Published: 11 Jan 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

The invitation brought tears to Collin’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 on the stairs, 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.

When Mr. Ken woke up that Monday, he remembered that he promised his son that he’d take the boys out to breakfast. So, he took his shower to get ready for his day, then he went out to get his morning newspaper. Entering the Kitchen Nook, the man filled his favorite coffee cup with hot coffee and then he sat down and began to separate the paper, as was his habit, before he read Section A.

The boys assembled in the Kitchen Nook well before 9:30, the time ‘dad’ Ken told Charles to have his ‘brothers’ there. Phillip quickly took care of Chief’s bowls, so the resident pet would have clean water and fresh kibble to eat while they were gone.

When the boys didn’t immediately head out to the garage to get into the 12-seat Sprinter van, they nudged Charles to ask his dad what they were waiting for. It was then that Collin entered the Nook and ‘dad’ Ken said, “Him.” The boys all laughed.

Collin didn’t know what they were talking about, so he said, “What?”

Robert just told his older ‘brother’ to follow them and he’d explain it to him in the van.

The Covers went to their ‘dad’s’ favorite breakfast place and they had to wait for the wait staff to put the tables together for the seven of them. Collin wasn’t used to going out for breakfast, so he looked over the Breakfast Menu for quite some time before he chose what his Big Bro ordered, the Breakfast Sampler.

As the Covers ate, ‘dad’ Ken talked about the coming week. He reminded them he would take them out to get summer clothes and that after their friends left later today, they could start that process. He also mentioned to the boys that Ms. Mary would be over Wednesday night to help them chose a paint color for their rooms, so they needed to have the color narrowed down.

‘Dad’ Ken continued and reminded the boys that Mr. Dan would be staying at The Cove beginning Thursday, and would be staying there as Chief’s companion, until Ms. Judy returned to take her over to her home.

The boy’s ‘dad’ also said that besides Eric, Mark would also be going on the trip with them and that he was coming over Friday night and he would be staying with Phillip. The man added that they needed to pack for twelve days, and that they would be getting up really early Saturday morning, so they would be going to bed earlier than they usually did the night before.

Robert quickly asked if his older ‘brothers’ Collin and Ryan were also coming along on their trip. The teen’s dad told him that until Mr. Chris came to work the next day, and could check with the hotels to see if they had extra rooms, they wouldn’t know.

Collin was going to say something about having his travel people call other hotels to see if they had rooms, but the young man’s Big Bro shook his head for him not to stir the waters. So, Collin just went back to finishing his breakfast.

When the Covers returned to The Cove, the boys changed into afterschool clothes. That was all except Billy. When his ‘brothers’ saw him in an old t-shirt and his swimsuit, they asked him if he was going to use the WaveRunners. But Billy told them that he and Lonnie were going to start their job today. The older foster teen then had to explain to them what that job was all about.

Down in the Study, Mr. Ken talked to Collin about how he saw the young man using The Cove as his ‘home away from home’. The Big Bro told his ‘little bro’ that his first action should be to take Ulrich’s, and his, suggestions to his architect, and that if he really liked the changes, he should have them incorporated into the Wilkinson remodel.

Collin asked him how he did that. The young man’s Big Bro smiled and told him that since he was paying, he would tell the architect to just do it, or he would find an architect that would. Collin smiled when he heard that.

Mr. Ken continued and told the owner of C.W.E. Inc that when he went back to talk to his architect, he also needed to find a place to live for when he did go back to check on the remodel progress, and for when he went back to Wilkinson for meetings and updates on what was happening with his empire.

Mr. Ken also asked Collin if he had started putting the furniture from the estate in storage for when they started the remodel, as the house would be totally torn up. Learning he hadn’t, he told the young man he should have the employees start doing that to keep them employed. He also told Collin to have all of the important documents, and any of Grammy’s jewelry, not in a Safe Deposit Box, put there while he is back there later this week.

Collin got afraid that he wasn’t going to get to go on the amusement park trip. The young man’s Big Bro told him that he thought he had planned to take his own corporate plane and that if Mr. Chris can find a way that he could go, then he would leave from down home. Collin let out a sigh of relief after hearing that.

Mr. Ken then assured Collin that while he lived at The Cove, he could use it to plan his visits to all of his manufacturing plants, and any other trips he sees he needs to take to stay on top of what is happening at Wilkinson.

The young man’s Big Bro then told him that he should contact his friends from high school and invite them over and have a get-together with them one night. Mr. Ken told Collin to plan to use the Pavilion and either serve standard hot dogs and hamburgers, or have it catered. The Big Bro then said he’d keep his ‘brothers’ away. Collin smiled and said he liked that idea.

The Covers’ friends arrived as they usually did and when Lonnie arrived, he and Billy got out the two power washers, set them up at the Main Gate and waited for Mr. Wayne to arrive. They also saw the new smaller surface cleaners, so they took them up there as well.

When Mr. Wayne arrived, he showed the two teenagers, without the pressure washers turned on, how they would hold the smaller surface cleaners against the estate walls and move them up and down to clean the walls. He then explained that they would come back with the wands and get into the cracks and nooks and crannies that the surface cleaners couldn’t.

The Estate Master then took them over to the Gate House and explained to them how they should proceed to clean it. He explained how they should use the surface cleaners on the larger areas and then the wands elsewhere. He stressed upon the teens that they had to be careful not to break the glass windows, or doors. He then had them start slowly on the estate walls and that they could do the driveway and curbs and the other areas, when the walls were all finished.

Other than Billy and Lonnie cleaning the estate walls, the day was like any other non-school day at The Cove. The one thing that Robert and his friends did notice, though, was that none of Billy’s other friends had come over. Robert told his friends that Gus told them yesterday that he was going to show his family around the area, but he had no idea where the other sophomore teens were.

After getting Billy and Lonnie started cleaning the estate walls, Mr. Wayne went down to the house to talk to his boss. He knew Mr. Ken wanted to hear his take on letting Collin stay at The Cove while Wilkinson was being remodeled, which was why he headed there. When the Estate Master entered the Study, Collin told the men that he was going to head up to the Cove Skate Park and skate some, then help his ‘brothers’ with the day’s barbeque.

After Collin left, the two men sat in the Study and neither said a thing. Finally, Mr. Ken asked Wayne to tell him what he thought about Collin’s staying at The Cove, while the Wilkins estate was being remodeled.

Wayne told his employer that he felt that he was being an enabler by not making Collin deal with his situation first hand. Wayne went on and reasoned that the young man will have to come to terms with the hand that he was dealt, meaning the death of his parents and Grammy, and that the sooner he did that the better it will be for him.

Wayne paused for a few moments and then qualified himself by saying that he knew that what he said was harsh. But he felt that the longer Collin avoided the reality that his Grammy and parents are no longer around, the harder it will be for him to move forward.

Mr. Ken sat back in the leather chair, across from Wayne, and just sighed at what he heard. He understood what Wayne was saying, but he wasn’t sure it was time for his ‘little brother’ to have to deal with that reality, at least not just yet.

Mr. Ken looked at his employee and told him, “Wayne … I hear what you’re saying, and … well, you’re probably right, to some extent. But, as you now know, Collin … he has no one to fall back on. No one … but possibly me!

“Ever since he was kidnapped, he … he’s been forced to climb up hill. What you didn’t know, and couldn’t was … and what he didn’t know, for the longest time, was that his parents … that his parents were killed in front of him the night … that night he was kidnapped.

“You know that it was right after Thanksgiving, that I found him, that those men attacked The Cove in order … to kill him … and even though they were caught, he still had to deal, in the back of his mind, with who was behind it.

“You weren’t here back then to see him every day, and how it all played on his mind. As we moved towards the Holidays, he seemed to settle down. But … he had some fears and anxieties … that he still needed to work through, and I had him start seeing Doctor Doug.

“Then, during his sophomore semester, no sooner than he began attending classes, he had to put up with some bullying … that actually put him in the hospital. And that bullying … it didn’t stop after that. It was directed at him through others, namely Rodney Costa, a classmate, who actually put him in the hospital.

“Then we learned … that there was this someone … who was watching him, us. Not knowing if it was those same people … who were looking to find another way of getting to him. So, I hired Gene and George to protect him and Ryan, who was his constant companion.

“It took Jules to find who was really behind all of the clandestine watching and … and I went out to confront them. … It was Collin’s Grammy. He knew how she acted and that put more stress on him. And the more she interacted with him the more he knew … what she would eventually do. And what she did, which was, in the end, to take him away from me … and The Cove.

“On top of all that, the Wilkinson lawyers … they wanted him back with them. And they had this one lawyer, a guy named Frank Hale, who we later found out was working with his dad’s best friend, Dennis Clarke, who was behind Collin’s kidnapping, in order to take Wilkinson away from his dad.

“This Hale character … he wanted to get Collin away from me, so they could still get Wilkinson away from Collin, as he was the sole heir. They wanted to control him, or if not, try to do away with him, again, somehow.

“Wayne … Collin had these lawyers conspiring against him, and we didn’t get an angle on them until …that was until his ‘Uncle Andy’ made a mistake and had some security men follow us on our Disney Cruise.

“It wasn’t until after the cruise that, since I had them all fired, because of the way they followed Collin, that we found out how Hale was involved in the attempt to wrestle Wilkinson away from Collin, with Clarke now at the helm.

“Wayne … I’m going to give Collin what he needs … and what I think he needs right now is … is ‘family’. But I will also take your advice and … and I will slowly get him to face the fact that he is the last of the Wilkinson’s. I will also remind him that he can fix that by … by finding the right young woman and to create the next generation of them.

“And … I am also going to have him continue to see Doctor Doug. I know Doug is a child psychologist, and only sees young children, but with his intimate knowledge of what Collin has gone through, and since he told me what he needs, I think he will make an exception. I’ll call him tomorrow and talk to him,” Ken Thomas finished on a high note.

Wayne agreed that having Collin continue to see Doctor Jennings would also help him begin to deal with the passing of his parents and Grammy. But he didn’t react to anything else his employer explained to him. He had given the man his thoughts, and he left it at that. He was glad, though, that he did get more of the back story on Collin.

Then, to change the subject, Wayne told Mr. Ken that he started Bill and Lonnie on cleaning the estate perimeter walls and that he explained to them how he wanted them to clean the Gate House, without breaking the glass windows or doors, and then the driveway, curbs and Patio.

Mr. Ken then told Wayne that he told Phillip he’d try to get him over to see his mom twice that week. So, the owner of The Cove asked Wayne to see that either he or Dennis took Phillip over on Tuesday, after he got home from school, and on Friday, as the boy only had a half-day.

Mr. Ken also told his Estate Master he was going to try to take the boys out to buy them their summer clothes tonight after their friends left for the day. He mentioned they’d go to a fast-food restaurant, and then to the stores for clothes shopping.

The employer continued and told Wayne that he wasn’t going to allow the boys to have their friends over after school on Friday, as they needed to pack for twelve days and they needed to go to bed early that night. Wayne then reminded his boss that Phillip would need suitcases. Mr. Ken thanked the man for that piece of information and made a note in his phone.

As promised, ‘dad’ Ken took the boys out for new summer clothes, after their friends left for the day. The Covers first went to a fast-food restaurant that Phillip chose. While eating, Charles suggested that they go to the Outlet Mall, but his dad told him that they wouldn’t have a good selection of summer clothes yet, and they didn’t have a lot of time.

So, the Covers went to The Mall where the boys originally went for most of their clothes. Phillip was beside himself, as he was getting more brand-new clothes, and he couldn’t wait. The older boys knew where to go, as Matthew and Phillip went with ‘dad’ Ken, with Collin following along, to the ‘Boys Section’ to start their search for the items they wanted.

That night the boys were allowed to select four pairs of shorts, four polo shirts, four t-shirts, a pair of sneakers, new socks and some boxer briefs. Phillip also got new suitcases, which included a carry-on and a toiletry bag. Then, on the way home, ‘dad’ Ken stopped at a big box grocery store in order for the boys to pick up any needed toiletries.

That night in the Study, ‘dad’ reminded the boys that Ms. Mary would be over on Wednesday for dinner and to talk to them about their choice of color for their bedroom. He also reminded them that Mr. Dan would start staying there beginning Thursday. He then told Phillip that either Mr. Wayne or Mr. Dennis would take him to see his mom tomorrow after school. The young boy put on a big smile after hearing that.

‘Dad’ Ken then dropped his decision that the boys couldn’t invite their friends over after school on Friday. He reminded them that the cleaning crew would still be there and that they would need to start packing, and that they also would be going to bed early that night. The boys moaned at their ‘dad’s’ decision, but they knew not to argue with him this close to their trip.

When he said goodnight to the boys that night, ‘dad’ Ken had to tell them, again, that he wouldn’t know, until Mr. Chris called the hotels to see if there were extra rooms available so Collin and Ryan could join them on their trip.

In Phillip’s room he told his youngest foster son he was going to have one of the men take him to visit his mom when he returns home from school on Friday, as he wouldn’t see her for more than two weeks. Phillip hugged his ‘dad’ tight and thanked him for doing that for him.

Tuesday morning the boys were the happiest Momma Maria had ever remembered seeing them. But, of course, school would be over that Friday and they would be leaving on their trip beginning that Saturday, and Momma would have a two-week paid vacation.

Mr. Ken also told Momma to expect Mary Taylor over for dinner on Wednesday. He explained the boys would be having their rooms painted, while they were gone and she was going to help them chose a color. He added that Mr. Dan would be staying with them starting Thursday.

The owner of The Cove then asked Momma if she thought that the Kitchen Nook also needed to be painted. Momma Maria said that it would be nice to have it brightened up, as it had become dingy over the last six years from all the cooking she’s done. Mr. Ken told her he would add that room, the Pantry and the pots and pans storage room to the long list of painting that needed to be done, while they were gone.

When Mr. Chris arrived Tuesday morning, the first thing Mr. Ken talked to him about was to see if the hotels, where his amusement parks were, had extra rooms available for Collin, and now Ryan. Chris laughed and told his employer that he’d already done that, as soon as Collin asked last Friday. The Estate Manager said he knew it would be easier to cancel the room than to find one at the last minute.

Collin heard the exchange and it put a great big smile on his face. He then asked his Big Bro if that meant he could plan to go with his ‘brothers’ on their trip. Big Bro Ken smiled back and said yes, but that Collin had to plan his own transportation. Collin said that would be no problem. The young man then asked if Ryan would also be allowed to go.

Hearing that someone else might be headed on the trip caused Chris Dominions to ask who this Ryan was. Collin answered the question by telling the Estate Manager that he was a Cover, too, but was also a college student like he was, and had also asked to go along. Collin added that Ryan was also his Big Bro’s ‘little brother’, too, and worked for him while he was building the house.

Mr. Chris said that the plane was already crowded and that adding another person, plus luggage, could cause the charter company to cancel the plane in order to find a larger one that could accommodate Ryan. Collin quickly spoke up and said he’d pick Ryan up at the airport in his corporate airplane, and that he and any of his ‘brothers’ could fly with him. Collin added that Ryan would stay with him in his room, too.

Mr. Ken told Chris to call the amusement parks and tell them that there would be two additional visitors with him, and to adjust accordingly. He then told Collin that he needed to head back home to talk to his architect, to add what he and Ulrich suggested. Then to get his travel people to get the pilots, to schedule the plane and to find a secondary home for when he was back there.

The Big Bro told Collin to also get the Wilkinson employees to start putting the furniture in storage and, lastly, to put all the important documents and any of Grammy’s jewelry into a safety deposit box. Collin went over and hugged his Big Bro and thanked him for being there for him.

Collin then looked at his watch and told his Big Bro that he was going to get his shower, pack and then head back down to Wilkinson, but first he was going to call Ryan and tell him the good news. The young man then told his Big Bro that he’d call him later from Wilkinson and let him know if he got everything accomplished. Collin then hurried out of the Kitchen Nook and up to his room to do what he needed to do, so he could head back to his own estate.

Momma spoke up and reminded her employer to tell Chris to add the Kitchen Nook, and the other two rooms, to the painting list. That was another surprise that hit Chris that morning and he hadn’t even had his first cup of coffee. Mr. Ken laughed and told Chris to get a cup of coffee and he’d fill him in on what he missed.

Billy and his friends talked to Gus at school that morning and asked him how his family liked the area. Gus said that they saw that it was totally different from what they have in Germany, but were happy that he had such a great time in school, and that he had met some wonderful people in the Meyers and especially Mr. Thomas.

At the office that Tuesday morning, Mr. Ken had his morning meeting with his Group Managers, as he usually did. He then called Kate and the two talked about their Memorial Day weekend and his upcoming trip to visit his amusement parks. He also told her how his Picnic went and about the archbishop giving him a special blessing. She asked if he had taped the news report so she could see it. He told her it was probably on YouTube already, and she should look there.

After his special phone call, the owner of Three Finger Entertainment, LLC sat down with Ben Walthers and Nelson Sanders, the new Operations Manager of the Four Corners Amusement Park. Mr. Ken told Nelson to learn his way around the construction site and to get with Ben to find out what rides, refreshment and game booths were bought for the new park and where they were planned to be installed.

The park’s owner, Ken Thomas, also told the new Four Corners ops manager that he would be gone for two weeks, beginning Saturday, and any ideas, suggestions and questions he had should be taken directly to Ben, who was his immediate supervisor. He told him that the hope was that the new amusement park should be operational by the first of July, and he was to work toward that goal.

The three men did discuss other aspects of the Four Corners Amusement Park, and Nelson asked about office space, ride prices, security and if he was going to have only students, or a mix of teenagers and adults working at the park. Mr. Ken looked to Ben to address those questions who told Nelson that they would tackle those issues together over time.

When Phillip came home from school that day, Mr. Wayne let him have his after school snack and then the two of them went over to the rehabilitation center, so the boy could visit with his mother. Once there, Phillip saw that his mom looked better than the last time they talked and he smiled knowing that if she was getting better, it would mean that they would soon be back together.

Phillip began by telling her all about the Memorial Day Picnic and that his ‘dad’ was given a special blessing by this big holy man. The boy’s mother had already been told about it by her own mother, so she knew what her son was talking about.

The boy also told his mom that this guy came all the way from Germany to visit his ‘dad’ because of the way he treated his son, who was an exchange student and knew his older, big ‘brother’ Billy. Phillip then told her about all of the new summer clothes his ‘dad’ bought for him yesterday, and that he got to pick the colors. The boy added that he also bought him suitcases to use when they went on their trip beginning Saturday.

At dinner that night, Phillip told everyone how well his mom looked and that he hoped that they would soon be back together. His ‘brothers’ were happy for him and they told him that they would miss him when he finally went back to live with his mother. Phillip had a smile on his face a mile wide that night.

Robert asked Billy if he knew why his friends didn’t come over yesterday. The older Cover told his ‘brother’ that they were all out looking for summer jobs, and it was too late for them to stop by afterwards. Charles asked him if he knew where they had applied and Billy told him that they heard the new grocery store was looking for people to stock their shelves beginning next week, as they hoped to open before the first of July.

Billy said his friends also put in applications at Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone and at the Four Corners Restaurant and the Diner, at the gas station and a few of the other stores at Four Corners. The teen said his friends were also hoping that the new amusement park would soon advertise job openings.

Before the boys went to school Wednesday morning, ‘dad’ Ken reminded them that Ms. Mary would be over for dinner that evening, and she would help them chose a color for their bedrooms. The boys thanked him for having her come over and then they left for school.

At school, the Covers friends were still talking about the Memorial Day Picnic and how much fun they had. Their classmates, who weren’t there, wanted to hear more about the Picnic, about who was there and they asked them to tell them more about the blessing the archbishop gave Mr. Thomas. But all the Covers could describe to them was that it got really quiet for a few moments afterwards, and then everyone applauded.

That evening, Mary Taylor and her college aged son, Ryan, came over for dinner. Momma Maria had made a number of Mexican dishes that evening for the Covers and their guests. She started the meal with a cucumber and avocado salad that included ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers and avocados mixed with red onion, cumin, and lime.

For the main dishes she served beef, chicken and cheese Enchiladas along with Mexican-style red rice, a tangy Mexican slaw that featured shredded cabbage, carrots, and thin sliced red onions, mixed with tangy apple cider vinegar and cilantro. There was also black beans and rice featuring black beans, jumbled with rice and green bell peppers, and seasoned with cumin, lime and cilantro.

Mary Taylor was in heaven that evening, savoring the flavors that Momma had put into her cooking. She told the boys how she used to enjoy those types of meals when her son was there with Collin all those many years ago. She encouraged the boys to appreciate how well Momma knew how to cook Mexican meals, and for them to never forget this, or her.

When the dinner table was cleaned off, Momma told everyone to stay seated; that she would be back in a few moments. When the woman returned, she first presented the diners with bowls of chocolate sauce and caramel syrup. She then went back into the Nook and came back with what she called fried ice cream. This was a first for the Covers.

The vanilla ice cream was covered with hot toasted crushed corn flakes and Momma told everyone to quickly put either the chocolate sauce or caramel syrup on it, and to eat it while it was warm. The Covers, but especially, Mary Taylor, had a treat they had never experienced in their lives. After finishing their special treat, they all went up to Momma Maria and hugged her for not only making them such a wonderful meal, that night, but also making them a memorable dessert.

With dinner over, Mary Taylor went upstairs with the boys to see what paint colors they were considering for their rooms. The interior decorator started in Robert’s room to get a feeling of what the teenager was trying to achieve with his color choice.

Robert told the woman he wanted a dark brown color. But Mary showed him that a dark color would darken the room and make it feel smaller than it was. The woman told the teen that he was better off with a middle brown color that would still give him color, but not darken the room. She also suggested he paint the ceiling a bright white for some reflectivity. Robert agreed to that and then went with something called Fresh Bread.

Mary Taylor talked with all of the boys that evening and the results were essentially the same. They all chose to paint their ceilings a bright white and they also decided to choose a lighter color than what they initially had thought they wanted. Ken Thomas thanked Mary for helping his ‘boys’ with that most important decision that they would now have to live with for at least the next five years.

The group settled in the Study afterwards where Ms. Mary and Ryan shared stories of when Collin lived with the boys’ ‘dad’, and Ryan was a constant visitor. The boys heard how Collin and Ryan got to select the Christmas decorations for The Cove that first year, and that was how Mr. Ken first met their Estate Master, Wayne Mitchell.

The boys then learned how Mary was roped into helping their ‘dad’, Collin and Ryan plan the first Holiday Parties themselves, and that Collin and Ryan went out with their ‘dad’ and picked the band for those first Holiday Parties.

They also heard how Collin was bullied at school and had no sooner started and was attacked and put in the hospital. They also heard how Collin and his friends helped elect new School Board and Hospital Board members, one who was still the School Board President.

Continuing, they heard how Collin and Ryan were attacked at The Lakeside Water Park and Ryan was put in the hospital, and how the teen who attacked Collin was attacked and almost beaten to death. Ryan then explained how Rodney came out of his coma and the two campaigns, the “Rally For Rodney” and the “Stop Violence Against Students” were born.

Mary and Ryan Taylor told the Cover boys, and Wayne, loads more stories that they had never heard before. Even Ken Thomas enjoyed reliving the past that evening and he added a few tidbits himself, as the telling went along. The boys enjoyed hearing all of those stories and learning more about what happened at The Cove long before they were ever there.

It was just before the Taylor’s left that evening, that Ryan asked his ‘brothers’ if their ‘dad’ had shown them The Cove’s hidey holes, and other ways to escape from the house if they were upstairs and being held hostage.

When Mr. Ken heard Ryan ask that question, he cringed. He hadn’t had to use the hidey hole since Charles was being hidden from ‘Smokey’, and there hadn’t been a reason after that to ever bring it up, or even talk about the ladders leading up into the attic in order to escape the house to the succeeding boys. Even Mr. Wayne didn’t know about them.

After the Taylor’s left, the Cover boys immediately started asking their ‘dad’ about what Ryan told them. ‘Dad’ Ken told them that it was getting late and he wasn’t going to start telling them about what Ryan just mentioned. He highly stressed upon them that they were not to tell any of their friends about the hidey holes and secret ladders.

When ‘dad’ Ken said goodnight to the boys that night, he asked Robert and Charles not to talk to their ‘brothers’ about what they know about the special hiding places, and the ladders up into the attic. He told them that in due time he will show them.

At breakfast Thursday, the boys were still a bit miffed at their ‘dad’ that he didn’t tell them about the special hiding places in the house, and how they could escape if they needed to. He again stressed upon them not to talk to anybody about them, and that he would talk to them when the time was right.

At school that day, the Covers told their friends about Mary and Ryan Taylor telling them stories about when Collin lived at The Cove and Ryan was his constant companion. They tried to remember some of what they were told, but what they did remember fascinated their friends.

It was Eric, Robert’s Best Friend, who was actually there for many of the things that did happen who was able to tell their friends more of what actually happened and how it affected him during those times. He added his own take on some of them.

Eric even told them about the time Mr. Ken took them out to California and how he met the California Boys and his riding the Giant Dipper roller coaster at Belmont Park in San Diego. Then the Cover talked about going back out when one of the California Boys, Aidan, was beaten up and he and Collin helped Aidan come out of his coma. The friends were astonished at what they heard and they wanted to hear more, but then the first bell rang.

At the office, Mr. Ken talked to Ms. Jackie about all of the current projects that he had going on. Ms. Jackie, Jacqueline Kromiere, briefed her boss that the Boat Storage Lot was almost complete. The Project Manager explained that they were now installing the security cameras, monitors, entrance cypher locks and the computer system, that will take the reservations and handle the parking slots, was being installed and will be tested extensively before they open.

Ms. Jackie then went on to discuss the status of the Self-Service Car Wash. The woman reported that the structure was completed, and they were now installing all of the self-service equipment, vacuums and the automatic car wash equipment. She indicated that the car wash would open ahead of schedule, and all they needed was someone to operate it.

That last statement caused Mr. Ken to ask Ms. Jackie if she had begun advertising for people to manage the car wash and the boat storage lot. The woman told her boss that they were going to advertise that week and take resumes through next Friday and hopefully hire someone by the following Friday. She told him they would have a ‘soft’ opening of both the car wash and boat storage lot and then hold a Grand Opening of them both the week before the fourth of July. That pleased Mr. Ken.

Ms. Jackie continued briefing Mr. Ken on the other projects that were still on-going. As for the miniature train at Four Corners, she told him that the bids were due by that Thursday, the first of June, with the winner to begin the installation no later than 1 September with completion no later than 1 May.

As for the Four Corners Amusement Park utilities installation, Ms. Jackie told Mr. Ken that the contractor was on schedule. She did tell him that the restroom facilities were behind schedule though and until they place the rides and concessions, they won’t be able to install the walkways. That displeased Mr. Ken somewhat, so he made a note to talk to Ben and Nelson when Ms. Jackie was finished.

The last item the Projects Manager needed to brief on was the Marina Project. Ms. Jackie told him that the fuel depot had already been completed and they just needed the fire marshal’s inspection and approval to fill the tanks and begin dispensing fuel.

The woman indicated that the Marina store was well on to being completed, that the restroom footers had been started, the parking lot was now being graded and the water lines were now being plumbed to the boat slips. The woman indicated that when that was completed the fire hose stations and life safety rings would be installed along the piers and that they could essentially start renting out the boat slips, if the boat rental computer was up and running. Mr. Ken made another note.

After Ms. Jackie left his office, Mr. Ken was elated that he had made the decision to hire someone to manage his projects. He told himself that there was so much going on with each and every one of them that there was no way that he could have kept abreast of all of them alone. He then called Ben and Nelson into his office to discuss his perceived problems at Four Corners.

That night at dinner, Dan Fischer joined the Covers. He was going to stay at The Cove, and be Chief’s companion, until he would leave and join the Covers, when he traded places with Judy Turner five days later.

The boys were exuberant that school would be over, for the summer, after their half-day of school tomorrow, Friday, and they let it be known at the dinner table. They each talked about what they wanted to do during the summer, with Billy taking center stage with his desire to get his driver’s license, as soon as he could. But, of course, they all couldn’t wait until Saturday when they got to go on their much-anticipated amusement park trip.

Later in the Study, ‘Dad’ Ken again told the boys that they couldn’t invite their friends over after school tomorrow, as they would be packing their bags for their trip. He also reminded Phillip that someone would take him to visit his mom and then they, or one of his ‘brothers’ would help him pack when he came home.

When the boys went up to their rooms and ‘dad’ Ken went up to say goodnight to them, the man knew that his son, Robert, would have his birthday, while they were on their trip. So, when he stopped by his room, he asked the teenager what he wanted for his birthday.

Robert teased his dad and said that it was probably too soon to ask for a car, but the teen told his dad that he didn’t know what he wanted, yet. Dad Ken mentioned that his brother Charles had gotten a GoPro for his birthday, and was going to take it with him on the trip to take videos of some of the rides he goes on and other things. The man asked his son if wanted something like that.

Robert said it sounded like fun, like their quadcopters, but he wanted something better, bigger and asked if he could wait until they returned from their trip. The teen’s dad hugged his son and told him he could wait and then he said goodnight.

Breakfast Friday morning had the boys laughing and talking about what they were going to do when they came home from school, which also made them happy that today was their last day of school for the year. As for Momma, she was looking forward to the next two weeks off.

When the two high schoolers came down for breakfast, they were just as happy as their ‘brothers’ were earlier. They were talking about how they would miss their friends, but how much they were looking forward to visiting their ‘dad’s’ amusement parks, and especially seeing how much has changed at Edgewood since they were there last year.

Mr. Dan, dressed in his Sheriff’s Lieutenant uniform, told the teen’s that he, was also looking forward to seeing the new amusement park, as well as the parks he missed last year.

At the office that morning, Ken called Kate and they talked about Ken’s upcoming trip with his ‘boys’, and how there were now two added young adults coming with him. Kate laughed at how he collected boys like boys collect dirt. They both laughed at her joke, but she knew that her boyfriend had a love for the boys he’s helped, and that he would never turn his back on a boy who needed his help.

At school, all of the Cover boys’ friends lamented the fact that they would have to find something to do for the next ten to twelve days, while their Cover friend was away visiting their ‘dad’s’ amusement parks. It meant they would be home with their siblings, or mom, and being bored and not having the fun they would have had if they’d been over at The Cove.

Billy’s friends told him they were still looking for jobs for the summer, and had seen the ad for someone to run the Self-Service Car Wash and the Boat Storage Lot. Billy laughed and told them that he talked to Mr. Ken about him taking one of those jobs, but his foster dad told him that he was looking for someone who could do the job even after school started in the fall. Some of the teenagers told the Cover they were submitting an application anyway, hoping they could at least get a part-time position. Billy just told them, “Good luck!”

When Phillip returned home from school, Momma had an after-school snack ready for him and his ‘brothers’. Mr. Wayne told him to eat it and, when he was ready, they would head over to visit with his mom.

Phillip and his mom, Mackenzie, had a good visit, although it wasn’t as long as the boy would have liked. But the foster son again saw that his mom looked and even acted better than she did on Tuesday, and that made him feel even better that they would soon be back together again, as a family.

Phillip reminded his mother that he was leaving tomorrow to visit his ‘dads’ five amusement parks and that he would be gone for at least ten days, and possibly twelve days. He told her he would come and visit with her, as soon as he could, when he returned. The two hugged, she kissed him and told him to have fun, and the boy and Mr. Wayne headed back to The Cove.

Phillip had never gone on a trip before, so he had no concept on what to pack let alone how to pack what he had to take. It was Mr. Wayne who introduced the boy to what packing for a trip was all about.

The two Covers, one older, one younger, got the suitcases out and the Estate Master started asking the boy what he thought he would need, reminding the youngster he would need enough for twelve days. Phillip started by saying he would need at least twelve of everything.

Mr. Wayne laughed and said that he shouldn’t need twelve pairs of shoes. That made the boy laugh and he revised his list by saying he’d need twelve pairs of socks, underwear, shirts, shorts, and that made the Estate Master laugh some more.

The man asked Phillip if he dirtied his shorts so badly that he changed them every day. When the boy said he didn’t, Mr. Wayne asked him how often he changed them. The boy said he changed about every other day, and when Phillip said that, the light went on and he said that should only need six pairs of shorts, then. Mr. Wayne smiled and said that he needed to add one in case he did mess one really badly. The boy did the same thing for his polo shirts, but then he added two t-shirts.

When it came time for toiletries, Mr. Wayne had the boy set aside a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, his comb and floss. The man told the boy to also take his manicure set in case he needed to cut, or at least trim, his finger or toe nails. The boy laughed at hearing that. They also set aside two pairs of sneakers, besides the pair he would be wearing.

Dinner that night included Ms. Judy and Eric along with Mr. Dan. That would be the last Momma Maria meal the Covers would have for two weeks, because Mr. Ken had given the women that amount of time off for her own vacation.

Later, when Mark’s parents dropped him off, the boys talked about what they were taking with them. They talked about which clothes and how many briefs, socks, shirts, shorts and pairs of sneakers they were taking for their potential twelve-day trip. Charles then told everyone he was taking his GoPro so, Phillip asked if he could take his guitar.

‘Dad’ Ken smiled and told his foster son that his ‘brother’ was going to wear the Go-Pro and video him riding some of the rides, so that way he could share them with his friends. Charles then spoke up and asked his dad if he could also take his quadcopter, so he could also get some good shots of the parks, and then share them with his friends, too. Robert thought that was a great idea and asked if he could take his, too.

The teen’s dad told the boys that he wasn’t even sure that they would even be able to fly them over the parks because, in some places, they have flight restrictions, and it was too late for him to even call and ask the parks ops managers the question.

After more discussion, Mr. Ken sent the boys up to bed. As they were headed up the stairs, he told them to set their alarm clocks for 5:30, as they were leaving for the airport at 6 o’clock sharp. Eric was staying with Robert and Mark was staying with Phillip, and he also told them to not to stay up talking and he would be up in short order.

The owner of The Cove told Dan that he’d try to get the boys to keep the noise down, so they don’t wake him. Dan thanked him for that, but he knew that would be a losing proposition. The two men laughed, as they both walked up the stairs, with one going to talk with his ‘boys’ and the other to his guest suite, when they reached the top.

After saying goodnight to the boys at nine o’clock, the owner of The Cove, and of five amusement parks, where he and his ‘boys’ were headed beginning tomorrow, headed down to his own retreat to also go to bed, as 5:30 came awfully early. The Cove was quiet after everyone did finally fall asleep.

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

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