Published: 30 Jun 2022
From Previous Chapter:
Mr. Ken did go up and talk with all of the boys. When he got to Mark’s room, the boy asked if Matthew could go along with them in the morning. The newest Cover explained that Matthew was concerned about Billy, and that it would be nice to have someone with him tomorrow. Mark also said that way Matthew could talk to Billy and find out for himself how well his older ‘brother’ was doing.
Mr. Ken told Mark that he would think about it and tell him at breakfast. But that the boy should make sure Matthew was showered and ready to go. Mark smiled when he heard that. He then hugged his foster dad.
It was all quiet at the Cove that night.
Ken Thomas woke up refreshed that Wednesday morning. He felt he had gotten a good night’s sleep and he attributed it to the fact that things with Mark were beginning to settle down, some. Then, he remembered the Bandera DA wanting to make contact with Kevin, Kyle and Robert, and he began to stress out all over again.
The man used his facilities, dressed in his usual nylon running shorts, t-shirt and Crocs, then headed out to get his morning newspaper. The weather was very warm that morning with loads of humidity. He figured he better check the weather channel to see what might be working as far as rain was concerned.
Momma Maria had her employer’s coffee ready for him when he arrived in the Kitchen Nook. The man told her that he, Mark and Matthew would be leaving at about ten o’clock to head over to the Goldersons to get Mark and Bill’s clothes and whatever else they wanted.
Momma thanked him for telling her that. She picked up her breakfast readying pace so she was ready for when the boys came into the Nook.
Mark and Matthew were the first Cover boys who arrived for breakfast. She got a nod from Mr. Ken to start fixing his and the two boys’ breakfast. She went right to it. As she made the eggs, the three talked about what they would be doing at Mark’s home and then later at the hospital.
Mark then remembered to fix Chief’s food and fresh water, so he emptied both bowls and filled the water one with fresh cool water. But he didn’t know where the kibble was, so he had Matthew show him where to find it. After the other bowl was filled with the resident pet’s food, Chief went over to Mark and gave him a few doggie kisses before chowing down herself.
Then, just as Momma Maria served the first three Cover’s their breakfast, the rest of the boys came into the Kitchen Nook. Robert asked why Mark and Matthew were already eating and he learned that those two were going with his dad to Mark’s home.
Robert began to argue that he should be allowed to go, too. Then the rest of the boys chimed in wanting to go along as well. ‘Dad’ Ken told the boys that if they all went; they had to call all their friends and cancel the day of fun and skating. That shut them up really fast.
Mr. Ken then remembered the new Rule that said if three Cover boys were gone then only the remaining Cover boys’ friends could come over. He told Robert that and asked him if he was ready to call all his friends and tell them they couldn’t come over because he was going over to Mark’s home.
Hearing that bummed out the man’s son. Robert then asked if he could go with Mr. Wayne and come back with him. The teen suggested he could help load the van quicker and then come back with the Estate Master. The teen said he wouldn’t be away all that long, and his friends could still come over at the usual time.
Mr. Ken decided to think about that for a few moments, while he ate his breakfast. Robert also ate his breakfast and was on pins and needles hoping his dad would allow him to go along with them to Mark’s home. Eventually, the teen’s dad told him he could go, but he had to come home with Mr. Wayne. The teen smiled and agreed. The rest of the boys moaned that they didn’t get to go.
As the Covers ate, Mr. Wayne arrived. He got his first cup of hot coffee and then learned that Matthew and Robert were also going, the latter as a helper. Mr. Wayne inwardly smiled at the way his boys could wrap their ‘dad’ around their little finger.
When the man finished his breakfast, Mr. Ken thanked Momma with a hug and then told the three boys going with him to make sure they were showered, dressed and ready to go at ten. The man then headed back to his en suite to get ready himself.
But just as the man was leaving the Nook, Mr. Chris arrived. Mr. Ken stopped and asked the man to go with him to his Study. Mr. Wayne quickly followed along. Once there, the men’s boss told the Estate Manager to work up an ad to hire a part-time employee as they talked about on Monday.
He told the men he felt he was getting spread out too thin and now, with the Bandera DA wanting to talk with Kevin, Kyle and Robert his time was going to be even more compressed and thus Wayne’s would be, too. He told them it was important they get that ad done and then he left the Study to get ready for the day.
Mr. Chris and Mr. Wayne quickly got down to coming up with what the ad should say without saying too much about where the person would work. They knew they needed to mention the person needed to pass a background check, never had a DUI, had a college education, basic first aid and CPR training and willing to obtain a concealed carry permit all being a plus. They also would mention the job would be part-time with flexible hours and it could lead to full time for the right candidate.
The three boys were ready at 9:45 and were waiting out in the MRS Room for their ‘dad’, who was in his Study on the phone. The man was talking with Dan Fischer to arrange a Deputy to meet them at the Goldersons’ home at eleven. Mr. Ken also asked Wayne to call the DA and ask him when he wanted to talk to the boys and that it had to be there. The owner of The Cove told his Estate Master to tell the Bandera DA that DA Morris had already prepared the boys for the same sort of trial and he might not need as much time as he thought.
Mr. Ken then told Chris to call his caterer and have them plan to bring potato salad, baked beans and a very large sheet cake for eighty people on Saturday for about noon. The man told his employees that the Golderson family’s friends would all be there to meet up with Mark and enjoy The Cove’s hospitality. He then told them to be prepared for changes on the run.
The Cover’s headed out the Main Gate a little past ten that Wednesday morning. Mr. Ken knew that it would take about forty minutes to drive over to the Goldersons’ home, barring any traffic problems. The man turned on the radio to the news station to listen to what was happening.
There was a Breaking News segment being played so he turned the audio up so he wouldn’t miss what was being said. What he heard pissed him off.
The news anchor was telling the listeners that they had learned late last night that the men who invaded the Goldersons’ home were there to question their foster son, whose name was Billy, about two well-known drug dealers, Larry Masson, also known as ‘Smokey’, and ‘Jody Franks, who was known as ‘Greaser’.
The news man went on to say that the man known as ‘Smokey’, was involved in the shootout with Sheriff Deputies last 5th of July and was later found on the lake in a boat that was going around in circles. The man reported that Larry Masson died on the operating table the following morning.
The man further reported that ‘Smokey’ was the main distributor of drugs in the county, at the time, and had been on the Sheriff’s radar for some time when the shootout occurred. It was also reported that the man had been arrested the previous night, along with four of his gang members, and was the main suspect in an attempted kidnapping at Ken Thomas’ annual 4th of July Carnival held at Three Finger Cove.
The reporter went on to tell the audience that they learned that the man known as ‘Greaser’, was the step-dad of the Goldersons’ foster son, Billy, and was killed during that shootout last July 5th with Sheriff Deputies. The reporter went on to say that they learned that the foster son was being questioned by the home invaders about those two men, but that was all they knew.
The news reporter then went through the entire timeline of the home invasion that began last Sunday night around 8:30 p.m. and what they already knew about the gunmen and those that were injured, and their injuries.
After hearing the reporter telling everyone about ‘Smokey’ and Greaser’, Mr. Ken hit his cell phone Hands-Free button on his radio and called his friend Dan Fischer. When the lieutenant answered, Mr. Ken told him what he just heard and asked him if he knew who was releasing information to the press. Dan was just as perplexed.
When the Cover’s arrived at the Goldersons’ home, Sheriff’s Deputy Corporal George Carrillo was waiting there for them. Also waiting were his construction supervisor and a representative from Diamond Security.
The boys asked who all the extra people were, then learned as their ‘dad’ explained who they were, and why they were there, to the Corporal. Corporal Carrillo knew Mr. Ken and he didn’t have any trouble allowing them access to the home.
And, just as they were ready to enter the home, Delta Oxtter arrived. The woman had a key, which made entrance to the home much easier. Mr. Ken thanked her for her timely arrival.
‘Dad’ Ken then pulled the boys aside and told them where they could and could not go. He explained what their job was that day and he told them he would not be happy if they went anywhere near the master bedroom. The boys agreed.
The boys headed upstairs to Mark’s bedroom to gather his clothes and whatever he wanted to take back to The Cove. They also had access to Billy’s bedroom and it was there they all saw the bloodied bed as it was after the EMTs took Billy to the hospital. Robert quickly got his cell phone out and took pictures before his dad told him not too.
Mr. Wayne walked into Billy’s room after Robert took his pictures. He shook his head at what he saw, paused, and then asked the teenager to start placing Billy’s clothes into the suitcases. He asked Matthew to help as he and Mark worked in the new Cover’s bedroom.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Mr. Ken walked through the master bedroom with his construction supervisor as they talked about what was needed to repair all the bullet holes and what could be done to inspect the electrical system. Delta Oxtter followed along and listened to what was said.
The Jules Diamond Security technician checked out the security system and found that all of the connections at the main panel and downstairs Safe Room were working properly, so he headed up to the upstairs Safe Room to see what might have gone wrong there.
It took the boys about forty minutes to pack all of Billy’s clothes. They asked for a plastic trash bag so they could take the older teen’s dirty clothes in, so the clean ones weren’t soiled. Mr. Wayne sent Robert down to the kitchen to see if he could find one. Bad idea.
Robert didn’t know where the kitchen was and when he turned in the wrong direction, he came face-to-face with the bloodied floor, where Santiago died, outside the master bedroom. He quickly turned away and headed in the opposite direction. The teen was flustered at what he saw and was glad his dad told them not to go into the master bedroom, if that was any indication of what he would have seen in there.
Mr. Ken and his construction supervisor talked about the men taking care of that small task. The man said the guys would probably like to do it, but there was more to it than met the eye. The supervisor said the bullets didn’t just stop where they first hit. The man said in some cases there are holes in other walls and that clothes in the closet are probably ruined, too.
The supervisor said they also needed to remediate all of the ruined carpet, drapes and bed coverings before any company could begin to work in that environment and his company didn’t do that sort of work.
Mr. Ken asked Delta if she had Power of Attorney to hire a remediation company or if Levi had to do that from his hospital bed. She said she wasn’t sure, but said she would talk with Levi later at the hospital. But she understood what the construction supervisor meant. She also asked the man if his men were going to do the repairs.
The man looked to his boss for his approval, who nodded that they could if they had the time. The man told the woman they would and then gave her his card and told her to call it when the remediation company was finished with the whole house, and not just the master bedroom.
Upstairs, Mark made sure Robert and Matthew had Billy’s clock radio, his cell phone and all of his plush animals. He reminded them they also needed to go out to the garage and get his skateboard from there. He also mentioned he needed to get his, as well.
When Mark’s clothes, and any special things he wanted to take, were packed, the four Covers began hauling all of Mark and Billy’s suitcases and bags down to the van. When they were finished, they all took one last look at both rooms to make sure they hadn’t missed anything.
Mark then said they needed to go out to the garage and get the skateboards, his exercise book and ball and glove. He also wanted to get his soccer ball and then take his home plate and pitcher’s mound with him. Mr. Wayne thought the two baseball elements were permanently mounted in the soil, when Mark went over to them and just pulled them up. All the boys laughed. Even Mr. Wayne chuckled at what just happened.
Mr. Ken met up with all of the Covers. He went through a verbal checklist of cell phones, skateboards, helmet and pads, clothes, radio, baseball equipment and exercise book. The boys all answered with what they had collected, and then Mark asked if Mr. Ken had gotten his parents’ cell phones and chargers.
Mr. Ken headed back to the master bedroom to collect those needed items for the Goldersons. When he came back, he asked Mark if he was going to take his bike. The newest Cover said that if he couldn’t ride it outside the estate it wouldn’t be worth it. Robert and Matthew agreed and told their new ‘brother’ that even Kyle didn’t ride his bike all that much anymore.
The group was at the Goldersons’ home for well over two hours. Mr. Ken made sure that everyone who went inside the house with him were now outside when Delta Oxtter locked up the house. The man thanked Corporal Carrillo for his time and then headed to his truck to head over to the hospital.
But before anyone could load into their vehicle, some of Mark’s friends heard he was at the house, so they stopped by to talk to him. Mark was happy to see them and many hugs were shared. Mark then introduced his friends to his Cover family members.
After about ten minutes of catching up, Mr. Ken, remembering all of the last names Delta told him who would be at The Cove come Saturday, told everyone they could all catch up this Saturday at The Cove, and that they all needed to head either to the hospital or back home.
More handshakes and hugs were shared and the Covers finally filed into the appropriate vehicle. As Mr. Ken drove towards the hospital, Matthew asked if they could stop and get lunch. Mr. Ken looked at the time, smiled, and then asked them which fast food restaurant they wanted to go to.
Thirty minutes later, the three Covers were again on their way to the hospital.
Reporters were still camped outside the hospital and upon seeing Mr. Thomas and Mark, and a new boy, they descended on them throwing out questions as they approached them. Mr. Ken told the boys not to answer any question and to just keep on walking.
Mark introduced Matthew to his dad when they went into his ICU room. The man was happy to meet one of his son’s new ‘brothers’ and he thanked him for helping his son with everything at his new home.
Mr. Ken then presented the man with his cell phone that needed to be charged. But at least the man could call his family later tonight and talk to them about what happened.
After the trio finished talking to Levi, they all headed over to Miriam’s ICU room. There the same introductions happened and the cell phone was handed over. Mr. Ken did put the cell phone on the charger for the woman, and told her where it was, so she could have the nurse get it for her later tonight when it was fully charged.
They talked with the woman for about thirty minutes when the nurse asked them to leave to let the woman rest up. They all said their goodbyes, and Mark got a kiss and a hug from his mom. The boy came away with tears in his eyes.
The Cover’s next stop was going to be Billy’s room, but as they approached the nurse’s station, the nurse said that Kaden’s dad was there and they should wait until he leaves before they visit with him.
“Nurse … Kaden has NO DAD! Call security,” yelled Mr. Ken. “It could be that man Bennett who the police are looking for.” Mr. Ken then ran to the teen’s room. The boys quickly followed behind.
Mr. Ken barged through the door and into the hospital room, and when he did, he startled the man who was wrestling with Kaden, who was holding his own. Mr. Ken grabbed the man and pulled him off the injured teenager and threw him to the floor.
The two men immediately began to attack one another. One man was trying to keep the other man there, while the other man was trying his hardest to get away.
The nurse had called security as Mr. Ken directed her to, and then she headed to the room to see what, if anything, she could do. The two boys were also there watching from outside the room as the two men fought one another.
Mr. Ken wouldn’t allow Bennett Grafflers anywhere near the door. The wanted man began picking up anything he could get a hold of and throw at the man keeping him away from freedom.
The two men tussled and fought one another for almost three minutes before security came to the room and subdued both men in order to sort things out.
While that was going on, Matthew had the wherewithal to call Mr. Wayne to tell him what was going on. Mr. Wayne immediately called Dan Fischer and told him what was happening at the hospital. Dan then called in reinforcements to assist hospital security.
The reporters heard the police radio call for the Sheriff Deputies to head to the hospital for assistance in apprehending Bennett Grafflers, and then they heard the blaring of sirens approaching the place. Knowing who Bennett Grafflers was, they all tried to gain access to the building, but the security had locked down the structure and wasn’t allowing anyone in or out.
Hospital security quickly identified who was whom and released Ken Thomas.
The nurse quickly checked on Kaden and seeing his stitches had burst and he had additional injuries from fighting off the man trying to harm him, she called for additional help in the room. The room quickly became crowded with medical personnel.
Mr. Ken wasn’t uninjured. A doctor quickly looked over the disheveled man and sent him to the emergency room. He had a medical specialist use a wheelchair to take the man there and then called there to tell them to give that man priority if they could. The two boys hurried alongside their ‘dad’.
Before long, the reporters stationed outside the hospital learned that the man the Sheriff’s Deputies were looking for was apprehended inside the hospital trying to do harm to the teenager who accompanied him and his cohorts as they invaded the Goldersons’ home last Sunday.
They speculated that Bennett Grafflers was there to kill the boy and they ran with that. They also learned that Ken Thomas was the man who stopped him, and was again being hailed as a hero for saving the hapless teenager from a dreadful fate.
The boys at The Cove had the TV on in the Pavilion, and when they heard there was a Breaking News segment coming up, some of them watched to see what it was all about. When they heard Mr. Ken’s name being used, they quickly called the rest of the boys over to watch.
The Cover boys were shocked that their ‘dad’ was involved, so Robert quickly called his dad’s cell phone. Unfortunately, the man didn’t answer, so the teenager called his ‘brother’ Matthew’s cell phone. The youngster did answer.
Robert had Matthew tell him everything that happened. The teen was shocked to hear how his dad fought the man who was responsible for shooting Mark’s mom and dad, and was at the hospital to do something to Kaden.
Matthew gave his ‘brother’ almost a blow-by-blow account of what he and Mark saw from outside Kaden’s hospital room door. The young Cover then told Robert that his dad was in the E.R. being treated for his bumps and bruises that he received during the fight. Robert then had Matthew tell him what sort of injuries his dad had.
When Mr. Ken was released from the emergency room, he and the two Cover boys headed over to the Pediatric Ward to see if they could check on Kaden and then visit with Billy.
When they arrived at Kaden’s hospital room there were throngs of Sheriff’s Deputies milling around outside there, so the man decided they better just go and visit with Billy.
But Anna Stylers saw him and she went over to Mr. Ken and thanked him profusely for saving her son’s life. The woman hugged him tight as she cried and cried that she almost lost her son to the man who had befriended him.
One of the Deputies also recognized Mr. Ken and he thanked him for his help in subduing Bennett and ending a County wide man-hunt. Other Deputies heard the simple conversation and they too came over to thank him.
Mr. Ken then asked if he could see Kaden. The Deputies made it so he could go in and talk to the teenager. When the man entered the hospital room, he saw that the boy was being interviewed by Lt. Matthias, who stopped to see who came into the room. The lieutenant smiled at seeing the man who single handedly stopped the man from possibly killing the teen.
Kaden thanked the man for saving his life, and then he broke down and cried. Mr. Ken went over to the boy and tried to console the teenager. He then apologized to the lieutenant for interrupting his debriefing of what happened to the teen in his room. The lieutenant then told Mr. Ken he was next. The two laughed and Ken Thomas told him to find him in Bill’s room.
Mr. Ken, Matthew and Mark all headed to Billy’s room. When they entered the room, Billy couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He had to ask why Mr. Ken looked all beat up. It was Mark who told his ‘big brother’ that his foster dad just fought Bennett in Kaden’s room and saved him from being killed.
Billy had to hear the whole story, so Mark and Matthew told him what they saw from outside Kaden’s hospital room. Billy listened with rapt attention at how his foster dad fought Bennett and won. But he also saw that the man took a few bumps along the way.
“Mr. Ken,” began Billy, “I know exactly how you feel,” now laughed the teen, who winced because his ribs hurt when he did that.
The four Covers talked, but it was Matthew who asked the most questions of his older ‘brother’. The younger Cover had missed Billy the most and was super happy his older ‘brother’ would be back at The Cove when he was released from the hospital.
Detective Matthias did find Mr. Ken in Bill Dirketson’s hospital room and he asked the man to step out into the hallway where he could ask him a few quick questions about what happened in Kaden’s room. Mr. Ken answered them honestly and completely and when he was finished, the lieutenant thanked the man for his quick action in saving the teenager’s life.
Mr. Ken decided he wanted to go back to talk to Levi some more about his home, so he told the three boys where he was going, then left them to themselves to talk. When he arrived at Levi’s ICU room, Delta was there telling him what she heard the men talking about, and that he needed to hire a remediation company before the repairs could start. Mr. Ken seconded what she said.
But it was Mr. Ken’s appearance, from about an hour, or so ago, when he visited him, that caught Mr. Golderson’s attention. He had to ask and Mr. Ken gave him and Mrs. Oxtter the Cliff’s Notes version of the fight he had with Bennett. That totally surprised Levi and the man wanted to know more.
As the Covers departed the hospital, the news reporters saw them and they rushed over to talk to Mr. Ken. They asked him about the fight and how it was that he was there to stop the man from harming, or even killing, the teenager.
Mr. Ken answered their questions, knowing if he didn’t do it there, they would be waiting at The Cove for when he returned. He answered as honestly as he dared, trying not to tell them how he knew the teen. Unfortunately, Anna Stylers had talked to the news media and they knew that her son had been a frequent visitor at his estate, and they wanted to know more.
Mr. Ken took a deep breath and then told them that the teen was indeed a frequent visitor at Three Finger Cove, but he had broken a major Rule at The Cove and was then disinvited.
One reporter asked if it was the teen’s arrest a few weeks back that caused his being excluded from the estate. Mr. Ken said that he couldn’t comment on the arrest, but he did say that he didn’t subscribe to illegal drugs and their use, and that any boy or adult who uses them, and he learns about it, will not be invited to his home.
Then one reporter asked Mr. Ken if the foster boy, Billy, the Goldersons were fostering when their home was invaded, was the same Billy he fostered, and they asked why the teen was sent away from his home and if drugs had anything to do with it.
Mr. Ken felt like he was between a rock and a hard place with the question. He didn’t want to say anything bad about Kaden, but if he answered the question, he would undoubtedly do that. And if he didn’t answer the question they would come back again and again until they got an answer.
“This is the last question that I am going to answer. Yes … the Billy that the Goldersons were fostering … was the same teen that I was previously fostering. You heard my stance on illegal drugs … and when they were found in the teen’s room, I had Children’s Protective Services move him.
“What I didn’t know, at the time, was that someone had planted those drugs in order to get him away from my estate in order to get access to him. Unfortunately, the teen was sent to the Goldersons who were invaded by the men who wanted to get a hold of Bill for whatever reason, that we still do not know.
“I do not know why those three men wanted to get a hold of Bill, but … if your reports are correct then … then it had to be something to do with Larry Masson … and Jody Franks. Maybe … just maybe Bennett Grafflers will tell his story one day and let us all know why. Now it is time I get home and take care of my injuries and my boys.”
Mr. Ken walked over to his truck, with the boys in tow. The Covers then drove directly home.
Momma Maria held dinner for her employer. Mr. Wayne told her about the man’s encounter at the hospital, and that he and the boys talked with Billy and then he was inundated with questions from the news media. The Covers were almost forty minutes late because of heavy traffic.
When ‘dad’ Ken entered the Kitchen Nook all the boys ran to hug him for what he did at the hospital. Even if he did save Kaden, the boys knew that the teen didn’t deserve to die the way that man was trying to do it. Mr. Ken just graciously accepted the hugs.
Momma Maria had tears in her eyes and after the boys were finished with their hugs, Momma went over to the man and hugged him tight. She thanked him for what he did, and then she told him to sit and eat. Mr. Ken thanked her and smiled at being told to eat.
Dinner was lively as the boys all wanted to know what happened at Kaden’s room. Mark and Matthew gave them their perspective from watching the fight from outside the room. ‘Dad’ Ken just told them all he was intent on doing was keeping him from harming Kaden any more than he already had and to keep him from getting away.
After dinner, the Covers headed to the Study to talk. The first thing ‘dad’ Ken asked was if anyone had hung up Mark and Bill’s clothes. None of the boys answered, so ‘dad’ Ken took that as a no. He then told the boys that the Bandera DA wanted to talk to Kevin, Kyle and Robert and that he was getting ready to try Parker Parchsons during the first week of August.
Hearing that, made all the boys moan. They had all planned to head out to visit their ‘dad’s’ amusement parks that week and now that meant they would have to wait until the trial was over.
Mr. Wayne then spoke up and said the DA wanted to come up on Saturday, but he told him that the boys already had something planned and that Friday was the only day available this week. The Estate Master told the three boys that the DA would be there about ten o’clock, and for them to be showered and dressed and ready to talk to him. There was no discussion.
‘Dad’ Ken then told the boys that with the trail beginning the first week of August and school beginning on the 23rd, they still had two weeks in between and they only needed nine or ten days to visit the amusement parks and for them to just hope and pray that everything will work out for the best.
Mr. Ken then reminded Mark that he had an appointment with Doctor Doug tomorrow at 1 p.m. and that they would then visit his parents after that. Mark thanked the man for reminding him.
Mr. Ken then asked the boys if they had anything they wanted to bring up. Mark asked if someone could help him set up his pitcher’s rubber and home plate and maybe catch for him, so he can work on his pitching for next year.
Mark also asked if anyone played soccer. He told them that he was supposed to be getting prepared for the season, but with everything that happened he hasn’t been able to do any exercises or running. The boy wanted to know if his ‘brothers’, or their friends, would play so he could get into shape. Robert said he’d talk to their friends tomorrow.
Since there was nothing else that needed to be brought up, ‘dad’ Ken had everyone head upstairs. He had them go to Mark’s and Bill’s rooms to start sorting their clothes and hanging up the things that need to go on hangers. The man had Robert and Charles work with him in Bill’s room while Mr. Wayne and the remaining boys helped Mark.
By the time the bedroom closets were organized, Mr. Ken could feel the weight of the day on his shoulders. So, he quickly talked to all of the boys before heading down to his own bedroom to see if he could get a good night’s sleep.
When the men went downstairs, Mr. Wayne was going to tell his boss what he and Mr. Chris did during the day, but Mr. Ken asked Wayne to hold off until tomorrow, as he needed to lie down and soon. The two men said goodnight to one another and headed to their own retreats.
The boys stayed up later than they should have, talking about what Robert saw at the Goldersons’ home. He even showed them the pictures he took. They then talked more about what their ’dad’ did to save Kaden.
Just before they broke up their confab and went to bed, Robert told them that their ‘dad’ was being pulled from way too many directions right now, and they all needed to handle problems first, and if they can’t then they must take them to Mr. Wayne. The teen then told his ‘brothers’ that their ‘dad’ was looking to hire someone else to help Mr. Wayne work with them.
The boys wanted to talk about that, but the teenager told them there was nothing to discuss. Robert said if their ‘dad’ thought he needed more help then he needed more help, and they all should support him and whomever he hires.
All the boys could sense there was something happening at The Cove, but they couldn’t figure out what it was. Right now, their ‘dad’ was taking care of Mark, and it was taking up all of his time. They all hoped that things would get back to normal, whatever that is.
It was quiet in The Cove that night, but the boys all slept restlessly as they dreamt about what the future might be.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhound at CastleRoland dot Net
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