Published: 10 Apr 2025
From the Previous Chapter:
The man found his mind constantly working on aspects of his businesses, but especially the amusement parks. He knew he needed to relax before he laid down, as he told his ‘boys’, so he tried to turn his mind off from work, as he used his en suite.
When Ken Thomas finally laid down for the night, he sensed the weight of the day fall off his shoulders. The man also felt relieved that the day was over and that he could now fall asleep knowing he had done everything he needed to do that day. The Cove was peaceful and quiet the whole night through.
Tuesday morning, after Mr. Ken got ready for his day, he stopped in the Study to leave Wayne a note about the boys having some of their classmates over that coming Saturday, and their wanting to get additional supplies. He then listed what the boys needed, plus what they also wanted to add like chips, potato salad and baked beans.
Before he got from his desk, he did mention, in the note, that they were all for going with him and Dennis, after they got home from school. Then he smiled when he got up from his desk, knowing that Wayne and Dennis will probably take the boys up on their offer to go to the big box store to help.
Out in the Kitchen Nook, he thanked Momma for his first cup of coffee and greeted all the boys as they came down for their breakfast, before heading off to school. The ‘boys’ ‘dad’ did mention to them that he did leave a note for Mr. Wayne about what they needed for Saturday, and that they were available to help.
When Mr. Ken arrived at his office that Tuesday morning, Ben was waiting for him. The reason for the President of TFE’s visit was to remind him of his agreement to increase their amusement parks budgets for the Spook-Tac-U-Lairs and Celebration of Christmas Wonders.
Ben impressed upon the parks’ owner that his park ops managers were counting on the increased budget for Spook-Tac-U-Lair, as they were now in the process of decorating their parks, and they could use that extra money to enhance what they present.
Mr. Ken thanked Ben for the reminder, and the two talked about how much money he should assign to the parks. Ben thought that a large enough input this year could give them a shot in the arm that they could purchase what they need for this year, and order what they would want for next year. Mr. Ken thought about that and figured that it would be the prudent thing, and he approved the amount Ben suggested.
The two then talked about the amount they wanted to forward for the Celebration of Christmas Wonders decorations. Mr. Ken told Ben to send the same amount. The owner of the parks reasoned that he hadn’t increased the buying of new decorations the past two years, and that the parks probably needed to buy new, or replace old ones. Ben was pleased the owner was not skimping on those two observances, or celebrations.
Before Ben left his office, Ken asked him if he was ready to announce the closing of the miniature golf course. Ben Walthers told Mr. Ken that he called Rene Vaughn, and asked her to meet him there tomorrow at noon for a major announcement. Mr. Ken asked Ben to make sure to mention the potential of a roller coaster eventually being installed in the lot after the train station was complete, and the train was operational.
Ben didn’t understand the reason behind that part of the announcement. Mr. Ken told him that the owner of the land adjacent to Four Corners was still adamant about building an office building, so he is hoping that with his realizing that there would eventually be an annoying roller coaster right next door to his office building, that it might not be good for attracting tenants.
Mr. Ken told Ben that they also needed to get out some future drawings of what the coaster would look like in that location, and they needed to make it look big and loud. Ben finally understood what Ken Thomas was trying to do with the announcement, and made the adjacent area untenable for an office environment. The two shared a good laugh.
Later that morning Mr. Ken received a call from his lawyer, Bill Jackson. The call was in reference to the accident that involved Billy and Phillip. It happened back at the end of July, while Billy and Phillip were going to the grocery store for Momma Maria.
It occurred as they approached the liner park construction area. They were stopped by a flagger who had them stop about 500 feet, or more, away from where a front-end loader that was preparing to back out into the roadway, and dump a load of dirt into a dump truck.
The flagger told Billy that it wouldn’t be long, as the driver was talking to the site supervisor. But because it was taking longer than usual, the flagger got permission to let them through.
But it was while Billy was slowly driving past the front-end loader that the driver gunned the 25,000-pound piece of equipment and backed over the Taurus bending the pillar and roof over Phillip, who was seated in the front passenger seat. Phillip was immediately knocked unconscious. Luckily, his body was pushed onto the open area between him and Billy.
Billy was dazed from the force of the hit, and the Taurus was pushed at least 4-feet to the left and was now resting almost at the curb opposite the linear park. Luckily, prior to their driving out of The Cove, Billy had made sure the dash camera that Momma had given him was working, and it had captured the entire incident, which was now the prime piece of evidence against the construction company.
Bill Jackson called to tell Ken Thomas that the construction company’s insurance company was offering Bill $25,000 and Phillip $50,000 as settlement for the accident. The lawyer told Mr. Ken that the insurance company told him that they felt it was a fair and equitable payment for what happened to them and that there was no need to go to court.
Ken Thomas laughed at the paltry sum the insurance company offered. He told Bill to counter their offer and tell them that for Bill they need to offer at least $125,000.00 and for Phillip $1.25 million. The foster dad told Bill Jackson to remind them that both boys have been seeing a child psychologist, and that Phillip did spend time in the hospital, with a dislocated shoulder, which was painful, and kept the eleven-year-old from enjoying playing his guitar with his band for up to six weeks.
Bill Jackson laughed knowing that his client wouldn’t accept the insignificant amount offered by the insurance company. The lawyer asked what he should do if they rejected that counter offer. Ken Thomas told them that he was to file suit in court and to ask for $1M for Bill and at $5M for Phillip.
Mr. Ken then told his lawyer when they received the papers concerning the lawsuit and they balked; he told Bill to tell them to come back to him with a better offer, and it better be even higher than what he just told Bill to counter with. Bill Jackson laughed some more knowing Mr. Thomas wasn’t one to mess with, when it came to his ‘boys’.
At the schools that morning, the Cover boys got right down to inviting seven different classmates to Saturday’s skate, swim and barbeque. Billy, Robert and Charles didn’t have too difficult a time deciding who they wanted to invite.
Matthew decided to talk to his best classmate, Bailey. The young girl is a sister of one of Charles’ friends and the two have become good friends, almost from the beginning. He went to her directly to ask her who he should invite over on Saturday. The two talked before the first bell and Matthew had a dozen names to choose from, which he told Bailey they would narrow down at lunch time.
As soon as Phillip got off the school bus, he quickly gathered his bandmates and told them that he needed to identify at least five girls in their class to invite over to The Cove that Saturday. He told them that they knew the girls better than he did and he wanted them to suggest who he should invite over. Before the first bell, he had at least ten names that he told his friends that he needed to whittle down to five and then add two boys during lunch.
That night, after dinner and during their nightly meeting, the boys told their dad that they had the names of their classmates. They wanted to know if he wanted their phone numbers. ‘Dad’ Ken told them that since these invitees would be a one-time invite that he really didn’t need their phone numbers. He did tell the boys to keep them just in case they did become a regular at The Cove. The boys looked back-and-forth at one another and then smiled.
Wednesday morning, after the boys were off to school, Mr. Ken called his office and told his secretary that he was meeting with his home staff that morning and wouldn’t be in until later. He then met with Wayne and Chris in the Study.
The two men had asked him earlier in the summer that he meet with them at least once a week to discuss issues concerning The Cove, but with everything that Ken Thomas is involved in those meetings usually didn’t happen. Today was a day that the three could finally talk about things.
The three all brought with them hot cups of coffee, and a fresh Momma Maria sweet cake to the Study, so they could enjoy their leisurely talk.
Mr. Ken started their get-together by telling the men that the boys were having more of their classmates over that Saturday, and he expected upwards of between fifty and sixty boys and girls. Wayne mentioned that he got his note, and that he and Dennis were going to take the boys out shopping tonight after they ate their snack. He further stated they had a big list of items they were going to get, and let the boys look around for what extra items they wanted, and then let them load them into the van and the truck.
The men’s employer then reminded them that the following weekend was the boy’s trip to Fiesta Texas. He asked Chris if they had gotten the numbers of their friends going to him. Chris said that they had, and that he’d gotten a 52-passenger coach reserved for the day, with Sunday as the rain date. The Estate Manager added that the bus is scheduled to leave The Cove at nine o’clock that morning, and the park at nine o’clock that night.
Chris also said that he had 52 tickets for Fiesta Texas, but right now he had only 44 people that he knew of that were going and that included Kate and her boys, if they came for the weekend. Otherwise, Mr. Ken would have a number of tickets he would be able to give away at the entrance to the park.
Mr. Ken asked Chris why didn’t he and his family join them if there were that many tickets available. Chris said that he would call Sandra later to see what she thought about taking their daughter Hailey and son Chris, Jr. Chris added that he was all for it, as they don’t do all that much as a family, and that this would be a fun thing to do over the three-day weekend.
Mr. Ken then told the men that Ben, or his wife, Addison, would be dropping off their puppy, Daisy, sometime Thursday. The man continued and told them that Ben and his family would be visiting three of the amusement parks over the three-day weekend, and they, well Matthew, agreed to watch their new puppy, while they were gone. The two men smiled at that revelation.
Mr. Ken did confirm with the men that he had invited Kate and her family to come to Cove for the three-day weekend, but that she hadn’t given him her answer yet. He told them that the Marina Seafood Wharf & Steak House’s Grand Opening is that Sunday, and he wanted her to be on his arm. Another smile came to the men’s faces.
The owner of The Cove continued and told the men that sometime around the 16th of October he would be flying back east to be with Kate to hopefully help her straighten out a problem that Lane had saddled her with. He explained that he might be gone for three or four days.
He then reminded them that both Bill and Robert were going to visit their mothers on the 21st, and he was taking Robert, and he needed Wayne, Dennis, or even Chris, to stand up and take Bill to visit his mom. With that said, the men’s boss added that Phillip’s band was playing two gigs towards the end of October, and that he would be involved with taking the boy and the sound system to them.
The men’s boss additionally told his employees that he and Phillip will head off on the 10th of November for the boy’s three-day trip. He indicated he doesn’t know where they are going as Phillip hadn’t told him yet, but he will ask him soon, so Chris could begin making the arrangements.
Ken Thomas then told the men that he and Ben are going to attend the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) the week before Thanksgiving. He explained that the Expo showcased new amusement rides, midway games and foods, and he and Ben needed to see what new things were being introduced to the industry for them to consider adding to their parks.
To finish his part of the meeting, Mr. Ken told the men that Jules Diamonds’ wedding to Eleanor Whittier was scheduled for that Saturday of the beginning of Thanksgiving week, and that Thanksgiving dinner would be held at The Cove, as Collin’s home was still undergoing renovations. He thought there might be approximately sixteen guests, with them to be named later, he uttered in jest, at the special dinner that Momma and her amigas would be preparing.
With his part of the meeting over, the boss asked the men what they wanted to bring up to him. Wayne repeated that he and Dennis were taking the boys out shopping later today. He subsequently volunteered to take Bill to visit his mother on the 21st, and he asked to be placed on the list of names for the Thanksgiving Dinner. Then he smiled.
The Estate Master next asked his employer if the boys were going to go out Trick or Treating that year, and if he had thought about buying the Halloween candy, so he could hand it out at the Main Gate. Wayne continued and asked Mr. Ken if he had decided when the Holiday parties were going to happen, and when he and the boys had planned to visit the parks over the Holidays.
Mr. Ken told the Estate Master that the boys hadn’t talked about going out Trick or Treating, but he figured Phillip might want to do that and he hadn’t thought about buying the Halloween candy, yet. He replied to Wayne’s question about the Holidays parties, and told him that he felt that they could hold them on Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd. He then looked over to Chris and asked if he had gotten the Christmas Decoration Competition underway.
The Estate Manager told the owner of The Cove that the four schools, who competed last year, were each sent their seed money to build the Gingerbread House, which was this year’s challenge project. Chris then told his boss that he heard from Jules Diamond, on his offer to use the Pavilion for the wedding reception.
Ken Thomas asked Chris Dominions what he said. Chris told his employer that Mr. Diamond appreciated the offer, and that he would love to take him up on it. He also asked if he and Ms. Whittier could use the Patio for the ceremony. He said that they weren’t going to have a church wedding, and that Eleanor thought the Patio, with the lake in the background, would give them a beautiful location to hold the nuptials.
Ken Thomas smiled knowing that Jules and Eleanor wanted to use his estate for their wedding ceremony. He told Chris to get back with Jules to tell him that he was okay with them using the estate. He added for the Estate Manager to tell Jules that he had to coordinate his own caterer, parking attendants, and music, and he’ll have to find a decorator to make the Patio, Pavilion and the grounds look wedding-like.
Ken Thomas also needed Chris to suggest to Jules that he would be better off if he had a buffet, as there was only the Pavilion tables and benches for seating, unless he was going to provide additional tables and seating. Chris understood exactly what his employer was saying that Jules Diamond needed to consider, while deciding to use The Cove for the wedding and reception.
“And Chris … make sure Jules knows to keep the total number of accepted invitations below 300, with 250 being a much manageable number, as The Cove can’t handle more than that,” quickly added the owner of The Cove.
The three men went and recharged their coffee cups and got another Momma Maria sweet cake, then they came back to the Study to rehash what they just discussed. Ken Thomas didn’t get back to his office until well after ten o’clock that morning.
Later, at twelve noon, Ben Walthers met with Rene Vaughn, a news reporter for KBLY-TV that Ken Thomas has, over time, felt had given him, The Cove and his businesses a fair reporting, to announce some important changes at the Four Corners Amusement Park. There were also reporters from the newspapers, radio and other television stations present to hear what the President of Three Finger Entertainment had to say.
Rene asked Ben some questions about the announcement to get some background before she set about recording her piece to be shown later during the evening and late news.
“I’m Rene Vaughn, and here with us is Ben Walthers, the President of Three Finger Entertainment, who has an important announcement concerning their Four Corners Amusement Park.
“Mr. Walthers … what is it that is going to happen here at the Four Corners Amusement Park?” asked Rene Vaughn.
“Well, Rene … I am happy to announce that the train we are installing around the entire complex, which we started building in the back, so as to not interfere with park operations, will soon begin to round the corner and we will have to get ready for it.
“Unfortunately, the railroad station, where guests will get to ride the train from, will now have to be built. And it is because of that there will be at least twenty less parking spaces in the already crowded parking lot, due to the contractors needing to store construction supplies and equipment.
“So, it is with a heavy heart that I must also announce that the Miniature Golf Course behind us … that we will soon dismantle it, so we can expand the parking for the amusement park,” finished Ben.
“That is an interesting development here at Four Corners, as many families love to play there together. And what will happen to the buildings here, and will you bring back the miniature golf course after the station is completed?” asked Rene.
“Well, Rene, the restrooms … they will remain as with the large crowds we’ve experienced here at Four Corners, that we definitely need them. As for the snack shack … we will also use it to provide an additional place where our guests can obtain something wonderful to eat. The plan then is to further expand the park after the train is operational and the construction area is cleaned up and the parking spaces are returned back to use.,” answered Ben.
“So, you say you will further expand the park. What do you plan to place in the vacant area then, Ben?” now asked Ms. Vaughn
“Rene, the public has often asked if we planned to add additional rides. And now with this additional space we will not return the miniature golf course, but will be adding more rides. So, it is with great pleasure that I announce today, that when the railroad station is complete and the train is fully operational, we will install … that the first ride that we will install will be a large, but family friendly, roller coaster where the miniature golf course once stood,” declared Ben Walthers.
“Ben, that is a wonderful development for the park. But what about parking? Won’t that bring more people, and the need for more parking spaces?” now asked the reporter.
“Yes, but we intend to utilize the space to keep some parking as we add the coaster and other flat rides for our guests to enjoy,” replied Ben Walthers.
“So, Ben … how long do you expect the construction to take?” next asked Renee
“Construction on the railroad station will begin around the first of October, and we figure it should take at least five months, but maybe as much as six or seven depending on the weather. Then the train tracks … they need to be installed next to the station and connected to the backside of the park. Of course, when the track is completed, the train will need to be fully tested before it is brought on line. We hope that the train will be fully operational by the first of April of next year.
“The additional parking … it will remain as we get ready to expand the park, which should begin by the fall. That expansion will begin with the installation of the new family friendly coaster and a few other rides that we will purchase during the off season. We will eventually have concept illustrations representing the new addition,” added Ben Walthers.
“There you have it,” began Rene, “as announced by the President of Three Finger Entertainment that the Four Corner Amusement Park is expanding, at the expense of the Miniature Golf Course. The miniature golf course will soon be dismantled, and be replaced by a parking lot, as they build a new railroad station for the new train that is currently being installed around the entire complex here at Four Corners.
“Additionally, once the train is operational the President said that the mini-golf will not be coming back. But Ben Walthers indicated that a large family friendly roller coaster and other rides will be installed later next fall, while they also keep some of the additional parking that was created. Time will tell, though.
“We’ve all seen the initial success of this wonderful close-in amusement park. And I am sure the public will be anxious to see the new train in operation next spring, and any additions they plan for next year at this time. This is Rene Vaughn for KBLY-TV.”
After all the boys were home from school, Wayne and Dennis met with them in the Kitchen Nook to tell them that as soon as they finished Momma’s snack, they were all going out to buy what they needed for Saturday’s get-together. Upon hearing that, the boys quickly ate what Momma had prepared for them, and rushed out to the garage to get in the van and truck.
Once they all arrived at the big store, where the Covers bought the majority of their food stuff and paper supplies for the estate, the boys got several baskets and flatbed carts, while Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis supervised.
Billy and Robert had Charles and Matthew head over to the water and soda sections and load what they needed onto the flatbed carts. Billy, Robert and Phillip then took the baskets to the aisles where they selected different boxes of chips, bottles of pickles, bowls of dips and pre-cut cheese slices along with the burger and hot dog buns they needed. They also picked up tubs of potato salad and baked beans for their picnic. The three then headed over to the freezers to pick up extra burgers, hot dogs and pre-cooked bacon. Lastly, they went to the huge cooler to select cases of heads of lettuce and tomatoes.
All the boys met up with one another at the checkout. Mr. Wayne had the credit card and he was surprised to see the two full baskets that Billy, Robert and Phillip brought to be checked out. He shook his head and had them join the line and he paid for everything and the seven of them took the full carts and baskets out to the truck and van. After packing both vehicles, the Covers headed back to the Cove knowing they had to unload it all and pack it into the storage room at the Pavilion.
Upon their arrival, Momma was waiting for them and she wasn’t happy at all. She’d been waiting dinner on them, and upon watching their arrival she got out the ‘spoon’, and she and Mr. Ken headed up to the Pavilion.
“Whies didn’ts youes calls mees tos tells mees youes weres goings tos bees thees lates!” steamed Momma. “Dinners wases almosts ruinezed, buts Mr. Kenze … hes had mees puts its ins thees warmings ovens figurings you’ds buys outs thees stores befores you’ds comes homes. Nows … alls of yous … marches. Gets downs to thees Kitchens Nooks ands eats! Youes toos Misetas Dennis!” spoke Momma.
Nobody stood still after Momma spoke. Everyone climbed into a golf cart, or they ran down to the house. When they got there, Momma told them all to wash their hands before they sat down to eat. For dinner, Momma had fork tender roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, brown gravy, rolls and butter, and she had made enough for the eight of them. There was also coffee for the adults, and white, chocolate and vanilla milk for the boys.
During dinner the boys told their ‘dad’ about their trip to the big box store, where they bought everything they needed for Saturday. Phillip was the most animated as it was a place that he wasn’t used to going to, and he had to explain everything that he’d seen.
After dinner all the boys thanked Momma for the great dinner, with their strong hugs and then they hurried back up to the Pavilion to unload everything they’d bought, and then store it in the storage room. Wayne, Dennis and ‘Dad’ Ken did follow to check that the boys did everything ‘right’.
The boys were noticeably tired after the busy evening they had, so ‘dad’ Ken decided to forgo their regular meeting, and he had them go up to their rooms to relax. He told them that he’d say goodnight to them later, as he usually did.
When the boys arrived at school that Thursday, the girls and boys they invited over on Saturday wanted to know when they should arrive and what they should bring. The Covers had all agreed that they would tell all their invited guests that they should come to the Main Gate at twelve noon, and that they only needed to bring their skateboards, swimsuits and towels. They also told their guests that they would have a barbeque, and their parents could pick them up by six o’clock.
When Ken Thomas arrived at his office, he heard his secretary and Miss Jackie talking about how the morning newspapers reported on what Ben Walthers had to say about the miniature golf course being dismantled. They were amused at the byline: Parking In, Mini-Golf Out.
Mr. Ken talked to the two women about Ben’s announcement and how the newspaper had covered it. They told him that they watched Rene’s report during the evening news broadcast, and they liked that the newspaper went into more detail about how the miniature golf course would be dismantled, and when the parking lot would begin to take shape. Mr. Ken told them that they now had to wait for the public’s input to Ben’s announcement.
When Ken Thomas went into his office, he made a note to call Mackenzie Flores. Phillip had asked him at breakfast if his mom had called him last night, and he had to honestly tell him that he hadn’t gotten a call from her, and that there was no message on the answering machine. He was miffed that the woman had put the welfare of her own son on hold, again.
Later that morning, Bill Jackson called Mr. Ken again. The man thought his lawyer was calling to tell him that the construction company’s insurance people were going to agree to his terms. But that was not why Mr. Jackson was calling.
“Ken … the reason for this call is to let you know that the news media, the television, radio and newspapers that so eagerly crucified Bill for what they were readily told by the flagger to save his butt, and who criticized you for supporting your foster son over the accident have refused to listen to reason that they have maligned both you and Bill by their rush to judgment, even after the truth was revealed by the Sheriff’s Department.
“So, my call is to ask you if you want to proceed with the lawsuit. You had mentioned if they refused to acknowledge that they defamed and slandered Bill by the way they reported that he was fully responsible for the accident.
“And on top of that … they also slandered and libeled you, and attempted to ruin your character by what they had to say about defending your foster son. And they attacked the reputation of not only The Cove … they attacked your honor because you defended Bill.
“Ken … it was as if they were purposefully trying to ruin your reputation,” finished Bill, as he let off the steam that had been building inside of himself, when the three television and two radio stations, as well as the two major newspapers all rebuffed him at his request for satisfaction for what they did to Bill Dirketson and Ken Thomas back at the end of July.
“Bill … yes, I agree. If they are steadfast at believing what they reported was factual, and they feel they don’t need to apologize for the way they treated Bill or me, then we need to get their attention in a big way.
“But … we can’t go after them all at the same time. We need to let one group, say the newspapers, report how we are going after the television and radio stations for the way they slandered, libeled, maligned, etcetera, us, before we then drop the hammer on the newspapers. Get the way I am thinking Bill?” asked Mr. Ken.
“Ken … I like the way you are thinking. So … how much are you thinking that I am to file the lawsuit for? Back in July, you had initially indicated that the lawsuit should be around one million. Are you still thinking in those terms?” asked Bill Jackson, Ken Thomas’ lawyer.
“Bill, I want to really get their attention. So, I want you to file the lawsuits … for ten million against each of the TV and radio stations for the reckless disregard for the truth, slander, libel, etcetera. And, Bill … make sure the newspapers have our side of the story,” chuckled Mr. Ken, as he finished up the phone call.
After his call with Bill, Ken decided he needed to get up, and out and about, before he called Mackenzie. He knew if he called her now, after learning how all the local news media feels they can say whatever they want, whenever they want, against anyone they want, he would not be able to keep the call in a civil tone. As he left his office, he told his secretary, Rosemary, that he would be visiting the other Group offices.
Upon visiting the Three Finger Real Estate Group, the Group’s manager told Mr. Ken that he was glad that he stopped by, and asked him to come into his office. The manager, Emilio Ramirez, had a big smile on his face, as he told the owner of the Group that he had an enquiry on some of his vacant land out near the Lakeside Hotel.
Mr. Ramirez told Mr. Ken that the man he talked to told him that he knew that he, Mr. Thomas, was the owner of the land, and had built the hotel and the eight-story office building. The realtor continued and said the gentleman was a representative of a major company, which was looking to locate their headquarters in the area, and they liked the location off the backside of the lake.
Mr. Ken asked Emilio what the man wanted to know. Mr. Ramirez told Mr. Ken that the man wanted to know if there was five, or more acres available along the same road as the hotel and office building and overlooking the lake.
Mr. Ken told the realtor that he hadn’t really thought about releasing any of the land out that way. But he told him to enquire if they are interested in putting in an office building, to find out where they wanted to locate it, how high would the building be and when they wanted to start construction and to get back with him.
By the time Ken Thomas left the Real Estate Group’s offices, he had calmed down enough that he decided to go back to his office and leave a message on Mackenzie’s phone for her to call him later tonight. He hoped that the woman wouldn’t ignore him. He felt that her disinterest in her son’s well-being and how he was doing, after all this time, didn’t bode well for her getting her son back anytime soon.
When Mr. Ken returned home later, the first question Phillip asked him was if he had tried to contact his mom. The man was truthful with the boy, and told him that he called her and left a message for her to call him tonight, and hoped that she would. Phillip was disappointed that he didn’t get to talk to her, and all he could do was hope that she would call later tonight.
Later, as the Covers were having their evening meeting in the Study, Mr. Ken’s phone did ring. Phillip hoped it was his mom, and it was. The boys heard only their ‘dad’s’ side of the conversation and learned that Phillip and his mother would get to meet on Sunday afternoon there at The Cove. Phillip had a great big smile on his face knowing he’d finally get to talk to his mom after all these months.
Phillip was all smiles at breakfast Friday morning thinking about finally getting to talk to his mom, and hearing directly from her why she wanted him to stay with Mr. Ken, and his ‘brothers’, at The Cove.
The two boys, Matthew and Phillip, also talked about their classmates coming over to The Cove tomorrow, and what they hoped would be a fun day for them. Phillip did say that his band would play for a little while to let them all hear how good they were.
Even the high school boys were looking forward to tomorrow’s get together with their classmates. It had been since last spring that they had a big group of them over, and they felt it was good that more and more of them got the chance to enjoy some of the amenities there at The Cove.
Once he was at the office and reviewing some of the reports from his businesses, Rosemary told him that he had a phone call from his lawyer, Amy Ozarker. That brightened the man’s morning and he eagerly picked up his phone to talk to the woman.
“Yes, Amy, what good news do you have for me?” was the first question Mr. Ken had for his back east lawyer.
“Mr. Thomas … I wanted to let you know that I did talk to Evelyn. She is going to be a hard egg to crack. She didn’t want to hear anything about how her son, Lane, got any of that huge sum of money the detectives found. But I did learn that Lane … that he was getting mail, from his four best friends, regularly.
“Mr. Ken … Evelyn told me that she never opened any of Lane’s mail the entire time he was in prison. And, that it continued to come even after he was released and that it still comes like clockwork, every month. But I think I made some headway with her. I’ll talk with her again next week.
“I also petitioned the court for some of Lane’s money to go to Kate. Since the judge ordered Lane to pay Kate child support for Jessy, I used your calculations. So, I asked the court to award her at least $24,000.00 for back child support, plus an additional $4800.00 to cover the remainder of this year, and for all of next year, since Lane is completing his original prison sentence.
“Thank you, Amy. Have you talked to Kate about any of this yet?” asked Mr. Ken.
“No, sir. I wanted to talk to you first to see what, if anything, you wanted me to tell her,” replied Amy Ozarker.
“Thank you, Amy, for doing that. So … why don’t you tell Kate about filing the petition to the courts for a portion of that seized $50,000.00 for child support for Jessy. I’m going to call her later, so make sure you call her after we hang up. That way she has something important to tell me when we talk. Can you do that for me?” asked Mr. Ken.
With that phone call over, Ken Thomas felt really good about how things were moving forward for Kate. When he talks with her later, he was going to ask her about their coming to The Cove for next weekend, and she and her boys going to Fiesta Texas with the boys on Saturday, and their friends. And Kate would go along with him to the Grand Opening of the Marina Seafood Wharf & Steak House. He couldn’t wait until later in the day.
At both schools, all the boys reminded the classmates they had invited over tomorrow to The Cove to bring their skateboards, if they skated, their swimsuits and a towel. They also told them to come to the Main Gate around twelve noon and that they would meet them there to sign them in. Of course, when they mention their classmates having to be signed in, the Covers had to explain that they had security guards that keep track of who comes and goes at The Cove, and that it was just a simple formality.
Later, after dinner, as the Covers were having their evening meeting, Robert asked his dad who was going to watch Chief and Sarge, while they were all at Fiesta Texas on Saturday. Then Charles asked his dad if it was true that they were going to be watching the Walthers’ puppy over the weekend.
‘Dad’ Ken smiled at the two questions, realizing that he only talked to Matthew about their watching Daisy over the three-day weekend, and that he hadn’t mentioned it to the rest of the boys at any of their other meetings during the week.
“Yes, boys, to answer Charles’ question first, we, well Matthew is, watching the Walthers’ puppy, Daisy, over the three-day weekend, while they are visiting three of my parks. They are supposed to drop Daisy off sometime on Thursday. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Chris know about it, and they will take care of Daisy until Matthew comes home from school.
“As for who will watch over Chief, Sarge and Daisy, while we are at Fiesta Texas, well … I am going to ask Todd to come over on Saturday and spend the day with the dogs. I’ll tell him he can bring a friend and they can cook burgers and dogs when they get hungry. I’ll show him where the puppy’s and Chief’s food is, as well as their treats. And maybe Matthew … you can show Todd the tricks you’ve taught Sarge, this weekend, and Todd can see if Sarge will listen to him.
“Boys, something else I need to let you know about next Saturday. Mr. Chris has a 52-passenger bus scheduled to leave here at nine o’clock, and it will leave the park at nine o’clock at night. He also bought only 52 tickets. Which means after figuring who you said decided to go and the other people who are going, I only have four tickets leftover.
“Robert, Billy … if any of your friends who are working … if they can get off work, and they want to go, I need to know by Friday. Otherwise, I’ll give their tickets away at the park after I hand out the tickets, as you get off the bus. Do you boys have any questions for me?” finished ‘dad’ Ken.
As ‘dad’ Ken talked to the boys before going to bed, when he got Phillip’s room, he asked the boy not to talk too much tomorrow about him and his mom talking on Sunday. He told the boy that even though his mother said that she would be over there to talk to him, he shouldn’t get his hopes up too high, until he actually sees that she is there.
Phillip didn’t know what to think after hearing what his foster dad just told him. So, he asked, ‘‘Dad’ … do you think that she … that she might not come?”
“Phillip … your mother didn’t return my call on Wednesday night, as she said she would, and it took my calling her again to light a fire under her to call last night. So, I’m sorry to say that, to me, her track record isn’t all that good. So, I wouldn’t put any money on her showing.
“Now, Mr. Bindy … he will be here at nine tomorrow, and your ‘brothers’ … after they eat breakfast said they are going to prepare the lettuce and onions and wash the tomatoes before your classmates arrive. So, when you finish your guitar lesson, try to go up to the Pavilion to see if you can help. Oh, and remember to remind Mr. Bindy that you will not be available during that three-day weekend. OK?” asked a smiling ‘dad’ Ken. Phillip said that he would.
The two shared a hug and then they, and Chief, walked out into the hallway, so Phillip could go down to his bathroom and Mr. Ken could head down to his own retreat. Out in the hallway, the two met Matthew and Sarge just coming up the stairs after they had just been outside to allow Sarge to empty his bladder. Chief then walked down the stairs to do the same. Then before long The Cove was peaceful and quiet throughout the night.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com
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