four years. Stopped talking a year and a half ago. Finally, he found us.

€*€

"So, Blaze, this is our house. My brother and his boyfriend sleep upstairs, my late brother's room is next to him, and my room is downstairs. If you don't mind, we put you in the basement."

Blaze nods, an amused grin playing on his lips.

"It's a cool setup. My late brother, Blake, lived down there for a while. C'mon. I'll show you. All our instruments are down there, too."

My adopted son perks up at this. I call El down with me. He's at my side in an instant. Danielle laughs behind us.

"Oh Lord."

El bounces downstairs with us, about five slender tubes under his arm. Blaze shoulders open the wooden blue door to reveal his room. He smiles at the Biohazard sign on the door.

I love the kid's room. We spent a month getting it ready. The walls are red and blue, and we put an old record player and a few records in it. The oak bookshelf is full of books, and each of us guys donated shoes, shirts, and pants for him. The orphanage had told us he was interested in cars, so there's a lot of mechanic-related stuff.

Blaze points at El's stuff he's carrying with a questioning look. He just grins, telling Blaze to hand him the duct tape I left down here. One by one, he tapes up posters of Hollywood Undead, a 2015 Dodge Charger, Linkin Park, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, and Guns N Roses. Blaze's eyes light up.

"Favorite bands?" El chuckles.

Blaze nods shyly. But I see the light shine in his eyes. When Elliot asks his favorite, he points at Linkin Park.

"Dude. I have a pic signed by Chester and Mike," Elliot replies.

Blaze smiles widely before giving my brother a doubting look. He obviously doesn't believe him.

"Yeah. I'll show after supper."

Blaze does everything short of cheering. We all laugh. He strides over to the record collection, pulling out Quiet Riot. I grin as he puts the record on. Bang Your Head is the first track on.

"Boys! Dinner's ready!" Danielle calls. We share a look and dart up the stares. We may be adults, but El, Stephen, and I still fight over who washes their hands first. Blaze stares at us, bewildered.

"Buddy, we act like this everyday. Better get used to it."

He nods and takes his seat at the table. August sits beside him, Seneca across from him. Stephen is at the head of the table. Faith is beside him, me beside her. Andrew and Elliot are between Stephen and Seneca, Danielle across from me.

Stephen asks Blaze to pray, and he looks at me nervously. I shake my head at my brother-in-law, and he instead asks August. We all smile, close our eyes, and bow our heads.