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Chapter : 31
Three Finger Cove Book 9: Darrin
Copyright © 2024 by Chowhound. All Rights Reserved.


Published: 21 Aug 2025


From the Previous Chapter:

The day had a lot of moving parts, which was normal for when The Cove got a new foster. Mr. Ken knew, as the days went on and the teen got into a routine, things would settle down for him and The Cove.

As Mr. Ken was walking the stairs to go to his retreat, Matthew and Sarge were coming up. The two exchanged another good night to one another, and then Chief came up the stairs right after them.

The owner of The Cove was glad that the day was over. He had been busy most of the dealing with his ‘boys’, and was now looking forward to another good night’s rest. Once he was in bed, and happy that all of his ‘boys’ were in theirs and when he was finally asleep. The Cove finally became peaceful and quiet the whole night through.


Waking up that Wednesday morning, Ken Thomas was beginning to feel that he was back home again. The trips took a lot out of him, and that last one had more of a mental component, with the angst of Rusty meeting his real father, and Kate facing one of the four men who apparently raped her one night, after she and Lane had sex, and he offered her up to his best friends and then took videos of the deed.

After waking and getting ready for his day, Mr. Ken went out to the Kitchen Nook where Momma Maria had his coffee prepared and morning newspaper waiting for him at his place at the Nook’s table.

As was his habit, Mr. Ken raised his filled coffee cup to the woman in a salute for her taking care of him every morning. The man then did what was part of his morning routine, which was to take the newspaper out of its protective sleeve, and begin to separate the sections and start to read the paper from the first section.

The morning quiet, accompanied with a hot cup of coffee, let the owner of The Cove read the articles and comprehend what was being represented by the author or reporter. The absence of the extraneous banter from the boys allowed him to do that more easily, and he could move quickly through the newspaper.


But, alas, Matthew, Phillip, Darrin, Chief and Sarge finally came into the Nook, which caused the man to slow his reading and focus on what the boys were doing. And that morning he needed to have Phillip show Darrin how to fix Chief’s morning kibble, and give the resident pet her ice water.

“Phillip … please show Darrin how to fix Chief’s morning kibble and ice water. Show your ‘brother’ where we keep the supplies and Chief’s treats, and don’t forget to mention that chief loves ice cubes in her water. Can you do that for me, please?” requested ‘dad’ Ken.

Phillip quickly showed Darrin where they kept the kibble and treats. The youngest Cover then told Darrin that he needed to rinse both bowls out, and if there was any leftover kibble, he was to throw it away, and place fresh into the now clean bowl. Phillip showed the newest Cover how to get ice water out of the refrigerator and ice cubes, and where to place it on the floor for Chief.

Phillip then told Momma that the doggie treats were almost gone and suggested that with two resident pets now in the house, she might want to buy more when she goes to the grocery store the next time. Chief gave two, “Woof, woofs,’ in agreement.

Matthew spoke right up when he heard what his younger ‘brother’ just said, and he told his ‘dad’ that if he was going to train the puppies and small dogs that he needed to start buying the treats he was going to use for them. The pre-teen said that he had the money, and that it was only fair that he did that.

Momma spoke up right then and told the boys to wash their hands and sit, as it was getting late. And when the boys sat down, and began eating what Momma had made for their breakfast, ‘dad’ Ken told Matthew that they would have to discuss him buying the treats for his Puppy Training School, when he came home from school.

Darrin listened to what was being said, and he took it all in. He’d only been there for two days, now, and he knew he needed to blend in and learn how he would fit into the mix. Before long Matthew said they needed to wash up and head to the bus stop.

Mr. Ken told the boys to have a good day and that he’d see them after school. He then reminded Darrin that Doctor Jennings would be there tonight for dinner, and to meet him. The newest Cover thanked the man for letting him know, and then all three boys were out the door.


It wasn’t long before the three teenagers came down for breakfast. Chief and Sarge greeted them and the resident pets both got behind the ear scratches, and belly rubs. The teens then washed their hands before sitting down to eat their breakfast.

As they ate, Robert asked his dad when they would leave on Saturday. The teen’s dad said they should leave at about nine o’clock. He then told Bill that he and Mr. Dennis should plan to leave about the same time, so everyone would get home around the same time for dinner.

Charles then spoke up and asked, “Dad … if you and Robert are going to be gone, and Mr. Dennis and Billy are also going to be gone, and then Mr. Wayne and Matthew are going to be out looking at dog training places, who … who is going to be here with me, Darrin and Phillip.

“If I remember the rule correctly … with you all gone, none of our friends can come over on Saturday. And you know Phil … he is going to want the band to practice before their gig on Sunday. And, on top of all that … Darrin … this is his first weekend here, and he’s probably going to want to invite a few friends over. So, dad … I guess you need to figure something out,” chuckled Charles, who then went back to eating his breakfast.

Robert and Billy thanked Charles for bringing that up when he did, because it gave their ‘dad’ some time to come up with a solution. Mr. Ken listened to the boys talking and he began to think about what he could do to make the weekend happen, especially for Phillip and Darrin.


Before long the teenagers were gone to catch their school bus, but Mr. Ken was still there. He wanted to talk to Chris, because he was the only person who the owner of The Cove could count on to save the weekend for the boys.

Wayne was already there and he heard the conundrum that his employer had, but he had no idea what his boss had in mind to accomplish what Charles had placed on the man’s plate. When Chris came to work, Mr. Ken let him get his first cup of hot coffee and a sweet cake, and then he asked the two men to come with him to the study.

After they were seated, hot coffee in hand, Mr. Ken started his quick meeting. “Chris … the boys … they hit me with a puzzle and a half this morning, before they all headed off to school. The problem I have this coming weekend is … well, what we all have is … with me, Dennis and Wayne all gone at the same time and Robert, Bill and Matthew also gone the rule is that the boys … they can’t have their friends over.

“This rule is something we, the boys and I, that we all agreed with to ensure there was an adult and enough Cover boys here to justify allowing all of the friends to come over. As you heard with the three primary adults, and three Cover boys gone there is no one here to supervise Charles, Phillip, and our newest Cover, Darrin.

“To add to that, Phillip … he is going to want the band to practice on Saturday, before their gig on Sunday. As for Darrin … this is his first weekend here and he’ll probably want a few of his new friends to come over. So, Chris … this all comes down to you.

“I rarely ask you to work on the weekends, Chris, but this weekend … I really need you to work on Saturday. You could come in about ten o’clock, and check with Wayne to see when he plans to leave with Matthew, and how long they expect to be gone. Understand that Momma … she won’t be here, but the boys will probably burn some burgers and dogs during the afternoon, so you won’t starve.

“Let Sandra know so she can plan and you could even bring Hailey and Chris Jr. with you, and let them use the Cove Skate Park during the day. There won’t be all that many older boys here, and if you bring Lance, he and Sarge … they could play and when Matthew comes back, he could begin working with your pup some. And you could take Monday off. So, what do you say?” finished the man’s employer, as he asked the big question.


Chris sat there knowing Mr. Ken rarely asked him to do anything above and beyond his normal job duties. He also knew that his employer allowed him free reign on his work hours, which enabled him to go to his doctor appointments, as needed. So, this decision was a no-brainer for him. The Estate Manager quickly agreed to come in on Saturday, and that he’d probably bring the kids and Lance, and give Sandra a day for herself.

As he stood, Mr. Ken thanked the men for their attention and help in solving his dilemma and then mentioned that he was late for the office and that he would talk to them later. But before he left, Mr. Ken looked to Chris and asked the man to order a computer for Darrin’s room.

He also told the men that he’s already ordered the teen a phone, like the other boys have, and he hoped it would be here either Friday, or Saturday. The owner of The Cove then walked out of the Study, to the garage and he was soon seen leaving The Cove.


At school that morning, Darrin was met, as he got off the bus, by the boys that he met the other night. Blake asked him how he was getting settled in at The Cove. Darrin told the boy that he’d only been there two nights, and he is still getting his bearings.

The new Cover told the boys that tonight there was a doctor coming by as a dinner guest, and then tomorrow he has a physical that will take all day. Sam told him that Kevin and Kyle had that physical when they first arrived, too.

Terrin asked Darrin if he’d been over at the Four Corners Amusement Park yet. The teen told the boy that the only place he’s been to, besides the school, was the grocery store near the marina. Terrin asked him if he didn’t see the amusement park across the street from the grocery store. The new Cover said that Mr. Ken was talking to him most of the time they were driving there and back, and that he didn’t even look.

Sam told the new Cover that Mr. Ken owns the Four Corners Amusement Park, and that Terrin’s older brother, Trevor, works there. Sam continued saying that Trevor is one of Robert’s friends and that Mr. Ken won’t even let his own son work there. It was then that the first bell rang and Darrin couldn’t ask any questions.


When Mr. Ken arrived at the office, the Three Finger Real Estate Group manager, Emilio Ramirez, was waiting for him. The manager explained to Mr. Thomas that his contact from the corporation that wants to build their new headquarters out that way, asked again if they could still get at least five acres overlooking the lake, as this office building does. The two men sat down to talk.

Ken Thomas explained to Emilio that he had no problems with the corporation building their new headquarters out there, but he didn’t want them right next to the hotel. And since Ken Thomas owned the vast majority of the land out that way, he could pick and choose who could build, and where.

Mr. Ken told Mr. Ramirez to get with the Construction/Design Group and have them plat out two acres of land right next to the hotel. He told the Real Estate Manager that he wanted that land designated for restaurants, or small businesses. Mr. Ken added for Ramirez to tell the Construction/Design Group to then plot out five acres right next to that, and see if that will satisfy his contact.

“Emilio, if that piece of land is acceptable to them, here is the price that they can have it for.” And Mr. Thomas then wrote down on a piece of paper what he was asking for that property. Mr. Ramirez took that piece of paper and didn’t look at it. He thanked the owner of the Real Estate Group for his help in the matter, and told him that he’d bring the contract to him for his signature if they wanted that piece of land. The two shook hands and then their meeting was over.


At lunch, Darrin asked Sam and Terrin to tell him some more about Trevor working at the amusement park, and Robert not being able to. All Terrin could tell the teen was that Mr. Ken won’t let his son work there, but that he doesn’t know why. The boy told the Cover that three other friends of Robert’s also work there. Darrin, again, added that to the things he wanted to ask his ‘brothers’.

Landon asked Darrin if Mr. Ken took him out clothes shopping yet. The teen smiled and told the group that his foster dad took him out Monday and Tuesday nights. He then asked Landon why he wanted to know. Landon told the teen that Mr. Ken took the twins out and bought them loads of new clothes, because all of theirs were burned up when the car they were in caught fire, and their parents were sent to a hospital down near San Antonio.

Darrin asked the boys if they knew if Mr. Ken did that for all of the boys who live with him. The boys told him that they didn’t know for sure, but they figured that he probably did. The Cover’s new friends added that they didn’t start going over there until the twins began living at The Cove.

The boys then remembered that Terrin and Sam did go to The Cove sooner than they did, because they helped build the original skateboard ramps, with their older brothers and dads, and were over there sooner than they were.

Darrin asked the boys to tell him more about what they knew of The Cove. The four boys looked at one another to see if they should tell him what they did know, even though it was in the newspapers and could be found on the internet.


“Darrin,” began Sam, “lots of things have happened at The Cove, and to the boys who live there. And just about all of those instances can be found on the internet.”

“So, the way you’re hedging telling me it sounds like … like maybe these things are mainly bad. Are they?” now asked the new Cover.

“No, no, Darrin,” quickly spoke up Landon, “some could be looked at that way, but … well, they happened long ago.”

“Yea, like when the boys were out Trick-or-Treating,” started Blake, “and some guys … they tried to kidnap them.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me!” exclaimed Darrin.

“No,” replied Blake. “There were like … eight of them, no nine, I think. And these guys … they were actually after the twins. It is really complicated. The guys were caught and went to prison.”


“But some really cool things happened there, too,” spoke up Terrin. “The boys, they were out on Mr. Ken’s cabin cruiser and they came upon an overturned sailboat. Mr. Ken … he dove in and helped save one of the teenagers, and so did Logan. He’s one of Robert’s friends. And Todd, he works for Mr. Ken. He takes care of the beach and the boats and stuff. He was driving the boat. They all got awards and I think that Logan and Todd got college scholarships, too.”

“Then last spring, there was this guy … he and a bunch of his homies went to Mr. Ken’s Easter Egg Roll, and they all got arrested. But nobody knows why,” added Landon.

“Then last summer, when they were all gone visiting Mr. Ken’s amusement parks. Some guys … they climbed over the wall behind where the garage is built up by the Pavilion. Well, there was this gun fight between them and the guards and Mr. Dan, who was staying at The Cove,” contributed Sam.

“Geeze, a gun fight. And who is this … this Mr. Dan?” asked Darrin.

“Mr. Dan … he is a Sheriff’s Lieutenant who is really good friends with Mr. Ken. Kyle, one of the twins, really liked the guy. He told us that he wished Mr. Dan could have adopted him,” offered Landon.

“I wonder what else has happened there?” speculated the newest Cover.


The boys then began telling Darrin about the Holiday parties Mr. Ken gives each year, and how he decorates the house and estate for Christmas, and that he holds a decoration contest for the vocational high schools.

The boys continued and told him about Mr. Ken taking them to the Lakeside Water Park, the Easter Egg Roll and helping with that which Mr. Ken does every year, and the 4th of July Picnic he’s done with free rides and food and the fireworks.

The four boys were also telling the new Cover about all the fun things they got to do when the after-lunch bell rang, and they all had to go back into the school. Darrin thanked them for telling him about where he is living. As he was walking into the school, Darrin had even more questions he now wanted to ask his ‘brothers’.


After lunch, Ken Thomas called Levi Golderson. He wanted him to get in contact with the investors who went in with him on the marina. He told Levi about the corporation wanting to build their new headquarters out by the Lakeside Hotel. He told the bank president that if they were going to build, then he wanted to talk to the men about how they felt about doing a partial build-out on the land he bought out across from the Lakeside Hotel, and his new office building.

Mr. Ken told Mr. Golderson to mention to the group that if the corporation decides to build, then they might want to do some building of the light industrial warehouses, and/or strip office spaces and/or store fronts along the main road. Mr. Ken then asked him to set up a meeting within the next week to ten days. He then told Levi that he had a new foster son, but that he would be gone this weekend.


While the three Cover boys were riding the school bus that Wednesday afternoon, Darrin was asking Matthew and Phillip questions about The Cove. Most of the questions Phillip couldn’t answer, since he’d only begun living there last April. Matthew was reluctant to answer his ‘brother’ and he told him that they were out in public, and it would be better if they talked at home, so other people don’t get the wrong impression about what they are talking about.


Momma had the boy’s afterschool snack ready for them, when they returned home from school. They sat down in the Nook and waited for her to bring them what she had made for that day. She also brought them their choice of either regular, vanilla, or chocolate milk.

As the boys ate, Darrin started asking Matthew his questions. The new Cover began asking him questions and started out by why he was training puppies. Phillip smiled at the question, and so did the pre-teen who told his new ‘brother’ that when Chief had her litter of puppies, their ‘dad’ had decided to keep one of the pups.

Matthew explained that one of them was going to have to be responsible for Sarge, just as someone was responsible for Chief. The preteen continued and said that because he was in charge of Sarge, he was also going to try to teach him some tricks. Matthew told his ‘brother’ that he started out teaching Sarge simple tricks, and he was successful and his ‘dad’ asked him to take care of Mr. Ben’s pup, while they were gone and try to train Daisy, too.

Phillip spoke up right then and told Darrin that he was so good at it that he told Matthew that he should start a Puppy Training School. Then Ms. Judy asked him to train her puppy, Riley, and he’s made about $240.00 already, and their ‘dad’ has encouraged him to see if he could start a puppy training school, and train small dogs, as well.

Darrin accepted that explanation, and then he asked why Matthew thought he should have to buy the doggie treats. Matthew told his ‘brother’ that because he uses them to train the puppies, and he was going through them very fast, he felt he shouldn’t have his ‘dad’ buy the ones he is using to train the pups with, if he is making money training them. Darrin, again, accepted that answer.


As the boys continued to eat, Darrin had a few more questions. “Matthew … my friends … well, Terrin, he tells me that his older brother, Trevor, Robert’s friend, that he works at the Four Corners Amusement Park, the one that Mr. Ken owns. Why doesn’t Robert work there, too, if his dad owns the park?”

Matthew thought about the question, then he told Darrin that their ‘dad’ told Robert that because they travel to visit all of his amusement parks, at least twice a year, that no employer wants to keep giving an employee time off, so they can go on vacation, even if he does own the park. The pre-teen added that he knows that Robert really wants to work over at Four Corners, and he feels that when his older ‘brother’ is sixteen he will stop traveling with them and go to work at the park.

“Guys,” began Darrin, “because I’m new here, my friends … I’ve asked them to tell me what they know about The Cove. They’ve told me all about the fun things they got to do here, and I’m looking forward to getting to do them, too. Well, except maybe waking up at o’dark thirty to make breakfast,” laughed Darrin.

“But … they also told me about when some guys … when some guys tried to kidnap the twins. Do you guys know anything about that?” now asked Darrin.

“I heard about that, but I didn’t get here until November, after that happened,” replied Matthew. “You’ll have to ask Robert, or Charles. I think they may have been there.”


Darrin had a lot more questions, but he figured he had asked Matthew and Phillip too many already. His two younger ‘brothers’ finished their snacks, and thanked Momma Maria for fixing them for them, and then they headed up to their rooms to do their homework. They asked Darrin if he had any and he told them that his teachers told him that according to his other school’s transcript that he had already covered that information. He then told them that he’d wait to talk to their older ‘brothers’ when they get home.

And that’s what Darrin did. When Billy, Robert and Charles came home from school, they went directly to the kitchen Nook to get their afterschool snack that Momma had ready for them.

“Guys … can I ask you some questions about, you know, The Cove?” began Darrin.

“Sure, as long as it doesn’t have anything to do with us telling you about why we are living here,” answered Robert.

“Yea, I know,” answered Darrin. “Mr. Ken … he told me that I wasn’t supposed to bug you guys about that. And he also told me that one day … that one day you might get to know me and tell me, you know, some things about what brought you here. My reason for being here is simple. My whole family … they were all killed in a house fire and I … and I was the only survivor.”

Billy saw the tears begin to fall from Darrin’s eyes and he quickly got up from his chair and went over to him and pulled him up and hugged him. Feeling that he was being held, Darrin then began to cry hard. Robert and Charles heard their ‘brother’ crying and they got up and joined in the hug.

Momma heard the light conversation and then saw when Bill got up to hug his new ‘brother’. Then she heard Darrin crying and it was when Robert and Charles got up to join the hug that Momma went to the Study to get Mr. Wayne.


The two adults came to the Nook just as the four teens were breaking up the hug.

“Darrin … are you … are you going to be, OK?” asked Mr. Wayne.

“Yea, ahh, yes, sir,” replied the teen, as he wiped his eyes. “It was something that I said that … that brought the tears back. I’ll … I’ll be OK. My ‘brothers’ … they helped me get through it. Honest!”

“Darrin … what you just felt, or recalled … that is just one of the reasons Mr. Ken … why he wants you to go to see Doctor Doug. He’ll be here tonight and you’ll get to meet him, and I am sure that you’ll like him,” offered the Estate Master.

His crying interrupted the teen’s focus on his wanting to ask his older ‘brothers’ some questions about The Cove. Then when Mr. Wayne came to the Kitchen Nook, he wasn’t sure if he should ask his questions with the adults there. So, he decided he’d wait until they were up in their rooms, and he’d stop by them there and ask.


Darrin waited until his older ‘brothers’ had been in their rooms for a while before he went to Robert’s room to ask him some questions. He knew that teen had been there the longest from talking to Matthew, so he knew he figured he would have most of the answers to his questions.

The new teen knocked on Robert’s door, and asked the Cover if he could talk to him. Robert told his new ‘brother’ to come in and have a seat.

“Robert … my friends … they’ve been telling me about The Cove, and I’ve got … well, I’ve got a couple of questions I am hoping that you can answer for me,” began Darrin.

Robert told his new ‘brother’ that he’ll answer them the best that he can.

“Well, I guess my first question is … why … why do we have to be entered into a database and why … and why are there men with guns guarding The Cove?” were the newest Cover’s first questions.

Robert sat back and thought about how he wanted to answer those questions. So, he decided to answer the last one first. “Darrin … you don’t have your computer yet, so you can’t research Three Finger Cove, and look back at what happened here. And what I am going to tell you to do is when you go get your computer …” and Darrin stopped the teenager right there.

“I’m going to get my own computer? Really?” asked a very surprised Darrin Rossman.

“Yes, my dad … he buys all new fosters a computer for their room. Just ask Phillip. You’ll probably get one just like his. But let me finish answering your questions.

“Back when my dad had his first foster son, the teen’s parents … they were killed right in front of him and eventually the men … they learned he was living here and … well, they came looking for him and … and they attacked The Cove trying to kill him.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me!” exclaimed the newest Cover teen.

“No, I’m not. You can still see some of the bullet holes, if you know where to look. My dad … he told me that they had to virtually replace the Foyer Door due to there being so many bullets being fired into it. And then later on … there were these men … they wanted to get a hold of the twins.”


“Are they the guys who tried to kidnap them?” interrupted Darrin.

“Oh, you heard about that?” asked Robert.

“Well, my friends … they told me that when some of the boys from here were out Trick-or-Treating that these guys … they tried to kidnap about eight of them. But they didn’t know the whole story. I was hoping you could tell me more about it. Matthew … he said that he got here after that happened,” honestly replied Darrin.

“Oh, you’re telling him about how we all almost got kidnapped, while we were out Trick-or-Treating? I heard you guys talking,” spoke up Charles from the doorway.

“You were there, too?” asked the surprised teen.

Robert and Charles then told Darrin about what happened that night, while they were out Trick-or-Treating. And before long Billy, Matthew and Phillip came to the room to hear the story of that fateful night, even though they’d heard it before.

“Sheesh, I can’t believe that those guys, that they … they changed vehicles when they saw there were, what eight, or nine of you? And those Sheriff Deputies arrived when they did, so when the van came at you with the high beams shining at you … you all scrambled in different directions? Wow! That had to be something,” now spoke the newest Cover.

“Thank you, Robert, and Charles, for telling me about what happened that night. I bet your hearts were beating faster than ever that night, and you had to be scared out of your wits, too. I have more questions about some things that have happened at The Cove, but I better leave you to get your homework finished. Thank you, again, Robert for taking some time to talk to me,” finished Darrin.


Doctor Jennings arrived at The Cove around 5:20, and he was greeted at the Foyer Door by the owner of The Cove, Ken Thomas, along with Chief and Sarge.

“Thank you for inviting me tonight, Mr. Ken. And who do we have here?” asked Doctor Doug as he bent down to pet the newest addition to The Cove.

“This is Sarge, Doctor Doug. I kept one of the seven puppies that Chief had this past summer, and the boys, when they named him, figured he couldn’t outrank his mom, the Chief, so they named him Sergeant, or Sarge,” explained Mr. Ken. “Oh, he likes belly rubs, by the way.”

As Doctor Doug was giving Sarge some belly rubs, Mr. Ken had Darrin come over to where the two were. Then when the doctor was done giving Sarge some belly rubs and stood up, Mr. Ken introduced his newest foster son to the man.

“Doctor Jennings, this is my newest foster son, Darrin Rossman. Darrin came to us this past Monday. He was in that horrendous fire about two weeks ago, where he lost his entire family. He is still recovering from first and second-degree burns.

“Darrin, this is the doctor I’ve been telling you about. Doctor Jennings … he is a fine man who will listen to what you have to say, and he will never tell me, or anyone else, about what you talk about. All of the boys … they have talked with the man, so please give him a chance. I’m going to let you two use my Study to talk until it is time for dinner. I’ll knock on the door when Momma tells me it is time to eat,” finished Mr. Ken, who walked the two to his Study and then closed the door after they sat down.


“It is good to meet you, Darrin. And as Mr. Ken told you … I won’t tell him, or anyone else, for that matter, what we talk about. Well, that is … unless you tell me that you’re going to hurt yourself, but I hope that won’t happen.

“Tonight … Mr. Ken … he just wants us to sort of break the ice, so to speak, and get to know one another, some. So, what do you say? You up for twenty questions?” teased Doctor Doug.

Darrin immediately liked the way the doctor talked to him. He didn’t talk down to him, or even start asking him about his family, or how he felt about losing them. They each asked questions about one another, until Mr. Ken knocked on the Study door announcing it was time to eat.


For dinner that evening, Momma Maria had made Avocado Salsa, Mexican Skirt Steak, Steak Fajitas and Beef Enchiladas. She also had sour cream, chopped tomatoes, a shredded Mexican cheese blend and chopped onions on the table for extra flavors for the diners.

For dessert, Momma made something totally different from anything she had ever made before. Tonight, she made what is known as a marquesita. The marquesita is a thin wafer that is rolled and stuffed with various fillings, such as custard, chocolate, caramel, or cheese, and covered with milk chocolate on three-quarters of the wafer.

Besides the doctor enjoying that wonderful Mexican meal that Momma Maria had prepared that evening, Darrin, again, found himself over eating. He couldn’t believe how awesome Momma’s cooking was, and he just couldn’t seem to get enough of the amazing flavors. He felt lucky that he left room for that new dessert that all of the Covers said that they had never had before.

At dinner the Covers talked about the new Marina Seafood Wharf & Steak House, and they asked the doctor if he had gone there yet. Doctor Doug had said that he had, and that he was pleasantly surprised that the seafood was so well done and served.


The boys also asked the doctor if he had ridden any of the rides at the Four Corners Amusement Park. When the doctor said that he hadn’t, the boys told him that they needed to take him with them one night, so he could enjoy them. But ‘dad’ Ken told the man that he should wait at least until he has his new train in place, and maybe a few more adult rides. The boys then told the doctor that their ‘dad’ had bulldozed the miniature golf course to put in more parking, because the place was so busy.

The boys also told Doctor Doug about their ‘little ‘brother’ finally meeting his real father. They told how their ‘dad’ went with Ms. Kate and her son last weekend to meet the boy’s father.

Here, again, was another question that Darrin had. He didn’t know that there was a little ‘brother’, and who was this Ms. Kate the boys mentioned. He just added those two questions to the list that he was building in his mind.


The doctor thoroughly enjoyed the dinner that night because as a single man any invitation for a home cooked meal was something that he never turned away. And that night’s meal was an exceptional one because Momma was an awesome chef. The doctor also enjoyed the conversation because it brought him up-to-date, with what was happening with the Covers.

Time had gotten away from everyone so that Doctor Doug didn’t have any time to sit back down with Darrin before leaving. He apologized to Mr. Ken and the teen for not staying, but he assured the teen that they would begin to cover any and all of his issues over the next few weeks. Everyone shook hands and even Sarge got a quick belly rub before the doctor was gone.


Mr. Ken held his evening meeting after Doctor Jennings left The Cove. The boys took their seats in the leather chairs, with Chief lying right next to Darrin, and Sarge sitting in Matthew’s lap.

“I’ll try to make this quick, boys. Tomorrow … I’ll be taking Darrin to his physical with Doctor Rick. On Saturday, Robert and I … we will be taking a trip, as will Mr. Dennis and Bill. Also, on Saturday, Mr. Wayne and Matthew … they will go and visit a few dog training schools.

“And while we are all gone, Mr. Chris … he will come in so that Charles, Darrin and Phillip can still have their friends stop by. Oh, and he is also bringing his two kids, who will use the Cove Skate Park and Lance who can play with Sarge. Matthew … when you get back … you can then begin working with Mr. Chris’ pup.

“On Sunday … I’ll be taking Phillip to his gig and Bill, Charles and Matthew … they are going along to act as the band’s roadies.

“Next week, Darrin … you have an appointment with Doctor Doug on Tuesday at two o’clock. Mr. Wayne, or Mr. Dennis, will come to the school and pick you up, and take you there and then bring you home.

“The following Saturday, Phillip has another gig between seven and ten, at night. I’ll be taking him to that venue, as well. I’ll leave it up to Bill, Charles and Matthew to let me know if they are going.

“None of you have indicated to me, or Mr. Wayne, that you want to go Trick-or-Treating, or better known to me as ‘Begging-for-Candy’ this year. If you do, let us know soon, so we can take you out and get you a costume, and I can plan for George & Gene to accompany you that night.

“And if you’ve forgotten … Ben and I … we are attending the International Attraction and Amusement Park Association (IAAPA) Expo. The timeframe is from 14 to 17 November in Orlando, FL.

“And remember, Kate, her mother Edith, and the boys will be here for Thanksgiving week and there will be a wedding and reception that first Saturday of Thanksgiving week, and your friends cannot come over that day. Do any of you have any questions?” finished ‘dad’ Ken.


Robert took out his cell phone and looked at the November calendar and he noticed something so he raised his hand. When his dad asked him what he wanted to ask, the teenager told him, “Dad … if you’re going to be gone until the seventeenth then you, Kate, her mom and the kids … you will all be arriving at the airport on the same day. Thanksgiving week … it starts that weekend. And the wedding is on Saturday the eighteenth. Didn’t you look at the calendar?”

‘Dad’ Ken immediately took out his cell phone and looked at the November calendar, and to his astonishment his son was correct. “Robert … you are correct. I guess Ben and I … we will have to look over the IAAPA agenda, and decide which areas we need to concentrate on, and decide if we need to spend all four days there. Thank you, son, for catching that conflict.”

“Does anyone else have something they want to bring up?” asked ‘dad’ Ken.

“‘Dad’ … can we have, you know, another sleepover before Thanksgiving?” asked Phillip. “There are plenty of weekends we can choose from,” added the youngest Cover.

“And dad … can you take us shooting during Thanksgiving week?” now asked Charles.

“As for the sleepover … boys … look at the calendar and choose the best weekend, and coordinate with Mr. Wayne, who will check with Momma and me. But with Rusty and Jessy here over the Thanksgiving week, they are way too young to go shooting and I won’t leave them here, while we all go to the range. I like the idea, though. We’ll just have to pick another date to do that. OK?” answered ‘dad’ Ken.

“It’s late, boys. Head up to your rooms and I’ll be up there shortly. I want to talk to Mr. Wayne for a few minutes,” ‘dad’ Ken directed the boys.


The owner of The Cove talked with Wayne about the sleepover, and maybe all of them going to the range before Thanksgiving. He also mentioned Matthew setting up his Puppy Training School, and he asked him to help the pre-teen find a place somewhere on the estate, where he could train the puppies. Mr. Ken also mentioned that they all need to begin writing down ideas for Christmas presents for all of the boys, as the Holiday will be here sooner than they know it.

When they finished talking, Wayne decided that since it was late, he was going to go to his apartment. He asked his boss to tell the boys goodnight for him.


‘Dad’ Ken didn’t spend a lot of time with the boys that night, because it was getting late. But when he stopped at Darrin’s room, he told the teen that Mr. Wayne told him about him seeing him crying, and his ‘brothers’ doing a group hug with him. So, ‘dad’ Ken asked the boy how he was doing.

Darrin told his foster dad that when he was asking Robert some questions about The Cove, he told Robert that he knew he wasn’t supposed to bug his ‘brothers’ about why they were living there. Then he told the man that he told the teenager the reason for his being here was simple. His whole family were all killed in a house fire, and he was the only survivor. The teen said that when he brought up that memory he began to cry, and that Billy grabbed and hugged him and before long Robert and Charles joined in.

Mr. Ken suggested to the new foster that he needed to make that a priority next week, when he talked to Doctor Doug. The man indicated that it wasn’t healthy for him to not discuss his loss with someone, who could make sense of what he is feeling, and help him deal with it in a more positive way.

Darrin then leaped into Mr. Ken’s arms and began to cry some more. All Mr. Ken did was hug the boy tight to let him know there was someone there who did care about him. The man then allowed the teen to cry some to let whatever hurt was inside of him get out.

The other boys heard their ‘brother’s’ crying and they all came to Darrin’s room, and when they saw their ‘dad’ hugging their ‘brother’ they joined in a group hug.

The new foster teen felt the addition of his ‘brothers’ hugging him, and he felt safe and loved right then and there. He soon stopped his tears, and then he thanked not only his foster dad for hugging him, but he thanked his ‘brothers for coming to his room and joining his foster dad in the hug to help him feel safe and loved.

Hearing what Darrin told them made all the Cover boys feel really good inside as they made their way back to their rooms and into bed. But as they were walking back to their bedrooms, ‘dad’ Ken called out to them to drain their lizards before they laid down.


Hearing Mr. Ken tell the boys to ‘drain their lizards’, made Darrin laugh, and Mr. Ken told him to make sure he drained his before he went to bed, too. The two then shared a hug and Mr. Ken then left the room.

As Ken Thomas walked to his retreat, he knew that when a new foster arrived at The Cove there were always growing pains for both the boy, and The Cove, and Darrin was no different. He hoped the teen would indeed talk to Doctor Doug about the loss of his family, and find a way to move forward and away from his loss.

He also made a mental note to have Stewart check on any insurance compensation the teen was entitled to, due to the loss of the house, and its possessions. He also wanted Mr. Russell to see if there were any life insurance policies on the mom and dad, and possibly his older brother. All of that money wouldn’t bring them back, but it would help the teen get a good start in life, when he moved on from the CPS system.

It was a late night, and Ken Thomas knew he needed to get some rest. He quickly got undressed, used his facility, and then climbed into his king-sized bed. It wasn’t long before the owner of The Cove, and foster dad, was fast asleep. The Cove was safe and quiet for another 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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Three Finger Cove Book 9: Darrin

By Chowhound

In progress

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57