Published: 15 Feb 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

Mr. Ken and Collin then went to the separate rooms and told the boys of the airplane changes for the morning and then told them to be down in the lobby by 8 o’clock. The boys were excited for the changes and talked about it before going to sleep.

The trip had already visited three amusement parks and there were two more to go. The boys had fun and were looking forward to their next two stops, but in particular, their ‘dad’s’ newest park, Edgewood.

The Cover group was all down in the hotel lobby well before 8 o’clock. The boys quickly gathered all the luggage and bags and took them out to the vans and Collin’s limo. They then headed into the hotel to grab something to eat along the drive out to the airport.

It was just before the boys loaded into their transportation, that ‘dad’ Ken reminded them that Billy, Matthew, Mark and Phillip, along with Mr. Dennis and Mr. Wayne, would fly with Collin today. He told the other boys they would fly with him and Mr. Dan.

There were some good-natured moans and groans, but there were also some cheers and happy smiling faces after the pronouncement. ‘Dad’ Ken then told the reassigned boys, ‘To deal with it!’, and then laughed. ‘Dad’ Ken then had everyone load into the vans and limo, as they all needed to get to the airport.

The group did the usual routine when they got to the airport. The boys helped load the luggage onto the TSA carts and then they went inside to be processed through TSA, themselves, prior to loading into their respective aircraft.

The planes took off within ten minutes of one another and they headed to their next destination, the airport nearest the Crystal Lake Amusement Park. After the aircraft arrived at cruising altitude, Mr. Ken asked Charles to come up to where he was seated.

“Son, were you able to get in contact with your friend, Ron?” asked the teen’s dad.

“Yes, dad, he told me he and his friends were going to be at the park today, anyway, and that he’d meet us there,” replied Charles.

“You know, Charles … I can’t give Fastest Passes to all of his friends,” offered the teen’s dad.

“I know that dad. Ron told me that two of his friends would also have their younger brothers with them and they were buying the Fastest Passes and would share them.”

“Share them? How can they do that, Charles?” asked the disbelieving dad Ken.

“I don’t know, dad. I guess I’ll have to ask them, when I see them,” chuckled Charles, who then went back to sit with his ‘brothers’.

Dan Fischer heard the exchange and inwardly smiled to himself. Then, when the teenager went back to sit with Eric and Robert, Dan asked his friend, Ken, to tell him more about what he knew about the young lady, Jasmine, that Collin was so enthralled with.

Ken Thomas told Dan, “Jasmine … she was the young lady we met a few years back when Collin was with us, when we visited Discovery Kingdom, and the two hit it right off. And every time we went back to visit, she always asked about him. That’s about all I can say about that. Sorry, Dan.”

“So … what do you think might happen there, Ken? If I may be so bold, as to ask,” laughed Dan.

Ken laughed back and told Dan that he isn’t the one that is going to speculate after how he met Kate, in almost that same circumstances. Dan laughed right along with his friend.

Over in Collin’s corporate aircraft, Phillip was amazed at the stark differences between the two planes he’s now flown in.

“Collin,” began Phillip, “why is it that your plane is so different from the one our ‘dad’ has for us? I mean … yours … it has all these nice softer leather seats, and it looks … it looks so much different inside.”

Collin laughed and then told his youngest Cover ‘brother’, while the other boys listened in, that his airplane was what was called a corporate jet and was used exclusively by the top executives of his company, C.W.E. Inc.

Collin went onto tell his ‘brothers’ that because only they, meaning C.W.E. Inc. executives, used it, they could afford to have the expensive leather seats and exclusive hardwood furnishings and paneling and everything else, because they would take care of it.

The young man then told the boys that the jet that their ‘dad’ was using was a ‘For Hire’ jet that was used by many executives and companies, from around the country, and that since it wasn’t theirs, so to speak, they didn’t take as good a care of it when they used it.

Collin, continued to explain that the plane’s owners spent money on high upgrades, but they didn’t go overboard, knowing that it would be used by thousands of total strangers who might not take as good care of it since it wasn’t theirs.

The answer satisfied Phillip and the other boys. And even Mr. Dennis appreciated what Collin said, as he’d never seen anything like what he was now flying in, as he too had the same question that the youngest Cover had asked.

Along the way both groups were served a light breakfast, on their respective jets, that would hold them over until they got their lunch before arriving at Crystal Lake Amusement Park. Even though the boys had grabbed something off the hotel buffet, they loved what the flight attendants served them on the planes for them to eat.

On Mr. Ken’s aircraft, while they were eating breakfast, Dan decided to tell his friend about the ancillary damages that were done to the Pavilion during the gun fight. Ken was dismayed to hear that some of the boys’ lockers had been hit, and that there were now holes in the locker doors and some frames.

The owner of The Cove also learned that there were large bullet chips/holes in both the outer Pavilion and storage garage walls. These were the result of the exchange of gun shots between the intruders as they shot at the security guards and Sheriff’s Deputies, and those shots taken by the security guards and Sheriff’s Deputies.

Ken thought about what had happened to his home, again, at the hands of some maniacs with guns, and then kiddingly, Ken told Dan that now they matched the house. Both men laughed at the irony that the house, Pavilion and storage garage all had bullet holes in them.

Dan asked his friend, Ken, if he was going to tell the boys. Ken told Dan that they would find out soon enough when they got home, and besides there wasn’t anything that they could do about them from where they were. The men went on to finish their breakfast.

Once at the next airport, the group gathered all of their bags and loaded them into their transports and then headed to their hotel. As the boys unloaded the vehicles at their hotel, the men and Collin went inside to sign for their hotel rooms.

“Mr. Thomas, it is good to have you back with us,” exclaimed the hotel manager, who met the man knowing that one of their most valued guests was back with them, and had reserved a number of hotel rooms this time back.

“We have the five rooms you requested, and we have no problem with you assigning one of the rooms for your teenaged boys. They have behaved themselves each and every time they’ve been here with us, so we are sure that they will continue to do the same,” added the hotel manager, with the clerk looking and listening on.

“And Mister Wilkinson, we have your room ready as well. Your company called to verify that we would indeed assign a room for you, as well as your flight crew. They assured us that, even at your youthful age, you are indeed the owner of the company, even though the company is being operated by a Board of Directors, until you finish college and eventually take over the owner’s role,” announced the hotel manager, as he handed Collin the keys to his room.

Mr. Ken handed room keys to Mr. Dan, Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis, and then he got the boys attention.

“Boys, this time around, Robert, Eric and Charles will share the teen room (As he handed the room key to his son, Robert.), Mark and Billy will bunk in with Mr. Wayne, while Matthew and Phillip with be with Mr. Dennis. Please take all of the bags up to our rooms.

“Collin will tell you which room is his and Ryan’s. Please use the facilities while you’re up in your room, and we’ll all meet down in the hotel lobby in fifteen minutes, and then we’ll head out for lunch,” finished Mr. Ken.

The boys scrambled to get the three trolleys full of bags over to the elevators and up to the third floor where their rooms were located. The men followed in another elevator.

It was just past twelve noon when the thirteen travelers headed out to get a quick lunch before arriving at the Crystal Lake Amusement Park.

“Welcome back, Mr. Thomas,” called out Arnie Arnolds, as the man alighted from the vehicle.

“Arnie, I want you to meet a good friend of mine, Dan Fischer. He’s a Sheriff’s Lieutenant back where we live. Last year he got to travel with us and saw Fantasy Fun Park, Mountain Top and Discovery Kingdom, but had to get back to work, so he never got to see your wonderful park.

“This year … he’s getting to see Discovery Kingdom again, your park and then we’re headed over to Edgewood to see how Jason is coming along in getting that park ready for our Grand Re-Opening,” revealed Mr. Ken

“Great to have you Dan. I know you’ll enjoy our wonderful park here. Mr. Ken has spared no expense to get this park cleaned up and he’s added new rides to entice more and more people to come here.

“He hasn’t announced it yet, but we’ll have a new water park here next year, as long as the planning and zoning commission approves the plans and the Commissioners agree,” Arnie slyly said, as he let the cat out of the bag.

“Arnie, I also have three new visitors for you to meet. This young man is Collin. He is my ‘little brother’. There’s a story behind that. Next, we have Ryan, Collin’s best friend and my first employee at Three Finger Cove. And, lastly, there is Phillip. He is my foster son, who came to me about Easter time,” concluded Mr. Ken with the introductions.

“Arnie … do you have someone ready to take the boys over to get their Fastest Passes? They’re all waiting patiently, and Charles wants to meet up with their friend Ron,” spoke up Mr. Ken.

It was then that Arnie introduced Darrell Griffin, his new operations manager in-training, ever since his assistant operations manager, Nelson Sanders, was called up to establish and then run the new Four Corners Amusement Park.

“Congratulations on the promotion Darrell,” offered Mr. Ken. “Arnie is a good man to learn from. Not sure if you’ve met my boys, so let me introduce them to you, so you know who they are, just in case you are called out into the park for some reason.

“This is Robert and Charles. They are my sons. Billy, Matthew and Phillip are my foster sons, but for all intents and purposes they are my ‘sons’. This is Eric and he is an honorary ‘son’, and Mark was once my foster son, so consider him my ‘son’, as well. And these two much older college juniors are my ‘little brothers’.

“These two men, Wayne Mitchell and Dennis Florkert, they work for me, and this other man, Dan Fischer, is my friend, who is here on my personal invitation to see and experience some of my amusement parks.

“Darrell, I would like for you to take them to the FFF Booth and have each and every one of them issued a Fastest Pass. All of them, with the exception of Dan, Collin, Ryan and Phillip, have been here before and know their way around. And, by the way, we will all be back tomorrow, so you can plan that with your FFF Booth team while you are there,” directed Ken Thomas, to the new ops manager in-training.

While Mr. Griffin led the group to the FFF Booth, Mr. Ken and Arnie went inside the operations building and they talked about the gruff introduction Darrell got from the owner of the park. Mr. Ken apologized to Arnie for being so direct with his new man in-training. But Arnie told the Park’s owner that the man needed to know who he was and that what he says is not a suggestion, as that food stand manager learned last year.

On their way to get their Fastest Passes, Charles called Ron to tell him where he could meet him and his ‘brothers’. Ron told the Cover that he and his friends would be over there in a few minutes. When Ron arrived, Charles talked with Mr. Wayne about getting Ron his own Fastest Pass, as his dad didn’t mention it to Mr. Griffin.

Mr. Wayne quickly called his boss to ask him about the pass for Ron. Mr. Ken asked Wayne to give his phone to Darrell, so he could personally tell him about the extra pass. When Darrell learned that Mr. Ken wanted to talk to him, he got a bit distressed.

The new ops manager in-training asked Mr. Thomas how he could help. When he learned that all he had to do was issue another Fastest Pass to a teen named Ron, he told the man that there wouldn’t be any problem.

After Mr. Griffin passed the cell phone back to Wayne, Darrell called out and asked who was Ron. When the teen raised his hand, Mr. Griffin told him that he would be getting a Fastest Pass as well. The teen’s friends all smiled at hearing that. Charles smiled too, and then thanked Mr. Wayne for calling his dad for him.

After all of the Fastest Passes were issued, the boys all thanked Mr. Griffin and the FFF Booth Team for taking care of that for them. That impressed Darrel Griffin, as he hasn’t seen many kids today expressing any form of good manners. The group then went outside to discuss how they would split up.

Before the group split up, Ron stopped everyone and said, “Let me introduce my friends to you, OK? The first time I met you was last year and you got me on all the rides and my friends never believed me. Then, when you came back you invited me and my mom to ride the rides, with Fastest Passes, and then with all the pictures I had; they had to believe me.

“Now, today, a few of them get to actually meet you, and I want to introduce the ones who could be here today. First, this is Finn. He’s our age, 14. Next is Lyle. He’s 14, and this is his younger brother Tobias who is 12.

“Next, this is Rhett who’s 14, and his younger brother, Flynn who is 11, but he’s closer to 12. And finally, there is Troy and he is 14, too. Only Lyle and Rhett have Fastest Passes, but we figured out a way to get all of them on the rides,” finished Ron.

The boys talked about how they could get everyone on the rides, and so they decided to stay as one large group. Mr. Dan inwardly laughed at the way the boys were going to walk around the park, as one huge mass, figuring out a way that the two youngest boys could also get on the rides.

What Mr. Dan didn’t know was that the word got out into the park from the FFF Booth that the owner’s sons were there and that they all had Fastest Passes, and the ride operators shouldn’t delay their getting on the rides any more than necessary.

As the group walked along, Collin mentioned to Phillip that if they came across a ride that he didn’t feel comfortable riding, he should let them know. Collin said that the others might want to ride and he might just have to wait at the Exit for them. The young Cover said he understood.

The first ride the group of nineteen came to was the Himalaya. All of them wanted to ride, even Phillip, so the boys started to walk up the Exit to activate their Fastest Passes. The ride operator and the attendant immediately knew who the group represented.

And seeing that there were also a few adults with the group, they decided to tell the entire group to just wait at the bottom of the Exit, and they would put them all on the next ride.

The boys all smiled at hearing that, and this way, the two boys, Tobias and Flynn, didn’t have to worry about not having a Fastest Pass. Five minutes later all nineteen in the Cover’s group loaded onto the Himalaya, to the chagrin to the people waiting in line.

Phillip asked Mr. Dan if he would ride with him. Charles and Ron rode together and Ron’s friends rode with their brothers and other friends. The rest of the Covers scrambled to get into the seats, and when they were seated the ride attendants filled the remaining seats with the people waiting in line. The entire group had fun.

The Octopus was the next ride the group came up to, and the ride operator and attendant did the exact same thing as the previous ride attendants did. This was another ride that Phillip rode before, so he had no problem getting on it when it was their turn. This time he asked Mr. Dennis to ride with him. This surprised the man, but he was happy that he was chosen by the young Cover.

The Crazy Coaster, otherwise known as a Wild Mouse, came up next. Phillip looked at it and after being on three Wild Mouse coasters at the three other amusement parks, he had no problem wanting to ride it.

Phillip did ask Collin if he would ride it with him. The deal was made and the group went up the Exit to activate their passes.

With nineteen people activating their Fastest Passes, the people already in line would be waiting longer than ever, as only two people usually sat in a Crazy Coaster car. So, Mr. Wayne asked the group if they minded if the ride attendants let the line go every other car, so as to move them along too. The boys readily agreed because that was what they did at the other three parks and they also had Fastest Passes and the people in line usually didn’t.

When it was Phillip’s turn, he and Collin loaded into the coaster car and rode it to the top of the lift hill. At the top of the ride when the Crazy car went to the edge and it looked like it would go off the edge before it turned, Phillip screamed. Then at the next turn the boy screamed again, until Collin told him that was the way the ride was designed, so it would scare them.

Phillip had only ridden the one Wild Mouse coaster, the Mouser, that was like that one and he’d forgotten that was what those type of coaster cars did. Then he relaxed.

By then the Crazy car had begun going down the steep hills and making sharp turns and going back up a hill to do that all over again then through a few bunny hills until the station. As they two got out of the car, Phillip told Collin that it was just like the Mouser. The two laughed.

The large group rode the Scrambler and took up virtually all of the seats, and then when they rode the Swinging Boat it took two rides to get all of them through. But again, they allowed the people in line to go before they took the next boat ride.

When the group came upon the Top Spin, Matthew told the group that he wasn’t going to ride it no matter what. Phillip asked him why and Matthew told his ‘brother’ to just watch the ride and he’d see for himself. Phillip watched and he agreed he didn’t want to ride something that didn’t know which way it wanted to spin or twist.

Flynn and Tobias also watched the ride and they agreed with Phillip and Matthew that they didn’t want to ride Top Spin, either. Mr. Dan and Mr. Dennis also decided not to ride the intense twisty-turny ride, as it looked too confusing. So, that left fourteen in the group that were going to ride Top Spin.

As the older boys, and Mr. Wayne, were getting ready to ride Top Spin, Flynn and Tobias talked with Phillip and Matthew. The two young boys had heard some things from Ron and they were curious. The two younger boys wanted to know about Mr. Ken and how the boys came to be living with him.

The two Covers looked at one another to see who would speak first. Phillip decided he’d tell the two boys about his situation.

“Flynn, Tobias … I, ahh … I only began living with Mr. Ken back around Easter. My mom … she was attacked in our apartment, because these gang bangers were … they were looking for me. When my mom couldn’t tell them where I was, they …they hit her on the side of her head with a … with a gun.

“She was hit so hard that she … that she’s in a rehab center relearning how to … how to talk and walk again. When I saw her just before I came on this trip, she looked really good and I hope we will be back together by the end of July, or maybe even sooner.

“So, I am the lucky one that I get to be back with my mom, again, really soon. But my other ‘brothers’, they … they might not get to do that. Robert and Charles … they were adopted, by my ‘dad’, well, Mr. Ken, that is. We all call Mr. Ken, ‘dad’.

“But please … please don’t ask me why my ‘brothers’ are fosters. It is usually because of what the parents did, not what the child did that puts them in the system. They have to tell you themselves why they are living with Mr. Ken, but they have to get to know you first.

“Be happy for them that they have a man like Mr. Ken, who takes boys in who need a home because of what their parents did. He has an indoor pool, a cove on the lake with water toys for them to play on, sailboats and WaveRunners to ride.

“Mr. Ken also built the Cove Skate Park and a Pavilion, so we can invite all of our friends over. And we even have barbeques every time they come over, and sometime we have sleepovers, with thirty or more boys. Let me show you some pictures,” finished Phillip, as he took out his cell phone and showed the two young friend’s pictures of what he was talking about.

Dan and Dennis heard what Phillip had said, and they were pleased with the tact the boy had taken. He didn’t tell them more than necessary, and he kept his ‘brothers’ reason for living with Mr. Ken, still a secret.

“Phillip, will your mom … will she really be, OK?” asked Tobias.

“I think so. When we last talked, she was talking very well and the doctors told me that she was walking better than ever before,” answered the young Cover.

“I sure hope so,” offered Flynn. “I don’t know what I’d do if my mother had to be away for a long time, as your mom has!”

By the time the boy’s conversation was over, the ride was over and the fourteen riders were just coming down the Exit.

“You missed a great ride, Flynn,” called out Rhett, the boy’s older brother.

“That’s OK. Phillip told us about where he lived, and he showed us some great pictures of what he gets to do there. You should see the great skate park they have, and the sailboats and everything else they have they can use,” answered back the eleven-year-old-brother.

As the large group walked to their next ride, Dan asked Wayne if the ride was worth it. Wayne just shook his head and told Dan to never let him ride that again. The two laughed.

The Tower of Terror came up next and everyone wanted to ride it. This tower was 250 feet high and was similar to the Faster Up ‘N’ Down at Fantasy Fun Park, but that one was only 150 feet high.

Phillip looked the ride over and wondered if he really wanted to ride it. Billy went over to him and told him it was only 100 feet higher than the one he rode at Fantasy Fun Park, so he shouldn’t have any trouble riding it.

Phillip asked Tobias and Flynn if they were going to ride it and when they said they were, the young Cover decided he would, as well. He didn’t want to be seen as wimping out when the other twelve-year-old and eleven-year-old were riding the 250-foot tower.

The word had gotten around the park that there were nineteen people that the owner brought with him this time, and it was easier to get them all on the ride than to try to spread them out. Although, it was also said that they would wait while people in line got to go as well.

When the nineteen people went up to activate their Fastest Passes, the ride attendants were ready for them as the tower ride had 36 seats. Mr. Wayne told the operator that they were OK in splitting up into two groups, so that people in line wouldn’t have to wait so long.

The ride operator thanked Mr. Wayne for offering that and took him up on that suggestion and put ten riders on one shot of the Tower of Terror and then nine on the next ride. The people in line had seen all nineteen approach the ride and were happy they had been split up to allow them to also ride without too many of them having to wait.

While the Covers and their friends were out riding the rides at Crystal Lake, Mr. Ken, Arnie and Darrell Griffin, the new operations manager in-training, sat down and talked. The owner of the park, Ken Thomas, again congratulated Darrell Griffin on his elevation to operations manager in-training, and then began asking him about his experience.

Darrell told the park’s owner that this was his ninth year working at Crystal Lake. He explained that during his first eight years he started working as a ride operator and then worked his way up to ride supervisor. The man then said he asked to learn different aspects of the park and so he started in food service where he again worked his way from working at a food kiosk to being a food service supervisor.

Darrell Griffin continued his verbal resume by telling how he then asked to work in the accounting and revenue areas, which was where he was working when Jason Zimms came to the park. Darrell told Mr. Ken that during all that time Nelson, the assistant ops manager helped him learn his areas, but not as much as Jason did after his arrival.

Darrell told Mr. Ken how Jason took him under his wing and began showing him many of the aspects of running an amusement park that he wasn’t aware of. The new in-training man told how Jason showed him all around the maintenance end of keeping the rides operational, how to watch over the warehouse and keep track of merchandise inventory and to anticipate food stand perishables and paper products.

Darrell told the owner that Nelson never went into any great detail with any of that, but had lightly covered it and told him that as he works his way through all those areas, he would gain the knowledge over time.

Darrell Griffin added that even though he doesn’t know all of the important elements of each area, he has a good understanding of them, and he feels that as he begins to work his way through them, he will pick up the tasks easier due to what Jason exposed him to.

Ken Thomas told Darrell that Jason worked for Joseph Shartz at Fantasy Fun Park for over fourteen years and was still learning when he elevated him to be his point man to inspect and report on Crystal Lake and Edgewood.

Mr. Ken revealed that Jason’s knowledge and attention to detail was the deciding factor in his initial decision not to buy Edgewood. He added that he was a valuable asset, which was why he assigned him to oversee the purchase contract for Crystal Lake.

The owner of Crystal Lake qualified himself by then telling Darrell that he should continue doing as he did when he first started out. That he should learn every area and aspect of the park and pick Arnie’s brain every chance he got because he might be operating his own park, one day, just as Jason is now with Edgewood.

That last piece of information put a smile on Darrell’s face and he thanked Mr. Ken for talking to him. Darrell told the man that he thought he was mad at him at first, but that he understands that he needs to be ready to follow directions without asking questions.

Mr. Ken told Arnie and Darrel that he needed to make some phone calls and he wanted to use Arnie’s office. He then asked Darrell to go out and check on his group and see if they’re causing any trouble.

As Darrell left the room, Arnie laughed and asked Mr. Thomas if he was laying it on a bit thick. Mr. Ken said he believes Darrell has a good work ethic and desire to learn and he should work with the young man and it will work out for him and the park in the long run.

Mr. Ken then went to make two phone calls. The first was to Amy Ozarker to find out the status of the water access permit for use of the lake’s waters for when they build the water park at Crystal Lake, and the second was to Kate.

Darrell Griffin caught up to the group as they were approaching Loud Thunder. Phillip asked no one in particular what type of coaster it was. Darrell surprised everyone when he told the boy that it was considered a wooden roller coaster, even though it had steel supports.

Mr. Griffin continued and told the young Cover that the roller coaster was only 80 feet high and was a family out-and-back coaster, that the ride wasn’t very long at 3400 feet, that each train is made up of six cars that each seat a pair of riders for a total of 24 riders per dispatch.

The group said they wanted to ride it and Phillip was all for it, as it didn’t look all that scary. The group headed up the Exit to activate their Fastest Passes, but Mr. Wayne said they needed to break into two groups, like they’ve been doing, so the people in line get to ride too. Darrell liked what he heard, and then he saw the large group break into groups of ten and nine.

The ride attendants saw Darrell Griffin out in the area and knew that they had to be careful in whatever they did. The first ten of the large group went up the Exit to activate their passes and the ride operator told them to wait and he would put them on the next train.

With 24 total seats on the six-car coaster there were fourteen seats available for the people in line to fill in the empty seats when the Pass people took their seats. The people in line were happy that some of them got to ride.

Then, when the last nine of the large group had their chance to ride, again, fourteen people who were in line got the chance to ride as one person in the Cover group rode solo.

The Covers arrived at Crystal Lake late in the afternoon and by now ‘dad’ Ken was calling Mr. Wayne to gather them up and to bring them to the operations building, so they could go out to dinner.

When the boys heard they had to go and meet up with their ‘dad’ they were bummed out, but they all knew that they would be back tomorrow to ride the amusements again and ride the ones they didn’t get on today.

Ron and his friends thanked the Covers for the fun day and getting the two eleven-year-olds onto the rides with them. Charles told Ron that he can join them again tomorrow, if his mom can get him either to their hotel, or at the ops building. Ron told the Cover that he’d call him to let him know if he can make it.

When the now smaller group met ‘dad’ Ken at the operations building they learned that they would be meeting Kate and her two boys, Rusty and Jessy, at the buffet restaurant for dinner. Dan, Wayne and Dennis all smiled at that revelation.

At the buffet, Mr. Wayne told the boys to help Rusty and Jessy and to let their ‘dad’ and Kate have some ‘alone time’. Phillip’s ‘brothers’ explained to him who Kate and her sons were and how they met them last year at Crystal Lake.

Rusty and Jessy enjoyed meeting their new big brother, Phillip, and made him sit next to them and tell them all about himself, while he helped them with their meal. The two young boys then asked if they would be going out to the amusement park with them tomorrow, to ride the rides. That was a question that none of the Covers had the answer to.

Over in a quiet corner, ‘dad’ Ken and Kate were talking about doing just that, as tomorrow was a Saturday and the boy’s mother would be able to give her mother a break from watching her sons.

When dinner was over, the two adults went over to the other group and ‘dad’ Ken told the boys that Kate and her sons would be joining them tomorrow at the park. Rusty and Jessy heard that and they yelled out a “Yea”, and they went to their mom and thanked her and then thanked Mr. Ken.

Ken walked Kate and her sons to their car and then he joined his group in their vehicles, so they could head to their hotel. Once there, the adults went to the tavern for a few adult drinks and some conversation about what happened out in the park, while the boys headed to their rooms to unpack some more and talk about their day as well.

Mr. Ken was surprised to learn that there were actually nineteen in their group, but was happy that they did split into two groups to allow the people in line to mix in with them as they rode. He was also surprised to learn that the two brothers, who didn’t have Fastest Passes, got on the rides anyway, as the ride operators and attendants just treated them as part of the group.

Mr. Ken told his adult traveling companions that tomorrow, he and Kate would probably spend most of the day together out in the park. Mr. Wayne asked him if he was going to need Matthew and Phillip to ride some of the rides with Rusty and Jessy.

Mr. Ken thought about that for a few seconds, then said that the boys are a year older now and should be able to ride many of the rides by themselves, or together, and if they can’t then he might ask those two to ride a few bigger rides with them later. But he reminded Wayne that this was Phillip’s first time there, too, and he needed to get a chance to ride everything first.

Upstairs, the boys gathered in Collin’s room to talk about the trip so far. But actually, the older Covers were interested in learning how serious Collin was in Jasmine, and they weren’t bashful in asking.

Collin told them that it was none of their business, but that, if they had to know, it was nice to talk to her again, after two years, and to get to know her a bit more. He did tell his ‘brothers’ that he wasn’t interested in getting married, just yet, as he still had two years of college ahead of him and he still needed to learn how to run his many businesses.

Collin did end his discussion of Jasmine by telling his ‘brothers’ that she was the kind of girl that he would be interested in marrying. He also told them that she has her own focus on what she wants to do after college, and is not looking for an easy money ticket.

When the adults came up to their rooms and they didn’t find the boys there, they went looking for them in Collin’s room. The boys told Collin and Ryan good night and before long the group was all in bed and fast 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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