Published: 2 May 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

Gabe and Jamie also stopped by. They had gotten jobs stocking shelves at the new grocery store that was scheduled to open very soon down at Four Corners. The two teenagers told their friends that they were working long hours and had already put in over 60 hours since school got out.

The two friends said that they were also offered positions as baggers, when the store finally opened, and then they would have regular hours. They did say that they missed coming over to The Cove, but added that, as they are getting older, they have to start saving for college and a car. The teens all had a good laugh over that.

After a very busy week, Mr. Ken was looking forward to a relaxing weekend. When he woke up, he did his usual morning ablutions, dressed in his normal t-shirt, nylon shorts and Crocs and then went out to retrieve his morning newspaper. A cup of hot coffee was next on his agenda before sitting down to read the news.

Phillip came into the Kitchen Nook to take care of Chief’s water and kibble bowls and ‘dad’ Ken stopped his foster son to talk to him about what he needed to start doing for Chief now that she was going to have a litter of puppies.

“Phillip … you know chief is pregnant with puppies, so … well, we need to start feeding her the new food we bought for her. It was recommended by her vet. So, please make sure to put that in her bowl and, as time goes by, we’ll make sure she gets the best foods to make sure she and her puppies are healthy. OK?” counseled ‘dad’ Ken.

Phillip said he understood and went about fixing the resident pet’s bowls with fresh water and the newer, more nutritional dog food. The foster son then fixed his own breakfast before waiting for Mr. Bindy and his Saturday morning guitar lesson.

Billy was the next to arrive in the Kitchen Nook. He was to meet with Lonnie at ten o’clock and he wanted to have a good breakfast before starting to work on the estate’s walls. The two teenagers were going to start cleaning the top of the wall before going outside and working on that side of the wall.

Robert, Charles and Matthew all came in right after their older ‘brother’. They all had taken their showers and were all dressed and ready to head up to the Main Gate to pass out the Carnival Gift Packages. They didn’t have a lot of time to eat breakfast. They were in a hurry to eat, then head up to the Main Gate and get set up to meet their neighbors.

Phillip’s guitar lesson had already started and Mr. Ken, Billy and the rest of the Cover boys could hear it up in the Kitchen Nook. Billy commented to his foster dad that his youngest ‘brother’ was getting really good at playing his guitar, and he and his band mates were really pretty good.

Mr. Ken got up from reading his morning newspaper and went over to the glass banister and listened more closely to the young boy play his guitar along with his teacher. He heard his teacher compliment the boy on how quickly he learned his chords, and how easy he could transition between them in a song. Phillip told the man that he and his band mates constantly play every day and are learning more songs to play.

Collin came up to his Big Bro just then and heard what Mr.Bindy and Phillip were talking about. He asked Mr. Ken if what the teacher said was true. Mr. Ken told his ‘little bro’ to stop by the Pavilion and really listen to his little ‘brother’ and decide for himself. The two then went to the Kitchen Nook.

Mr. Ken and Collin talked about what they were going to do today. Collin said that after he finished eating, he was going to go up to the Main Gate and help his ‘brothers’. Mr. Ken said that later he was going to go over to the Car Wash and Boat Storage Lot and see how the Grand Openings were going.

And that was what Ken Thomas did that afternoon. After getting ready for his day, the owner of The Cove stopped by the Main Gate to check on how the boys were doing with the neighbors and passing out the Carnival Gift Packages that included the ride wristbands, food coupons/vouchers and carnival game tickets. The man learned that a few parents didn’t bring either the card that Mr. Chris sent, or the family’s I.D.s, and the boys sent them home for them.

Collin said that the parents weren’t happy, but after learning they wouldn’t get their items without them, they went home and got them. Mr. Ken continued on his way.

When Mr. Ken arrived at the Boat Storage Lot, he found Logan talking to one of the customers, while the new manger was talking to another person. He walked up and listened to what Logan had to say.

“Sir, the minimum rental period is for three months, with the use of a credit card that will not expire for at least one year after the last month of rental. We do not accept cash. After the end of the third month, the contract will automatically go into a month to month rental and your credit card will be charged automatically, on the first of the month. And if you rent today or tomorrow, you will get all of next week free.

“Also, if the credit card is going to expire, we will contact you for an update on the expiration date and the authorization code. If you fall behind on two payments, we will place a wheel boot on your trailer until you make the payment. At that time, you’ll be given the option to extend your contract or you will be required to remove the trailer off the premises. Do you wish to reserve a slot? I can check to see which spaces we have remaining.

“Our storage lot only has 60 spaces and many have already been spoken for and this is the closest boat storage lot to the marina that will open soon. The lot does provide an air compressor with a 60-gallon tank, so you can air up your trailer tires when needed. There are also security cameras that monitor the lot 24/7 that are maintained off site. Are you interested, sir?” finished Logan.

Mr. Ken was impressed with the way Logan talked to the potential customer. He saw the manager was talking to someone else, which was why he figured the teen was talking to this potential customer.

Mr. Ken then walked over to the other boys to see how the Grand Opening was going. They told him that a lot of people had stopped by to inquire about the cost of the storage lot sizes, and that many had signed up for a space.

Mr. Ken then heard Logan tell the man that he had to use his own cell phone, or home computer, in order to rent the storage space. The teen said that he didn’t want the man’s personal information, especially his credit card information, on his phone. The manager heard what Logan said, and he quickly came over there and offered the man the use of a tablet the Boat Storage Lot had for customers in cases like that.

After the transaction was over, Logan introduced Mr. Ken to the manager, Vincent Perry. The manager asked Mr. Ken if he was interested in reserving a slot in the Boat Storage Lot. The boys all laughed. It was Logan who told Mr. Perry that Mr. Ken was the owner of the Boat Storage Lot. Vincent apologized and told Mr. Ken that he thought that Ms. Jackie was the owner, as she was the only one that he ever dealt with.

The two talked for a few moments, but another potential customer came up to them and Mr. Ken told the manager to take care of business. Mr. Ken then asked the boys to show him what they were handing out. They showed him ballpoint pens, flat magnetic flashlights, U.S. flag flexible key tags and tire gauges all with Four Corners Boat Storage Lot imprinted on them. He took one of each and told the boys to, “Have fun!”, as he went to his car.

Mr. Ken then drove over to the Four Corners Car Wash to see how the Grand Opening was going on over there. He saw that the cars were lined up to either wash their own cars, or they were in line to use the automatic car wash. He also saw the boys were talking to the people at the canopy, as they were handing out the promotional items. He decided to walk over and see how things were going.

The boys immediately said hello to him, but they were busy with the people explaining about the automatic car wash, and how much it initially cost. They then explained how much a monthly pass was and how easily they could buy one. They also told people what the minimum cost to use the self-service car wash was and approximately what the cost would be if they had a small, medium or a large vehicle.

Again, Mr. Ken was impressed by how much the boys did to help the manager out, as the crowd was bigger than they ever expected. So, hiring the four teens was a ‘stroke of genius’, chuckled Mr. Ken to himself.

Gordon called the Car Wash manager, Warren Hughes, over to introduce Mr. Thomas to him. And just as Mr. Perry thought that Mr. Ken was a potential customer, Mr. Hughes asked him if he was interested in purchasing a monthly automatic car wash pass. Again, the teens all laughed and Cody, this time, told the manager that Mr. Thomas was the owner of the Four Corners Car Wash.

Mr. Hughes apologized to Mr. Ken telling him that he only ever dealt with a Ms. Jackie and he was never told who the actual owner of the Four Corners Car Wash was. The two men talked while the teenagers took care of passing out the promotional items and answering the questions the car owners had about the automatic car wash.

Mr. Ken learned that Warren Hughes was retired military. That he served in Vietnam and retired as a Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted grade the U.S. Army had. Mr. Ken thanked him for his service and then mentioned that he was keeping him from his work.

Mr. Ken then talked with Trevor to see what promotional items they had to give away. Trevor and Josh showed him ballpoint pens, as well as reusable grocery tote bags, tire gauges and car mobile phone dash holders, which all had the Four Corners Car Wash logo imprinted on them. Mr. Ken took one of each to add to the other items he took from the Boat Storage Lot. He told the teens to, ‘Have fun!’, and then he left.

Mr. Ken decided, that since he was over in the area, he would drop by the Four Corners Amusement Park to see what had transpired over there, since the last time he visited. He was glad that he had.

Not only was Nelson Sanders there, but also a representative from the train company was walking where the train tracks would go. Mister Ken talked to that person to learn that he was in charge of installing the track. The train representative told Mr. Ken that he wanted to walk the ‘right-of-way’, so he knew what obstacles he might encounter along the way. The man had the projected route of where the train was supposed to go and he told Mr. Ken that he was happy he was there and hoped he could answer some questions he already had, as Nelson was too new to the project.

The man asked when the railroad station would be installed. He told Mr. Ken that it would be easier for them to install the tracks to it rather than the carpenters trying to fit the large structure to where the tracks were laid.

The man also asked where they wanted the sidings located. He said he understood the one where they would store the two trains during the off season and for maintenance, but he wanted to know how close they wanted the second siding to the station if they wanted one train in reserve, but close by for quick use. Mr. Ken told the man that his Projects Manager, Ms. Jackie, would have to answer that question.

The two talked about other buildings along the way. Mr. Ken said they would be located well away from the tracks. The man then asked about the trestle/bridge that had to be built and how elaborate he wanted it. Mr. Ken asked the man for some pictures of his work and projected costs for each. They also discussed where he wanted the recharging stations. Mr. Ken said he wanted them at both tracks in the maintenance area and probably at the siding close to the railroad station, so they can keep them charged up.

The track representative thanked Mr. Ken for all his help and told the owner of the amusement park that he and his team would begin preparing the right-of-way the week after the 4^th of July Holiday. He indicated that they would start at the back of the project to stay out of the way of the people coming to the amusement park. The two shook hands and then parted ways.

Mr. Ken then sought out Nelson Sanders. He wanted to know about the placement of the rides, games and refreshment stands and how far had the electrical contractor gotten in hooking them all up to the power grid. Nelson said that they should be done by Monday and then the Texas Department of Insurance Inspectors would be there next week and so would be the ride manufacturers to begin training his people who he was interviewing today.

Mr. Ken continued to walk around the amusement park to get a feel for the flow of the rides versus the game and refreshment booths. He wondered if he had bought enough refreshment booths and if the restrooms he built, for the park, would be big enough. He told himself that he needed to tell the design group to make the restrooms at the railroad station bigger and the refreshment stand, too.

As he left the amusement park area, he was glad that they had delayed the Grand Opening for the Four Corners Amusement Park until the 14^th of July. He saw that there was much more to be done there and that they could possibly do a ‘soft’ opening for the 14^th and delay the Grand Opening another week if necessary.

When Mr. Ken returned to The Cove it was close to 4 p.m. and the boys were taking down the tables. He stopped to ask them why they were quitting before four o’clock, and Robert told him that no one had stopped by for the last forty-five minutes. Charles then told him that just about everyone on the computer list had already stopped by and that those who hadn’t only had tomorrow, Sunday, between twelve and four to get their Carnival Gift Package.

The boys headed over to be with their friends and Mr. Ken drove down to the house and he’d eventually go into his Study. When he entered his Study, he quickly wrote down the notes he made in his mind, while he was at the amusement park, so he wouldn’t forget them.

The Covers went out for dinner that evening and afterwards they boys drove the Go-Karts. Phillip wasn’t lucky that evening and came in last. Then they stopped at Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone as they hadn’t been there for quite some time and Mr. Ken wanted to stop by to see how the ice cream store was doing.

Conner was still working there and it being a Saturday night the store was busy, but it had three workers. But as it was later in the evening, the Covers didn’t have to wait too long, and they all said hello to the teen as they ordered their two-scoop sundaes. They then sat outside and ate them and the boys talked about how the summer was going so far for them.

When the Covers returned to The Cove, they all headed to the Study where ‘dad’ Ken had his usual meeting to discuss what the boys could expect to happen around The Cove. The first thing ‘dad’ Ken started with was that he thanked the boys for their hard work at the Main Gate passing out all those carnival ride wristbands, food coupon/vouchers and carnival game tickets to the neighbors. He asked them to do that one more day and if the people don’t show by two o’clock to shut it down and to ask the gate guard to call you over if any of them show up after that.

‘Dad’ Ken then told the boys that he and Charles, along with Mr. Ben and his son, Rylan, would be heading to Edgewood on Thursday and were planning to return late on Saturday with Kate and the boys and her mom. He told them that Chief had a good doctor’s report and would be seeing the vet again next week for an ultrasound to see how many pups she may have inside her.

The boys’ ‘dad’ then told them that he had Mr. Chris buy a whelping box, where Chief could birth her puppies. Of course, he had to explain what it was to them first before he could ask them to put it together and then find a good place that would be out of the way, but safe for the resident pet and her brood.

The boys began suggesting where would be a good place. They suggested the Pantry, the MRS Room, the room off Mr. Ken’s private retreat that he doesn’t use. He emphatically told them “No!”, to that place. The boys mentioned the empty bedroom upstairs, but Mr. Ken said that eventually the puppies will begin to walk and will want to get out of the box and they will have accidents and carpet is not a good place for that.

Billy then suggested they place the whelping box under the stairs down in the Great Room. He reasoned that the entire floor is ceramic tile and being under the stairs is somewhat safe and Chief would have direct access to her ‘doggie door’. The teenager then said as the pups start walking around and they have accidents they can clean it up easier off the smooth tiles.

Mr. Ken asked the boys to build it down there then and show Chief where they were putting it so she would know where to go when her time came. Chief gave a few woofs when she heard that. The boys said they’d get with Mr. Chris on Monday and they’d also have the time then, since they have to pass out the wrist bands and food vouches tomorrow.

Mister Ken then told the boys that he wasn’t sure if he’d told them this or not, but that after Bruce Price, the owner of Sully who mated with Chief takes his one or two puppies, he was going to keep one of the puppies for The Cove. The boys all got big smiles on their faces and they all asked him what he would name the new puppy. ‘Dad’ Ken said they’d all sit down and talk about it when the time came.

‘Dad’ Ken then asked the boys to help Mr. Wayne and Mr. Chris when the carnival arrives and the church groups begin to set up next weekend. The man told the boys that with the carnival being on a Monday and a Tuesday, the carnival owner will probably arrive Saturday and begin setting up that day and Sunday.

The boy’s ‘dad’ reminded the boys that they’ve seen what goes on during the carnival set up and they know they need to clean the Pavilion and get the Cove Skate Park ready for the people to use during the carnival. He told them that Mr. Chris will order new shirts for the referees and that he just needs to know their sizes. He then reminded them that their friends can’t go where the carnival is setting up.

Mr. Ken then placed on his desk the promotional items that were being passed out at the Car Wash and Boat Storage Lot. He told the boys that he stopped by both of his new businesses to see how the Grand Openings were going, and he was happy to say that Robert’s friends were doing a great job of talking to the customers.

‘Dad’ Ken then explained to the boys what was happening at the Four Corners Amusement Park. He explained to them the delay in its Grand Opening which was due to the siting, certification of the rides, the hiring of the main personnel and the people to operate the rides, game and refreshment booths. He also told them about talking to the train track installation supervisor who told him they would start installation the week after the 4^th of July Holiday.

“Dad’ Ken then told Phillip that he had an appointment with Doctor Doug on Tuesday and that Matthew had one on Wednesday, and then he asked if anyone else wanted or needed one. None of the boys raised their hands.

With that done, Mr. Ken reminded the boys that Kevin and Kyle should be there the following Sunday along with their aunt and uncle and their cousins. He told the boys that the aunt and uncle and their children would stay out in the guest cottage/house. He then speculated that the twins would want to stay in the empty bedroom and that Rusty and Jessy would either stay with Matthew and Phillip or Kate would have them sleep in her room. The man told them to stay tuned to see how that all pans out.

To finish their meeting ‘dad’ Ken asked the boys if they had anything for him. Charles told everyone that Rich called him and told him that he is now home recovering, but that he didn’t know when he would be able to come over to The Cove.

Robert asked his dad if he could visit his mom again before school started. Billy also asked if he could visit his mom again, too. Mr. Ken said that they should sit down after the twins leave and look at the calendar and see when would be a good time.

Collin then told his ‘brothers’ that next Wednesday evening, he was holding a get together with many of his classmates up at the Pavilion. He told them that they would begin arriving at around 6:30 and it would last until 10:30 or 11:00, depending on how much fun everyone was having. ‘Dad’ Ken added that the boys were to stay away from there unless they were invited.

Collin did say that he hadn’t decided what he was going to serve. So, he asked his ‘brothers’ if they wanted to help him out and maybe suggest something that he could have for his classmates. Billy quickly suggested that they talk with Momma first thing Monday morning and see what she would serve that would be easy to keep warm, or cold depending on what he wanted served.

Robert mentioned that they would keep the soda machines filled during the day so the sodas and waters would be cold for his friends, since none of them were old enough to drink alcohol. Then he snickered. The other older boys laughed.

‘Dad’ Ken then told the boys that when they go to visit the amusement parks before school begins, they would only be there for one day, as visiting for the two days was way too long. The boys said they were fine with that, as they were really tired when they came home.

When the meeting was over and the boys began to head up to their rooms, Mr. Ken asked Bill, Robert and Charles to stay back. Matthew, Phillip and Collin all stopped in their tracks and turned around and asked if they should stay to hear what he was going to tell them.

The ‘boys’ ‘dad’ told them that he wanted to talk to their ‘brothers’ about their futures and that this wouldn’t concern them just yet, so they could go up to their rooms. He told them their ‘brothers’ would be up shortly.

Mr. Ken then told Billy, Robert and Charles that he wanted them to all take a career aptitude test, or assessment, sometime during the week after the 4^th of July Holiday. He explained to the three teenagers that the aptitude test, or assessment, is designed to show them where their interests lie. ‘Dad’ Ken added that it would give them an idea of what they may want to focus on when they go onto college.

‘Dad’ Ken told them it isn’t something they can study for, as they already know the answers. He told them the test/assessment will ask them about their likes and dislikes and that it would help them uncover their abilities and strengths, then assess their potential as to what type of career they were best suited to, based on how they answer the questions. He asked them to consider this as a stepping stone to their future and not as something that interferes with their summer.

Robert then asked if Eric could also take the test. The teen’s dad said that he’d talk to Ms. Judy and that it would be up to her and Eric if he takes the test. Dad Ken added that he figured that if his Best Friend took it, he would also want to know what he wants to be when he grows up. The man then laughed.

Before dad Ken left the three teenagers, Charles told him that Richard did get to go home that afternoon to finish healing. The Cover teen told his dad that he couldn’t wait until his friend got to come back to The Cove and have fun there again. Mr. Ken hugged his son and told him not to rush it, and to let Mr. Longger decide when his son could come back to The Cove.

After Mr. Ken said good night to the boys, he stopped at Collin’s room. He asked his little brother if he still intended to see Doctor Doug. Collin told him that he has an appointment with him next week, but he didn’t want his ‘brothers’ to know that. The young man’s Big Bro told him there was no hurry for him to discontinue seeing Doctor Doug, until he was happy with whatever he was dealing with.

Collin pulled his Big Bro to him and hugged him tight and thanked him for being there for him. Mr. Ken told the young man, “That’s what family does for one another.” Collin began to cry when he heard those words and he hugged the man even tighter. Chief knew his ‘boy’ was hurting somehow, and so she got up on her hind legs and joined in the hug.

The three Covers hugged for some time. Collin released his Big Bro when he finally got control over his emotions, and Chief dropped down to all fours. The soon to be college junior needed to know that he had a ‘family’ he could fall back on, and hearing his Big Bro tell him that he had one, meant everything to him.

When Mr. Ken finally got to his own retreat, he was glad he’d told Collin that he had a ‘family’ he could rely on. He knew that when the young man lost his Grammy last Spring, he was devastated, and with that loss he had no one left in his immediate family.

Mr. Ken knew that the college man needed a safety net to fall back on, if he ever felt alone, and the hug he received told him he’d made the right decision. The owner of The Cove and foster dad slept well that night with the feeling he was doing right for all of his ‘boys’.

When Charles woke up that Sunday morning, he would have loved to have gone out for breakfast. But he knew that knew with him and his ‘brothers’ having to be up at the Main Gate to pass out the Carnival Gift Packages to their neighbors, he knew that was a non-starter.

Mr. Ken was already up reading his Sunday newspaper and had the breakfast tacos already hot and waiting in the convection oven for the boys when they arrived at the Kitchen Nook. All of the boys arrived within ten minutes of one another and they all said good morning to their ‘dad’. Both Robert and Charles went over to their dad and gave him a hug, before sitting down and joining Matthew for the hot breakfast tacos.

Collin said good morning to his Big Bro and even Chief went over to her first master and gave him a few doggie kisses. Phillip took care to give Chief fresh water and to fill her kibble bowl with the new food for the resident pet. Then he and Collin got their hot breakfast tacos and some orange juice and sat down to their breakfast.

While the boys were eating, Robert and Billy had their phones out and they were looking at the calendar and were talking about when they could go and see their moms. They figured that the twins would leave by the 9^th of July, that school should begin the 17^th of August and their trip to visit the amusement parks would happen the week of the 14^th.

“Dad,” began Robert, “Billy and I … we figured out that there is a window between 10 July and 13 August where we can plan to visit our moms. That is as long as there aren’t any other trips or a special meeting that we aren’t aware of,” finished the teenager.

“Well … there is the Grand Opening of the Four Corners Amusement Park set for the 14^th of July,” ‘dad’ Ken reminded the two teens. “Then there is the dedication of the Blessed Waters Academy Vocational building that I will be expected to attend. And that date hasn’t been set yet and there will also be the announcement of the new rides for the amusement parks.

“Oh, and let’s not forget about Chief. We have to consider that she will deliver her litter of puppies sometime around the 20^th of July to let’s say the 26^th. We all need to be aware of that time frame and when we see Chief getting restless, or panting and/or she may even vomit. One thing we also need to watch for is Chief might begin pacing and then circling around the whelping box. Those are all signs that she might begin to birth her pups.

“When Chief begins birthing her pups, we need to let her do what she instinctively knows what to do. But we also need to be there to help her if she tires. We’ll talk more about that when it gets closer to her due date,” advised ‘dad Ken.

Phillip asked if he really could be there and watch when Chief has her puppies. The boy’s foster dad told the youngster that if it happened when he was awake, he surely can. The man told all the boys that they can be there.

With the discussion about Chief birthing her litter of puppies over, Robert quickly addressed the announcement of the new rides for his dad’s amusement parks by saying, “Shouldn’t Mr. Ben take care of that as your President of Three Finger Entertainment? There really shouldn’t be a reason why you should be involved with that, is there?”

“Yes, son, you have a point there. Ben should be able to handle that without me,” offered the teen’s dad. “But … I should figure that the vocational school dedication will happen close to the start of school, so … we may have to schedule our trip to my parks sooner than you figured it. So, what say we figure we can visit your moms from 10 July through 4 August, and visit my parks starting the 6^th of August?”

Robert and Billy quickly looked at their phones calendar and saw that there were four weeks that they could use to plan a visit to see their moms. Robert, though, in the back of his mind, was still thinking of maybe going to visit his dad. But he knew that he could always see him on the weekend after school started.

The boys looked at the time and decided they needed to go upstairs and get their showers, dress and then head up to the Main Gate for one last day of passing out to the neighbors their Carnival Gift Packages for the 4^th of July Carnival that would be held for two days, that year, on the 3^rd and the 4^th of July.

It wasn’t long after the boys went upstairs to get ready for their day that Mr. Ken went back to his retreat and got himself ready for his day. He intended to go and visit the Car Wash and Boat Storage Lot again to get a feel on how well they’d done, business wise. He also wanted to talk to the boys to see how they liked working.

When Eric arrived at The Cove that Sunday, Robert pulled him aside and told him about his dad telling him, Billy and Charles about this aptitude test that he wanted them to take. The teen Cover explained to his Best Friend that the test was to help them figure out where their interests lie and give them an idea of what they may want to focus on when they go into college.

Robert told Eric that his dad would talk to his mom to see if he wanted to also take the test when they do. Eric thanked his Best Friend for the heads-up and he said that he’d call his mom so she’d know about it when Mr. Ken called her.

When Mr. Ken left The Cove at 12:30, he stopped at the Main Gate to ask the boys how many neighbors had come by to get their Carnival Gift Packages, he learned that only five had done so. Charles told his dad that there weren’t very many names on the computer list who had yet to stop by.

Dad Ken told his son that at two o’clock they could shut the project down unless there are people in line. He added to ask the guard to call them over to the Main Gate if any of the neighbors do show up between the time they leave and four o’clock. The owner of The Cove then left to go over to visit his two new businesses.

Mr. Ken stopped at the Car Wash first this time around. Being a Sunday, he thought people would have stayed home with their families, but the line at the automatic car wash was quite long and people were waiting to use the self-service bays. He was now pleased at his decision to build the Car Wash facility, since it was the closest one to the area.

The owner of the new car wash facility went over and talked to the teens to see how they were holding up after working a full day yesterday. Trevor told the man that he wasn’t used to the long hours after relaxing at The Cove, but that he could get used to it. Cody, Josh and Gordon essentially told him the same thing. Gordon did ask, though, if there was a chance that he could work at the new amusement park. Mr. Ken told him that he would keep his name in mind.

Mr. Ken then drove over to the Boat Storage Lot. It wasn’t as busy as it was yesterday, so he got the chance to talk to Vincent Perry. The new manager, who was a retired older gentleman, and he told the owner that he applied for the job, as a way to stay out of his wife’s hair. The two men had a good laugh over that.

The manager told Mr. Ken that they rented 48 of the 60 slots yesterday and that he expected to rent at least six more today to people who had stopped by yesterday. The manager told the owner that with them letting the new renters to have that first week free was a good selling point for many of them who had their boats, or travel trailers, at other facilities and this gave them flexibility to move them over without having to double pay.

Vincent Perry also told Mr. Ken that Logan was a great help to him yesterday. The man told how the teenager helped explain the storage lot fees and rules to many of the people who stopped by, and it was with his help that they were able to rent as many slots as they did. Mr. Perry said that Logan was a born salesman. Mr. Ken smiled at hearing that.

The Boat Storage Lot owner then went over and talked to the teens, now that they weren’t as busy as they were yesterday. He asked them how they liked working. Logan spoke right up and said he totally enjoyed the experience, and that he was ready to go to work. The teen then asked if he would be able to work at the new amusement park.

Mr. Ken told him, and thus the other teenagers, that there might be some jobs available at the new amusement park, but they would not be as ride operators. He added that they could work at the refreshment stands, the game booths, or maybe sweep the grounds, or anything else that needs to be done.

Mr. Ken added that he would keep their names in mind when they start looking to hire the minor positions at the park. He told them, though, to watch for when they advertise for people to apply for the jobs, and that they should fill out an application and see if they get a call for an interview.

Mr. Ken then drove over to the amusement park to see if Nelson was there. He wanted to talk to the man about the minor positions he would need to hire for and tell him about the eight teens he just had working for him. Nelson was there and Mr. Ken saw that he was interviewing potential employees for the new park.

The parks owner stayed around and waited until the operations manager was finished with the interview, so he could talk to Nelson Sanders. When the two did talk, Nelson told Mr. Ken that he interviewed 26 men and women, many whom were qualified, but eight of which he hopes will pass their background and drug tests, as they showed him what he was looking for as the main park and ride supervisors.

Mr. Ken then told Nelson about the eight teenagers that he just had working for him who were interested in working at the park. He told the ops manager that they were only fifteen, which precludes them from operating the rides, but they might be good for operating the games, or working the refreshment stands, or even to work picking up the trash and sweeping out in the park.

Nelson told the park’s owner that he was going to advertise for those types of workers after the 4^th of July and asked him to tell those boys to come out and apply. He then asked if he knew some high school juniors and seniors, as he could use those to actually operate the rides. Mr. Ken smiled and said his foster son’s friends all just found jobs, but he’ll pass that information on to them.

After the Covers left the Main Gate, since no more neighbors came by to pick up their carnival ride wristbands, food coupon/vouchers and carnival game tickets, they all went over to the Pavilion to be with their friends. Phillip and his band mates immediately began playing. Collin took notice and listened to the six band members as they played and sang.

Only one neighbor came by after 2:30 to get their carnival items and Robert went over to pass them out. The lady said she had totally forgotten about it until she saw the card and then read the dates which was why she hurried over. It was 3:45 in the afternoon.

Robert told her that they were just over at the Pavilion, so it was no trouble for him to hurry over to give her the family’s Carnival Gift Package that included the carnival ride wristbands, the food coupon slash vouchers and the carnival game tickets for each of the family members. The woman profusely thanked the teenager and the two parted company.

After talking to Nelson, Mr. Ken came home and went to his Study. He hadn’t talked to Kate yesterday, as he was so busy, so he decided to give her a call before he and the boys went out for dinner. When she came to the phone, he could tell she was very distraught.

After talking to her to get her calmed down, Kate told Ken, “Amy … she talked me into letting her file a counter claim against Lane. Ken … she’s going to the courthouse in the morning and she’s going to file a claim for all of the back child support. And Ken … she’s asking that Lane take a paternity test to determine if indeed he is actually the boys’ father. Well, that he is at least Rusty’s father.”

“Kate … listen … I’ll contact the air charter company to see when the earliest that I can get out there. It might not be until Tuesday afternoon, as I need to drop Charles off at Edgewood first, but I’ll be there as quickly as I can,” counseled Kate’s hopeful boyfriend.

“Oh, Ken … you don’t have to do that. You’ve done so much for me and my boys already. And … and when you learn what Lane … what he has been holding over my head all these years, you … you probably won’t want to have anything to do with me ever again,” cried Kate.

“Kate … don’t say that! I’ve fallen for the woman I met after all that, no matter what it is. That is all in the past. But I still want to be there with you. I’m going to make some phone calls and I’ll let you know when I’ll be there. And Kate … do what Amy wants you to do. She’s going to make Lane wish he’d never started this petitioning to the court that he never gets to be with his boys during the Holidays crap. Hang in there, Kate. I … I love you, Kate!” finished Ken Thomas.

“I … I love you, too, Ken,” called out Kate, through her tears.

Ken Thomas got up from his desk and closed his Study door. He didn’t want the boys coming to his Study while he was making his phone calls. He would eventually tell them what he was going to do, but he didn’t want them speculating on what they might hear in the meantime.

At dinner that evening, the boys could tell their ‘dad’ had something on his mind. He wasn’t talking with them as he usually did, and they all wondered what that would mean to them. Robert asked his dad what was going on with him since he was so quiet. All dad Ken would tell his son was that when they all get back to the Study later, he will tell them.

Usually, when the boys finish eating, they all want to go drive the Go-Karts. But tonight, they were all curious as to what was happening with their ‘dad’, so they weren’t too eager to go drive them. They all asked their ‘dad’ if they could go back to the Study, so he would tell them what was going on.

Mr. Ken had Billy drive the van back to The Cove and then all of the Covers headed to the Study and they took their seats. And before ‘dad’ Ken could begin to tell the boys what was going on with him, Robert asked him if it had anything to do with Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis not being at The Cove much that weekend.

Mr. Ken smiled at the reference to his key workers not being there much over the weekend, so he told the boys that the men would be working a bit more, while he and Charles would be gone, so he wanted them to take some time off until then.

Then once the boys were settled, ‘dad’ Ken started explaining what was going on with him.

“Boys … Collin … I called Kate after I returned this afternoon and … well, there has been a problem between her … and the father of her boys. I won’t go into the particulars, but … well, it is all coming to a head this week. Lane, the father of the boys … he has taken Kate to court.

“Kate … her lawyer, that is … is going to court tomorrow in a counter move. So, boys … I am going to leave early to be with her. That means that Charles and I … we will be leaving at o’dark thirty Tuesday morning and I mean o’dark thirty.”

As soon as he said that, the boys started asking questions.

“Let me finish, will you! Then, I’ll answer your questions. … Now, Charles and I will have to be at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport for a 7 a.m. take-off, which means we’ll have to leave here at about five o’clock.

“I’m going to drop Charles off at Edgewood, and he’s going to stay with Jason, until I return for the Grand Re-Opening. He’ll help Jason and Mr. Ben, as we had planned at Edgewood. Oh, and Charles, make sure you take your quadcopter and Go-Pro and don’t forget your white Three Finger Entertainment polo shirt. OK?” said the smiling teen’s dad.

“Continuing, Mr. Ben and his son, Rylan, … they will still fly out to Edgewood on the 28^th as planned. He will finalize the Grand Re-Opening with Jason, along with Rylan and Charles’ help.

“I just hope that the judge … that he, or she, will look at Kate’s counter suit against Lane as an opportunity to delay Lane’s court hearing against Kate and move it until … well, until after the 4^th of July Holiday. Sometimes, when competing moms and dads do this, the judge will want a cooling off period and tell them to try to find some common ground.

“Anyway, I want to be there with Kate … and to give her some support and I will be back at Edgewood on the 30^th for the Grand Opening on the 1^st of July. Then, after the ceremony, the four of us will hopefully be heading to pick up Kate, Edith and the boys and bringing them back here to The Cove. Now, you can ask me your questions,” finished ‘dad’ Ken.

“Dad … why is Lane doing this to Kate?” asked Robert.

“Son, I think it has to do with her dating me. I believe he is jealous that she has found someone, who is one thousand percent better than he will ever be,” offered the teen’s dad.

‘But … what if the judge doesn’t move the hearing? Then what?” asked Billy.

“Well, we’ll then have to deal with that as it comes. But Kate’s lawyer … she believes her counter suit will cause the judge to want to delve more into this, and with Lane’s hearing set for Friday, there won’t be enough time for him/her to do that,” speculated Mr. Ken.

“You really like her, don’t you, ‘dad’?” asked Phillip out of the blue.

“Yes, Phillip, I really like her,” replied a smiling ‘dad’ Ken.

“OK. Mr. Wayne … as usual, he will be staying with you while I am gone. He and Mr. Dennis … they will get you to your doctor appointments. Also, Robert, tell your friends that Nelson will be advertising for workers at the Four Corners Amusement Park and, if they are interested, they should apply. Oh, by-the-way, they did ask me about them when I talked to them today. And no, you can’t work there and neither can Bill or Charles. Remember, we have a trip planned and you want to visit your mom … and maybe your dad? Did I get that right?”

“Dad … we gave out the Carnival Gift Packages to our neighbors, but … but what about our friends who don’t live nearby? We always gave them the coupons for food and they rode the rides and played the games without any problem. Can we give our friends, who don’t live nearby, the same gift packages, too?” asked Robert.

“You make a good point, son. And … and I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t have the same fun as they’ve had the past four years. Boys, please make sure those friends who don’t live in the neighborhood have the Carnival Gift Package, too,” chuckled the teen’s dad. “And Robert … make sure Phillip understands what you’re talking about. OK? Any other questions, boys?” finished dad’ Ken.

“We’re home early, do you want to go swimming?” now asked ‘dad’ Ken, to change the subject.

The Covers did swim until about ten o’clock and then Mr. Ken sent them up to their rooms. Mr. Ken did go up to their rooms to say goodnight to them all before settling down himself.

The Covers slept fairly well that night. The boys did have some reservations over their ‘dad’ leaving a day early. Mr. Ken, on the other hand, wished he knew what Lane was holding over Kate’s head, all this time, which was making her so upset. He felt with him being there for her, it would help her get through all this.

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

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