Published: 6 Aug 2026
From the Previous Chapter:
He was also very happy that his fiancée was there with him and that she would also be there to share the entire Christmas and New Year’s Eve Holidays at The Cove and that she would get to meet most, if not all, of his important business contacts.
Ken Thomas then thought about tomorrow’s schedule, which only included the office Christmas Party and then The Cove’s Holiday Party at six o’clock. In between, he would use the free time to talk with Kate about the rest of the Holidays schedule and about their upcoming marriage.
The owner of The Cove decided that he needed to get some sleep as he did have a long day, and tomorrow would be full, but not as much. He then turned off the lights in his big bedroom and then got under the covers. Before long everyone, including his guests, were all soundly asleep.
Friday morning Momma Maria and Sophia arrived at The Cove almost at the same time. Momma stopped and picked up the morning newspaper and then she parked her car in the Parking Corral next to Sophia’s.
The two women entered the house through the garage door with Momma using her fingerprint to open the lock. Sophia had never seen anything like that before and she commented that it would be so much easier getting into her own home if she had one of those. Momma told her to talk to Chris before she leaves, as he was the one who had it installed.
The women got right to work in fixing the Cover’s breakfast. While they were doing that, Ken Thomas was back in his retreat getting himself ready for his day. And as soon as he was organized, the owner of The Cove headed out to the Kitchen Nook for his first cup of coffee and to read the morning newspaper.
“Good morning, ladies,” offered a very chipper sounding Ken Thomas.
The women told the man a good morning, and then Momma grabbed the man’s favorite coffee cup and the carafe of coffee and went over to where he was seated at the table. She poured him his first cup of the hot brew, where he blew on it before taking his first sip. Then he raised the cup to Momma, as was his habit, in a salute to her for taking such good care of him and his ‘boys’.
Mr. Ken then began his other ritual of taking the newspaper from the plastic sleeve and separating it. Once done, he began reading from Section A, World News.
Mr. Ken hadn’t been reading the paper for very long when Kate arrived. He stood to greet her and the two kissed. Momma and Sophia saw them and they both giggled and then they went back to preparing everything they were going to serve the twelve people for breakfast.
After Kate sat down, Sophia brought a cup and the carafe of coffee over and filled the cup for the lady. Then after Kate took a sip, Sophia added a little more coffee and then went back to helping Momma.
Ken and Kate talked about when they would leave for the office Christmas Party, and, as they were talking, Edith joined them. Momma, upon seeing the older lady arrive, brought a cup and the carafe of coffee over and poured her a cup of the hot brew.
Edith thanked Momma and then began to talk with the other two adults at the table. With Kate and Edith at the table now, Ken knew he wasn’t going to get very much reading done of the morning newspaper.
As the adults talked, Edith did ask Ken what else was planned for them while they were there. Ken told them that on Sunday the only thing that was planned was later in the evening they would do the gag gift exchange. That was the first time either of the women had heard of such a thing, and Ken had to describe how the boys would buy a goofy gift that they thought would ‘fit’ the person it was meant for.
By then, Collin had joined the three at the Kitchen Nook’s table and he was interested in the gag gift idea. He asked if he was included. But the young man’s Big Bro said that he wasn’t. Mr. Ken explained that the gag gift idea was for the boys to have fun Christmas Eve with one another.
Collin then asked if Wayne and Dan weren’t included once in the gag gift one year. Big Bro smiled and said that they were, but that was the first time that he did the gag gift idea and they were include because the boys asked if they could.
Mr. Ken explained to the women that the boys gave Wayne a whistle he could blow and some flags so that he could throw at them, like a referee, if he thought they were doing something wrong. He added that the boys gave Dan some play guns, a police badge and handcuffs and that was about the time he was promoted to Lieutenant.
Kate asked if Rusty and Jessy will be included in the gag gift exchange. Ken told her that they will be, and it should be a lot of fun for everyone to see what silly gifts the boys picked out for their ‘brothers’.
Kate then asked that shouldn’t her boys then get some gag gifts for their big ‘brothers’ too? Ken told her that they didn’t have to this year, but that next year they will, as they will know the boys much better by then and have an idea of what to tease them with.
It wasn’t too long before all of the boys began to arrive in the Kitchen Nook. Of course, Jessy had to help with getting Sarge his first meal of the day, as the boy enjoyed doing that and he wanted to show his mom that he could take care of a dog.
The young boy cleaned the two bowls first and then he filled one with fresh water, and some ice and then he put fresh kibble in the other clean bowl. Sarge quickly took a drink of water and then he went to Jessy and gave him some wet doggie kisses. The young boy giggled as the resident pup did that. Everyone else laughed at what happened.
Darrin took care of Chief’s first meal of the day, while Jessy was taking care of Sarge. The teen made sure Chief had her special food, as it was designed for older dogs who were going to give birth to a litter of puppies, which were due in about four weeks.
Momma did a mental headcount and figuring that everyone was there, she invited them to head to the Dining Room, so she and Sophia could give them their breakfast. By then Chris and Wayne had arrived, so there were now fourteen seated around the table.
Breakfast wasn’t anything special. Besides having scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and pancakes for the younger boys, the women also fixed creamy bacon and egg breakfast enchiladas, which were a classic bacon and egg scramble with a big twist by rolling it up in tortillas and covering them with a green Chile sour cream enchilada sauce.
Breakfast Quesadillas consisting of eggs, hot sauce, pinto bean, butter, green onion, cilantro, pickled jalapeno, cheddar cheese, and tortillas were also what Momma and Sophia prepared and severed that morning. The diners could choose to have them with either chicken or ham.
And because the women had fixed chicken for the breakfast quesadillas, they also prepared chicken breakfast taquitos that included, seasoned peppers, onion, eggs, and cheese. These were well received by all the boys especially by Rusty and Jessy, who could eat them with their hands.
The boys cleared the table for the women who then brought in dessert. That morning there was Mexican Fruit Salad made with seedless watermelon, cantaloupe, mangos, fresh pineapple, cucumbers, limes, and a Mexican spice called tajin.
The women also fixed sopapillas, a deep-fried pastry puffs, which is pillowy, soft, and incredibly sweet and traditionally dusted with powder sugar then drizzled in golden honey. They remind many people of beignets, or funnel cake. The boy’s mouths watered and they eagerly dug in to them as well as the fruit salad.
With breakfast over, the boys all got up and hugged both women for fixing them a wonderful meal. Chris thanked them for expanding his waistline, but he told them it was all worth it. It was as he was walking away that Sophia stopped him to ask the Estate Manager about the special lock at the garage with the fingerprint reader.
After helping clear the table, the boys headed upstairs to get their showers and dressed for their day. Rusty asked his mom to get him some clothes, so he could get his shower. Jessy was right there asking, as well.
Kate excused herself from the other adults and headed up with her sons. As soon as Rusty got his change of clothes, he rushed out of the bedroom and he headed down to take his shower with his ‘brothers’.
“Rusty,” yelled out Kate, as her son ran down the hallway, “where are you going?”
“To take my shower with my ‘brothers’,” called back the almost ten-year-old, who by then was at Phillip’s bathroom, and then went in.
Kate went after her son, and when she got to the bathroom, she knocked on the door and yelled for her son to come out there. Rusty yelled back that he was old enough to take his shower with his ‘brothers’, and not with his mom watching him.
Kate wanted to go in there and yank her son out of that bathroom, but she didn’t know who else was in the room with him, so she knew that was not the right thing to do as it could cause a difficult rift between, she and her fiancé.
Jessy was right there besides his mother, and when Rusty didn’t come out of the bathroom, he asked, “Mom … can I … can I take my shower with my big ‘brothers’ too?”
“NO, NO YOU CAN NOT!” barked Kate. And then she and Jessy went back to her bedroom where she made her youngest son take his shower.
After all the boys had their showers, were dressed, had come downstairs, and they were headed up to the Pavilion, ‘dad’ Ken asked them to hold back some. Kate had already talked to Ken about Rusty taking his shower with his ‘brothers’, and she wasn’t too happy.
Neither she nor he knew who was in the bathroom, although, when Kate told him which bathroom Rusty had gone into, Ken told her that it was the one Phillip, Matthew and Darrin use, so the boy, who would be ten in March, was with boys close to his age.
‘Dad’ Ken called the boys into the Study before they headed up to the Pavilion, while Kate kept Rusty and Jessy busy.
“Boys,” began ‘dad’ Ken, “earlier today, it seems that Rusty … that he jumped into the bathroom with a few of you to take his shower. Which of you were in the bathroom where Rusty took his shower?” now asked ‘dad’ Ken.
Phillip and Matthew raised their hands.
“Boys”, I know you all are used to being sans clothes in front of one another, but … well, Kate … she wasn’t ready for her sons to be … well, to be exposed to the naked male form just yet.”
“But ‘dad’,” spoke up Phillip, “when he came into the bathroom, I asked him … I asked him if his mother knew he was going to take a shower with us. He told me that he was tired of his mom always being there when he took his showers. He said he wanted to take his shower with us, his big ‘brothers’. He then took off his clothes and went into one of the shower stalls. What could we do?” asked the youngest Cover.
Matthew agreed with everything that Phillip said. He added that they hadn’t gotten past taking their boxers off yet, when Rusty burst into the bathroom. The teen said that after Rusty was in the shower, he and Phillip got into the other ones and got their showers.
‘Dad’ Ken sat back and thought for a moment and then he thanked the boys for telling him want happened. He mentioned to all the boys that Kate was just not ready for the integration of her sons into getting their showers with them, and for them to kindly ask Rusty and Jessy to either wait until you are done with your shower, or let them use the shower first.
‘Dad Ken asked them that either way, he told them that they shouldn’t be taking a shower with those two very young boys right now. He especially singled out the three older teenagers and asked them to make sure Rusty and Jessy used Phillip’s bathroom, as it has become to be known.
After the older boys went up to the Pavilion to skate and wait for their friends, Rusty came to the Study to talk to Mr. Ken.
“Mr. Ken … did I do anything wrong by, you know, taking my shower with my big ‘brothers’?” asked the almost ten-year-old.
Mr. Ken called Rusty over to him and had him sit on his lap. “Rusty … I think your mother … I don’t think she is ready for you to be taking your showers with your much older big ‘brothers’ just yet.”
“But why, Mr. Ken? What’s wrong with me taking my showers with them? I see them in their underwear, when I sleep with Matthew, or when they are walking to the bathrooms,” persisted Rusty.
Mr. Ken thought for a few moments. “Rusty … maybe your mom … maybe she isn’t ready for you to grow up just yet. You see yourself as an almost ten-year-old, but she … she still sees you as a nine-year-old. OK?
“Let me ask you … do you and Jessy … do you two take your showers together?” now asked Mr. Ken.
“Sometimes we do. Why?” asked Rusty.
“Oh, nothing … I guess if you and your brother … if you two are OK with taking your showers together, I guess … I guess the next logical thing might be that you’d want to take them with your big ‘brothers’, too.
“Rusty … I did talk with your big ‘brothers’, you know, about your taking your shower with them, right now. So … well, I’ve asked your big ‘brothers’ … to either let you and Jessy take your showers first, or to wait until after they’ve finished theirs. OK. Will that work for you?” finished Mr. Ken.
“Yea, I probably, well Jessy and me … we better do that. Mom … she was pretty mad at me for doing that this morning. And I guess … I guess she talked to you and that’s why you had that talk with my big ‘brothers’. Didn’t she?” asked Rusty.
“Rusty … you’re growing up and your big ‘brothers’ … they are helping you. But for now, your mother … she still wants to enjoy you as her nine-year-old son. So, remember, you are only nine in her eyes.
“Enjoy this Christmas with us here at The Cove. Now go and find your brother and I’ll call Billy to come down and take you two up to the Pavilion to teach you how to ride your skateboards better. OK?” teased Mr. Ken, as he tickled the boy’s ribs.
As Rusty went looking for Jessy, Kate came into the Study. She had a smile on her face, as she sat down. Wayne excused himself, feeling that after what he heard about the boys taking a shower with the older boys; he didn’t want to be there when this conversation was happening.
“Ken … I must apologize for eavesdropping, but I heard … I heard what you said to Rusty. Thank you! I … I didn’t know how I was going to handle this. I guess … I guess I did get a bit upset with Rusty … with him taking his shower with the older boys.
“But what you said to him … it also made sense to me. I guess … I guess I still see him as my little boy. But thank you for coming up with the solution that you did. Rusty … he’s been arguing with me about me always being around when he’s taking his showers. I guess … I guess I need to begin to let go, and let him grow up.
“So, what time are we going to leave for the office and your Christmas Party?” asked Kate, while changing the subject.
Ken got up from behind his desk and went over to his fiancée and motioned for her to stand. When she did, he hugged her and they kissed. And the kiss lasted longer than the one from last night. When they broke the kiss, Ken told Kate that they should probably leave in about ten minutes.
Up at the Pavilion, Rusty asked his big ‘brothers’ if Mr. Ken yelled at them because he showered with Phillip and Matthew this morning. Robert went over to his little ‘brother’ and told him that his dad never yells.
The teenager explained that his dad might get upset, but that he never yells, and that he would always sit you down and talk to you when you do something wrong, so that you understand what you did.
Rusty then asked if that was what Mr. Ken did when he asked him and Jessy to take their showers before, or after them. Charles came over to the almost ten-year-old and agreed that was what his dad did with him. The teen said that he’d bet that his dad made him feel good about their discussion and that the solution was what was best for now.
Rusty thought about what Charles said for a few moments and then agreed that was what Mr. Ken had done.
It was while the boys were all talking, that they saw the adults, Mr. Ken and Ms. Kate, drive out the Main Gate. They all waved to them and then went back to skating.
Kate was nervous about attending the Groups Christmas Party. She knew that she wouldn’t really know anyone, but she also knew that Ken was right about her needing to meet the people that he regularly works with. She knew that when they got married, she would be interacting with them, too, and to know them from the outset would be best.
They went to Ken’s office first to drop off their coats. From there they followed the noise to the large conference room where the party was being held. Upon his entrance, many of the party goers yelled Merry Christmas to him and someone brought over a drink for him and Kate. But Ken told them that he was driving and that he’d rather have a ginger ale. Kate asked for the same thing.
Ben came over to the engaged couple and welcomed them to the Christmas Party. The trio made small talk about the Holidays and the Party at The Cove tomorrow night. After that Ben walked away, and Ken with Kate mingled with the crowd.
Emilio Ramirez, the Three Finger Real Estate Group Manager stopped the couple and wished them a Merry Christmas. He them told Mr. Ken that the settlement on the 8+ acres was still on for the 31st of January.
Nelson Sanders stopped to talk to Mr. Ken and Ms. Kate. He asked them if they were going to bring the boys by before the park closed for the winter. He told Kate that if she did, he’d make sure they got a special pass, so they didn’t have to wait in line. The Four Corners Amusement Park operations manager then wished them a Merry Christmas and then he walked away.
Jackie Kromiere was the next person to stop the couple and wish them a Merry Christmas. Then Rosemary Martin, Ken’s executive secretary stopped to talk with them. And that was how the rest of the ninety minutes, or so, went that Ken told Kate that they should spend at the Christmas Party. People came up to them and Ken introduced them to his fiancée and then they walked on and someone else stopped to talk to them. Kate was happy to finally be leaving when they did.
The boys did remind their friends that they had to leave by three o’clock and after they departed the boys went down to the house to relax in their rooms. Jessy pestered Phillip to show him some more on the guitar, but the young Cover told the boy that they needed to rest some before getting ready for the party.
When Mr. Ken and Ms. Kate returned to The Cove, they checked on the boys to ensure they were resting up before the evening’s Holiday Party. They found that the boys were in their rooms, with a few of them actually sleeping. So, the couple hugged and kissed before Kate went into her room to rest some before the party herself.
Mr. Ken went down to his own retreat to rest up himself, as he knew from past Holiday parties that when six o’clock came around the arriving people never seemed to stop and they will all be looking to stop and talk with him. And tonight, he knew with Kate and her boys there the Holiday party will take on a whole new atmosphere.
The boys began filtering downstairs around five-thirty. Everyone met in the Study and Mr. Ken explained the reasons for the two-way radios. He told the boys that in the beginning he wanted them all in the receiving line, but that after a while he’ll let them go out and mingle with their friends and talk with the neighbors.
Kate told everyone how lovely they all looked in their red vests. Her fiancé had even bought one for Rusty and Jessy and she loved that all the boys would be easily seen out amongst the guests.
As it was getting close to six o’clock, Mr. Ken asked everyone to get in line with him then Kate, Collin, Robert, Charles, Bill, Matthew, Phillip, Darrin, Rusty and Jessy. He then asked Edith if she wanted to be in the receiving line with them, or did she want to just mingle with the crowd. The older woman decided to sit back and watch how everything goes tonight.
Just before six, Mr. Ken opened the Foyer Door and there, first in, would be the older couple who always gets there first. Mr. Ken started the introductions and the older lady congratulated Kate on landing that fine young man.
As they passed Phillip, he asked the couple if that had voted for the best Gingerbread house. They said that they had and that they had a difficult time in choosing. The older man said they each voted for a different one and then they headed over to the elevator.
Phillip was going to say something, but Matthew told his ‘brother’ that the older couple have been coming to the Holiday party every year that he’s been there and they come early and that they always use the elevator because they are old and can’t do the stairs very well. That appeased the younger Cover and the boys went back to greeting their guests.
The Cove’s Holiday guests receiving line went slower than usual this year, as the guests were all surprised at the introduction of Mr. Ken’s fiancée and they all wanted to talk with the engaged couple.
Edith, sitting in the MRS Room watched as the people filed in and after meeting her daughter went down to where the Holiday Party was actually being held, and then outside where the buffet was set up.
After about fifteen minutes, ‘dad’ Ken told the boys that they could go off and talk with their friends and other guests, but not to stray too far. He did ask Rusty and Jessy to stay close to one of their big ‘brothers’, as this was totally different than to what they’ve been to before.
The majority of The Cove’s guests arrived by seven-thirty, but Ken and Kate left the Foyer entrance sometime around six-forty-five, so as to go out and mingle some more with their guests. They also took the time to go outside to where the buffet was set up to get a bite to eat.
All the time she was down in the Great Room, or even outside, Kate was constantly looking for where her sons were. Ken saw her doing that and he couldn’t blame her, as she was very protective of Rusty and Jessy and she wanted to make sure they were safe.
All night the neighbors told Ken Thomas how thankful they were of him, not only for the Holiday Party, but also for the 4th of July Picnics he’d done for them. It was then that they learned that he was moving the Picnics down to the Four Corners Amusement Park, as the picnics were bringing in people from out of the area and causing parking problems for them and he didn’t want to become the ‘bad’ neighbor.
Many of the neighbors were pleased when they heard about the 4th of July Picnics being moved. But there were some who told him that they wished he wouldn’t have done that, as it would only cause more parking problems down at Four Corners where parking was already a problem.
The boys talked with most of the neighbors, even though their friends were also there. They told their friends that they talk with them almost every day, but not their neighbors and they needed to be neighborly.
The neighbors knew Billy, Robert, Charles and Matthew, but they were mostly interested in meeting and getting to know Phillip, Darrin and, of course, Rusty and Jessy.
After she met and talked to many of the neighbors, Kate began to enjoy the Holiday Party. She felt that it was a good way for her to meet those people who would be close by and whose boys and girls her sons would be going to school with.
Rusty and Jessy met a number of the children that were their age during the party. They told them that they would be moving there sometime next year, but they didn’t know when. The neighbor children were all smiles that they might get to be invited over to The Cove after the new boys moved in.
The party was in full swung by eight o’clock when Santa Claus made his entrance. Everyone heard the ringing of the sleigh bells, which told them of the arrival of the special guest.
Santa Claus came in through the Kitchen Nook and down the stairs announcing, “Ho, Ho, Ho!” all the way to where his chair was setup, where he would give out presents to all the good boys, girls and a few adults.
Everyone watched as Santa sat down and opened his red bag. They’ve all seen over the years how Santa Claus has been able to pull present after present out of his fairly large sized red bag and wonder how he got them all in there. And, again, tonight, Santa Claus would amaze those gathered in the Great Room of The Cove.
Santa would bellow out his trademark, “Ho, Ho, Ho!” and call out a name of someone who was supposed to be present at the Holiday Party. The person would go up to the jolly old elf and sit on his lap and get their present.
The Cover boys watched with Rusty and Jessy and then suddenly Jessy’s name was called out. The young boy, at first, was surprised, and then he didn’t know what to do. So, Robert told him to hurry up to Santa to get his present.
Kate heard her sons name being called out and she told Ken that she had no idea that Santa would know he was there. Ken told his fiancée that she would eventually learn loads of secrets about The Cove.
Jessy sat on Santa’s lap and the jolly old elf asked the boy how he knew Mr. Ken. The boy told everyone that his mom was going to marry Mr. Ken. The crowd smiled at the revelation. Santa Claus then pulled out a present for the boy and asked him to open it.
Jessy took the square boxed present and began to quickly open it. What he found was a 3D Gravity Maze Ball that was a fresh take on the classic ball puzzle that will require him to flip, twist, and spin his way to victory by guiding a small mini steel ball to its destination. Everyone applauded his gift.
The young boy sought out his mom to show her what Santa Claus brought him. Kate was surprised at the simple gift that her son had gotten from Santa Claus. The boy then showed his ‘brothers’ before he began to play the game.
Santa Claus continued to call boys, girls and a few adults to him to receive a present out of the never-ending red bag. Then Rusty heard his name called and he immediately ran to Santa, to the laughs of the people there watching.
Santa had the almost ten-year-old sit on his lap and then he asked the boy if he was good during the year. Rusty said that he thought he was, to a few more laughs. Santa kiddingly asked the boy if he had a brother. Rusty thought for a few moments and then said that he had eight ‘brothers’.
“Eight brothers? I thought Jessy was your only brother,” stated Santa Claus.
Rusty looked at Santa Claus and said, “Yes, Jessy … he’s is my real brother. But I have seven big ‘brothers’. There’s Collin, Billy, Robert, Charles, Matthew, Darrin and Phillip.”
Santa looked at the almost ten-year-old and remarked, “Aren’t’ those Mr. Ken’s ‘son’s’? How … how can they be your big ‘brothers’?”
“Easy,” replied Rusty, “Mr. Ken … he is going to marry my mom and that makes them my big ‘brothers’.”
Santa, although he knew Ken Thomas, didn’t know the full story of Ken and Kate’s meeting and how her sons and his became big and little ‘brothers’ to one another. So, the jolly old elf said, “Ho, Ho, Ho, you got me there, young man. Now, let me see what’s in my red bag for you.”
Santa Claus looked into his bag, which should have been depleted by now, and he pulled out a small present and handed it to Rusty. The boy quickly unwrapped the small box and then looked into it.
“Ahhh, it just a manicure set,” lamented the boy, to some chuckles from the crowd.
“Yes, but a growing boy with eight brothers … he needs a manicure set to groom himself to make him stand out from all those other brothers,” laughed Santa Claus.
The crowd also laughed with the jolly old man as Rusty slowly made his way to his mother to show her what he’d gotten from Santa. Kate looked at her son and hugged him. She told him it was the thought behind the present that counted. Rusty thanked his mom and then told her he had hoped it would have been a toy like Jessy got.
The last guest left around nine-thirty and Phillip made sure to ask everyone, as they left, if they had voted for the best Gingerbread House. And everyone indicated that they had.
With all the guests gone, the whole group sat down in the Great Room and rested after walking around and standing on their feet and legs the past four hours. Kate took her shoes off to rest her feet. Jessy was still playing his new game.
“Well, that was a wonderful evening,” offered Edith. “I’ve never been to a Holiday Party where everyone was so pleasant and friendly. All the people … everyone who came up to me asked me when did I move into the area, and which house I bought. So, they obviously know one another and they watch out for one another, as well. I liked that.”
“Yea, and we met lots of kids our age,” piped up Jessy, as he focused on his new game. “So, when we move here, we will at least know some of them. Mr. Ken …will we be able to invite them to The Cove?” now asked the soon-to-be nine-year-old.
Mr. Ken had been put on the spot and he knew he needed to answer his soon-to-be step-son, “Yes, Jessy, you’ll be able to invite a few of them over. When you move here, I’ll tell you how that process goes. OK?”
Jessy said that was OK with him, as he continued to play his new game. Everybody just laughed at the way he responded to the question he asked.
“Yes, I must agree with my mother,” spoke Kate. “I was afraid that it would be a stuffy party, but the people were very friendly, and I enjoyed meeting them. I think there are a few of them that I would like to get to know better.”
“Boys … any comments?” asked ‘dad’ Ken.
The boys looked around at one another, and it was Charles who asked, “Dad … why didn’t Santa … why didn’t he give us any presents?”
‘Dad’ Ken smiled and asked, “Ask yourselves, like what Santa asked … where you boys good during the past year?”
All the boys looked around at one another again, and it was a spontaneous response by them all as they said, “YESSSS!” Then they all laughed.
“Well, maybe, just maybe Santa … maybe he will have something in his red bag for you tomorrow. But there are no promises. Remember, boys, Christmas … it is just around the corner,” offered a smiling ‘dad’ Ken.
Kate saw that her sons were yawning, so she told them it was time to go up to bed. She told them to go up to their rooms and change into their pajamas and to make sure they use the bathroom before they crawled into bed.
‘Dad’ Ken asked his ‘boys’ to head on up to bed, as well. He asked them to make sure their little ‘brothers’ are taken care of. He said that he’ll be up in a few minutes.
Ken, Kate, Edith and Collin sat in the Great Room discussing tomorrow’s Holiday Party. Ken told the ladies that the invitees for tomorrow’s party were very different from the guests of this evenings.
The man mentioned that tomorrow they would be some of his important clients and business associates and they would have their spouses, or significant others, with them. The party’s host mentioned that many of them will be in suits and evening dresses.
Ken then told them that the New Year’s Eve party is more formal like, but not totally the tuxedo wearing level of formal. Kate said that she doesn’t think she brought a dress for that formal of a night. Edith said that she might fall into that same boat.
Ken told the ladies that he and Bill needed to go to the bank right after breakfast tomorrow, but that afterwards he’d take them out to get something they feel might fit the bill.
Collin was sitting there in the Great Room listening and learning from his Big Bro. That’s what he loved about being at The Cove. He saw how his Big Bro handled all sorts of issues, and he admired the way the man kept his cool, never got overly upset, and treated all of the boys equally.
It was Kate who broke Collin’s concentration when she asked him about the girl friend he visited during Thanksgiving. Kate wanted to know how it went and did her mother and father treat him like an outsider, or like someone they would like to have continue to date their daughter.
Ken smiled at the question that Kate just asked. Collin swallowed and told the woman that Jasmine’s family were warm towards him. He explained that they knew about him and they were finally happy to put a face to the name.
Kate asked Collin if Jasmine’s family probed him with loads of questions about himself, so they could make a determination if they still wanted their daughter to continue to have what she described, as a long-distance friendship.
Collin smiled at how Kate put it, and he told her that Jasmine’s parents knew only what he’d told Jasmine, and that he didn’t want to reveal who he actually was. He added that he doesn’t know if they ever did a Google search on him, and said that if they had, they never let on.
Kate then asked if he intends to see Jasmine over the Holidays. Collin smiled and said that when they visit Discovery Kingdom, he intends to see her, as she will be working. Kate asked Collin if she could meet her. Collin said that he didn’t see why not, but that he will leave that meeting up to Jasmine. It was Ken’s turn to smile.
Ken told the three that it was getting late and that he needed to go up and say good night to the boys. He told Edith and Kate to take the elevator and that he’d met them up there. Mr. Ken and Collin talked as they slowly walked up the stairs.
Big Bro Ken apologized to his first foster son about Kate’s probing questions. Collin said that he didn’t mind, as he would eventually have to answer those kinds of questions sooner or later. The two smiled as they walked up the stairs.
‘Dad’ Ken didn’t spend much time saying good night to the boys. He told them that it was late and all he told Bill was for him to plan to go to the bank right after breakfast. All Bill did was smile and thank his foster dad for preparing him for his future. The man did remind Phillip about his guitar lesson at nine o’clock and to make sure his set his alarm.
Mr. Ken did say good night to both Rusty and Jessy, and the both boys individually asked him if he would still do that when they moved there after he marries their mom. ‘Dad’ Ken told each of them that they would be just as important as the other boys in the home, and that he would make sure he stopped by to say good night to the them, too. The two younger boys hugged him and told him that they loved that he did that with them.
Kate and Ken stood outside Kate’s bedroom and they talked as much as they hugged and kissed. Kate, in the end, thanked Ken for a wonderful day and then they each went their own way.
Once he was down in his own retreat, Ken Thomas got himself ready for bed and then he went and sat on the edge of his king-sized bed. As the man sat on his bed, he thought back on the day. He was so happy that Kate was there with him, and everyone who met her that evening was just as captivated with her as he was.
The owner of The Cove knew that tomorrow’s party was the more important of the two, but he knew if his neighbors were fond of Kate tonight, his special guests tomorrow will fall as much in love with her, as he has.
The owner of The Cove then turned off the lights in his bedroom and got under the covers. It wasn’t too long before he was fast asleep, as were the other residents and their guests at The Cove. The home was peaceful and quiet throughout the night.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com
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