Published: 7 May 2026

From the Previous Chapter:

Then it dawned on him that amongst all the things he had been talking to the boys about, he’d forgotten that Chief would be having another litter of puppies right after the New Year. He knew that he’d have to add that to the list of things he brought up to the boys and the staff.

As the owner of The Cove turned off the lights in his bedroom and got under the blankets, he felt a calmness enter his body. He hoped that as he relaxed, he would fall asleep sooner than later. As the Cover’s slept, The Cove was peaceful and quiet the whole night through.

The owner of The Cove woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning. He got himself ready for his day before going out to the Kitchen Nook where he placed a number of breakfast tacos into the convection oven, before going outside to retrieve his morning newspaper.

After coming inside, his next task would be getting his favorite coffee cup and filling it with the hot coffee, which was made that morning in the automatic coffee maker conveniently set the night before.

After sitting down and taking a few sips of the hot brew, Mr. Ken took the newspaper out of the protective sleeve. He then began reading from Section A, World News, as he waited for the boys to come down for breakfast.

The first three to enter the Nook were Robert, Phillip and Matthew. They were all showered and dressed for their day. Robert because he was going to take his written driver’s test that morning, Phillip because he had his regular guitar lesson at nine o’clock, and Matthew because he and his ‘dad’ were going out after breakfast to look for a storage building that he could use for his puppy and small dog training business.

The boys said good morning to their ‘dad’ and then Matthew went right to fixing Sarge’s first meal of the day. While he did that, Robert got out three breakfast tacos, each, for he and his ‘brothers’ and glasses of vanilla milk for them to use to wash the tacos down.

Then, when he saw that his dad didn’t have any breakfast tacos in front of him, The teenager apologized to his dad for not getting any tacos out for him. The teen rectified that by going an taking three more breakfast tacos out of the convection oven, placing them on a plate and presenting them to his dad. Dad Ken smiled at this son for doing that for him.

As the boys ate, Matthew told his ‘dad’ that he did as he suggested and he looked for storage buildings on the internet. The pre-teen mentioned that he saw a few that he liked, but that until he actually saw them in person he wouldn’t really know if they would be big enough, or even work for what he envisioned as a good place to work out of.

‘Dad’ Ken told the boy that was a good reason for them to go out and check a few places to see what they had, see how big they were, and what additional accessories they offered that might enhance the building for his use. That put a big smile on Matthew’s face.

It wasn’t too long before Mr. Bindy came to the Foyer Door and Phillip had to scramble to meet the man and begin his weekly guitar lesson.

Then as the other two Covers were eating, Mr. Wayne arrived to take Robert to his written driver’s test and by then the rest of the Cover boys also came down for breakfast. The boys all said good morning to the men and Darrin quickly took care of fixing Chief her first meal of the day. The teen made sure he gave the resident pet her special dog food, since she was going to have another litter of pups. He also made sure there was ice in the water bowl.

As the boys ate, they also thanked their ‘dad’ for fixing Momma’s breakfast tacos for them. They then talked about what they were going to do during while their ‘dad’ was gone. ‘Dad’ Ken told them as long as they have fun and they stay out of trouble, he would be OK with that. The boys all smiled when they heard what he said.

Mr. Wayne then asked Robert if he was ready, as they should arrive early for the test as they have to register. The Estate Master told the teen to make sure he had his school ID, and his birth certificate and Social Security card for proof of citizenship. Then teenager had to run up to his room to get his birth certificate. His ‘brothers’ smiled and snickered as he ran to get what he needed.

It wasn’t too long after Mr. Wayne and Robert left for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles testing site that Mr. Ken asked Matthew to wash his hands and drain his dragon and then get his jacket, and while he did that, he’d do the same and then they would head out. The pre-teen smiled and hurried up the stairs to do what he needed to do.

Mr. Ken told Bill that he was responsible for his ‘brothers’, while they were gone, and not to let them burn the place down. The boys all laughed. But Darrin inwardly smiled. He thought about that, well not actually burning the house down, but maybe by creating a situation, like a fire, or something big, as a way that he might be able to get to stay at The Cove.

It wasn’t too long thereafter that when ‘dad’ and ‘son’ were in the van and headed out the Main Gate to start looking at storage buildings. Their first stop would be Lowe’s.

Upon their arrival at Lowe’s, Mr. Ken parked close to where they had the storage buildings on display. Matthew saw that there had to be at least a dozen, or more, there and he was excited to get started.

‘Dad’ Ken immediately told Matthew that they would not look at any of the metal buildings. The man told his ‘son’ that they might not hold up over time, and that he wanted something that they could paint to closely match The Cove.

The two began looking at the 10’ x 10’ Stillwater that was shaped like a barn. Matthew said the size was OK, but that he didn’t like the shape. The 10’ x 8’ Corondo was next. The pre-teen liked that it had a window, but he said the size was way too small.

Matthew did like the 15’ x 8’ Resin Garden shed, as it had windows and entrances at the front and side. He also liked the 12’ x 10’ Windemere which had lots of widows and a loft. The boy also liked the 20’ x 8’ Resin storage shed, as it also had entrances at the front and side as well, along with vents and shelves.

After viewing the storage buildings there, the Covers decided to head over to the Home Depot.

Mr. Wayne and Robert arrived about ten minutes before the teen’s scheduled testing time. The proctor asked Robert for his identification showing that he was a Texas resident, his birth certificate and social security card.

The person then took the teen in for a vision screening to determine if he needed glasses in order to operate a vehicle. When they began the vision testing it appeared that Robert might need to wear glasses. That was until the examiner noticed there was something wrong with the machine, so they reset it and started the test all over. It turned out the teenager didn’t need glasses after all.

With those two things out of the way, Robert was ready to take the written test. The test examiner took him into a room, along with about twenty other people just like him, and explained to them that the Texas written driving test was split into two, 30-minute sections, totaling one hour of material with each section containing 15 multiple-choice questions regarding highway signs and traffic laws.

The woman then passed out the first section of the test regarding highway signs and told them they had thirty minutes to complete it and when they were finished, they could go out of the room and wait until the second section would begin. Robert was finished in record time.

When the Cover teen took the second part of the test, he took a little longer, as this section as on traffic laws and he reread the questions a few times to make sure he got the answer right. He finished just about the same time everyone else did. Then he had to wait to learn how well, or bad, he did.

When the woman who proctored the test gave Robert his results, he was happy with them. He’d gotten only one wrong. Now he had to wait for them to process his learner’s permit. It took about a half hour. Then once he got the paper, or temporary, learner’s permit, they told him that he would receive the plastic one in two to three weeks.

As the two left the Texas Department of Public Safety building, Robert had the biggest smile on his face that Mr. Wayne could ever remember. The man then took the new Texas driver’s permit learner out for ice cream.

Again, at Home Depot, Mr. Ken parked close to where the storage buildings were located. At this box store there were about the same number of storage buildings as were at the last one.

Matthew quickly bypassed the smaller units and went directly to the bigger storage buildings. As he looked at what was available, he noticed that the only thing different there was the color of the buildings.

“‘Dad’, these are the same buildings we saw at the last place. The only thing different are the colors,” commented Matthew to Mr. Ken.

“Yes, Matthew, I noticed the same thing. Even the brochure is from the same company. What say we go to this other company that Mr. Wayne found for us to visit. You game?” ask the foster dad.

And that was what the two Covers did. They headed over to Tuff Shed, a stand-alone company that built storage sheds. There they saw essentially the same storage buildings they saw at the two box stores. But they decided to walk around anyway.

A salesman came out to talk to them and they learned that this company furnished many of the storage buildings to the other lumber stores. He did tell them that they have a few designs that only they had and he showed those to them.

Matthew saw a few designs that he liked, but Mr. Ken told the boy that he wasn’t there to buy that day, but to find the one that they both liked. He told the salesman that and he told him that when he was ready, he’d call him to make an appointment to discuss the purchase and any accessories they may want. The Covers then headed to the nearest DQ to discuss what they saw.

By noon none of the Covers who’d left The Cove earlier that morning had returned. That meant that Billy, Charles, Darrin and Phillip were hosts for all of the Cover friends as they arrived.

Robert’s friends knew where he was, but they still wondered how he did on his written driver’s test. As for Matthew’s friends, they were surprised that Mr. Ken had taken him out to look for a building he could use for his puppy/small dog training business. They told the Covers that it was the first time they heard that as Matthew never said anything to them.

But everyone knew that eventually Robert and Matthew would return and they all would find out the outcome of either their written driver’s test or storage building search. And until then, most of the boys went out onto the Cove Skate Park, while some helped get the barbeque ready for later in the day.

Phillip and his band members, who weren’t working that evening went and set up to play. As they did that, the Cover asked them if any of them had gotten paid. The question surprised them as it had Phillip the previous evening. Of course, none of them had and they told the band leader that. Phillip then told them that his ‘dad’ told him that he would look into it for him. That put a smile on all the boy’s faces.

With banana splits before them ‘dad’ Ken and Matthew talked about the storage sheds they saw that morning. The foster dad asked the soon-to-be-teenager what he liked and disliked about the buildings, and what he wanted to see inside of them to make them better for his business.

After he took a big helping of ice cream and a bite of the banana, Matthew told his ‘dad’ that he liked the bigger buildings. The boy told the man that he also liked the taller, or higher, ones that would allow him to store things up and out of the way from the pups, or small dogs.

Matthew also told his ‘dad’ that he would like a few windows for the light and some shelving as well as a few storage containers for the treats, so the ants and bugs don’t get into them.

Mr. Ken brought out the brochure he’d picked up and the two of them huddled together and looked through it. And as they did, they each told one another which buildings they liked and disliked.

But first, ‘dad’ Ken wanted to decide on the size of the building. He told Matthew that he felt that the 12-foot by 16-foot buildings were way too big since he would only be training a few dogs at a time and not boarding them.

But Matthew argued that the longer building would give him the space to spread out everything and keep the pups from feeling crowded. The pre-teen said that he could also have a desk and chair in there, along with a file cabinet to keep records of what he trains which pup, or small dog on. ‘Dad’ Ken told him that he’d take it under advisement. They then went back to looking at the buildings in the brochure.

As they compared the different buildings, they noticed that Faisca and Windemere were very similar with large windows and they also had upper windows in the ceiling. Then there was the Heritage, Fairview, Riverside and Brookfield designs. With them they noticed that the door was either on the long or short side and/or had two doors and their window placements were what caused them to be different.

With the last two bigger buildings, the Pro Tall Barn and the Belmont, Matthew told his ‘dad’ that he totally did not like the barn design and that he did not want that one. As for the Belmont, the pre-teen said that he liked that it had a high ceiling and an upper window for ventilation. He then wondered if it would look out of place on The Cove. That last statement brought a smile to the man’s face.

Over similar sized ice cream concoctions, Mr. Wayne and Robert talked about the driver’s written test. The teenager told the Estate Master that he felt that the first part of the test on highway signs was fairly easy, and he was finished with loads of time to spare.

The Cover teen then explained that when it came to the traffic laws test, he read and then reread the questions to make sure he understood what they were asking. He explained that he didn’t want to misread or read anything into the question and then get it wrong.

Mr. Wayne told the teenager that he obviously knew the Texas Driver’s Handbook as he only missed one question, and he congratulated him on that. The Estate Master then told the teen that he then needed to finish the 32 hours of classroom education and not to forget he needed at least ten hours of night time driving as well, as he needed to watch the free 2-hour informational video, Impact Texas Teen Drivers program (ITTD).

Robert heard all that, but what he wanted to know was when could he get to drive the Kia Optima, that Billy had been driving, and start learning how to actually drive.

Mr. Wayne told the teenager that he needed to talk to his dad before he begins driving the Kia to find out what is his plan for him. The Estate Master reminded the teenager that his dad had gotten out the traffic cones and had Bill drive backwards through a slalom course that he devised.

Robert said that he remembered laughing as Billy did that. Now he figured the shoe would be on the other foot as he has to do the same thing, and his older ‘brother’ will get to laugh at him. All Mr. Wayne did was smile at what the teen just said.

As the two Covers finished eating their banana splits, they had removed the Pro Tall Barn, Faisca, Windemere and the Belmont from all contention, as Matthew’s business headquarters. They both agreed that those four didn’t offer what either of them were looking for.

That now left the Heritage, Fairview, Riverside and the Brookfield in contention and after deciding which one to get, all they would need to do was decide on door placement, either front or side, or both and how many windows and other accessories that were needed. One other item that they did discuss was the color.

It was while they drove home, with Matthew looking at the brochures, that the boy decided that he liked the Fairview design better. He told his ‘dad’ that he liked the door placement on the short side and he would also like the same sized door towards the back on the long side.

The soon-to-be-teen added that he’d like to see windows on either side of the front door but that he felt that only one window on the side with the other door would be enough light. He also asked his ‘dad’ if he could get the vent at the top, along with some decking up in the rafters for storage, and a few shelves on the non-window wall.

‘Dad’ Ken told the boy that it sounded like a good plan and now all they needed to come to agreement on was the size of the structure. Matthew still contended that the 12 x 16-foot size was what he needed. But ‘dad’ Ken said that he felt a 12 x 12-foot building would be sufficient.

Matthew smiled and said, “Sufficient maybe, but not for what I feel that I need.”

All Mr. Ken could do was smile at the boy’s determination to get that bigger building. So, as they continued to drive along, ‘dad’ Ken asked Matthew if he would compromise at a 12 x 14-foot building.

Matthew was hearing what his ‘dad’ was saying. That the sixteen-foot building was way too long and he wanted something a bit smaller. The boy, after being inside that sized structure, knew that it was quite large, but he felt that the 12-foot square one would feel right. So, he looked over to his ‘dad’ and told him that after thinking about it for a few moments he would compromise on the fourteen-foot-long building, as he asked. Mr. Ken smiled and thanked his foster son for doing that.

Robert and Mr. Wayne returned to The Cove before ‘dad’ Ken and Matthew did, and the first question out of all Robert’s friend’s mouths was, “Did you pass?”

Robert told them all about the test and how he had to struggle to get the answers. But then he told them that he only missed one question in the traffic laws section. They all laughed at his antics.

Then they wanted to know when he would start driving the Kia. Robert told them he needed to talk to his dad to see what he wanted to do as far as him learning to drive, and who would be teaching him.

Billy came over to his ‘brother’ and told him that he better learn how to back up the Kia, as it wasn’t easy doing it without ever practicing it before Mr. Ken had him do that slalom course, he set up for him.

Robert told him that Mr. Wayne had already mentioned that to him and he knows that he needs to practice backing up before his dad gets the traffic cones out. The two had a laugh over that.

When Mr. Ken and Matthew arrived back at The Cove, everyone felt that the youngster would come up to the Pavilion and tell them about his shopping experience. But what they saw was the two Covers walking around, as if they were inspecting something. What the two Covers were actually doing was searching for the right place to put Matthew’s new building.

Mr. Wayne came outside and joined them, when he saw his employer and Matthew walking around. When he asked them what they were doing, and they told him, he suggested that they look just off the Parking Corral and next to the guest house. So, that’s where the three Covers headed.

As the three surveyed the area, Mr. Wayne was telling to Mr. Ken what he thought, but the man was looking over to the lawn equipment storage shed and he wasn’t really hearing what the Estate Master was saying.

“Oh, I’m sorry Wayne,” apologized Mr. Ken, “I was looking at the storage shed for the lawn equipment, and … well., I was thinking about the storage buildings Matthew and I had just looked at. Now, please tell me, again, what you were saying.”

Mr. Wayne repeated that in using that area they could pour a concrete base and with the guest house being close where there would be electricity available if he wanted to tie into it.

Matthew quickly spoke up and told the two men that he liked where they looking to put his puppy training business and he would also like having electricity for overhead lights and a few outlets for a desk light and a computer. The two men smiled.

“Wayne … I think pouring a concrete base is a great idea. And maybe you and Dennis could handle setting that up next week,” now spoke Mr. Ken.

“And, Matthew, that will, unfortunately, delay when you receive your building. But, believe me, having a concrete base will be better overall for you and the pups. Wayne … how big do you think we should make the concrete slab?” finished Mr. Ken.

The two men talked about just doing a 12-foot x 14-foot slab, which was the size of the building. But Wayne suggested that they increase the slab by four feet on both sides to make the slab 16 x 18. But Mr. Ken felt that was way too big. The owner of The Cove liked having the extra four feet at the front entrance for maybe an outside chair and table, but that maybe they could just add two feet to the long side.

It was then that Mr. Ken told Wayne that while he was talking earlier, he was thinking about replacing the storage shed. He then told Wayne that he was going to buy a replacement storage, like Matthew’s, and place it there, too.

The owner of The Cove asked Wayne, while he was having a 16 x 16-foot square slab poured for Matthew’s building, he should go ahead and pour a 12 x 14-foot slab for a replacement lawn equipment building. He added that there would be no need for additional space around the perimeter, as the building would come with a ramp.

While Robert and Matthew were away from The Cove, Darrin and his friends had used the skate park and they also helped setting up the barbeque when they were asked. Darrin’s friends also talked to him about his court appearance next Tuesday and they wondered if he had learned anything else.

The Cover teen told them that Mr. Ken suggested that he might not have to go and live with his uncle if the man doesn’t have the means to properly raise him, even if the judge awards him monies from the insurance.

The foster son told his buddies that Mr. Ken told him that he wasn’t going to just let his uncle take him without some sort of background check to make sure the uncle could properly take care of him. The teen added that they won’t let people adopt kids without a background check, and that Mr. Ken told him that he will insist they do one on his uncle to make sure he wasn’t a bad man of sorts and/or just out after the insurance money.

Darrin’s friends told him that it sounded to them like Mr. Ken was going to look out for his best interests and to make sure that his uncle was who he says he is. They also told him that maybe Mr. Ken would try to keep him there at The Cove.

Hearing that put a smile on the teen’s face. He told his friends that he would rather stay there, than have to go to someplace and live with people that he really doesn’t know, and start all over again making friends and learning the area. The Cover told the boys that he’d know a lot more after the court hearing on Tuesday.

And as Darrin and his friends were busy having fun, as well as talking about Darrin’s future, first Robert returned from taking his written driver’s test and he quickly stopped over at the Pavilion and told everyone about it.

Then Mattew returned, but he didn’t come up to the Pavilion right away. After the young Cover’s return, the boys saw him, Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne looking at some area right off the Parking Corral, which was next to the guest house. Everyone wondered what that was all about.

Matthew eventually made his way up to the Pavilion, and as soon as he arrived, most of the boys gathered around him. Some wondered what he, his foster dad and the Estate Master were doing looking at the area just next to the guest house, and off the Parking Corral. While the others wondered what kind of building he wound up getting.

So, Matthew brought out the brochure and he showed everyone the Fairview storage building that he asked his foster dad to get for him. He told the boys that it was going to be his birthday present. He explained that it was going to be 12-foot by 14-foot with a front and side door, windows, shelves on the non-window side, decking in the rafters for storage, and a vent.

The Cover then told the boys that the reason he, Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne were next to the Parking Corral was because they were siting where the new building would be. Matthew also told them that he asked them to install electricity, since it would be right next to the guest house.

The soon-to-be-teen added that Mr. Ken was also going to replace the storage shed on the Parking Corral. The Cover explained that his ‘dad’ was going to buy the same size building and place it near his building and that they both would be placed on a concrete slab.

Robert and Eric heard what their ‘brother’ just told the gathered boys, so they asked him to tell them more. But all Matthew could tell them was that Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis were to get a contractor in next week to get the forms ready for concrete and then the buildings would be brought in and built on them the following week.

Matthew then told them that the storage building slab would only be the same size as the building as it would have a ramp. And when they asked their ‘brother’ what size his slab would be he told them that his slab would be 16 feet square, so that just off the front door he could also have space for an outside table and chair.

When it came time for the barbeque, the boys called Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne to see if they wanted to eat with them. Five minutes later, the men came up to the Pavilion, got themselves a burger, put on some cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato and sat down, where they hoped would be away from the boys.

But some of the boys had other plans, as a few of them sat with the men, while others sat at the tables next to, or opposite, the two men. The boys told Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne that they don’t sit and talk with them often enough, and they missed doing that as they did during the summer.

Of course, the boys did ask questions of the men, and the first one they asked was why Mr. Dennis doesn’t come there as much as Mr. Wayne does. They were curious as to why Mr. Dennis wasn’t there on the weekends, too.

The owner of The Cove inwardly smiled at the questions about Mr. Dennis. The man then told the boys that Mr. Dennis was hired as a part-time worker and that he wasn’t expected to be there as much or for as long as Mr. Wayne, and that was why they didn’t see him there on the weekends like they do the Estate Master.

The boys also wanted to know more about Matthew’s new building. Mr. Ken told them that he was buying it for his ‘son’ so he had a place where he could base his training of the young puppies and small dogs and keep them out of the way of you boys, as you skated and played the Pavilion games.

The boys also asked about the Holiday parties, when the high schools would install their Christmas display, how soon would The Cove start to be decorated for the Holidays and when he and their Cover friends were going to visit his amusement parks.

The owner of The Cove told them when the parties were scheduled for and when the high schools would be installing their displays. He also told them that his ‘sons’ hadn’t decided if they were going to visit a couple of parks before Christmas and the rest afterwards, or if they wanted to do them all at once. Darrin spoke up and told the boys that they had to decide by the time his foster dad returned from a trip next Friday.

Mr. Wayne told the boys that the contractor would start to decorate The Cove next week and would be finished by the following Wednesday. He told them the Christmas tree would be as large as it always was and Mr. Ken’s train would be running under it.

After the boys ate and cleaned up afterwards, they either went swimming or skated until it was time to leave for the day. The Cover boys saw their friends off at the Main Gate and then they went down to the house to see where their ‘dad’ was taking them out for dinner.

‘Dad’ Ken had decided to take them down to the Marina for dinner. He had already called ahead to the Marina Seafood Wharf & Steak House for their reservation and the boys were annoyed that they had to change into school clothes in order for them to eat there.

However, the boys knew that the new restaurant required people to wear nice clothes and would not allow cutoff shorts, halter tops, t-shirts, cut jeans, biker jackets, sandals, or anything that was not in keeping with what the restaurant considered appropriate dress.

Once down at the restaurant, and after the Covers had ordered, dad Ken asked Robert if he was ready for his slalom course. Robert swallowed hard and told his dad that he hadn’t even been behind the wheel yet, so he shouldn’t ask that question. Then the teenager asked his dad when was he going to take him out for his first driving lesson. The teen’s dad told him right after breakfast tomorrow. All the boys smiled at hearing that.

It was then that Charles spoke up and commented, “I guess it would be fruitless for me to ask if we’re going out for breakfast then.” All the boys looked to ‘dad’ Ken for the answer.

“Sure, we can go out for breakfast,” replied a smiling ‘dad’ Ken, and all the boys got great big smiles on their faces.

Then ‘dad’ Ken added, “And I’ll just let Robert drive us all home.” All the boys then moaned at hearing that. But it was Phillip who remarked, “I’ve already been in one accident ‘dad’, can we all take a rain check on my ‘brother’ driving us home?”

After Phillip’s question, the table got extremely quiet, with all the boys looking around at one another. Then all the boys burst out laughing, and so did ‘dad’ Ken, who told the boys that they didn’t let him finish what he was saying. Then their ‘dad’ said, “Not!” And more laughter was then heard from the table.

Ed Henry, the restaurant’s manager, who had moved over from managing the Four Corners dual Restaurant/Diner had heard the laughter coming from the Covers table and he was happy to hear that Mr. Thomas’ boys were still the happy group he’d come to know over the years.

As the Covers ate their delicious dinners, talk moved from Robert getting his driver’s permit to Matthew’s puppy training building, and their ‘dad’ buying a new lawn equipment storage building. The boys were interested in Matthew’s new building, but they were also curious as to why their ‘dad’ was replacing the storage shed.

With a smile, ‘dad’ Ken told the boys that the twin looking buildings would look good together and this way he could get back that portion of the Parking Corral he lost almost six years ago when he put that ugly looking storage shed on it. He added that when the new building is in place, they will all get the opportunity to move everything from the old into the new. The boys all moaned, but smiled as they did.

After eating, the group went over to the Go-Kart Track to drive the go-karts. They hadn’t done that in some time, so the boys were all enthusiastic about driving them. They stood in line and talked to some of the people they knew who were also waiting their turn.

Then, as the Covers got out on the race track, Billy, Robert and Charles raced out first with their ‘brothers’ Matthew, Darrin and Phillip following quickly behind them. And the race proceeded as it usually did.

The three older teens raced for the win, while the other three were out there to have fun. Sure, Phillip would like to win, too, and had once, but he was still somewhat reserved from what happened to him just one week ago.

And, as he always did, ‘dad’ Ken had the race track manager add laps to the boy’s race and that night Charles won with Billy and Robert coming in second and third.

After their race, the Covers then went across the street to Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone Ice Cream store for sundaes before heading home. They would normally get the two resident pets cups of ice cream, but with Chief expecting another litter of pups, ‘dad’ Ken told the boys that neither Chief or Sarge will get that treat tonight. Matthew argued that it wasn’t fair that Sarge had to forego one of his favorite treats.

Hearing the boy’s argument, all ‘dad’ Ken did was pull the boy aside and hug him and explain that the young pup wouldn’t miss the sugary treat for the next seven weeks, or so, if they don’t tell him. That made Matthew smile, as he leaned into the hug, and he told his ‘dad’ that he wouldn’t tell, if he doesn’t.

The Covers gathered in the Study for their usual evening meeting once they returned home. ‘Dad’ Ken told the boys that if they wanted to go out for breakfast in the morning they needed to be showered, dressed and down in the Kitchen Nook by nine-thirty.

He reminded Darrin about their court hearing on Tuesday at nine-thirty and that he wouldn’t go to school that morning. He then told the boys that he would be leaving on Wednesday around twelve, noon, for his trip back east with his return scheduled for late Friday night.

Again, ‘dad’ Ken asked the boys to work on their Christmas Wish List and to think about what gag gifts they might want to get their ‘brothers’, while reminding them that they needed to start Christmas shopping next weekend.

‘Dad’ Ken then told the boys that Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis would be working to hopefully get the two concrete slabs poured next week and after that they would have the company bring the two new buildings to the estate and erect them the following week.

The boy’s ‘dad’ continued and gave them the date for the high school display installation and when The Cove’s Holiday decorations were going to start being installed. He asked them to stay out of their way and to ask their friends not to bother the high schoolers, as they install their displays.

Afterwards, as the dad/foster dad went up to say good night to the boys, he decided that he wouldn’t spend a lot of time with them. He knew he hadn’t been spending much time with any of them as of late, but he hoped that after the Holidays he’d have the time to do so, again.

Things at work were keeping him occupied right now and with what was happening with Kate back east and the Holidays just around the corner he felt he was being pulled in too many directions, and he needed time for himself. His talk with Doctor Jennings proved that to him.

‘Dad’ Ken started in Bill’s room, who teased him about having to give Robert driving lessons. In Robert’s room, his son asked him if he would be able to give him some driving lessons after they return from breakfast tomorrow, or if he was only teasing him.

In Matthew’s room, the soon-to-be-teen thanked his ‘dad’ for taking him out to find a great building for his Puppy Training Business. The boy also told his ‘dad’ that spending the time with him was the first time in a long time that they were able to do that and he felt so good inside, as they were doing something without any of his ‘brothers’ being there.

Hearing what Matthew just said brought a tear to the man’s eyes. He knew that he needed to spend more time with the boys, and not so much time with all of his businesses. He just didn’t know how he would be able to do that. And with his wedding coming up he knew he would have to do something after the Holidays and before the wedding.

Mr. Ken shared a hug with Matthew before heading to Phillip’s room, where he was greeted with the boy playing a song on his acoustic guitar. ‘Dad’ Ken listened for a few moments before he knocked on the door.

“Oh, come in ‘dad’,” offered Phillip.

“So, you don’t want to be in another accident, do you?” teased ‘dad’ Ken.

“Well, I thought it would be funny when I said it,” admitted the youngster.

“And it was, you turkey, and you caught us all off guard,” agreed ‘dad’ Ken, who then ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Oh, and I did check on when your band will be paid. Mr. Sanders … he told me that the normal way they pay is that you work two weeks, and then you get your first week’s pay after the second week. So, your band’s first week’s pay should get to them on Monday or Tuesday.

“When you get yours, I guess we’ll have to set up a bank account for you. That way you’ll have a savings account for all of your hard earnings,” joked ‘dad’ Ken.

Phillip thought about what his ‘dad’ just told him, and then he thought to ask, “So … is that where I’ll put all the money, you know, that I’ll get from the lawsuit because of the accident, then?”

The foster dad smiled at what the boy just asked him. So, ‘dad’ Ken told Phillip that their lawyer, Stewart Russell, was working that problem. He then explained that the insurance company only wanted to give him a very low settlement, which he would not accept. Continuing, he told the young Cover that he instructed Mr. Russell to give them one last chance to agree their offer, or go to court.

Phillip thanked his ‘dad’ for telling him what was happening with the insurance company. He then asked if his mom knew what was happening with the lawsuit. ‘Dad’ Ken told him that he had not told her, as of yet, as she was not fully committed to his return and there was nothing she could do until there was a settlement. Phillip thanked him for letting him know. The two then shared a hug before ‘dad’ Ken proceeded to Darrin’s room.

At Darrin’s room, the teen told his foster dad that his friends were hopeful that he could stay there. Mr. Ken told the teen that it wasn’t up to him. The man explained that CPS and the courts would decide where he would wind up. He added that he would be happy if he could stay there and have a forever home like Bill and the rest of his ‘brothers’, but they both would have to wait until Tuesday to see where they stood.

Mr. Ken reminded the teen that he hopes to convince the court to at least do a background check on the uncle and before they award him any money to also do a financial check on the man. Mr. Ken again told Darrin that he wants him to have at least fifty to sixty percent, or more, of any insurance monies placed in a Trust Fund for his future.

Darrin thanked his foster dad for keeping him informed about everything concerning the insurance money and his uncle. The teen told the man that he hoped that they can get some final answers on Tuesday. Mr. Ken told the teen that this might just be the beginning of a number of court visits before there is a final answer, and for him not to get discouraged, as this is what would normally happen in cases like this. The two shared a hug before Mr. Ken headed to his own retreat.

When he entered his retreat, Ken Thomas went immediately to his bathroom to get ready for bed. Then once he finished what he needed to do there, he went to his king-sized bed and sat down. Ken Thomas then used those few minutes before climbing into bed to review the day and week to see where he might have done something better, or how he could have helped the boys with whatever they were dealing with.

He, again, told himself that he needed to make time for the boys, each one of them, but he was at a loss for how he could do that with everything that was on his plate right now. He thought to himself that maybe he had overextended himself, while attempting to build a larger business empire than he already had amassed. This was something that he also told himself that he needed to answer after the Holidays.

The owner of The Cove, dad, as well as foster dad, knew that he couldn’t fix it tonight, so he reached over and turned off the light and then crawled under the covers. As the night moved on the entire Cover household was quiet and everyone slept peacefully.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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