Published: 25 Jun 2026
From the Previous Chapter:
Ken Thomas got himself ready for bed and then sat on the edge of his bed before turning the lights off. He thought back to what happened that day and his only failure, as he looked at it, was that the property next to the Four Corners Amusement Park still wasn’t his. The good news there was that the owner had at least looked at his offer.
Mr. Ken soon decided to get to bed, so he turned off the lights and got under the covers. Before long everyone inside The Cove was fast asleep.
Tuesday morning was like most mornings at The Cove. Ken Thomas woke up at his usual school day time in order to be out in the Kitchen Nook to see and talk to the boys. He liked to talk to them before they went to school and to have his first cups of coffee and to read the morning newspaper before going to the office.
That morning Mr. Ken stayed back a few minutes, before going to the office, to talk to Wayne and Chris. He wanted to make sure Chris got the boys Christmas Lists for Sandra to begin buying the gifts, and to see if his wife was going to have any problems with anything on them.
He also told his Estate Manager about what was happening with Matthew and that they would be doing two trips to visit his amusement parks with three parks between Christmas and the New Year and the last two after the New Year. He wanted Chris to know that Kate and family would also be going along, so he would need to get additional rooms for the trips. He told the man that he wasn’t sure what Collin’s plans were, yet.
He then asked Wayne to make sure that Chief saw the veterinarian before the Holidays to make sure she was doing okay with her new puppies. With that said, the owner of The Cove also reminded the two men that he and Darrin had to be in court on the 5th of January for the distribution of the Rossman insurance monies. He then mentioned that he needs to get Bill Jackson to file to have a hearing in front of Judge Richards to determine Darrin’s situation.
The three men also talked about the two buildings to be delivered tomorrow and how well the company leveled the dirt around the slabs and cleaned up afterwards. Mr. Ken then hit the men up with a new request.
“Guys, with Rusty and Jessy going to start living here after Kate and I are married, I … well, I want to make the estate more friendly for the younger boys and ultimately their friends. So, with that in mind, I would like to build them … a basketball court.
“How about walking around the estate with Dennis and choosing a suitable place where it could fit in. Also, with them being so young, let’s plan to have the soccer pitch relined late next spring in case they and their friends want to play.
“As for the basketball court, Wayne, why don’t you and Dennis talk to some contractors about doing that installation starting sometime soon, right after the Holidays, or so, or whenever it would fit in to their schedule. But, as for a time-frame, I would like it to be completely finished, including lines and for it to have at least a four-foot border beyond the side line and end lines by the time the boys move here permanently.
“Guys, I guess that while we’re doing that, we should probably find a place where we can install more lockers. That will require another concrete slab and I figure sized enough for another 24 half-height lockers, which will give the two boys twelve lockers for them and their friends. The company who installs the basketball court could also do the locker slab, as well. The older boys … they could then do the locker install, as they did that once before.
The three men talked over the latest instructions, and once everyone was on the same page, Ken Thomas headed off to the office.
Upon his arrival at the office, Rosemary had his messages ready for him. One was from Stewart Russell who asked him to be at his office at one o’clock to finalize the construction lawsuit paperwork. The other message was from Emilio, who asked that he call him when he arrived.
“Emilio, I just got to the office. What good news, I hope, do you have for me?” asked Ken Thomas, when his Three Finger Real Estate Group Manager and Realtor answered the call.
“Mr. Ken … I have a signed contract on that eight+-acre property for your signature. It is in the amount of your counter offer. Can I bring it over right now?” asked the Realtor.
Ken Thomas was ecstatic at the news. As soon as he hung up the call, he called Ben to tell him that they really needed to work on that building project now, as Emilio was bringing over a signed contract for him to agree to. Mr. Ken then told Ben that they also needed to reevaluate the installation of the new rides. Ben told the man that he’d be right over.
Emilio Ramirez arrived with the contract to buy the adjacent property to the Four Corners Amusement Park, while Mr. Ken and Ben talked. Ken Thomas quickly read through the contract to see if there were any contingencies added by the seller and finding none, he signed the contract to buy the 8+ acres.
The Realtor then asked Mr. Ken when did he want to go to settlement. Ken Thomas looked at the calendar and asked if January 31st was too soon? Emilio said it would all depend on how soon the property could be surveyed and financing could be arranged. Mr. Ken smiled and told the Realtor that he would pay cash, or actually that he’d bring a cashier’s check for a quick sale.
The Realtor smiled at hearing that cash would be used and then he worked out Mr. Ken’s closing costs for him, which would include things like escrow fees, the land survey, recording fees, property taxes, title search and title insurance, which the agent highly recommended since it was raw land, and lastly any legal fees associated with the purchase.
After lunch, Ken Thomas made his way over to Stewart Russell’s office in order to finalize the paperwork to put-to-bed the lawsuit against the linear construction company. The insurance company’s representatives were also there and after some introductions, they all signed the papers that concluded the negotiations.
The insurance representatives were surprised that Bill and Phillip were not there, but when they were told that Mr. Thomas was both boy’s legal guardian, and they were both under age, they understood their absence, as the boys could not legally sign the papers.
The checks were handed over to Mr. Russell who would deposit them in the Law Firm’s Account and would ultimately pass on the final checks to Mr. Thomas after taking out the Law Firm’s agrees upon fees.
Before Mr. Ken departed the Law Firm’s office, Stewart Russell coordinated the following day’s paperwork signing at one o’clock with the first television company and at two o’clock for the second television company, for Bill Jackson. Mr. Ken told the lawyer that he definitely would be there and he put the appointments in his cell phone calendar. He left the office with a big smile on his face.
The boys saw a difference in their ‘dad’ that evening, but it wasn’t until they learned that he signed the contract to buy the land adjacent to the Four Corners Amusement park that they understood why he was so happy. They didn’t have much of an evening meeting that night and ‘dad’ Ken didn’t spend a lot of time talking to the boys, as he said good night to them.
That Wednesday, Ken Thomas was out in the Kitchen Nook at his normal time on a school day. Momma had his coffee and newspaper ready for him and he sat there enjoying both as the boys came down for their Momma breakfast.
‘Dad’ Ken talked to all of them as they ate their breakfast. They asked him questions about what the extra land would mean for the amusement park and his reply was that it would finally mean that Nelson Sanders would, have a proper operations building, the park would have more space for more rides, and he was going to build a parking garage to allow for parking of about 1250 cars.
The boys were all happy when they heard there would eventually be more parking so that it would ease up the congestion on the small parking lot. They were equally happy that there could possibly be more and better rides installed, as time went on, as well.
Ken Thomas stayed a little longer at The Cove, again, that morning in order to talk to his three key men, before heading to the office. The first thing they told him was that they suggested he build the new basketball court next to the Pavilion
They reasoned, that was where the restrooms and lockers were, there was enough space for it, and it would keep all of the boys located in one place, instead of spread around the estate more than they are when they go swimming in the cove.
Dennis spoke up, tongue in cheek, and told his boss that the added slab would come in handy to be able to set up more tables and chairs for any more large picnics, or maybe a wedding ceremony he might want to plan in the future.
Mr. Ken heard the jocular kidding in the man’s comment and he smiled back at him and asked the older gentleman if he was planning on getting married again and would need the extra space. That brought a round of laughter from all four men.
Mr. Ken told them to go ahead and plan the court there and not to forget a slab for the extra 24 half-height lockers. And for that they told him they suggest they place the slab on the lake side of the new garage, so they were setback and out of sight. The owner of The Cove agreed with their assessment.
As for installing the new storage buildings, Mr. Dennis indicated that the company would begin to deliver the first one starting about nine o’clock and would begin setting it in place, which involved them piecing it all together.
The man indicated that they would first set down the floor, then one side section at a time, and then they’d put on the roof. Mr. Dennis indicated that it would be a protracted process, before they would then deliver the second one and start all over again. The Assistant Estate Master added that they would then need to schedule an electrician to come over to The Cove to wire Matthew’s building for lights and outlets.
Mr. Ken knew his men had everything well under control, so he thanked them for their hard work and then he departed for the office.
At school, Darrin told his friends how much more The Cove had been decorated and that they were supposed to be finished that day. The Cover’s buddies told him that they’ve seen it decorated the past couple of years, when they went to the Holiday Party.
What the Cover’s friends didn’t understand, was that this was the first time that Darrin had ever seen the estate decorated so elaborately, and he was like a little kid looking into a candy shop and seeing everything with big wide eyes.
This Christmas was going to be one that Darrin would never forget. He’s never seen anything like what he was seeing that year, and the excitement was building inside of him, like he’s never experienced before.
His mother always made the Holidays special for him and his brother, but never did she do what was happening at The Cove. He remembered how good a cook his mom was, but after eating Momma Maria’s special Holiday sweet cakes, he knew he was undergoing a transformation, as to his seeing Christmas in a totally different light.
He wondered, if this is what was happening the few weeks before the special day, what will it be like when Christmas actually gets here. And then he wondered what it will be like when he gets to visit Mr. Ken’s amusement parks later on. The teen was anxious about it all and he just couldn’t wait until everything came together.
At the office, Mr. Ken and Ben, along with Nelson Sanders, talked about possibly delaying the installation of the rides they had planned for the expansion of the Four Corners Amusement Park.
Mr. Ken asked if it would be prudent to wait until after the parking garage was built, before they put more rides there, that would bring in more guests, when they didn’t have the parking available for them.
Ben and Nelson had to agree with the park’s owner and their only question was, would the amusement ride sellers hold off with their delivery for six to eight months. All Mr. Ken told, them was, “If we don’t ask the question and explain the situation, we’ll never know.”
The Park’s owner directed Ben to start calling the ride manufactures to get their take on their dilemma. In the meantime, Mr. Ken wanted to know how Nelson was going to handle the almost two plus months of down time. He asked the man what he planned to do and how he intended to keep the staff gainfully employed during the two months the park would be closed. All in all, Mr. Ken felt the meeting was a good one, but knew that the three of them would meet more in the weeks to come.
After lunch and a lengthy call with Kate where he told her of everything that he was involved in so far that week and what he was going to do that afternoon, Ken Thomas headed over to Bill Jackson’s office to start the process of finalizing the paperwork to end the lawsuit with the first television station.
After some introductions and hand-shakes, the television stations representatives, their insurance company and Ken Thomas began the wrist numbing routine of signing their names to lots of papers. Then, when it was all done, the insurance company passed over the checks to Bill Jackson, who would deposit them in the Law Firm’s bank account.
An hour later, after the introductions and hand-shakes, the second television station and their representatives, their insurance company and Ken Thomas began another round of wrist numbing signing their names to lots of paper to compete the finalization of the lawsuit between Ken Thomas, William Dirketson and the television station.
When everything was signed the insurance company passed the checks over to the lawyer who would, again, have them deposited in the Law Firm’s bank account. Then more hand-shakes were exchanged and the TV people left the office. The lawyer then coordinated with Mr. Ken when and where he should deliver the final checks, to him, on Friday, with the law firms fees taken out.
Ken Thomas was in good spirts that Wednesday evening which his ‘boys’ could tell by his demeanor. They asked him why he was so happy, and all he could tell them was that everything was going very well with Four Corners, now that he will soon own the property right next to it.
He told the boys that he, Mr. Ben and Mr. Nelson have discussed how they were going to handle the new property, and what they plan for the amusement park going forward. The boys wanted to know what was going to happen there, but their ‘dad’ wouldn’t tell them, saying that nothing is set in stone, as of yet, and he wasn’t going to start any rumors. And he admonished the boys not to spread any, either.
‘Dad’ Ken then asked Matthew how he liked his new Puppy Training Headquarters. A smiling Matthew told his ‘dad’ that it was what they had talked about, but it won’t be finished until he has the lights and outlets, his desk and chair and the plastic storage containers he’ll need for the treats and things he’ll use to train the pups.
‘Dad’ Ken smiled right back at the teen and told him to wait and see what Santa brings him. The teen’s ‘brothers’ heard the exchange, and they all laughed.
That night when ‘dad’ Ken went up to say good night to the boys, he did tell Bill that all of the checks were delivered and they would be going to the bank on Saturday. And, when the man stopped at Phillip’s room, he told the young Cover that he saw the check from the linear construction company today and on Saturday they will be going to the bank.
Phillip did ask if his ‘brother’ Billy would also be going with them. ‘Dad’ Ken smiled and told the youngster that Bill will also have a check on Saturday, but he isn’t to go out and tell everybody about their settling the lawsuit. The man did tell the boy that if anyone did ask, he could tell them that it was settled to his advantage, but that he wasn’t allowed to talk about it.
Phillip said that he understood what his ‘dad’ was saying. But then he asked if he was allowed to tell his mother about the lawsuit and settlement. Mr. Ken reminded him that they already had that conversation. The foster dad told the boy that he felt that his mother would want to spend it all and before the boy knew it there would be nothing left for him and his future.
Phillip acknowledged that that they did talk about that, but he said that he still felt that his mom should know. Mr. Ken told the young Cover that if he tells her, they would have a fight on their hands, and then he would see the real Mackenzie Flores.
As Ken Thomas sat on the edge of his bed before going to bed, he thought about what Phillip said about wanting to tell his mother about the money he’d gotten from the accident. He knew that if the boy does tell his mother about the money, he will have a court fight on his hands.
He also knew that unfortunately the boy will have to be in the court and he will get to see who his mother truly is because he will have to use what the Diamond Detective Agency has gathered on her activities, which show that she hasn’t changed one bit since her hospitalization.
Thursday was similar to the other school days when Ken Thomas got up in time to be out in the Kitchen Nook drinking his coffee and reading his morning newspaper when the boys came down for their Momma breakfast prior to going to school.
That morning, ‘dad’ Ken talked with Matthew a bit more about his puppy training building and what he wanted to see out there. The teen told his ‘dad that he thought they talked about having a shelf on one wall with a sheet of plywood across the rafters where he could store his plastic containers, but that they were both missing.
‘Dad’ Ken said that he did remember that they had talked about those two items and so he’ll talk to Mr. Wayne about them before he leaves. Matthew thanked his ‘dad’ for doing that. The teen then added that there was also supposed to be a vent over the main door, but it, too, wasn’t there. Again, ‘dad’ Ken said that it was supposed to be there and that he’ll talk to Mr. Wayne about that, too.
When the teenagers came down for their Momma breakfast, they talked to their ‘dad’ about how nice the two new storage buildings were. ‘Dad’ Ken thanked them for noticing them and then asked them to plan to transfer everything from the old lawn storage shed to the new storage building that Saturday, and then dismantle the metal shed and stack it outside the Parking Corral.
The man then reminded the teenagers that the four Vocational High Schools would be installing their displays on Saturday the 16th, so they needed to make sure their friends do not interfere with them, when they finally come to the Cove. The teens told their ‘dad’ that they’d take care of moving the lawn equipment on Saturday. Before long the teenagers were off to school.
Again, the owner of The Cove waited to talk to Mr. Wayne before he went in to the office. When the Estate Master arrived the two men walked out to the two new storage buildings. While they were out there, Mr. Ken mentioned to Mr. Wayne that Matthew’s building was supposed to have a vent above the entrance door and when they looked there wasn’t any.
When they walked inside the Puppy Training Headquarters, Mr. Ken told the Estate Master that there was supposed to be a shelf on the non-window wall and a piece of plywood in the rafters so Matthew could store his plastic containers of doggie treats and other puppy training pieces and dog training equipment, but neither were there.
The two men then walked over to the lawn equipment storage building and lo and behold there was the vent over the double entrance doors. When they walked inside there, too, was the shelf and the plywood in the rafters. Mr. Ken didn’t have to say anything, as Mr. Wayne knew exactly what was needed to be done.
Mr. Ken told Wayne that he’d see him later and that he hoped the company would agree to make the needed corrections. The owner of The Cove then left for his office.
When Mr. Ken arrived at work, he had a message from Bill Jackson, his lawyer, to call him. When he called his lawyer, Bill Jackson told his client that he knew he was busy with the insurance settlements yesterday and that he didn’t want to bother him.
But what he wanted to tell him now was how Grace Turnsten reacted to his serving her with the papers stating that they were requesting her parental rights for one Matthew Turnsten be terminated.
Bill Jackson told Mr. Ken that Grace blew up and screamed at the top of her lungs that he couldn’t do that. Bill laughed and told him that when he told her that there would be a court hearing next week, where she would be able to challenge their application, which was why there was a public defender there representing her, whom she could work with to contest the action.
Bill told Ken that the woman was something else, to say the least, and that the guards were all laughing at her antics. The lawyer also added that she had used some choice words, that shouldn’t be used by proper women, but indicated that she was definitely no proper woman.
Before he ended the call, the lawyer told Ken that he felt the court hearing would be either Wednesday or Thursday, but he thought it would be more like on Thursday, at ten o’clock, as Gace has to be driven from the prison.
Ken then asked Bill to file for a hearing in Judge Adam Richards court to determine where Darrin would live now that the uncle has appeared. Mr. Ken reminded the lawyer about the court hearing on the 5th of January, in another court, where the Rossman’s insurance monies would be placed. He stressed to Bill that he wanted the majority of the money to be awarded to Darrin, for his future, and he needed to try to keep the uncle from getting his hands on it.
Ken then thanked his lawyer for his hard efforts on working to strip Grace of her parental rights, which was not so much for him, but for Matthew. He also thanked him for the hard work Stewart has done for his law firm, too.
The owner of The Cove exclaimed that having a young man, who specialized on youth law issues, was a god send for him, especially with all his ‘boys’ and the issues that foster boys find themselves involved in, before and during their stay at The Cove.
After talking to Bill Jackson, Mr. Ken got a call from his fiancée, Kate. She told him that she’d just got off the phone with Patrick, Rusty’s father, who wanted to know if his son could join him and his family for the Holidays. She wanted to know what she should do.
Ken told Kate, that the man first wanted Rusty to come out for Thanksgiving, and now for Christmas and the New Year, which sounded to him like he only wanted to be the Holiday dad. Ken asked Kate if she had told Pat anything yet.
Kate told Ken that she was to call him later with her answer, but she didn’t know what she should do, which was why she called him. Ken told Kate to first settle down and they’d talk it out, which is what they did for the next half-hour.
The couple did talk it out and, in the end, Ken asked Kate to call Patrick back and she was to tell him that she had already made Holiday plans for her and her family to spend it with her fiancé, and his family beginning next Thursday.
Kate thought that maybe she should tell him a bit more and asked Ken what else she might tell him. Ken thought about it and then told her was that she might want to tell Patrick that she was getting married in the Spring, and that she was going to move to Texas afterwards. He told her that she could add that they will have to figure out a better time for he and Rusty to get together, after their move to Texas. Kate was very happy with that answer.
After lunch, Bill Jackson called Ken Thomas to tell him about his phone calls from the two radio stations who wanted to try to settle the lawsuits, too. The lawyer told Mr. Ken that they heard about the television stations settling with them, and they wanted to settle at the same amounts.
Mr. Ken asked if he told them that their time to settle had past and that it would now cost them an additional twenty-five percent. Bill answered in the affirmative and that the radio stations told him that it was highway robbery. Mr. Jackson added that he told them that it was the plaintiff’s prerogative to change the conditions of the out-of-court settlement that he would accept.
When Mr. Ken asked Bill what figures he told the radio representative they would need to pay, the lawyer said that he told them that they would have to pay $1.25M to Mr. Thomas and $437,500.00 to William Dirketson. Mr. Ken told Mr. Russell to stick to those numbers, and if they balked to tell them that we would see them in court.
Bill indicated that he would call them that afternoon to give them time to think it over. He also said that he would tell them that they needed to respond by close of business on Tuesday. Mr. Ken told the lawyer that he liked the way he was thinking.
When the younger boys returned home from school, the first thing Matthew did was to check to see if there were any changes to his puppy training building. And he smiled when he saw that there were.
Mr. Dennis and Mr. Wayne had seen the boys walking down the driveway and walk in the new buildings’ direction, so they went out there to see what they thought.
“What do you think?” asked Mr. Dennis.
“All I can say is, Thank you!” responded Matthew. “The building now has what ‘dad’ and I had talked about. Can I ask when the electricity will be hooked up?”
Mr. Dennis told the teen puppy trainer that the company came right out that morning and switched the shelf and rafter board out and installed the vent without any problem. The Assistant Estate Master added that the electrician should be there tomorrow to install two ceiling lights and two outlets. The man then asked Matthew where did he wanted the outlets.
Mr. Dennis was invited to stay for dinner and it was during that wonderful Momma Maria meal that the boys learned that their ‘dad’ was going to build a basketball court, and it was going to be located on the lake side of the Pavilion off the newly added conversation pit slab.
The boys also learned that their ‘dad was doing that for Rusty and Jessy and their eventual friends and that he was adding 24 more half-height lockers for them and they would be on a slab located on the lake side of the storage garage.
The boys also learned that they would not only get to get to build the lockers, but mount them, too. Charles quickly asked his dad if he could ask Mr. Arlo, Mr. Myles, Mr. Carlos and Mr. Milo to stop by that day. The boys who knew who those men were had a good laugh.
Charles then had to explain to Darrin and Phillip that those men were Mr. Arlo Gomez, Mr. Myles Goodes, Mr. Carlos Martinez and Mr. Milo Gleese and were carpenters who worked for his dad and they had stopped by The Cove when they built the sixty lockers that were now behind the Pavilion.
Hearing about the lockers and how they got there put a smiles on Darrin and Phillip, and it also gave them some more background of what happened around The Cove. They had questions, but they figured they could ask their ‘brothers’ later.
The discussion around the table that night also dealt with the small problem with the new storage buildings. Mr. Dennis explained that the company told everyone that their carpenters got the plans mixed up, since they built both storage buildings at the same time and being the same size and design, they didn’t double check the customers worksheets. He went on to say the company came out and made the quick change out and addition with no quibbling, or charge.
Mr. Ken invited Mr. Dennis to stay around for the evening meeting. And even though he’d seen one or two before, the owner of The Cove wanted him to observe tonight’s, so he was familiar with what he does during them.
Mr. Ken started telling the boys about Friday’s double-blind selection process with the four vocational schools that Mr. Chris would hold at four o’clock. He then told the boys that on that Saturday, beginning around ten o’clock, the vocational schools will begin installing their Christmas displays on the lamp posts along the driveway. He reminded the boys to ask their friends to stay away.
He also reiterated his request to the boys, that on Saturday, to move everything from the lawn equipment shed to the new lawn equipment building, and then to dismantle the shed and place it off the Parking Corral.
‘Dad’ Ken then went over who had any appointments next week and then he asked the boys to make sure their suit pants and shirts were clean and they knew where their red vests were to wear during next Friday night’s Holiday Party. He then asked them to try to stay clean enough for Saturday night’s Holiday Party, where they would wear their green vest.
‘Dad’ Ken told them that there would be two trips to his parks, but that some glitches have come up and they have to clear them up before they can go. He wouldn’t tell the boys what they were, only that he hopes everyone can go.
When ‘dad’ Ken asked if anyone had anything they needed to bring up, or if they had any questions, Phillip told his ‘dad’ that he was working that Friday and Sunday. ‘Dad’ Ken then told the boy that because of the Holiday Parties he would be expected to be there, so he was not to schedule himself to work next weekend. Phillip said that he understood what his ‘dad’ was saying.
Billy spoke up and told Mr. Ken that school got out for the Holidays beginning Thursday of next week.
Robert then asked when their big ‘brother’, Collin, was coming home.
‘Dad’ Ken told the boys that Collin would have his end of semester tests this week, but that he was going to stop by Wilkinson, and check on the progress on the changes he wanted there. So, that he expected him to be there by next Wednesday or Thursday.
With the meeting over ‘dad’ Ken sent the boys up to their rooms to relax before going to bed.
After the meeting was over, while the boys went up to their rooms to finish their homework, the three men sat in the Study and talked. The men then talked about the basketball court, the vocational school installation of their displays on Saturday and the Holiday parties that were the following weekend. Mr. Ken told Wayne and Dennis that there now would be two trips to visit his parks and that some of the boys might not want to go on the second trip.
Wayne then brought up the question of who was going to stay with Chief during the trips, as she usually stayed with Judy, but would it be fair to her to be taking care of a pregnant dog who can’t get around to easily, plus then there was Sarge, now. This was something they had to iron out before the trips.
Mr. Ken also told the men that Kate, Edith and the boys were also going on the trips, so there would be more people than usual. He added that Chris was already making the hotel and air charter reservations.
Wayne told his boss that he and Dennis would be taking Chief and Sarge to the veterinarian next week. He explained that Dennis needed to know where the vet was located and what was entailed when it came to taking the resident pets in for their wellness checks. Plus, he added that they also needed to know how well Chief was doing with her pups inside of her and when they should expect her to have her litter.
Ken Thomas realized there were lots of questions to be answered before the trips.
That was when Wayne and Dennis left for home.
That night ‘dad’ Ken didn’t spend much time with any of the boys. He did tell Bill that the two radio stations had called and asked about settling the lawsuits. The man told the teenager that if things go well, he would have additional monies to deposit by the end of the following week. The teen smiled and not only thanked his foster dad but hugged his foster dad for everything he’s done for him and especially with the lawsuits.
Robert wanted to know if his older ‘brother’ would be going with them to visit his parks. The teen’s dad said that he hadn’t talked to Collin, but that he would, as soon as he arrives next week.
Robert also wanted to know if his older ‘brother’ was serious with his girlfriend, Jasmine. All the teen’s dad did was smile and tell his son to ask Collin when he sees him. The two shared a hug before the dad moved on to Charles’ room.
In Charles’ room, the teen asked his dad if Robert asked him about Collin and Jasmine. The teen’s dad laughed and asked if the brothers were doing a tag team on him. Charles told his dad that Robert was the one who was concerned about Collin getting too serious with a girl before he graduates and knows how to run his enterprises.
The teen’s dad told him that they have to let their older ‘brother’ do what he feels is best for him, and if he wants to get serious with Jasmine, then they have to let him do just that. The dad did suggest, that if they are that concerned about their older ‘brother;’ that they need to sit down and talk to him, and find out what is on his mind with the girl.
When ‘dad’ Ken talked with Matthew, the teen was very happy that they got his building straightened out. He also told his ‘dad’ that Mr. Dennis told him that they would install the lights and outlets tomorrow. That was something that Mr. Ken was not aware of, but didn’t really need to know. The two shared a hug and Mr. Ken moved onto Phillip’s room.
Phillip was playing his guitar when the man arrived. When the two talked, the boy thanked his ‘dad’ for telling him not to schedule himself to play at Four Corners next weekend, because he never even thought about the Holiday Parties, and his having to be there. The boy then asked if they were still going to the bank on Saturday. The foster dad said that they would sometime after lunch. Phillip smiled knowing he was going to be ‘rich’. And, then, after a hug Mr. Ken stopped by Darrin’s room.
Darrin was full of questions for his foster dad. He wanted to know more about the lockers and the boys installing them and the carpenters coming to help them. He also wanted to know some more about Judge Richards.
Mr. Ken told the teen that he needed to talk to his older ‘brothers’ about the lockers, as they spent a whole weekend putting them together along with their friends. And he told the teen that he’d make sure that he personally met the judge next Saturday night, so he could judge for himself what type of guy he really was. Darrin told his foster dad that he’d like that, very much.
Darrin then told Mr. Ken that he was really looking forward to the Holiday parties next weekend, as he’d heard so much about them; that he now wants to see them for himself. He also told the man that he can’t wait to see all of his amusement parks during the Holidays, too.
They shared a hug and then Mr. Ken left to head down to his own retreat. Along the way, he passed both Chief and Sarge coming up the stairs after they’d been outside doing their business before going to bed.
As the owner of The Cove sat on his bed thinking of how busy the week had been, he was thankful that there was only one more day before the weekend. He knew that this weekend was the start of the busy time for him, and he needed to be more focused than ever.
He also began thinking of what he was going to do about Chief and Sarge when they all head off to visit his amusement parks. That was something that he’d totally forgotten about now that he had two resident pets, one of which was heavy with a litter of pups.
The man finally gave up on thinking about everything that was on his mind, so he turned off the lights and he got under the blankets. Before long all the people inside The Cove were all fast asleep.
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