Published: 5 Jan 2023

From Previous Chapter:

The man then hugged the teen who almost melted into the hug. When they released, the man saw a few tears running down the boy’s cheeks. Mr. Ken told Bill to never be ashamed of his emotions, as they may have been repressed while living with Jody, and that now they are finally coming to the surface and they need to be released. Mr. Ken smiled at the teen and gave him a shoulder hug and left the teenager to his own thoughts.

It had been a busy day for Ken Thomas and he was glad he was finally in his own private retreat. He was ready to end his day by climbing into his big king-sized bed and going to sleep.

The Cove, again, had a very quiet night.

The previous evening’s talk about the boys having to go with relatives if they ever came to claim them, didn’t change their enthusiasm at the breakfast table that Thursday morning. They talked about the Labor Day Picnic and how they couldn’t wait for Saturday to get there so they could have loads of fun.

‘Dad’ Ken was excited to hear the boys happily talking at the table as they always had. He knew last night’s talk could have caused the boys to be unfocused on their day and thinking about the ‘what ifs’ of a relative coming to take them away.

As Mr. Ken began reading his morning newspaper, a teaser story was listed on the masthead that caught his attention. It had something to do with lawsuits and the home invasion, so he immediately turned to the front page of the Local Section of the paper.

There above the fold was the headline:

Two Lawsuits Filed
After Home Invasion

Mr. Ken immediately began reading.

 

Two lawsuits were filed in Texas District Court this week over the failure of the homeowner’s alarm company to properly install and then return to correct a defective panic button that they knew about the day they installed it. That button was the one that failed to work during the home invasion back on the night of 18 July.

The two lawsuits were filed by two different lawyers working for the same firm, but they represent two different plaintiffs. The first lawsuit was filed on behalf of Levi and Miriam Golderson and their young son. It is in the amount of $10 million for breach of contract, emotional and physical injuries due to their negligence, pain and suffering due to their being injured from the many gunshot wounds they suffered, physical damages to the house and clothing, physiological and psychological damages to their child, loss of income, and more.

The second lawsuit was filed on behalf of one William Dirketson, the foster son who was living with them at the time. That lawsuit is for the amount of $2 million and is for his external and internal injuries, emotional pain and suffering, psychological damage, and loss of eight weeks of normal teen activities due to his injuries received from the men who invaded the home and more.

It is contended in the lawsuits, that the alarm company was well aware of the defective panic button on the day they installed it and made a written promise on the work order to return to replace it, but they never made the effort to replace it immediately, or the next day, and they never called to schedule a future day or time to do so.

The lawsuit contends that the second panic button that Mr. Levi was able to eventually push did work and that if the defective panic button had been replaced their injuries would possibly not have occurred, or had been minimized, the police would have been summoned upon their son’s activating the second panic button the alarm company failed to replace when he pushed it, and the three men would have been apprehended sooner and one man might not be dead.

Mr. Ken decided to stop reading. He already knew that the rest of the article would rehash what happened the night of the eighteenth, so all he could do now was hope that the alarm company wouldn’t drag the inevitable through the courts for years, or take the cowards way out and file for bankruptcy.

When the owner of The Cove finished reading the article, he hadn’t noticed the boys had already left for school. By then the Goldersons were sitting at the Nook’s table, so he told them about the article. He passed the Local section over to Levi so he and Miriam could read the article and he went back to the first section and began reading from there.

Billy and Robert arrived in the Kitchen Nook about twenty minutes after the five other Cover boys left for school. Billy thanked Mr. Ken for talking to him last night and left it at that. Mr. Ken told the two teens that the twins asked about his apartment above the office building and when they could spend the night. He told them his plate was full and they needed to do that before it got too cold to use the wading pool on the top.

Robert asked if maybe when they returned from helping the Goldersons move on Sunday they could go over then. He said they could buy some snacks, take some sodas, their swimsuits, towels and their sleeping bags and pillows and spread out when they go to sleep. Mr. Ken told his son he liked that idea and then asked the teen to think that through some more and also talk to his ‘brothers’ and get their feedback.

After Mr. Ken got ready for his day, and was working in his Study, Mr. Chris came there to talk to him about his meeting at the three high schools about their competing at this year’s Three Finger Cove Christmas Decoration Competition.

“Mr. Ken, as you know, yesterday, I visited all three high schools which cried foul last year after we had the first Three Finger Cove Christmas Decoration Competition. It was a very time consuming, and enlightening day, to say the least.

“The schools knew in advance why I was there, but they insisted on giving me the grand tour, anyway. I guess they figured by me seeing what they were all about might sway me to choosing them to compete this year.

“Anyway, I started at the Spring Hill Charter High School. It was a very nice school. Very modern and equipped. But they do not have a vocational curriculum to speak of. Charter schools have not been around all that long and giving students training in wood, metal, electrical, or any other vocational training of any kind has not been a priority of theirs.

“Before I left, I did not tell them if I would recommend them, or not, to you to be included in this year’s competition.

“I visited the Blessed Waters Academy Catholic High School next. The principal there was more than happy to show me what they have as their vocational training program. As we walked to the out building, he told me they recognize that not all students are college material, so they created the vocational program to help those students find something they could feel good about doing when they graduate.

“Mr. Ken, oh what a few dollars could do for them. Anyway, Blessed Waters Academy offers training in working with wood and framing and building steps. There was an electrical section that let the students do some simple wiring. They also had some computer programs that taught them the correct way as materials are quite expensive the principal pointed out. Boss, they also did rough in plumbing without actually gluing the parts together. Again because of the cost factor.

“The principal let me talk to the students and some of the older ones told me that they worked in the trades during the summer. They told me they worked as helpers and earned some money and it gave them some experience. It helped them know if that was what they wanted to do when they graduated.

“Mr. Ken, they don’t have as great a vocational program as the public high schools do, but they are doing their best with what they have. Again, I didn’t tell them whether or not I’d recommend them to you for inclusion in this year’s competition.

“The last high school I visited was the private high school called Masters. Boy what big money will buy. This Masters High School had just about everything you’d want, and then some. But what they didn’t have was a real vocational training program. Yes, they have one, but I think it was more of an afterthought as the people who can afford to send their kids there are more likely to send their progeny on to college and not have them work in a blue-collar job where their offspring could actually get blisters on their hands.

“So, there you have it. Three high schools that cried foul for not being included in last year’s Three Finger Cove Christmas Decoration Competition were visited and evaluated to determine if they should be included in this year’s competition,” offered Mr. Chris, the Cove’s Estate Manager.

Mr. Ken smiled at hearing Mr. Chris’ report. He then asked Chris for his recommendation. Mr. Chris said he’d vote for Blessed Waters Academy Catholic High School hands down. He explained his decision by saying the other two high schools just didn’t have a very active vocational program whatsoever. The Estate Manager went on to say that the catholic high school students would more than likely get a big morale boost from just being invited to compete, even if they didn’t win.

Mr. Ken then asked Chris about what he meant by, ‘what a few dollars could do for them’. Mr. Chris swallowed hard and said he didn’t know what Mr. Ken did for charitable contributions, but if he had a mind to give a few dollars to the Blessed Waters Academy vocational training program it would be in keeping with his focus on vocational training.

Mr. Ken kept his Estate Manager on the hot seat and, with a smile, asked him where he’d spend his money if he were to help the catholic high school out. Mr. Chris saw the smile and knew he was being asked for an honest opinion as to how he, Mr. Ken could help Blessed Waters Academy Catholic High School.

“Mr. Ken … their vocational building … it is practically falling apart. They are always advertising those metal buildings on the radio … and they say that they are an inexpensive way for a business to expand and keep costs low. Not sure that’s what they’d want, but beggars shouldn’t be choosers,” answered Chris Dominions.

“Well, Wayne … what do you think?” Now the boss turned the question to his Estate Master.

“Mr. Ken … thank you,” laughed Mr. Wayne. “I’ve never known a catholic school to have the best of anything. They don’t build new catholic schools, so what they have is sometimes held together with chewing gum and a prayer. And what Chris says about steel metal building is true. They are inexpensive.

“But … if you are considering making a charitable contribution with a steel building to replace what the catholic high school has … keep in mind that there is a lot more than just the building. They would need a concrete slab to put it on. Then there would be the plumbing for restrooms, an office for the teacher, or teachers.

“Then, since the building is for students, there would be a need for a fire suppression system. Oh, then there would be a need for heating and air conditioning and additional fire exits and insulation and drywall and I am sure there is a lot more.

“My bet is …. that after it is all over … if you were to decide to give the Academy a new building you would easily be spending a quarter of a million dollars. Easily!” smiled Wayne.

Mr. Ken shook his head and then smiled at what he was hearing. He often bounced ideas off his two employees and they always gave him, what he felt was, their honest opinions. He then looked over to Mr. Dennis, who was just sitting there listening and trying to stay unnoticed.

“Well, Dennis … you’ve heard what the guys had to say. Yes, you are the new guy on the block, but I’d like to hear what you think about this. You’ve got many more years of experience behind you and you may have a different perspective than they do. So … please tell me what you think,” encouraged Mr. Ken.

“Whoa … who would have thought that the boss … would ever ask his employees to tell him what they thought about his thinking about giving away so much money. I want to tell you, Mr. Thomas …. you blow my mind away with your leadership style. It is definitely unique.

“As for the potential for building a new vocational building for the catholic high school, you first have to talk to the principal and then the archbishop will have to give his blessing. You just can’t go in there and say where do you want me to put this.

“As for Wayne … he has made some good observations. Since it would be for students, you’d have to meet the minimum state requirements for health and safety, but I am sure you’d want to go at least one or two steps higher to ensure they have a high-quality product.

“This would also have to be professionally engineered and sited. Which means you won’t be able to surprise them with it. Well, you could the students, up to a time, but you will need to get the archdiocese involved right from the start, and the sooner the better,” offered Mr. Dennis.

Just then Mr. Wayne’s cell phone rang. When he answered it, he learned the furniture company was delivering the patio furniture Mr. Ken wanted for the Picnic that weekend. The Estate Master excused himself and he asked Mr. Dennis to go with him so they could show the delivery men where to put the new furniture and then the two employees would set the conversation areas up with the cantilevered umbrellas.

While Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis went to deal with the new patio furniture, Mr. Ken asked Chris what he thought would be a good project for the high schools to build for that year.

Mr. Chris said he felt a group of wrapped Christmas presents that are at least six feet high and four feet wide with lights, bows and ribbons would look good in different colors and lighted with bows and ribbons. Mr. Chris said the high schools could decide if they wanted them to be falling out of Santa’s bag, or sitting under the tree, or just piled high waiting for the children to come and open them.

Mr. Ken said it sounded like a simple build with enough latitude for the schools to design and construct their own unique Christmas display. The owner of The Cove then told Chris to make sure he invited Rene Vaughn to the New Year’s Eve Party. He explained he wanted to make sure pictures of the winning team and their creation got into the newspaper.

The owner of The Cove also asked his Estate Manager to draft up letters to the four high schools they were inviting to compete that year with what the description of the project they would be asked to build. He also asked for a draft to the two high schools they were not inviting with a simple explanation as to why. Mr. Chris said he’d have them for him by the beginning of next week.

After lunch, Mr. Ken and Mr. Chris drove up to the Pavilion, with his other two employees, to check out the new patio furniture. The owner of The Cove loved the new conversation areas right away. He wished they had thought about doing that back in May. He did ask Wayne about his progress with the added storage building and extended concrete slab space they had talked about.

Mr. Wayne told his employer that he contacted the original builder of the Pavilion and was told they would need detailed plans of the building and specific area for the slab. The Estate Master told his boss he needed his design/architect group to come out to The Cove and get their ideas, take some measurements and then give them some detailed plans the builder can take to the county for a building permit and then start construction. Mr. Wayne said not to expect the construction to begin before the Holidays.

Later that afternoon, when Mr. Wayne was headed over to pick up Billy to take him over to see Doctor Doug, he stopped by the Study to remind Mr. Ken he needed to get Mr. Dennis on the authorized list of people who could take Billy and Robert from the high school and the other boys from their school, as well.

Wayne also reminded Mr. Ken that Charles had a dentist appointment at 4:30 that afternoon. Mr. Ken thanked him for reminding him, as he wanted to take his son there and talk to the dentist about what all was needed for his son to get braces and the overall timeline.

Miriam came driving into The Cove as Wayne and Dennis were driving out, and they beeped horns at one another. When the woman entered the house, she went directly to the Study to tell Mr. Ken that she and her husband, Levi, would no longer require wound dressing changes every morning and she could now drive.

Miriam then asked her host if she could have Mr. Dennis help her tomorrow to take some of their extra clothes over to their house, so they wouldn’t have so much to take on Sunday. Mr. Ken told her he would have, but Dennis wasn’t coming to work until 5 p.m. tomorrow, as he was scheduled to take Robert and his friends to the high school football game and then would bring them home.

Mr. Ken did offer to have Mr. Wayne and Mr. Chris help load her car and that maybe she could have some of her friends help her move the clothes into her home when she drove over there. Miriam said that sounded like a good idea and she would make some phone calls to see if Delta Oxtter, or maybe Kimberly Wrockman, could give her a hand tomorrow, and then she’d let him know later tonight.

Mr. Ken had a number of phone calls to make that day. One was to his lawyer, Bill Jackson, to tell him about the partnership he and the other four men were going to try to put together. Another one was to Ms. Jackie to find out how his new office was coming along. He also wanted some idea on how his other Groups were coming along with their move to the office building.

He was on the phone when he saw the boys coming down the slight rise, as they returned from school, so the owner of The Cove knew he needed to get off the phone. He ended his call, used the restroom, then collected Charles and the two headed off to the dentist. Charles was happy his dad was going with him to the dentist. The teen wanted his dad to know what getting his braces entailed and the number of appointments it would initially take.

Because of his Doctor Doug appointment, Billy was home early that Thursday afternoon. That allowed him to have his afterschool snack with his ‘brothers’. It was Matthew who then asked who was going to eat their snack with Robert when he came home. Kevin spoke up and said that he could eat his when Charles came home from the dentist. Momma was happy to hear that the boys were at least thinking about them having someone to talk with when they had their snack.

As the boys ate their snack, Kevin mentioned that he asked their ‘dad’ last night about their having a sleep over at their ‘dad’s’ apartment over the office building. Kevin added that their ‘dad’ said he was getting really busy right now, and they better do it before it got too cold. The boys agreed and said that they’d like to at least see what the apartment looked like.

Robert got home from school a little after five, but Charles and his dad still weren’t home from the dentist. Momma told the teen that she had hoped his brother would be home in time for them to have their snack together, but it didn’t look like that would happen. She did tell the fourteen-year-old that his other ‘brothers’ talked about seeing their ‘dad’s’ apartment before it got too cold.

Robert thanked Momma for telling him about his ‘brothers’ wanting to see his dad’s apartment. He told her he also talked to his dad about having a sleepover there, and he needed to talk to them about it and would after he ate his snack.

Charles and his dad returned home later than usual from the dentist. That was because the orthodontist took the time to fully explain the entire brace procedure to them to include how they first prepare the teeth before the braces go on.

The orthodontist then explained about why regular adjustment appointments were necessary. The doctor went on to say that it took a minimum of three weeks for tooth movement to occur and many adjustment appointments are made every three to 10 weeks.

The orthodontist further explained that after Charles’ braces were adjusted, he could expect to feel some tightness, typically progressing to soreness that lasts for approximately four to six hours after the adjustment procedure. That it was a direct result of the replacement wires tightening the teeth into position.

The doctor then told Charles that it was important for him to maintain proper oral hygiene and avoid certain types of food, so it was very important to brush at least three times a day, when he could. The orthodontists also suggested he avoid sticky foods, since they could become stuck under the braces and possibly cause detachment of the braces.

The three talked a lot more about further adjustments and living with the braces and what to expect after they were finally removed. Then, before their appointment was over it was agreed that Charles would begin getting his braces with his appointment next week.

Charles and Mr. Ken arrived back at The Cove just before dinner time, so Charles missed out on his afterschool snack. The teen caught up with his ‘brothers’ who told him they had talked about spending the night at their ‘dad’s’ apartment Sunday night after they helped the Goldersons move back to their home.

Robert further told his brother he talked to his dad last night and he agreed they could get some snacks, take some sodas, their sleeping bags, pillows, swimsuits and towels and spend the night at the apartment. The freshman teen said they should be back in time on Monday to be with their friends. Charles said he liked that plan.

After dinner, the Covers and their guests met in the Great Room to hold the evening meeting. Mr. Ken reviewed the coming events including the Labor Day Picnic, his meeting with his amusement park operators beginning next Thursday evening through Saturday night and his eventual move out to his office building. He also mentioned that he did buy the patio furniture for the area between the Pavilion and the Cove Skate Park and it arrived today and that Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis set it up this afternoon.

The boys smiled at hearing that and wished they had known about it when they came home from school as they could have gone up to see the new conversation area after they had their afterschool snack. They all made plans to go there tomorrow after school.

‘Dad’ Ken also reminded the boys that he would be gone for at least a week at the end of the month to visit the amusement parks to discuss where they would site the new roller coasters he was buying for the parks and the upcoming Spook-Tac-U-Lairs and the Celebration of Christmas Wonders.

When it came time for the boys to talk about their day or ask questions, Robert brought up their going over to their dad’s new apartment at the top of the office building. The teen told his dad that they were all onboard for going there on Sunday after they helped the Goldersons move.

Robert said they’d make sure they had their sleeping bags, pillows, swimsuits and towels ready by the door and the sodas on ice and all they would need to do is buy some snacks either tomorrow night after dinner or on the way home from the Goldersons.

Mark spoke up and asked about the apartment, as he never knew there was one, just as he never remembered being told about the office building. Mr. Ken told his foster son that when he began planning the office building, he didn’t have two sons and five foster sons and thought having a place to get away to by the lake would be nice. He added that he was now going to rent it out after the office building was at least seventy percent rented.

Mr. Ken then told everyone that on Sunday, since Miriam and Levi no longer have to have their wounds dressed, they would be able to go out to breakfast sooner and they could start their boat ride around the lake earlier. He reminded everyone they would then help the Goldersons move whatever clothes they had left as Miriam had planned to take some of them over there tomorrow.

Mr. Ken told the Goldersons that it would be strange not having them there as they have blended very well into the ‘family’. He added that their names will be kept in the database and they will always be welcomed at The Cove, and for them to expect to be invited to their Holiday and other parties they hold there at The Cove.

Before long, the boys went up to their rooms to finish their homework. Mr. Ken, sans Mr. Wayne who went home early that day, visited with all the boys before retiring for the night himself.

When he visited Bill’s room, Billy told him he read about the two lawsuits in the newspaper and he wanted to know if it was true that the alarm company was being sued on his behalf and who was doing it for him.

Mr. Ken told Bill that he initiated the lawsuit in his name because if the alarm company had repaired the panic button, as they should have, he would not have had to endure the extensive beatings he did from those three men. The foster dad told his foster son that he deserves to be compensated for his injuries and psychological distress.

Billy then wanted to know if he would get all that money if they won the lawsuit. Mr. Ken told the teenager that that lawyers would get their percentage, but that the alarm company might want to settle out of court, which usually means a reduced amount. Mr. Ken assured the teen that whatever amount of money he did win would be his, but it would be placed into a trust account for when he turned eighteen.

Billy smiled and asked if he would get any of it to spend as his ‘brothers’ are from their lawsuit from the airport. It was Mr. Ken’s turn to smile and said that Bill would get a piece of the money. Billy asked if he’d get enough to buy a car when he was old enough to drive and passed his driver’s test.

Mr. Ken asked him if he saw the 2000 Ford Taurus SE 4 door Sedan sitting out in the garage. Billy said he did and wondered why he had such an older car when he had the new van and F-150.

Mr. Ken smiled and told the teenager that he bought it to teach Collin how to drive and he just never got rid of it. He continued and explained that now that he had another teen, whom he knew would want to learn how to drive, he decided he’d keep it.

Billy smiled and then said that now that he was fifteen, he could get his learner’s permit. Mr. Ken smiled back and said it was getting late and that was a conversation for another time. Billy thanked Mr. Ken for talking to him and then he hugged him.

Mr. Ken thought he was tired when he went upstairs, but he came away from that talk wide awake. He knew he would have to have that discussion about Bill getting his driver’s license sometime soon, but for now he needed to get through the coming weekend, first.

The Cove was again quiet all night long.

Breakfast was lively that Friday morning. The boys were looking forward to the Labor Day Picnic and that’s all they talked about. Mark had only been to the picnic where all his family’s friends had been invited, so he too was looking forward to being at a picnic where there would be upwards of up to 300 people, some of whom would-be high-ranking county government officials.

After breakfast that Friday morning, Miriam and Levi went upstairs and packed as much of the clothing they figured they and their son could do without for the next three days and put them into their suitcases. Once that was done, Levi got ready to go into the bank for the rest of the day.

When Miriam was finished packing, she too got ready for her day, and after that, she went downstairs and asked Wayne and Chris to load the suitcases into her car so she could take them over to their home where her friends would help her put everything away. Miriam then told Momma she wouldn’t be there for lunch before heading over to their home.

Mr. Ken spent much of the morning on the phone. The apartments were due to be completed around the first of October and he hadn’t been over there in quite some time and he planned to go over there after lunch. He asked Mr. Wayne to go with him, as he didn’t remember the Estate Master ever seeing the new apartments.

The owner of The Cove then asked Mr. Chris about the draft letters for the four high schools they were inviting to the Three Finger Cove Christmas Decoration Competition and the two high schools they wouldn’t be inviting. He reminded Chris to include what they decided would be the design that year and how much leeway they had in building their project. Mr. Chris said he was working on them and would have them for him early next week.

Mr. Ken took Wayne with him to the apartment complex that afternoon. He wanted his Estate Master to see them as he wanted Wayne to consider moving into one as part of his salary. It would give him a brand-new place to live in and also bring him closer to The Cove. That was unless Wayne was thinking of buying his own home, now that he was going to get a large sum of money from the airport settlement.

After viewing the new apartments, Mr. Wayne did decide to move there. He told Mr. Ken he wasn’t ready to buy a house just yet, and was planning to invest his settlement money for now. So, the Estate Master chose a third floor 3-bedroom, 2-bath corner unit that had a good view of the lake. The rental company was on the premises setting up their office, but they were not taking applications, just yet.

Mr. Ken immediately called his Real Estate Group manager who hired the apartment rental company and told her which apartment to have them set aside for Mr. Wayne. He added that there would be at least one more apartment in the Senior Living Apartment Sections he would be reserving after the Labor Day weekend. Mr. Wayne was now anxious to start moving into his new place and starting all over with a new décor.

On their way back to The Cove, Mr. Ken told Wane about his conversation with Bill the previous evening. The owner of The Cove told his Estate Master that he hadn’t even considered Bill would want to get his learner’s permit so soon. He told Wayne he figured the teen would wait until he was almost sixteen; not almost six months after his fifteenth birthday.

Mr. Ken asked Wayne to look into what it takes for Bill to get his learner’s permit and to let him know. He added that it wasn’t a priority for now, because he had way too many things on his plate at this time. The employer did say that they would eventually have to sit down with Bill and talk about it. Wayne said he’d make sure the Taurus was checked out, inspected and ready.

The boys got home a little after four o’clock and instead of going right down to the house they headed over to look at the new patio furniture. The new conversation sofas, chairs and tables were covered, so they had to take the covers off to see what the new stuff looked like. They sat down on the new furniture and they liked it.

Kevin wanted to put up one of the umbrellas, but Chares told him not to, as they didn’t know how to do it and they didn’t need to upset Momma any more than they had by being late. They quickly put the covers back on the sofas and chairs and headed across the field, being careful not to step on the new chalk that lined the soccer field, to the house and their afterschool snack.

After eating their snack, the five Cover boys stopped at the Study to talk to their ‘dad’ about the new patio furniture. They told him about stopping to look at it and how much they liked it. Their ‘dad’ told them he was happy they liked it, then, with a smile, he told them to go and do their homework. The boys laughed as they ran up the stairs.

When Billy and Robert came home from school, they quickly ate their afterschool snack and then thanked Momma for making it. They quickly stopped by the Study to tell their ‘dad’ they would be leaving for the football game about 6:30.

Robert then thanked Mr. Dennis for taking him and his friends to the game and then he gave the man a list of the addresses where he’d pick up his three friends and some directions to their homes and the directions to the stadium. Mr. Dennis thanked the teenager for them and told him he would check the addresses in his phone to get an idea how to get to them.

Mr. Dennis joined the Covers for a quick dinner that night, as he and Robert left the table around 6:25 to head to pick up Robert’s friends. Billy also left the table at the same time, and he headed up to the Main Gate to be picked up by Mr. Meyers, who was taking Gus and him to the game that night.

When dinner was over, Mr. Ken gathered up the boys and they headed out to buy the snacks they wanted for Sunday night. The boys were asked if they wanted to go to a grocery store or one of the other big stores that sold everything including clothes, electronics, shoes and more.

The boys rarely got to go out shopping and they had a difficult time deciding where they wanted to go. They knew if they went to a grocery store there would only be food items, so they all decided to stop by either a Target, or a Wal-Mart. Mr. Wayne tagged along, but told the boys he would be going back to his apartment after they bought everything they wanted.

The boys initially looked at the many different types of candy, then the multitude of different types of chips offered, then the separately wrapped cakes and every other snack on the aisle. The boys even headed over to the cereal aisle to see if there was something there, they could snack on. ‘Dad’ Ken and Mr. Wayne could only laugh at the way the boys rushed around to find the ‘right’ snacks for their sleepover.

But the boys weren’t finished. They wanted to look around the stores to see what Halloween decorations were being displayed and which costumes they might want to wear that year. With the boys doing that, ‘Dad’ Ken was reminded about what happened last Halloween, but didn’t say anything to the boys. He just let them enjoy themselves hoping the same thoughts didn’t enter their minds, too.

This was the second time Mark was out shopping with such a large group. The first time was when they all went out shopping for new school clothes when they returned from the trip to Mr. Ken’s amusement parks.

The youngest Cover was enjoying it, but he also saw how confusing it was, with all his ‘brothers’ wanting to go every which way. He was also disappointed he wouldn’t be joining them for the sleepover Sunday night at Mr. Ken’s apartment above the office building. He wished there was a way he could, but he knew his parents were anxious to get home and settled back into their home again.

After about two hours of walking around the stores, ‘Dad’ Ken corralled his ‘sons’ and paid for everything they had placed into the basket. He then took them out for ice cream. The boys all ordered banana splits and they enjoyed them there in the DQ store. Mark knew that would probably be the last time he ever had such a big treat and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

Mark was also selected to give Chief her cup of ice cream that night. He didn’t mind as he always wanted a dog and these last seven weeks of his taking care of Chief was the most fun for him and this would be the last time, he got to do that for her.

“Chief … I have your ice cream. Come and get it!” yelled Mark as he entered the house.

Chief was always there as she could hear the garage door opening each and every time the Covers came into the house that way. The resident pet knew they would have her cold treat for her, so she couldn’t wait for them to return.

When Mark yelled for her, she was right there, but she knew she needed to go back into the Nook some so he could let the rest of the Covers into the house and let them see her eating the ice cream. Mark put the cold concoction down and Chief immediately went to it and began lapping it all up.

There wasn’t much of a Cover meeting that night. Mr. Ken just reminded everyone that the picnic began at eleven the next morning and they should all be up, showered, dressed and ready to receive their guests. He told them he’d be up and have Momma’s breakfast tacos heated in the convection oven for them and all they’d need to do was fix their drink of choice before they sat down to eat.

It was later than usual when the boys went up to their rooms, so ‘dad’ Ken didn’t spend much time talking with them. He told them to sleep well and make sure they had a good time tomorrow. After he talked to the five boys, he went downstairs and waited for his two teenagers to return from their football game.

Billy returned home first. He was in a good mood as their high school won the game and he had had a great time with his friends. He and Mr. Ken talked about what Bill did at the game and how much of the game he actually watched versus the cheerleaders and other girls at the game. Bill laughed and asked if Mr. Ken did the same. The man said, “Guilty as charged.”

Robert and Mr. Dennis came into the house together. They came to the Study and Mr. Dennis handed over the keys to the van. He told his employer it had been a very long time since he’d been at a high school football game and it brought back loads of memories. He then told Mr. Ken he’d see him at the picnic tomorrow and left.

Robert then told his dad about how he saw the game. Billy told him not to try to fool his dad as he was once their age and he knew they didn’t watch much of the game, but probably more of the cheerleaders and other girls at the game.

Robert sat there open mouthed. He was going to refute what his ‘brother’ said, but the smile on his dad’s face told him not to even try. So, Robert told his dad that he and his friends walked around most of the time and talked to the other kids they knew, ate some junk food and just had a great time doing teen stuff.

Robert then thanked his dad for trusting him and letting him have that freedom away from The Cove. The teen told his dad he did have his coin with him, though, and then brought it out to show him. Billy brought his coin out too. Mr. Ken smiled back at the boys and thanked them for remembering to at least try to be safe.

‘Dad’ Ken hugged both boys and then sent them up to bed. He then went back to his own retreat, got settled himself and before long was also in bed. He knew tomorrow would be a long day and hoped he would fall asleep quickly.

Again, The Cove was quiet throughout the night.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhound at CastleRoland dot Net

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