Published: 26 Jun 2025
From the Previous Chapter:
In his own retreat, Ken Thomas got ready for bed, and before he laid down, he wondered to himself how Kate was thinking of handling the news of the DNA test. He hoped that she wouldn’t be too aggressive towards the man, Patrick Bailey, but would try to be civil for Rusty’s sake.
Yes, he knew the man played a part in what appeared to be a planned shared sexual tryst set up by Lane, that she had no idea that it would happen, which, in today’s environment, would now be considered ‘rape’.
At the present time, he also knew that Kate has no plans to testify against any of the men, but the meeting between her and Patrick could turn out to be contentious, to say the least. Then, he wondered how the man would deal with telling his wife that he fathered a boy, when he graduated from high school. He only shook his head at that thought.
He knew he couldn’t figure any of that out tonight by himself, so he made sure his alarm clock was set, then he turned off the light and got into bed. In a little while The Cove was peaceful and quiet throughout.
That Thursday morning Matthew wasn’t as clingy, as he usually was when his ‘dad’ was leaving for an extended time. He knew it was silly to be so insecure each and every time ‘dad’ Ken went away, and he was trying his best to stymie his fears.
Phillip just inwardly smiled at the way Matthew would get every time ‘dad’ Ken would leave. He thought it was silly that his ‘brother’ would feel that way, but on the other hand he knew what it was like not seeing his own mother often enough. Almost like yet the opposite situation for him, versus what his ‘brother’ often felt when ‘dad’ Ken would leave.
Before the two boys headed out to catch their school bus, ‘Dad’ Ken reminded Matthew to research what it took to train puppies and small dogs, and how much he should charge. The man added that the boy should also try to find a training facility that would allow him to stop by and watch how they go about training the dogs that came to them. Matthew said that he would do that.
While the older boys ate their Momma breakfast, they talked to their ‘dad’ about his trip. They told him they were happy he was going back east to help Ms. Kate. Then, later, before the teens left for school, they told their ‘dad’ to have a good trip, and they hoped that Ms. Kate could get things settled with Rusty’s father. That was when they asked, off the cuff, if the man knew that he was Rusty’s dad.
‘Dad’ Ken revealed to the teenagers that was what Kate had to decide on whether she wanted to tell the man in person, and if she also wanted Rusty to meet his dad now, or tell him over the phone and let the two get together later. The teen’s ‘dad’ added that he was flying back east to be there to support her and to help her make the best decision that she will be comfortable with.
When Chris came to work, he was surprised to see his employer in the Kitchen Nook. He asked if his flight arrangement would be OK. Mr. Ken replied that the air charter system fits you in where they have openings, and that a one o’clock flight will be OK. Mr. Ken then asked his Estate Manager if he had the checklist ready for him. Chris told him that he and Wayne were finalizing it and should have it done for Monday.
Wayne had entered the Kitchen Nook and heard the conversation and he just smiled. He knew that Chris had only started working on the checklist yesterday, and he knew it wasn’t a big thing with the two of them joining heads to figure out what needed to be done, when a new boy arrives at The Cove, so that their boss knows everything that needs to get done to make sure the new boy gets settled into his new home.
Mr. Chris also had a large package for Phillip. He told Mr. Ken that Eleanor Whittier had dropped it off yesterday afternoon and he forgot to mention it to him because he was busy making the flight and hotel arrangement.
The Estate Manager explained that it was the music for the boys to learn for the wedding reception on the 19th of November. Mr. Ken, looking to Wayne, before he went back to his retreat to pack for his trip, asked the man to make sure that Phillip gets the package, so he can pass the music out to his bandmates.
At the school, Matthew’s classmates were still interested in asking him about how it was that he was training puppies at The Cove. The Cover decided to give them the long version, and started at how Chief gave birth to seven pups, and that The Cove kept one of them. He continued with his ‘dad’ having to give two puppies as payment for the use of the sire dog to get Chief heavy with the pups, and then finding four other families for the remaining puppies. It was then that the bell rang for them all to file inside.
The high school Cover teens talked amongst themselves on how Rusty must feel thinking that Lane was his dad, all that time, only to learn that he wasn’t. Charles told his ‘brothers’ that he hoped that the guy, who is the boy’s father, is a good enough man who would be there for his son, and not be a deadbeat father like Lane is. Billy and Robert agreed with him.
After he had packed for the four days of his trip, Mr. Ken called Kate to let her know what his arrangements were. She was happy to hear from him and know that he would be there later that evening. They made arrangements to go out to dinner, sans the boys, to talk about what Kate was going to do about telling Patrick Bailey that he was the father of Rusty.
The limo arrived at The Cove close to eleven o’clock to take Mr. Ken to the Austin-Bergstrom General Aviation Terminal for his one o’clock air-charter flight back east. At that time of day, the ride would take at least ninety minutes, but probably closer to one-hundred and ten but still get him there in time to off load his bags, go through TSA and walk onto the aircraft.
After he ate his lunch, Matthew continued telling his story to those classmates who were still interested in knowing how he started training the puppies. The Cover quickly recapped where The Cove puppies came from and then he explained how they named The Cove’s resident pup, Sarge. The classmates who understood the military rank structure chuckled at the reason that Sarge was given his name.
Matthew then told how he was named the ‘puppy master’, which garnered a few more laughs from his classmates at the name, and began training Sarge to first ‘Sit’ and then to ‘Lay Down’. The pre-teen Cover told the listeners all about his training of Sarge, and then he went into how they watched the Walthers’ puppy, Daisy, while they went away for the three-day weekend and he began to train her.
Many of the classmates didn’t have a dog, so they were interested in hearing how the Cover was able to get the two puppies to learn the new behaviors, with them being still so young. Matthew told them that their resident dog, Chief, was a very intelligent dog, and he figured she passed her traits onto her offspring.
Some of the students didn’t believe Matthew, but his friends, who were also listening, supported Matthew’s claims, and told them of what they saw Chief do when they were at The Cove. A few of the classmates asked if his dog was ever going to have more puppies.
All Matthew could tell them was that his ‘dad’ hadn’t mentioned whether or not Chief would be allowed to have more puppies, as they took a lot of work and needed tons of attention. The Cover then added that his ‘dad’ had people who had asked for a puppy before Chief had gotten heavy with her litter, so he may not allow Chief to have another litter unless people come forward and ask for one first.
When Dennis came to work, Chris and Wayne got him involved in working on the checklist with them. The older man chuckled that Chris hadn’t worked on it when he was first asked to do it, but with his military experience he jumped right in and helped. It really wasn’t a difficult exercise for the three of them, as Wayne and Chris had seen quite a few boys come to The Cove, and they knew what was needed to get them settled.
The checklist included the standard items such as comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, an alarm clock, underwear, polo shirts, pants, shorts, socks, shoes, and sneakers. Then they added to remind the boy about the cleaning company coming on Friday, and him having to strip his bed before he goes to school.
The three then went for fresh coffee and a sweet cake. Upon their return to the Study, Wayne added for the boy not to bother the other boys about why they are living there, as once they get to know him, they will eventually tell him more and more about themselves. Dennis added that the new boy will now be responsible for Chief. Chris added for the boy to call Mr. Ken, Mr. Ken until he finds a better name for him. That made the guys laugh.
The three men talked some more and then they added a swimsuit, possibly a suit for Christmas and holiday vests. They then revisited the list and wondered if they needed to add how many of the items their boss needed to buy the boy. Wayne said to let the boys decide how many shirts and pants etc. their ‘dad’ should buy for the new boy.
Wayne, wanting to know a little more about the boy, called Ms. Judy to see if she would tell him. When he finally did get to talk to her later that afternoon, she told him that the boy was the only survivor in the horrendous fire the previous weekend, and that he would be coming with virtually no clothes at all, since everything he had was lost in the fire. She also told him that the teenager would need some dressing changes on his second-degree burns
Wayne got with his compatriots and told them what he knew about Darrin Rossman, and what was involved in taking care of second-degree burns. Wayne went into some of what would be required to take care of the burns, and then he asked Dennis to go out and check the local pharmacies for nonprescription burn dressings. He also asked him to buy some, so that they would have them available for when Darrin arrives, just in case Ms. Judy doesn’t bring any, or not enough with her.
Then Chris asked the question, “Does Momma know of the new boy?”
With that question asked, the three men quickly went to Momma and told her that come Monday there was a great possibility that The Cove would have a new boy, a thirteen-year-old, Darrin Rossman, who was the sole survivor of the house fire last weekend. They told her that the boy had first and second-degree burns, and they were getting a list ready for Mr. Ken to make sure he doesn’t forget anything, as he gets settled here.
Momma Maria thanked them for telling her, so now she knew what to make for dinner Monday night. Wayne knew that she would make spaghetti and meatballs, as that was her go-to dinner for any new boy who came to The Cove, because she called it ‘comfort food’ for all boys.
The three men then went back to the Study to continue working on the checklist. They did add one more item after talking with Momma Maria. They realized that with the four other people working at The Cove, they needed to add for Mr. Ken to remember to introduce them all to the new boy. They laughed a little when they added that.
When Phillip came home from school that Thursday, Mr. Wayne had a large package for him. When the boy opened it, he saw there was a note that told him there were ten separate sets of music that Ms. Whittier wanted his band to learn for the reception on the nineteenth of November. Phillip looked through the music and one of the songs was the one he was trying to learn last night. That put a smile on his face.
The young boy thanked the Estate Master for the package, and then he sat down for his after-school snack. The boy looked through the music, as he ate his snack, and he also texted his bandmates that he had the music they needed to learn for the reception. The band members all wanted him to bring their sets of music to school tomorrow, but he told them that it was too big a package for him to bring all nine sets to school, but if they wanted it, they could either stop by tonight, and pick it up, or wait until Saturday.
It was five o’clock, eastern time, when Ken arrived back east. He picked up his rental car, drove to his hotel, unpacked and then he called Kate. They had already decided they would go out to dinner that evening, without the boys, to discuss what Kate would do now that the DNA test results were back.
At dinner, at a quiet place the two had found, when they first started dating, the couple discussed the DNA test results. It was still undecided on what she wanted to do, even after she and Ken had gone through the pros and cons exercise the previous day.
Kate felt that she had three choices. One was to call Patrick outright, and tell him and let the chips fall where they may. One was to go out there and tell him and not take Rusty. And one was to take Rusty and tell Patrick, and introduce the two.
Ken told her that she had one more choice, which was that she could wait until the man came home to visit with his mother. Kate looked at the man she fell in love with and told him that it could be at Christmas, when he came home, if he did, at all, and she didn’t want her son to have to wait that long.
It was then that Wayne’s words came back to him, which essentially said that he was happy he wasn’t the one who was going to help Kate, because if you made the wrong decision, you could upset the apple cart and cause some heartache, when the decision didn’t go the direction that she wanted. Ken decided right then and there not to offer any more suggestions.
“Ken, what do I do?” pleaded Kate, who looked like she was ready to cry.
Ken looked across the table, grabbed the hand of the woman he loved and told her, “Kate … you know what you want to do. So … why don’t we plan to do it. OK?”
Kate was shocked at what Ken said to her. “Ken … I don’ know what I want to do. That is why I asked you!”
“Kate … you want Rusty to meet his father. I know you do,” announced Ken. “You told him so, yourself, when we did the initial DNA tests. Now … let’s go and make hotel reservations for tomorrow and Saturday night, and I’ll make air charter arrangements for tomorrow and Sunday for all of us to go and return.”
“All of us? What … who do you mean when you say, ‘All of us’, Ken?” quickly asked Kate.
“Kate, when I say all of us, I mean, you, me, Edith, Rusty and Jessy. We all go. This way your mom … she can stay with the boys when you meet with Patrick. And, if he wants to meet his son, you can have Edith bring the boy over,” clarified Ken.
“You will be there with me, when … when I go to meet him, I mean Patrick, to tell him about Rusty, won’t you?” begged Kate.
Ken smiled back at Kate, took her hand, again, and told her, “Yes, that was a given. Now, I think around noon tomorrow … you should call Patrick, and ask him if you can meet with him. Tell him that you would be in the area on business, and that if he asks what kind of business, remind him that you are a Real Estate Agent, and make something up if he persists.” Kate smiled at the deception.
The two finished their now cooled dinner and headed back to Kate’s home. They had to convince Edith to go with them tomorrow to watch the boys, while they talked to Patrick Bailey either tomorrow night, or Saturday. Edith asked when would Kate tell Rusty about Patrick. Kate looked at Ken.
“Edith … I think Rusty … I think he will figure it out, when we all fly out to a strange city for no apparent reason. And, maybe on the way out there, Kate … I think Kate can sit with her son and explain to him what the plan is,” defended Ken.
“And, what may I ask, is the plan?” Edith now wanted to know.
Ken now looked back to Kate to tell her mother what she was wanting to do. It took Kate about ten minutes before her mom was convinced that the plan should work. Edith offered that if things didn’t go well, that Rusty would at least get to see, if only from afar, what his father looked like. The woman then said that she was going to her room.
With that settled, Kate was tasked to make hotel arrangements for three rooms for two nights, while Ken made the air charter flight preparations for tomorrow and Sunday. It took Kate quite some time to find a quality hotel that had three rooms available for Friday and Saturday night at the last minute, but she finally found one. Ken’s task was much easier, because as a regular customer of the air charter company, they liked to keep their best clients happy.
Once they completed their tasks, the couple went outside to the porch to sit and talk. Kate was happy that Ken was there with her, and was going to help her settle the issue about her son’s real father. When Kate looked back from the time she met the man, he seemed to always be there offering to help and going out of his way to be around her.
Kate loved the way that Ken didn’t shy away from her after knowing that she fathered two sons, one at an early age, and after learning that one was from a shared sex event, planned by Lane, and that she won’t testify against the men for the sake of her sons.
Ken had also given her the wonderful opportunity to earn a good amount of money by being his real estate company’s local representative for all of the properties he had contingencies on around the Crystal Lake Amusement Park that he bought. Over all the time that she had gotten to know the man she had also gotten to love him for, who he is, and the way he treats people, especially boys who have been given a bad hand in life.
Ken could see by the way Kate was staring out into the distance that she was thinking. He didn’t know what the woman was thinking about, and it didn’t matter to him. Ken was doing some thinking himself, and what he was thinking about could bust that warm bubble the woman he loved had. What he was thinking, and didn’t want to tell her, was there always was the chance that Patrick could demand another DNA test, because of the way the first one was done.
Before long the couple came out of their thoughts and hugged and shared a few kisses while outside on the porch. But before long Ken had to leave if they were going to be leaving on a one o’clock air charter. He told Kate that he did have to pack, and she wanted him there when she called Patrick to ask if they could meet Friday night, so time was of the essence for the man.
That night during the Cover’s nightly meeting, Mr. Wayne reviewed who had what appointments, and what was planned at The Cove in the near future. He discussed that Charles would have his braces off next Tuesday, that Robert and Bill would go and visit their mothers the following weekend and that Phillip and his band would be off to their gigs on the 22nd and the 28th.
The Estate Master also reminded everyone that The Cove would be the site of the Diamond-Whittier wedding and reception on the 19th of November, and that week would also be Thanksgiving week.
Mr. Wayne then suggested to the boys that with Christmas coming up, they should start thinking about the gag gifts they wanted to give one another. Then, as a side thought, he asked them to try on their suits to see if their ‘dad’ needed to buy them new ones for the Holidays.
Phillip had no idea what gag gifts were, so his ‘brothers’ had to tell him what they bought one another in previous years. The young Cover thought that was a great idea, and he told them he couldn’t wait to see what he could buy them.
The Estate Master then reminded them that their ‘dad’ wouldn’t be back until Sunday night. He also recapped that Ms. Judy would be bringing Riley over on Saturday for Matthew to train some more, and that Matthew would possibly be setting up a puppy training school sometime in the future. The man explained to the boys that their ‘brother’ has to do some research before he can establish the school, but if he does his homework, he could have his own business by the end of the month.
Robert, smiling, then added that The Cove would be getting another new boy on Monday. The boys told the Estate Master that they were looking forward to having a new face around the place. Phillip spoke up and said that he then won’t be the last one ‘dad’ Ken talks to every night. That had the other boys laughing.
Matthew then told everyone how a few of his classmates were asking if Chief were ever going to have more puppies. So, he asked the Estate Master if his ‘dad’ had ever mentioned to him if he was going to allow the resident pet, Chief, to have another litter.
The question not only surprised Mr. Wayne, but it also surprised everyone else in the Study and it caused a lot of discussion. After a few moments of discussion, Mr. Wayne told everyone that now was not the time to talk about Chief having more puppies. But it is a question that he has to bring up to their ‘dad’.
Phillip then explained to everyone that Ms. Whittier sent over a huge package full of music for his band to learn for the wedding reception. The young Cover told them that there were ten songs in the package, and there was a copy for each of the band members. He added that it must have cost her a lot of money to give them each a copy. All the boys laughed. All Mr. Wayne did was inwardly smile at the cost comment, knowing that Jules Diamond could very well afford the cost.
After sending the boys up to their rooms to start getting themselves ready for bed, Mr. Wayne called his boss to tell him about Matthew’s comment about his classmates asking if Chief was going to have any more puppies. Mr. Ken told the man that now wasn’t the time for that sort of discussion, but that he had thought about it.
The owner of The Cove then asked Wayne to look at the calendar, and figure out a timeframe if Chief where to get heavy again with another litter, when would it arrive and how long until the pups were available to be given to their new homes. Wayne asked his employer if he was serious about letting Chief have another litter.
Mr. Ken hesitated a few moments and then said that if the timing was right, and he can find enough volunteers to take the puppies, then he would seriously consider it. That was why he wanted him to look at the calendar, and to do the ‘math’. Wayne said that he’d do that, while the boys took over the ‘fort’. The two had a good laugh over the innuendo they both were speaking about.
The two then talked about how Kate was handling the situation with the DNA test reveal. Mr. Ken told Wayne that during dinner that evening she had decided that she’d call the man tomorrow, and set up a meeting with him, on either Friday or Saturday, and that they would fly out there tomorrow afternoon. Before they ended the call, Mr. Wayne wished the couple good luck with Rusty’s father.
Ken Thomas woke up early that Friday morning. That way he could finish packing, get a shower, get dressed and downstairs for some breakfast, before he went over to Kate’s, when she would call Parick Bailey to ask him if they could meet tonight or tomorrow.
When Ken got over to Kate’s, she had a question for him. “What if Pat … what if he asks if he can bring his wife, and kids along to our meeting? What should I tell him?”
Ken was hit with a conundrum that he hadn’t thought of. He thought for a few moments and told Kate, “I don’t know the man, so if he insists that the family accompany him, you will just have to figure out a way to take him aside and tell him about Rusty.
“But maybe … just maybe … when you talk to him in a few minutes, you can tell him that the reason you want to talk to him is … is because it is something that concerns the two of you, when you were both in high school. That will probably get his attention, and he will more than likely want to meet without his family.”
Kate liked that idea and she kept that in the back of her mind knowing that she would be calling the man in about an hour.
Ken then asked her where the boys were. Kate told him that she sent them off to school. She said that she didn’t want them under foot and that her mom would be picking them up about the time she calls Patrick. Kate added that she had already packed their suitcases, and her mother was also ready to go when they got back.
When Matthew and Phillip came down for breakfast, the two boys took care of their resident dog before washing their hands and sitting down to a Momma Maria breakfast. Mr. Wayne was already sitting at the Nook’s table reading the morning newspaper and drinking his hot coffee, just as if ‘dad’ Ken was there.
Mr. Wayne asked Phillip if he was taking the music for his band member to school with him. The young Cover told the man that it would be too heavy for him to carry all of that, and they could wait one more day to get it. The boy then smiled and went back to eating.
The teenagers came down not too long after the two younger boys left to catch the school bus, and they sat down for their Momma Maria breakfast. Billy asked Mr. Wayne if he could tell them anything more about Darrin, that he didn’t think to tell them before.
Mr. Wayne thought about the question, and then the man asked if he told them about Darrin’s burns. They told him that their ‘dad’ told them, but they wanted to know what he knew. The Estate Master told them that the thirteen-year-old will need to have the bandages on the most serious burns changed daily, and that they may be asked to help do that. He added he wasn’t sure if Darrin would need to have the bandages changed at school. The man said that they’d all find out when Ms. Judy brings him around at noon on Monday.
Charles quickly spoke up and offered that maybe Darrin will have his dressings changed by someone like Harper Young, the medical technician that changed Mr. and Mrs. Golderson’s injuries, when they were there. Mr. Wayne said they could only hope, but for them not to hold their breath.
It wasn’t quite noon, but Kate figured since Pat was in the next time zone, she would try to call him now, and see if she could get through. She reasoned that if she didn’t, she would wait ten minutes and try again. Ken thought that was a good plan. Edith decided that she’d go and take the boys out of school, and bring them home, while her daughter called the man who was Rusty’s father.
“Yes, Patrick Bailey, please,” said Kate, when the phone was answered at Patrick’s office.
“This is Patrick Bailey; how may I help you?” was how the man answered the call.
“Pat … this is Kate … Kate Partlunds, how are you?” began Kate.
“Kate, wow, we haven’t talked in ages. What brings you to call me?” asked Patrick.
“Well … I’m going to be in your area this weekend, and … and I thought I’d give you a call to see if we could meet up and talk,” replied Kate.
“Ahhh, Kate … ahh, you know I’m married and Victoria, ahh … she may not like me seeing another woman without her,” responded Patrick.
“Well, Pat … there is something that I would like to talk to you about … something from when we were in high school. I was hoping … I was hoping that we could possibly meet tonight … tonight after you finish work. It shouldn’t take long, and your wife wouldn’t know. … So, what do you say, Pat? Can we meet for a little while tonight, about … about five, or five-thirty?” encouraged Kate.
There was a long silence. Then Patrick Bailey asked Kate for her cell number, so he could call her just before he got off work in order that they could set up a meeting place. Patrick told Kate that he was intrigued by the out-of-the-blue phone call, and the mentioning of high school, so he wanted to know what it was all about sooner than later.
Kate gave him her cell phone number, told him when she would be arriving, and where she would be staying. She asked him to pick a place that she could easily get to from where she was staying, like a shopping mall, and was also close for him to get to from work.
Patrick gave her the name of one that he could get to after work, and said that he would call her around four-thirty. He then told Kate that he had to go, then he hung up the call.
Kate felt so relieved when the call was over. Ken saw that his girlfriend needed a hug, so that was what he did. The woman melted into the hug and before they released it, they kissed. The two smiled and then Kate told Ken how good she felt that now that part of the plan was over, and that soon she would get to see Patrick later today.
Ken had heard the entire phone call, as Kate had the call on the cell’s speaker. He then asked her where the suitcases where, so he could get them out to the car in order that they could make a quick get-away to the airport, when her mom arrives with the boys.
When the boys came into the house they ran to their mom and asked, “Why did gramma take us out of school?” Then they saw Mr. Ken there, and they went over to him and asked him if they were going to the amusement park.
“Boys,” called out Kate, “Mr. Ken … he’s taking us on a little trip. And we have a one o’clock take-off time, which is why your grandma came to get you. So, go and use the bathroom, and as soon as you are ready, we will be leaving for the airport.”
The two boys quickly ran to the bathroom, without any more questions. Edith went to use her bathroom, while Kate and Ken waited for the three people to return. Soon, all five were in Ken’s rental vehicle and they were headed to the airport.
At the General Aviation Services Terminal, Mr. Ken had a skycap load their bags onto a cart and have them taken to the TSA baggage check for their air charter flight. The five then went into the terminal, where Mr. Ken checked on their air charter. Once he was told that the aircraft was in the pattern, and should land within fifteen minutes, they all headed to be screened through the TSA Security Checkpoint.
The two boys were excited about going on a trip and, for the time being, they didn’t care where they were going. They figured when they got in the air their mom, or Mr. Ken, would tell them. Right now, the two boys were interested in watching what was happening out on the parking ramp in front of the terminal.
At Phillip’s school during lunchtime, his band members asked him about the songs they would have to learn for the wedding reception. The Cover told them that he tried to play one of the songs, and felt that since they had five weekends to learn all ten songs, they could easily do it.
The Cover added that he listened to the ten songs on his computer last night before he went to bed, and he described them as easy listening, and that when they hear them, they will instantly know many of them, as they’ve probably heard them on the radio. The band members were now anxious to get over to The Cove tomorrow to see the song sheets, and begin going through the ten songs.
The question that Easton, the newest member who played the electric keyboard, had was would he have enough time to learn the songs for their end of October gigs. Phillip told him that they already know those songs, so all they need to do with them is perform them once or twice on Sunday to refresh their memory, but they need to focus all their energy on the ten songs all day Saturday and Sunday.
Easton reminded Phillip that he was the newest member, and didn’t really know all the songs, yet. All Phillip told the boy was that after he did his homework, he needed to practice the songs at home, so he knew them in time for the 22nd and 28th gigs, because they were going to be counting on him.
The air charter took off on time, and the travelers had a two-and-a-half-hour flight to their destination. The boys loved looking out the window and watching the scenery underneath them go by. The flight attendant served them lunch, and afterwards Kate took Rusty to a quiet corner and told him why they were going on that trip.
“Rusty … you know we did those DNA tests a few weeks ago, right?” asked Kate.
Rusty just nodded his head.
“Well, the test results came back and … and one of the men … he was a match,” began Kate, but Rusty broke in. “And we’re going to meet my father?” the boy excitedly asked.
Kate smiled at her son and continued, “Yes, we are hopefully going to meet your father. But, Rusty … the man … he still does not know that he IS your father. Tonight … Mr. Ken and I … we are going to meet him and Grandma, you and Jessy … you will be a little way off, until I tell him. I do not know how he will react to learning that he is your father, so … so, we want to wait for him to meet you until he is ready.
“I hope you understand why we are doing it his way, son. We don’t want him to run away when he sees you. I want to explain to him how he came to be your father before … well, before I bring you over to meet him. OK?” calmly asked the boy’s mother.
Rusty sat there thinking and then he asked his mother, “But … but what if he doesn’t want to be my father?”
The question caught Kate off guard, but she quickly recovered and told her son, “I am hoping that he won’t do that. But if he does, we will take him to court, and he will regret that he ever denied that he is your father.
“But, if he is the person I knew back when we were in high school, I don’t think he will do that. Let’s keep our hopes up that he will want to meet you tonight and want to get to know you over time. Now, let’s enjoy the rest of our flight, and after we are settled in our hotel we’ll go out and get something to eat,” offered the boy’s mom.
When Kate was finished talking to her son, she went back to sitting next to Ken, and she told him what the two had talked about. Rusty, on-the-other-hand, went to his brother and told him why they were on that trip. Jessy was happy for his brother that he would finally know who his father really was. Grandma Edith was happy that her grandson now knew why they were all going to the trip and would, hopefully, get to meet the man, and the man would not reject him.
Before long the charter flight would land and the next phase of learning who was Russell ‘Rusty’ Partlunds father would begin.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com
If you are using webmail please include, on the subject line, [CR] [name of story]. This let’s the author know 2 things: Where you read the story and which story you are writing about.
54,271 views