Published: 4 Jan 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

The Cover boys went to bed with a much better understanding of what was going on with their ‘dad’, and the problems he faced trying to allow not only Collin to go with them on their trip, but also Ryan.

Phillip didn’t understand half of what was being said that night. But what he did like was that everyone was talking about the reason why something could or wouldn’t happen, which was something his mother never did with him. He slept well that night knowing he had a wonderful, loving home to live in and a man he could call ‘dad’ and a dog to play with.

The Cove was quiet all night through. And, as for the owner of The Cove, he slept so soundly that if a bomb went off, he wouldn’t have woken up, he was that worn out tired.

Ken Thomas woke up refreshed Sunday morning. He knew when he went to bed the previous night that he was extremely tired, and that he needed a good night’s rest to rejuvenate his body and his mind. He felt that morning, when he awoke, that he achieved both of those goals.

After doing his normal morning routine, before leaving his retreat, the owner of The Cove put on his t-shirt, nylon running shorts and Crocs and went outside to retrieve his morning newspaper. The next thing he did was to go inside to get his first cup of hot coffee and put a large number of breakfast tacos in the convection oven for his guests and his brood of boys. He just hoped there would be enough coffee for Owen and Nathan.

Mr. Ken opened up his Sunday newspaper and separated it, as he usually did into sections with the ads and fliers in one pile and the readable news in another. He then chose Section A and began to read the front page and there on it he saw a picture of the archbishop and him with the By-Line: A Special Blessing for The Hero

Mr. Ken knew he better read what the newspaper had to say about what happened at the Picnic yesterday, between him and the archbishop, so that’s where he began reading the newspaper. After reading the article that essentially said what actually happened, Mr. Ken decided he’d also better watch the local news channel to see what they were reporting there.

As he turned on the TV to the news channel he regularly watched, they were just beginning the segment showing the archbishop giving him the blessing, so Mr. Ken turned up the sound, so he could watch and listen to the report.

Ken Thomas sat there stunned at what he just watched. He expected something different and now he was pleased at the way the television station portrayed the special blessing from the archbishop. It was as he turned around to continue reading his newspaper that he heard the applause.

It was his ‘boys’, and his weekend guests, who had come down for breakfast that, while he was so engrossed in watching the report, he didn’t hear enter the Kitchen Nook who were now applauding. They had watched the television report over his shoulder and had decided to give him one last applause when he turned around.

“Thank you for that applause. I am humbled again for something that I am being heralded for that I don’t believe I deserve. But I thank you anyway,” offered the owner of The Cove.

The boys then went over and hugged their ‘dad’ and thanked him for being a ‘hero’ and for being the best ‘dad’ they all knew. Collin told him, as he hugged him, that he would always be his ‘hero’, even if he doesn’t feel like he is. The Big Brother smiled as the two hugged.

Mr. Ken then told everyone that he had breakfast tacos in the convection oven and that if they weren’t warm enough there was the microwave, they could use to make them hotter. He also told Owen and Nathan that the coffee was hot, and for them to tell him if they are heavy coffee drinkers, and he’ll make another pot.

The big group sat around the Nook’s table and as they ate their breakfast tacos they talked about yesterday’s Picnic. Chase told how Mark told him about the home invasion and how he was stuck in the Safe Room, while his mom and dad were tied up in their bedroom, and Billy was being beaten by the three men in his own bedroom.

Chase told everyone how Mark told him that he could hear everything the men said and did to Billy, while he was in the Safe Room, and that he kept pushing the Panic Button, but the police never came.

The young boy added that Mark told him that his dad got free, somehow, and shot and killed one of the men and then shot another one. Chase also told how one of the men picked up a gun and fired it into the bedroom until it was empty, but that some of the bullets hit his mom and dad. Chase finished by saying Mark’s parents were now suing the alarm company for a lot of money.

Billy quickly spoke up and said that Mr. Ken was also suing the alarm company for him, and that he hoped that he’ll get a few dollars from them, too. Billy then smiled and went back to eating his breakfast taco.

Mr. Ken changed the subject and told Owen and Nathan that Chief was hoping to have a litter of pups towards the end of July, and he asked them if they were interested in having one of them. Their three boys looked at one another and then Chase asked his dad if they could get one of the puppies.

Owen told his son, and thus the other two boys, that they would all have to sit down, as a family, and talk about it when they get home. Chase started to argue, but his dad told him that this was not the time. Jayden, Chase’s older brother, also told him to stop as the puppies wouldn’t be born for another six or seven weeks and that it would be another six to eight weeks after that before they were weened and could then be given to their new owners. Chase looked to Ryder to see what he thought, and the teen just nodded, as he agreed with Jayden. Chase just sat there and pouted.

Billy then spoke up and reminded Mr. Ken that Gus and his family would be coming over at noon and he would be giving them the ‘quarter’ tour. The teen’s ‘brothers’ never heard of the ‘quarter’ tour, so they asked him about what that was. Billy told them that the ‘nickel’ tour only showed them the highlights of The Cove, but that the ‘quarter’ tour also showed them their messy bedrooms and dirty underwear.

The boys all said in unison, “Ewwwww! Not our underwear!” Then they all laughed. Even the men laughed, as that was definitely a great response.

After the breakfast dishes were put in the dishwasher and the Kitchen Nook was cleaned up everyone went to get their showers and dressed for their day. Phillip went to his bathroom and Chase saw him go into what he once knew was the Girl’s Bathroom, so he asked him why.

Phillip told him that because he was only ten, when he came there, his ‘dad’, Mr. Ken, told him he could use that bathroom, because he might not be ready to shower with the older boys. Chase asked him if he could also use that bathroom, because the other one would be really crowded with six older boys trying to get their showers at the same time.

Phillip thought about it for a few moments, then he figured that Chase was only a year older than he was and he probably needed to start getting used to other boys seeing him without his clothes on, and maybe getting showers with them, too. The Cover then told the weekend guest to make sure he had a clean towel.

The two younger boys then went into the bathroom and Chase was surprised that there were urinals in there now. Phillip told him that his ‘dad’ had them put in because, when Mark was living there, they had more boys than shower heads and his ‘brothers’ convinced him to add them, and more shower heads, so they could get cleaned up easier in the mornings.

Chase quickly took his clothes off and got in one of the showers. Phillip was surprised that he did it so easily, so Phillip took his clothes off and got into one of the other showers. What surprised the Cover next was that he and Chase finished and came out of their showers at the same time.

Phillip was initially shocked that he was standing there naked in front of Chase. But he saw that Chase wasn’t looking, but was drying himself off, and so that’s what he did. Chase talked to the Cover as he dried himself and told Phillip that it was nice not having to fight the older boys for a shower head. Phillip said he never showered with them, so didn’t know what that was like.

The two both used deodorant and put it on before they put their underwear on. They were both standing there naked when Matthew came in looking for them. Phillip almost put his hands in front of his ‘boy parts’, but he didn’t because Chase hadn’t. Matthew told them that they were all going to head up to the Pavilion, when they were dressed, and for them to meet them in the garage. Both boys then put their underwear on and then headed to Phillip’s room to get dressed.

As the boys gathered to go up to the Pavilion, the adults, and Collin, met in the Study. Big Bro Ken was surprised that Collin didn’t go with his ‘brothers’ and the three other boys, so he asked the young man why. Collin told his Big Bro that he wanted to talk to him about him and Ryan going along to visit his amusement parks.

The young man’s Big Bro told him that he wouldn’t know anything until Chris came to work on Tuesday, and by then it might be too late to add them. Collin told his Big Bro that when he told him that he would have to see about it on Friday, that he called his travel people to see if they could get him a room, at the same hotels his Big Bro uses. Collin continued and said that they may have already found him rooms at each of the places his Big Bro has an amusement park.

Mr. Ken smiled at the resourcefulness of his first foster son. But he told Collin that he still wouldn’t know until Tuesday when Chris came to work and when he called his travel people to see if they had any success in getting him any rooms. Collin asked if he could still go if he got a room at another hotel.

Mr. Ken knew from the way Collin was being persistent that he really wanted to go along, so the man told his ‘little bro’ that he’d do everything he could to let him go. But he reminded Collin that he needed to remember that with his being under twenty-one he might not be allowed to stay in the hotel rooms.

Collin said that he’d have his travel people qualify that he is the owner of C.W.E. Inc. and even though he was under twenty-one, the company would guarantee the room and that he would also be accompanied by two pilots and a flight attendant. Mr. Ken inwardly smiled at the measures his first foster son was going through in order to go with him and his ‘brothers’ to the amusement parks.

“Collin … I hear what you’re saying. What say we wait until Tuesday and then we’ll talk to Chris and you can call your travel people, and then we’ll know. OK?” offered Big Bro Ken, in order to put an end to that discussion, as he knew they would not be able to make a decision until they had all the information. Collin agreed to wait until they could talk to those people on Tuesday.

Changing the subject, Mr. Ken asked Collin if his ‘brothers’ ever had the chance to look over his new house plans. Collin said he didn’t think they had, so the young man’s Big Bro asked him to spread them out on the Dining Room table, so they could all gather around, later, and look at them together.

Owen and Nathan asked if they could look at them, too. Collin said for them to follow along and he’d show them and explain to them what they were seeing. The three men walked out of the Study and while they did that Wayne was arriving at The Cove.

“What brings you in so early, Wayne?” asked the man’s boss.

“Well, I wasn’t sure when your guests were leaving and I wanted to be able to say goodbye,” offered the Estate Master.

Up at the Pavilion, the boys were enjoying the Cove Skate Park. There were only the eight of them, so they had the entire Cove Skate Park to themselves, which Jayden, Ryder and Chase took advantage of. The three guests didn’t have anything that good close to them, so they wanted to experience as much of the Cove Skate Park as they could.

While Owen and Nathan were looking over Collin’s plans to change the estate known as Wilkinson, Mr. Ken and Wayne talked about yesterday’s picnic. The owner of The Cove told his Estate Master that he got to talk to Drew Whittier about his divorce from his wife, Ivy.

Mr. Ken told Wayne that Drew told him that with Jules’ help, he found that Ivy was cheating on him and with that information and the way she’d been treating him, and the boys, he was able to divorce her and win custody of the boys. Ken also told Wayne that Drew told him that Jules and Eleanor were seeing more and more of one another, and that his mom hasn’t been that happy in a very long time. Ken said he wouldn’t be surprised if there was a wedding in the making.

Mr. Ken, before he told Wayne what he wanted to do next, got up from behind his desk and looked out of his Study to see if Collin was coming back that way. When he felt that the three men were still looking at the plans, he came back into the room and sat behind his desk.

“Wayne … Doctor Jennings … he pulled me aside yesterday and talked to me about Collin. He told me that the two of them had a good discussion and that they continued it when they both went to lunch together.

“Wayne … Doctor Doug told me that Collin … that he is in need of a feeling of … of belonging. That with the loss of his grandmother he has no one else to fall back on and … and he asked me to try to give Collin more attention in the form of … a ‘family’.

“So, Wayne … while Collin remodels Wilkinson, I’m going to invite him to live here, at The Cove. I’ll tell him to come and go as he needs to, and to go back and forth to check on the progress at Wilkinson. I’ll tell him that I still want him to go and visit his manufacturing plants and to go out with his friends and date, and not worry about when he needs to come home.

“You do understand where I’m coming from, don’t you, Wayne? So, do you think I’m doing the right thing?” asked Mr. Ken, wanting to get some feedback on what he thought about doing to help his first foster son to move on with his life.

When Wayne was going to answer his employer, he heard the three men coming through the MRS Room, so he told Mr. Ken they’d talk later after his guests left.

“Ken, Collin will surely have a fabulous estate when they finish remodeling it, that’s for sure,” said Nathan, as he and his partner, Owen, and Collin came back to the Study.

“Ken, this has been another wonderful escape for us and our boys,” began Owen. “We don’t know how we could ever pay you back for what you have done for us. In the beginning, the way you and your boys treated our boys, and then the continued friendship you’ve shown us with the repeated invitations to these picnics just blows our minds. And, we really do want you and the boys to visit us at our humble home someday.”

Their host, Ken Thomas, told the men that it might be a difficult thing for him to fit into his schedule, with all of the plans and projects he has going. The man did say, though, that maybe the boys could make it over there, as they don’t have any pressing engagements that he knew of. All the men laughed.

Owen then nodded to Nathan that he thought it was time they gathered the boys up and headed back home. Mr. Ken saw that and told the men that the boys’ friends would be there soon and at about two o’clock the boys would heat up yesterday’s leftovers, and then they could all enjoy those wonderful foods again. The owner of The Cove asked the men to stay and help them finish off the brisket, pulled pork, chicken breasts, baked beans, and all the other picnic type foods.

Nathan told Owen that they didn’t have anything else planned for the rest of the day and that yesterday’s food was awesome. So, he implored his partner to let the boys continue to skate and then they all could get another good meal and, then with a smile, said that maybe they could have some leftovers to take home.

Owen saw the smile on Nathan’s face and knew his best friend and lover was right. So, he agreed and then said they should head up to the Cove Skate Park and join their boys, as they were growing up and they won’t get the chance to have this kind of fun with them this often.

As the Cover Boys’ friends arrived, Gus and his parents, along with his thirteen-year-old brother, Gunter, also arrived. Billy met his friend and his family and began showing them around The Cove. They’d already seen the Pavilion, the Cove Skate Park and the new storage building, but Billy gave them some of the behind-the-scenes tidbits of how some of it came to be.

Billy then told Gus’ dad about how his oldest son liked playing soccer and when he saw the soccer field, which wasn’t really there anymore, he’d get the other boys and they’d play a good game. Ulrich could see the two goals and the faint outline of the soccer pitch, so he asked about it.

Billy told him all about Mark and how much he liked soccer and that Mr. Ken went and had the soccer pitch made for him, and then when his ‘brother’ joined a team, the team practiced there. Ulrich was thoroughly impressed that Mr. Thomas would spend that kind of money just for the one boy.

Billy took the Dodenhoffer’s down to the house to show them around there. He started at the garage and Ulrich was again impressed that his tour guide used his thumb print to open the side door to gain entrance. When the man asked why, Billy told him that at one time someone gained entry into the house, who shouldn’t have, when they didn’t have that type of security, but he didn’t elaborate any further.

Ulrich and Astrid were taken aback when they saw the view through the picture window down to the lake from the Kitchen Nook. Astrid told Ulrich she wanted a home like that. Billy smiled. The Cover continued the tour and showed his guests the Dining Room, the MRS Room and then let them look over the clear glass railing down into the Great Room before heading down there.

Billy finished the tour down in the Great Room by showing them the Rumford Fireplace, the Wet Bar, the Theater, the Wine Cellar, which he told them held over 1500 bottles of wine, that he hadn’t tasted yet and the Party Restrooms. The Dodenhoffer’s smiled at that comment about not tasting the wine, because in Germany the children often have wine with dinner, with their parents

The guests, like most other people, were also surprised when they saw the size of the Party Restrooms. The Cover explained to them that they were built out into the ground beyond the front of the house. That impressed Ulrich as it showed that Mr. Thomas wasn’t afraid to go ‘outside’ the box in building what he wanted in order to meet his needs.

As the tour group walked up the winding stairs Billy stopped by the Study to see if his foster dad would allow the Dodenhoffer’s to see it, too.

“Come in, come in,” welcomed Mr. Ken. “This is where, well, it used to be from where I ran my empire, but I now … well, I work out of my office building now, and Wayne, my Estate Master, here, uses it more than I do now,” laughed the owner of The Cove.

“Oh, and these are our friends Owen and Nathan. They and their three boys were my weekend guests, and the boys are up at the Pavilion and Cove Skate Park. Owen, by-the-way, is a mechanical engineer and Nathan is a civil engineer,” was how Mr. Ken introduced the other two men in the Study.

“Estate Master?” asked Astrid, wondering what that was, and why he needed one.

“Oh, yes, you see when I can’t be here, when I am out of town on business, Wayne, he is a licensed foster parent, too, like me, and he takes care of the boys for me,” explained Mr. Ken.

Astrid looked to Ulrich with a question on her face. Billy thought he understood what she was asking, so he told them that his foster dad wasn’t married and that Mr. Wayne was approved by the Children’s Protective Services, a government agency, to stand in for him when he was away.

The two Dodenhoffer’s talked in German and Gus joined in to try to explain what it all meant. In the end, Astrid said that she now understood that Mr. Thomas’ boys always needed someone around to be responsible for them.

“You surround yourself with many good people, Mr. Thomas,” proffered Ulrich. “I met a couple of Vice Presidents, one of a circuit board manufacturing company, then a veterinarian, a heavy construction company owner and an investor in one of your projects and also a bank manager.

“I also met structural and architectural engineers, a Public Relations Manager, a real estate developer, as well as some of the County Commissioners, and local judges, the Sheriff and a few of his top-ranking officers. And I bet there were many more of the same sort of invited guests among the people I didn’t get to meet yesterday,” chuckled Ulrich.

“Yes, there were. But there were also, homemakers, secretary’s, linesmen, a college professor, a private investigator, lawyers, a medical technician, heavy construction operators and many, many more every-day people. I like to surround myself with people from all walks of life. What better way to keep myself rounded on what is happening in my community,” Mr. Ken cheerfully told his guest.

“You have built yourself a wonderful home here, Mr. Thomas. While Billy was showing us around, I saw some … what looked like some new building plans in the Dining Room. I take it you are looking to build another wonderful residence?” stated Ulrich.

Mr. Ken laughed and then offered, “Oh, no, Ulrich, those are Collin’s home plans. He is planning to redesign the Wilkinson Estate. It is the home he inherited from his parents,” continued Mr. Ken. “He brought them here for me to look over, so I could give him my take on what I saw. I did see some things that I told him that he should consider.”

“I see. Collin … he, ahh … he was your first … ahh foster, I do believe?” stated Ulrich, in a question sort of way.

“Yes, sir,” spoke up Collin, “he was my first foster dad, but … well, he was more like a Big Brother to me, than a foster dad.” Now smiled Collin.

Astrid was confused and Mr. Ken saw the puzzlement in the woman’s face. So, he explained that when Collin came to him, he was a fifteen-year-old teenager and he was almost twenty-three and he had just graduated from college, and that they were more in age like a big brother and little brother, than a ‘dad’ and ‘son’. The owner of The Cove continued that they called one another ‘Big Bro’ and ‘Little Bro’ at times because of that.

Collin added that he looked up to Mr. Ken more as a big brother and that even though he was his foster dad, at the time, it was easier talking to and relating with him, as if he was his ‘big brother’.

Astrid thanked them for that clarification and that it now made perfect sense to her.

Ulrich then asked Collin if he could take a closer look at the plans. The guest told the young man that he is an architect, back home in Germany, and he would like to see what sort of designs they used there in the States.

Billy nudged Gus and his brother, Gunther, to follow him. Then once out in the Foyer, he told them they should head up to the Pavilion and the other boys and they could talk to them and Gunther could use the Cove Skate Park. Gunther was all for that.

As Ulrich and Collin walked out of the Study, Owen and Nathan told their host that they wanted to head up to the Pavilion and Cove Skate Park and catch up with their sons and maybe skate some, before lunch.

Wayne quickly pulled out his cell phone and called Robert and asked him for either he, or one of his ‘brothers’, to drive one of the golf carts down to the house, so Owen and Nathan can be taken up to the Pavilion, The Estate Master told the Cover the men wanted to join their boys out on the Cove Skate Park. The golf cart was there in less than five minutes with Phillip at the wheel.

The owner of The Cove then asked Astrid if she wanted to join them and watch her sons, or wait until her husband was finished looking at the home plans. Astrid remarked that her husband would be there looking over the house plans for hours, so she would love to go up and watch her sons and the other boys. Wayne decided to go along with the three already going up to the Pavilion

With everyone gone from the Study, Mr. Ken decided to go over to the Dining Room to see what Ulrich and Collin were doing with the plans the young man brought with him for the redesign of the Wilkinson estate.

As he was walking towards the Dining Room, Matthew and Gunther passed him. ‘Dad’ Ken stopped them and asked Matthew what they were doing back in the house. Matthew told his ‘dad’ that his ‘brother’ told them he was going to give his guests the ‘quarter’ tour, but that he really only gave them the ‘nickel’ tour.

The young Cover then added he was giving Gunther what Billy didn’t show him: the messy rooms and dirty underwear. Both boys laughed as they continued past the owner of The Cove and went up the stairs. ‘Dad’ Ken just laughed and continued on to the Dining Room.

When Astrid arrived up at the Pavilion, Phillip and his band mates, Westin on guitar, Jeffrey on Drums, Ty on Guitar and Bryson and Preston singing, were playing at the opening of the new storage garage. The lady was surprised that such a young group of boys played so well. She sat down in the conversation pit on that side of the Pavilion and listened to the boys play.

Mr. Ken, Ulrich and Collin looked over the Wilkinson home plans and the architect had some additional ideas he passed on to Collin. The Cove’s guest presented Collin with a few design concepts that he thought would enhance the flow of the downstairs and make the swimming pool area larger and more enjoyable with a bigger deck, locker room and an indoor hot tub or sauna, or both. Collin had a big smile on his face when he heard the man’s ideas.

The three men were so thoroughly engrossed in looking over the Wilkinson estate’s plans and discussing Ulrich’s ideas that they lost track of the time. It wasn’t until Robert called his dad’s cell phone to tell him that lunch was being readied that they realized they had been at it for almost two hours.

Billy was outside the Foyer Door with the six-seat golf cart waiting for the three men to come outside to take them up to the Pavilion. On the ride up to where they would have lunch, the three talked about the changes Ulrich suggested and that Collin was very enthusiastic about. Billy listened and heard how Collin was eager to get back to talk to his architect and discuss the new ideas.

The band was still playing when the golf cart arrived at the Pavilion. Astrid went over to her husband and told him how well the young band was for being so young. She then talked to Mr. Ken and asked him if he also sponsored the young boys into forming the band.

Mr. Ken laughed and told the woman that Phillip was one of his foster sons and that many of his friends also played instruments and that they slowly came together and began playing as a group. He told Astrid that they’d only been playing for about three or four weekends, now.

The boys had brought out all of the leftovers from the Picnic and had reheated them. They had also set up the serving line and when everything was ready, they asked the adults to go through first and then get their drink of choice from the drink machines.

Mr. Ken, Wayne, Collin, Ulrich and Astrid sat at one of the benches at the back of the Pavilion, so they could talk. Ulrich and Astrid again thanked their host for everything they did for their son, Gustaf, by allowing him to come to his wonderful estate every weekend, and enjoy everything he had there, as well as taking him to Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

Ulrich told the owner of The Cove how Gus wrote to them that he was invited to help with the Easter Egg Roll he had there at his estate and how much fun the teen had helping. Astrid added that the idea of the foreign exchange student program was for the student to experience a different culture and create lasting friendships, but that it was the little things that make their year special, and that Mr. Thomas had definitely showed their son lots of ‘little’ things.

The woman told their host that he had also made Gustaf’s year a very memorable one. She said that on that first day, when he spoke German to him, their son was taken aback and then he felt immediately at home, away from home.

Ulrich continued and imparted to Mr. Thomas that he was like an ‘uncle’ to their son, which made Gustaf no longer feel all alone and far away from home. The German architect then reached across the table, grabbed Mr. Ken’s hands, held them and said to their host a very sincere, “Thank you!”

Ulrich and Astrid then expressed to Mr. Ken that he should try to find some time to visit them in Germany one day. They remarked to him that they knew this summer would not work as most people would have that time already planned. But they asked the owner of The Cove to seriously consider next summer and to bring his sons and foster sons and plan to spend two or three weeks there with them as their guides.

Mr. Ken thanked them for the invitation and declared that he would pencil it into his schedule. But he continued and expressed to them how busy he usually is during the summers with his visiting his amusement parks, that his ‘sons’ always look forward to, and coordinating his other annual projects that he has. They said they understood, but hoped that one day that he and the boys would come over and visit them.

While the boys were eating, Matthew told them how Billy didn’t give Gus’ family the ‘quarter’ tour like he planned, but the ‘nickel’ tour everybody else gets. When they asked what the ‘quarter’ tour included, Gunther quickly took center stage and spoke up and said Matthew took him down to the house and showed him all their messy rooms and their dirty underwear. All the boys laughed.

Phillip’s other friends, Tony, Kurt and Travis, who didn’t get to come over to The Cove last Sunday, like Ty did, were there that Sunday. They heard all about the previous day’s Memorial Day Picnic and they now also got to taste the leftovers. They heard the story about the ‘quarter’ tour and asked Phillip if that was true. Phillip said it wasn’t and that Matthew was only kidding, because they all had hampers for their dirty clothes.

Phillip’s friends also got to skate again, they got to meet Gunther and they listened to the band play. They now understood why Ty was invited back last Sunday, which was so they could practice. And they were equally happy they were back now and would be tomorrow. But they also knew that once school was out, they wouldn’t be back until Phillip called them once he was back from his ten to twelve-day trip. But for now, they were going to enjoy the rest of the day.

When lunch was over, the boys put everything away. Owen and Nathan told Robert that they would take most of the leftovers with them when they left and would have them for their dinner and asked that they place everything back in the refrigerator which the boys gladly did.

Since the boys didn’t have school tomorrow, they didn’t have to leave The Cove until six, so many of the boys wanted to swim, and that’s what they did. Gunther went to his parents and asked them if he could also go swimming. They looked to Mr. Ken who told them the boys had to leave by six, so it really was up to them. Gunther hurried to catch up with Matthew and his friends.

As the boys were beginning to hurry down to the house to swim, Owen and Nathan called their boys over and told them to gather their overnight things, as they were going to head back home. The boys weren’t ready to go, but the dads reminded them that they had a long drive ahead of them.

The boys reluctantly went down to the house to gather up their clothes, Robert took them down in one of the golf carts. Mr. Ken excused himself from the Dodenhoffer’s to take Owen and Nathan, and the leftovers, down to the house to get their things in order to leave, as well. Ulrich and Astrid stayed behind and talked to the remaining older teens and Collin.

Many of the older teens stayed back and talked about what they intended to do that summer since they all would be sixteen-years-old and they all wanted jobs. They went to Mr. Wayne and asked him if he knew anything more about the Four Corners Amusement Park opening and when they would start hiring.

Mr. Wayne told them that the new Operations Manager was just hired and until he has a handle on the construction schedule and the installation of the rides, he won’t begin the hiring process. That wasn’t what the boys wanted to hear, but it was what it was.

Mr. Wayne then got Billy and Lonnie aside and told them that he bought them smaller surface cleaners that they could more easily hold against the wall. He then asked them to start their job tomorrow. He told them they could start slow to get comfortable with the new device and then they could speed up, as they go along.

The Estate Master also reminded them that not only were they doing the estate’s walls, inside and out where they could reach, they were also doing the Main Gate house, the Patio, the stairs to the dock, the curb and the driveway and curb from the entrance all the way to the end including the circular drive. The man said they’d talk more about the job tomorrow.

About a half-hour later, everyone up at the Pavilion saw and heard Owen and Nathan, and their boys , drive out of the estate as they blew their car’s horn as a way to say goodbye. Soon, thereafter, Mr. Ken drove a golf cart back up to the Pavilion.

Down in the indoor pool, Phillip and his friends enjoyed swimming and Gunther joined in playing some of the lifeguard’s games along with Matthew and his friends. And without the older teens playing, the games became more interesting because the sides were more equal in size.

As the younger boys swam, the adults continued to talk and they asked the older teenagers what their plans were for the summer. The teens all mentioned they were all looking for jobs, but without a driver’s license they said it was going to be difficult. A few asked Mr. Ken if he knew when his Four Corner’s Amusement Park would start hiring.

Mr. Ken told the teenagers that they would have to watch for the announcement, as he would be gone for two weeks starting Saturday. He did tell them that with about a dozen rides, five or six game booths and about three or four refreshment stands there should be ample jobs available. He also mentioned that the ride operators would need to be trained before the they opened the amusement park, so they could be on the payroll earlier than that. The teens smiled after hearing that.

Before long the swimmers came up to the Pavilion indicating it was almost time for them to go home. Mr. Ken told his guests that the boys’ friends always left by six o’clock when there was no school the next day, and before long the parents would be picking them up, or the boys who rode their bikes, would be heading home for the night.

Gus went to his parents and told them that it was time for them to head out, too, and to let Mr. Ken and his family go out to dinner. Gus thanked Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne for hosting his family again that day. He shook hands with Collin and wished him well in his endeavors. He then told Billy that he probably wouldn’t be over tomorrow, as he would be showing his mom, dad and brother around the area and that he’d see him at school on Tuesday.

The Dodenhoffer’s thanked Mr. Thomas for his hospitality and again reiterated their desire for him and his family to visit them in Germany next year. They also said goodbye to Mr. Wayne and Collin and then the family got into their vehicle and drove out of the estate.

When all of the day’s visitors were gone, the Covers went out to Four Corner’s for dinner. After that the boys drove the go-karts and then they went to Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone for ice cream.

When they returned to The Cove, without Mr. Wayne, who went back to his apartment, they sat around the Study and talked about the weekend and how they viewed the Picnic and how it went and today’s get together with their friends.

When they were finished with their discussion, Mr. Ken dispensed with any updates on appointments and future plans. He just told the boys to go up to their rooms and relax and that he’d be up there to say goodnight to them in a few minutes.

When ‘dad’ Ken did say goodnight to the boys he didn’t linger. He hugged them all and told them to sleep well. But Charles did remind him that he promised to take them out to breakfast tomorrow. The teen’s dad said that if he had all of his ‘brothers’ showered, dressed and down in the Kitchen Nook by 9:30 they’d go out to breakfast. Charles hugged his dad tight.

In Phillip’s room, ‘dad’ Ken told the boy that he’d try to get him over to see his mom twice that coming week, as they would be gone for two weeks and he wouldn’t get to see her during that time. Phillip thanked his ‘dad’ for telling him that. The two hugged and then ‘dad’ Ken headed over to Collin’s Room.

In Collin’s room, the young man was waiting for his Big Bro. Collin thanked his Big Bro for letting him be a part of the weekend and then he hugged him. It was then that the young man’s Big Bro told him that while he was remodeling Wilkinson, he was welcome to use The Cove as his base of operations to go back-and-forth to check on its progress, and to also go out and visit his plants.

The invitation brought tears to Colin’s eyes and he hugged his Big Brother hard. The young man then thanked his Big Bro for letting him stay there during all that time. Big Bro Ken told Collin that they could talk about it more tomorrow and, for now, he should just get a good night’s rest.

They hugged one more time and then the owner of The Cove headed down to his own retreat. He passed Chief who was on her way up to Collin’s room.

It had been a long weekend and it wasn’t over yet. But Mr. Ken was satisfied with how things had gone and now he was looking forward to the coming week, and the trip with his ‘boys’.

When Mr. Ken lay his head down on his pillow that Sunday night, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. Everyone in the home slept well that night.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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