Page 58 of Rescued Duty

When he got to the home, several of the boys, including Karson, Andrew, and Carlos, were outside playing a pickup game of basketball.

Zack hopped out of the driver’s seat and waved his hands. “I’m open!”

Karson chest-bumped him the ball. Zack spun and made his way around the perimeter of the court, keeping his hand out to ward off his opponents, and went in for a slam dunk.

Cheers erupted.

“I call dibs on Zack.”

“No way, bro. He’s on our team.” The boys bickered.

“Who’s winning right now?” Zack scanned the group.

“We are.” Andrew’s hand shot in the air, then he pointed to his team members.

“Great. I’ll join Karson’s team. Level the playing field.” Zack winked.

Before they could argue, Zack passed the ball, and the game restarted. When they finished, Zack grabbed his belongings from the car.

“I call for a rematch.” Carlos stuck his chin in the air.

“We’ve got some business to attend to first. If there’s time afterwards, we’ll hit the court again.”

Thankfully, the boys agreed without any objections, and they headed inside. The three boys who were helping Zack with the truck run followed him into the kitchen, and the rest headed in separate directions.

Zack spread out papers on the table. “This is the map for our route tomorrow during the parade. We’ll toss out candy along the way for those who are gathered on the sidewalk.”

“Will we get to blare the siren?” Karson sat up in his seat.

“There’s three blocks, so I think we can arrange for each of you to do it once.”

The boys high-fived each other.

“We’re going to start at the firehouse. I already spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Kirby about meeting us tomorrow morning. What time do you need to be ready to go?” The Kirbys would make sure the guys arrived on time, but Zack still wanted the kids to realize it was their responsibility to be prepared.

“Eight,” Carlos said.

“That’s so early,” Andrew moaned.

“It’s later than when we have to get up for school.” Carlos shrugged.

“I know I can count on all of you,” Zack said. “Once we finish the route, there will be a tent set up near the city hall where we’ll hand out more candy, stickers, and fliers about the firehouse.”

“This is awesome. We’re going to be famous for a day.” Carlos pumped his fist in the air.

Zack smiled.Thiswas what made investing in these kids worth it. Showing them they had value. They weren’t forgotten or unseen. No matter how trivial the experience appeared to onlookers, this event would be a highlight for the boys.

Looking around at each of these boys, Zack couldn’t help but see himself in them. Their enthusiasm and determination in life. How amazing would it be to show these kids they had family surrounding them too? Like Eddie had done for Zack.

A crazy thought crossed his mind. What if Zack adopted some foster boys? The undertaking would be hard to manage by himself. But if he had a wife…

Would Naya ever consider adoption? He didn’t know for sure, and he was definitely jumping the gun, but the thought of raising kids alongside Naya prickled his skin with goosebumps. Zack shook his head. He couldn’t put stipulations on a relationship that didn’t even exist.

Zack cleared his throat. “Any questions on what we just went over?”

“Um…” Karson’s eyes darted all over the room. “Do we have to have a tent by the city hall?”

Zack took note of the teen’s quiet voice. Something wasn’t right. “It’s at the end of the route in a central location. Do you have another suggestion?”

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