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I'm really glad you like the edits/rewrites. It was a tough decision to pull back what was already posted, and I guess I lost some readers in the process, but it was the right thing to do. Slowing the pace, the reader gets to know the characters a little better, and the holes in the storyline are a lot smaller. Writing this chapter felt really natural and inevitable, and that's how I wanted James and Casey to feel about each other and their relationship. Thanks for reading, and thanks for taking the time to comment.

It was a really tough chapter to write, but I've been around foster kids, and could tell true-life tales that are much worse. Thanks for your comments.

It was a really tough chapter to write, but I've been around foster kids, and could tell true-life tales that are much worse. Thanks for your comments.

Never underestimate the power of curiosity. Encountering two outgoing guys on horseback is unusual, even in small town Texas. I lived outside Bastrop for a few years,so I've tried to just paint a faithful picture. It sounds like I might have succeeded.

Honoring your commitments is a big part of building character. Jeremy, you've done a great job by working to pay off your debt, even if it's taking a while. Whenever somebody walks away from a debt, a creditor has to raise rates overall to cover the loss. That hurts the rest of us. Tim's right - it's stealing. Too many students bought into the belief that the more you spend on education, the more you'll earn. I have a friend who got a law degree from the University of Houston. His brother got a law degree from Harvard. The guy who studied in Houston retired twenty years ago; his brother will have to work for ten more years. Then there's Jeremy's point about borrowing money for living expenses, rather than the education alone. Kids in high school aren't taught practical skills like managing their finances, and nobody else teaches them, so they overcommit easily.

Thanks for reading, and posting your thoughts on the chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading, and posting your thoughts on the chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Structural or electrical engineering might be good fits with your love of math. Both fields pay decently, and both are in demand. Think about prospective employers, too. National Instruments is an extremely desirable employer, and is always looking for electrical/electronics engineers for R&D.

Bowie was a part of growing up. Some songs I loved, some less so, honestly. I don't think of him as a great musician, or actor, or producer, though he was certainly talented at all of them. The man successfully reinvented himself over and again. He managed to make and remake himself relevant for decades. Maybe his greatest attribute was as a harbinger of style and fashion. Musical style, lifestyle, appearance, schools of thought. Bowie often sailed in uncharted waters, and shone a light in dark corners.

I was never a competitive athlete, but always kept active. As a kid in school, it was running. In my twenties, MMA and fencing (rapier). In my thirties, bicycling and fencing (broadsword). In my forties, paddling canoes and kayaks. Now, although I still pull out my bike or kayak once in a while, I do more hiking and backpacking than anything else.

Finally? It's only been 20 chapters, and I'd like to think there's more to the guys than "that". I really believe gays need to believe this can happen, and that there's reason to hope. That's what I really wanted to write into this chapter. Thank you very much for reading, and taking the time to comment.

Soon. And thanks.

Good people find allies, and societal attitudes have changed a lot in a few years. Maybe this time, those will overcome the hatred taught at home. At any rate, the haters have been exposed, and there will be a reckoning.

Thanks. Last year, I met two young couples online, who had each been through great personal challenges to come together. Their relationships have inspired a lot of the arc of this story line.

Fan the Flames Life had settled into a rhythm since Sam was hurt. Sam and Casey both quit the team. The coach was unhappy with them, but more unhappy with the rest of the team, and the way they'd let down a teammate. Determined to dig out what he called "the rot," he drilled the boys. He worked them as hard as he could. And he called upon them to join him in volunteering for every charitable cause in the community. Slowly, the grumbling subsided. With more time on his hands, Casey became a reg

Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you're spending it with the one(s) you love, and your spirits are high. I hope you're spending it in a peaceful place, free of fear. Hugs on the wind, friends.

My brother played folk music in the 60s, and this song was released. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4NjrBcn0PA&feature=share

Thanks a lot, Cannd. I really appreciate the feedback. You're worried and nervous? Thanks again. Your emotional investment in the characters is the best reaction I could hope for. This whole story started with the characters, and I've grown to love them, too, warts and all.

Thanks, Parker. Some folks seem to attract quality people, and that quality comes out when things get rough. If we're lucky, we recognize them in our own lives. If we're honest with ourselves, we try to be as good to them as they are to us.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Mark. You know how it goes when a kid suddenly starts getting attention where there has been none. There's no such thing as enough. We've got plants here we call rain lilies. They're every innocuous, with just a little foliage, until after a rain, when the blooms suddenly appear, bright and fresh. Casey's kinda like that.

Turning James pulled up to Charles’ house and put the car in park. Jim’s car was already there, and there were lights at the side of the house. Leaving the engine running, he turned to his mom. “Mom, is it OK if I stay with Jim and Casey? I don’t think I’m going to sleep much tonight, so I’d rather help them keep an eye on things here.” “Sure. I’m going to call Carol and invite myself over to their place, so neither of us will be alone. I can bring some things over here for you on the way to

Thanks for the kind words, Mark. The story would just be a mad jumble if not for KC, forcing me to simplify things. I'm very glad you're enjoying the read.

Mark! Babe! We see so little of you, and it's always a pleasure. Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad you enjoy the story.

Motive? Seems to me the most useless question to ask is why. Believe it or not, bicycles could easily shut down the whole town. There's a huge bike rally with thousands of riders that goes through from Houston to Austin once a year/ That's why they banned bicycles downtown.

Welcome to small town Texas. Backwaters tend to be stagnant.