Three Finger Cove: Billy ~ Book Six

Chapter Fifty~Seven

Saturday morning, Mr. Ken was up at his usual 8:15 timeframe. He used the bathroom, dressed in his standard nylon t-shirt, running shorts and Crocs and went out for his morning newspaper. As he was going back inside the house, his cell phone rang and he saw it was the security guards.

When the owner of The Cove answered the call, he learned the truck at the Main gate was the one he expected. He told the guards to let them in and let them do what they were hired to do. The man then went inside to get his first cup of coffee and read his newspaper.

The boys began filing down to the Kitchen Nook for breakfast around 9 a.m. They checked the convection oven for breakfast tacos only to find there were none. 'Dad' Ken told them they had to fix their own breakfast as he had to fix his.

The boys began to grumble, but they knew what to do. Billy fixed cereal and added a banana, and so did Charles and Matthew. Robert got out three breakfast tacos to microwave and Kevin asked him to take three out for him. Kyle quickly asked if his 'brother' would add three more for him.

"Boys, you need to set those out the night before, so they don't take so much time in the morning to fix," spoke 'dad' Ken through his newspaper.

"But you're the 'dad', 'dad', and you should be fixing breakfast for us," quickly responded Kyle. "We're just kids and ... and ..."

"And nothing, young man," responded 'dad' Ken, "you've all been taught how to use the microwave and convection oven. And you've been told repeatedly to set out the breakfast tacos the night before if that is what you want. Now ... any question?"

"Yeah ... why are you so mean?" replied Kyle, with a smile.

"I owe you," said 'dad' Ken, through his paper.

"Uh, oh," said Matthew. "I know that voice. You're in for a tickle attack now."

As the boys ate their breakfast, 'dad' Ken got their attention and asked them to move the skate equipment boxes up to the Pavilion before they took their showers. He said that way they wouldn't get all sweaty after they got cleaned up. He also said they would be ready to get that posed photo out of the way when Mr. Wayne got there later.

When all six boys were finished eating, cleaned up their area, taken their dirty dishes to the sink and rinsed them and finally put them into the dishwasher, they went out to the garage to get started on the task at hand.

It took them quite some time to move all of the skate equipment. The boxes which held the 100 pair, less what the Covers took, of knee, elbow and wrist pads were nothing compared to the boxes that held the remaining helmets. That's what took the most time.

As the boys went back and forth from the garage to the Pavilion, and back again, they saw that some men were hanging flags and streamers all around the Cove Skate Park. That was something they hadn't expected, but weren't surprised because they knew the skate park was something their 'dad' was very proud of. They knew this was going to be a very special Grand Opening/Memorial Day Picnic to remember.

It was while they were moving all the boxes and placing them on the tables at the Pavilion that Charles noticed the large TV up in the rafters of the Pavilion. He pointed it out to his 'brothers' and then he noticed a clear box with two remotes in it. He went over to it and pulled them out.

Charles picked up the dual remote that when you turned the TV on the cable box turned on as well. This was exactly like the ones they had inside the house. The boys marveled at the size of the picture and the quality of it. Charles scrolled through the cable guide and they chose a sports program that had skateboarders on and they watched for a few minutes

When the boys were finished with their task, they all went to their 'dad' to thank him for the huge TV up in the Pavilion. He laughed that they finally saw it and told them it had been up there since Thursday. They all gave the man a hug for doing that for them, along with the skate park for them and their friends.

As his 'brothers' began heading upstairs to get cleaned up for the day, Kevin held back and told 'dad' Ken he was glad he had them move those boxes before their shower as he now felt hot and sweaty. The older twin then hugged the man again and thanked him for all the new skating equipment, then hurried to catch up with his 'brothers'.

During their shower, the boys talked about the helmets and other skating equipment their 'dad' bought for them and their friends. Billy asked if that was what Mr. Ken often did. Robert told his older 'brother' his dad did things like that, and used the coin and the key fob as examples. Billy then asked about those. Robert gave him the Reader's Digest version as they finished their shower.

When the boys went upstairs, Mr. Ken went to his own private retreat to get ready for the day. After doing so he waited for the boys to come downstairs and for Mr. Wayne to arrive, so he could get the photo op done and they could all focus on the day.

As soon as Mr. Wayne did arrive Mr. Ken had him go up to the skate park and find a good location and set his camera up. He told the Estate Master he'd get the boys and they'd meet the man up there.

When Mr. Ken and the boys arrived up at the skate park, riding the golf carts, Mr. Wayne had the Covers set up just in front of the hanging banner that said:

 
WELCOME TO THE
GRAND OPENING
OF THE
COVE SKATE PARK

Mr. Ken loved it. The banner would hopefully be in the photo and would look great on his Study wall. He asked the men putting up the decorations up to hold the ribbon as they took the picture.

Mr. Wayne took a half a dozen pictures, to make sure the lighting was right and the boys were all smiling and holding the scissors correctly. Luckily, the camera was a digital, so Mr. Wayne was able to view each and every picture he took to make sure it was worthy of keeping. But the man still took at least six poses.

The caterer arrived as they were taking the pictures and they began to set up over by the Pavilion. After the picture taking was over, the men went back to finish putting the final touches on the decorations for the Grand Opening celebration.

The boys then asked if they could try out the skate park. They reasoned the park was finished and they had essentially just held the Grand Opening and they would be busy helping all their friends get their helmets sized and would miss skating while their friends skated.

Mr. Ken told them to go ahead and get their new equipment on and try out the new Cove Skate Park. Billy drove a six-seater golf cart down to the house and the boys went into the garage and got their new skate equipment. Billy then drove his 'brothers' up to the skate park and the six boys quickly put on their equipment and rushed out onto the new concrete park.

It was then their weekend guests arrived. Owen and Nathan and their three boys, Ryder, Jayden and Chase came through the Main Gate and they parked next to the skate park and got out of their car.

"You have got to be kidding me," exclaimed Nathan, as he came up to Mr. Ken and hugged the man. "Look at this, this playground ... this Skate Park. I can't believe you built this, but I am glad you did and invited us to come this weekend."

"You are so right, Nate," spoke up Owen, as he went over to hug their host for the picnic and the night.

While the men talked, the three boys went over to the Cover boys and began talking. Robert introduced Billy to Ryder, Jayden and Chase. Robert explained their new 'brother' arrived at the end of March, which was why they had never met him.

Kyle told the boys they had new skate equipment for them and for them to follow them over to the pavilion to get it sized for them, so they could skate on the new Cove Skate Park.

Mr. Ken told Owen and Nathan about the new skate equipment when he saw all the boys walking towards the Pavilion, and that they needed it as well if they wanted to skate, too. All the Cover guests were fitted with new skate equipment and then headed out to try out the new Cove Skate Park.

Matthew, true to his word, went over to what might be called a quarter-pipe bowl to try out his moves. He didn't want to embarrass himself, right out of the box, by falling over by attempting something he wasn't ready for. Kyle, Kevin and Chase also went over to the same area, and, since it was a very large half circle, there was enough room for the four without getting into each other's way.

The three older Cover boys and the two adult guests and their two sons headed directly to the deepest skate bowl there was. They each took a position and pushed off and went back and forth and back and forth. They crisscrossed the bowl numerous times laughing the whole time.

'Dad' Ken and Mr. Wayne heard the laughter and walked over to where all the boys and Owen and Nathan were skating. They watched the seven skaters having fun. They then turned around to watch the younger boys on the quarter-pipe. They too were having fun and the men were loving every minute of it.

Mr. Ken knew right then he had made the right decision to build the Cove Skate Park.

The Cover men walked over to the caterers and talked to them as they set up for the picnic that would begin in about 75 minutes. Mr. Wayne reminded them they could to use the grill in the Pavilion as well to cook the hamburgers and hot dogs. Mr. Ken told them there was an ice maker inside the storage room and to let him know if they needed additional ice.

The six Police Explorers arrived around 11 a.m. and had some difficulty getting into the estate grounds. Mr. Wayne went up to the Main Gate to find out what the problem was as these Explorers had been at The Cove on numerous occasions and should be in the database. The thing was a new recruit was added to the mix and wasn't in the database. Mr. Wayne got him registered and then invited the six Police Explorers into the estate.

He had them follow him over to the Pavilion. There he had Billy and Robert give them a helmet and size it to them. The Explorers were perplexed by that, and then the Cover boys gave them new knee, elbow and wrist pads.

"Guys, I hope you brought your signed release forms, so you can use the Cove Skate Park. And in order to do so you need safety gear, which Mr. Thomas has given to you to keep. So, if you'll give me your forms you can try out the park for a few minutes before our guests arrive and you have to go to work," announced Mr. Wayne.

Five of the Police Explorers had the forms. One boy, the new Explorer, didn't know he had to bring it. Mr. Wayne asked him if a parent could stop by and sign one for him. The boy pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call. He and Mr. Wayne then walked over to the Main Gate to wait for the boy's mom to come back to The Cove to sign the release. The new Explorer soon joined his friends out on the new Cove Skate Park.

In the meantime, Mr. Ken had his weekend guests' drive down to the house to get them settled. Owen and Nathan took their suitcases into the house and up to their guest bedroom. They talked for a few minutes, but Mr. Ken told them he needed to get back up to the Skate Park, as the rest of his guests would soon be arriving.

The Cover's guests began to arrive around 11:45. The Police Explorers went to work showing them where to park. As soon as the boys exited the vehicle, the Cover, whose friend just arrived, told them about their gift and took them over to the Pavilion to suit them up. The friends began arriving so quickly that the Police Explorers told the boys and their siblings where to go.

Mr. Ken had asked his guests to hold on for a few minutes as he wanted to have an official ceremony to open the Cove Skate Park. The man called his boys over and asked Owen and Nathan to hold the ceremonial ribbon as he made a few remarks.

After Mr. Ken's short remarks, he and the six boys cut the ribbon and the Cove Skate Park was officially open for the boys and girls, who were there, to use. And the boys and girls immediately rushed out onto the beautiful Cove Skate Park and began using it. Mr. Ken picked up a piece of the ribbon to add to the picture collage when they created it for his Study wall.

Lt. Matthias and Sgt. Roberts saw their chance and went over to Mr. Ken and thanked him for their invitation to the picnic. They introduced their wives and children to the owner of The Cove at the same time. Mr. Ken joked that this was probably their first time they were there on an unofficial visit and they needed to relax and enjoy themselves. He told them to mingle with all the parents and get to know them and learn what they have to say about their boys coming to The Cove.

Mr. Dan saw his fellow officers talking to Mr. Ken, so he went over to talk to his friend, too. He asked his friend if he was spoiling his 'boys' a bit too much with that fantastic Skate Park. All the men and women laughed at Dan's joke. Ken told Dan that he needed a way to keep them occupied, and out of trouble, and since he had a few nickels to rub together he decided to build this small playground. The adults laughed some more.

Bailey Bracen, Matthew's female classmate and friend, sought out the Cover. The two talked about the new Skate Park and the two began skating together. Matthew was happy that his friend was finally over at The Cove and they were having fun skating together. The 'brothers' noticed and smiled at the pair skating and laughing together.

"Billy my man," started Kaden, "this helmet and these protective pads are awesome. And, I can't believe Mr. Ken bought them for everyone here. I take back everything bad I ever thought and said about the man," now laughed the teenager.

"I'm glad you approve," replied Billy. "And what do you think about the Cove Skate Park?"

"I'm glad he made us wait until today. Every element that I've tried so far has been better than any of those I ever tried at the County Skate Park. Everything ... is so smooth and so well placed as to not interfere with other skaters.

"Look around at all of your Cover friends. Everyone is skating and for the most part they aren't bumping into one another. There is enough room for everyone. This is definitely a special place," finished Kaden

"I'm glad you approve, Kaden. Oh, and have you had the chance to talk to Mr. Ken about buying bottled soda and ... and taking the ice dispenser back and saving money by not buying paper cups?" chuckled Lonnie. The other teens laughed right along with Lonnie.

"No, I haven't, and I won't. I see everyone using the ice dispenser and enjoying their drinks out of, yea, cups. Yes, cups. OK, OK, I was wrong. I've even done that myself. Billy ... your 'brother' Matthew ... he knew what he was doing when he asked for the ice dispenser. Oh, and I see the caterer is using the new grill. Was that planned?" asked Kaden.

"Actually, it was," replied Billy. "Mr. Wayne suggested they use the new grill to sort of break it in and get it seasoned for when we start using it. Mr. Wayne figured they would be cooking burgers and dogs practically all day and that would burn the grate really good and coat it with a nice char. I guess when we cook on Sunday we'll know for sure."

The six high school freshmen then went back to enjoying the new Cove Skate Park.

The parents came up to Ken Thomas, one by one, and couldn't say enough about the Skate Park he just opened for all their boys to use. They couldn't believe he would spend all that money to build something, just for his boys and their friends to use.

They added, they were happy he had, as their boys were the happiest, they'd ever been and that they had been looking forward to that day ever since Christmas and today was like Christmas all over again for them.

All Mr. Ken would say, was that his boys, his adopted and foster sons, deserve the best and their friends deserved it as they stuck with them through all the good and bad they've gone through in their lives.

Mr. Ken's VIPs began arriving, fashionably late as usual, and they thanked the man for the invitation. Judge Adam Richards and his wife Kathleen were the first to arrive and they loved the new addition to The Cove. They joked when they asked if there were going to be some surprise special awards given out as there were last Labor Day. Mr. Ken shook his head and smiled at the joke, as he walked away.

Sheriff Barnes took advantage when the Judge and his wife walked away to go over and introduce his wife to their host. The Sheriff told the man he didn't know about the new Skate Park, but was happy he'd done it for his 'boys' sake. He said it would be much easier keeping them safe there than at the county's own Skate Park.

The two also talked about the level of security Mr. Ken had at The Cove. The Sheriff commented that he was surprised there were five armed guards on duty. Mr. Ken told him that with Matthew's mother trying to take him away before the Holidays and the attempted kidnaping of the twins and Robert back in October he wasn't going to take any more chances.

The Sheriff said he totally understood and had hoped that after a time the owner of The Cove would be able to forgo the tightened security and open his estate as he once had when he first moved in more than four years ago. Mr. Ken told Sheriff Barnes that after having someone man the Main Gate 24/7 he'll keep that aspect of The Cove, but maybe not have it armed, if possible.

The Sheriff's Deputies began to stop by The Cove to get a bite to eat. They made sure to thank Mr. Ken for the opportunity to stop by and see the new addition to The Cove. They also made their way over to talk to Dan Fischer who was also there, but not on duty. They talked to the lieutenant as a courtesy, and, of course, they stopped to say hello to the Sheriff and his wife.

And that was how the afternoon went. All the guests watched and when they saw Mr. Ken was not talking to other guests, they made it a point to talk to him. They commented about all the decorations and how good the food was. They again thanked him for having such a great Memorial Day Picnic and the opportunity to talk to all the other parents for longer periods of time, instead of the few minutes here and there at the Main Gate

Mr. Ken then received a call from the security guards. He was asked to come to the Main Gate because they said they had a Mrs. Eleanor Whittier and her grandsons, Luke and Toby, and two other adults there. They told him they said they were invited to the picnic.

Mr. Ken hurried over to the Main Gate to greet his invited guests and get them registered into the database.

"Welcome, welcome to The Cove, Mrs. Whittier, Gramm, and you, too, Luke and Toby. And these must be your parents. I am Ken Thomas and I met Gramm and the boys a few weeks back at the TheaterPlex when I took my six 'boys' to the movies. Let me get you registered into the database, so you can come back again, and again," said Mr. Ken.

While the Whittier's were being registered, Mr. Ken called Robert and Matthew to come to the Main Gate. The two Cover boys got there just as the boy's father was introducing himself and the boys' mom to their host.

"Thank you for inviting us to your ahh ... ahh home?" said the man, with a slight inflection of awe in his voice. "I am Drew, and this is my wife, Ivy. We've often wondered what this place looked like inside the high walls, and when my mom ... when she said she could get us an invite we knew we just had to come. Thank you for inviting us," said Drew Whittier.

"I am very happy you could come to my, our, home. This is Robert. He is one of my adopted sons. And, this is Matthew. He is one of my four foster sons. I asked them to come over so they could take Luke and Toby over to the Pavilion to get them fitted with a helmet and some knee, elbow and wrist pads, so they could safely enjoy the Cove Skate Park.

"I hope you brought the signed release forms with you. If you haven't, I have lots more you can fill out, so the boys can skate. My insurance company ... well, they are requiring the children's parents to sign the release forms before the child can use the Skate Park, water toys out in the cove or ride the WaveRunners or sail my small sailboat," explained Mr. Ken.

Ivy looked at Drew and Gramm knew that look. So, she spoke up and told her son in front of Mr. Ken, to sign the damn forms and stop keeping the boys from having fun. Mrs. Whittier told Drew that it was time he finally wore the pants in his family and started standing up to his wife. Gramm told her son, Drew, she was tired of the boys being placed in the middle of their constant bickering. The matriarch then marched into the estate.

Mr. Ken got some forms from the guard house and Drew Whittier signed the forms right then and there. Drew then drove their vehicle into the estate and the Police Explorers showed him where to park. The Explorers then directed the man and his wife up to the Skate Park and over to the Pavilion to enjoy the foods and the company of the other parents of the boys and girls who were there.

Mary Taylor came over to Ken Thomas to tell him what she thought about the new 'playground' he'd built for the boys. Her son, Ryan, wouldn't be home from college until next week, which was why she was there all by herself.

Ken told Mary he was glad she had stopped by as he was going to call her next week with a proposition for a project. As they walked around, Mr. Ken told her about the office building and its projected completion date of 15 August. The owner of the new office building wanted Mary to use her abilities to furnish his four-bedroom retreat located at the top of the building.

Hearing that intrigued Mary Taylor and she wanted to hear more. Ken told her to stop by next week and he would show her the plans and then take her over to the building and show her what she would be dealing with. He told her she had about three months to do her magic and he wasn't in a big hurry to get it done, but would like it finished by the first of September. Mary told Ken she would call him Tuesday.

Lots of conversations were being held throughout the Cove Skate Park grounds. One such conversation was being held between one Jules Diamond and one Eleanor Whittier. The two older adults found one another in a sea of much younger parents and began to talk. They hit it off right away.

The boys and girls out on the Cove Skate Park rarely took time off to get a burger or hotdog or even a cold drink. They were enjoying the new Skate Park and all its elements and they didn't ever want to stop. Some of the parents did go over and make them eat something, so they wouldn't fall over from not eating at all.

The food was abundant. The Sheriff Deputies who had stopped by earlier spread the word that the food was plentiful and the conversation was good. They added that if they hadn't ever seen the inside of the estate, they needed to go by there and see the new Cove Skate Park Mr. Thomas had built for his adopted sons and foster sons, and their friends. They also suggested they talk to their host, Lt's. Fischer and Matthias and Sgt. Roberts as well as Sheriff Barnes before they leave, to stay in their good graces.

Billy and his friends were not only enjoying the Skate Park, they were also enjoying being asked to show the younger kids how to do some of the tricks they were doing. At times there were a bunch of younger boys standing around watching the high school teenagers skating and explaining what they were doing and not skating themselves.

Mr. Ken went over to see wat that was all about. He was pleasantly surprised the older teenagers were taking the time to show the younger boys and the few girls that were there what they were doing and how they did it.

When the Police Explorers took their breaks, they too got on the Cove Skate Park and showed the boys their moves and how to do them. The boys tried to do them too, but the older teens explained they had to practice, practice, and practice some more, and with that brand-new Skate Park they had the best opportunity to learn the new moves.

Mr. Ken sat and talked with all of the parents and his special guests. Of course, Mary Taylor, Judy Turner, Dan Chassen and Wayne Mitchell got together and talked as they had at all of the previous Cove picnics. Today, they added Abigail Chadwick to their mix.

One part of their conversation focused on Wayne and if he still had the desire to work for CPS. The Estate Master told everyone that working for Mr. Ken was very rewarding as it was almost as if he was working as a CPS case worker.

Wayne explained he had six boys in the household, four of which were foster boys, that he saw every day and interacted with. Kiddingly, he added he didn't have to worry about a budget, write any reports, or report to anyone, except his boss. Everyone laughed including the Director of CPS herself.

Mr. Ken had joined the group and asked Abigail Chadwick if she had been considered for the open Principal's job at Alvin York High School. She said she couldn't comment, but really didn't want the headaches the older teens presented.

To change the subject, she did ask Dan if he had decided to take additional courses to become her vice-principal. Dan said, with a smile, he wasn't at liberty to comment. Everyone laughed.

It was while the close group of friends were talking that Mr. Ken's cell phone rang. He looked at the Caller I.D. and told the group he'd better take the call.

The man walked a few feet away from them, but the group heard him say, "Yes, Jason ... is there a serious problem that you needed to call me?"

... ... ...

"Tell me what happened?"

... ... ...

"When?"

... ... ...

"How many?"

... ... ...

"It is?"

... ... ...

"Thank you, and keep me informed."

... ... ...

"And Jason, you better brush the dust off that report you made for me, and put it on a fresh flash drive. Add all the photos and anything else you may have on Edgewood. Hold onto it for now. Let's stay in touch."

Mr. Ken then walked back to the group. "That was my Resident Administrator, Jason Zimms, at my new Crystal Lake Amusement Park. He called to tell me that there was a major accident at Edgewood, another park I was interested in buying, but passed on it.

"Jason told me, a ride at Edgewood, their Rocket, a steel rollercoaster, jumped off the track and crashed through the supports. Jason tells me there were major casualties and it has been on all of the major news feeds. I'm going to go over to the Pavilion and turn the TV to one of the news stations now to see what is being reported. So, if you'll excuse me," was how Mr. Ken explained his phone call, before he walked away.

When the owner of The Cove arrived at the pavilion, he found the TV/Cable remote and opened up the Guide and looked for the news stations. He then entered the channel number.

 
"This just in from Edgewood Amusement Park. The Rocket, a steel rail two-car rollercoaster (A continuous aerial video view of the smashed supports and crumpled coaster cars lying on the ground was shown on the screen), which held up to six people in each car, at the old Edgewood Amusement Park had jumped off the track and crashed through the steel supports and onto the ground.

 

"There were no deaths reported, but virtually all of the riders were injured in some way or another. The more seriously injured were rushed to local hospitals and were scheduled into operating rooms to repair torn bodies and broken bones.

"Some people near the coaster, when it came crashing off the rails and through the supports, received sprained ankles and scrapes and scratches as they quickly changed direction to get away from the speeding coaster cars as they came crashing to the ground.

"The most seriously hurt were those riders who were inside the Rockets leading enclosed coaster car and could not get out as they were strapped into their coaster car seats. The Park issued a statement saying that a full investigation would be carried out and the results would be released as soon as the report was finalized.

"A state police spokesman said that State Regulators and Amusement Inspectors would be at the park tomorrow first thing in the morning to begin their inspection. Meanwhile, the park remains open."

Mr. Wayne came up to Mr. Ken, as the reporter was finishing his report, and asked his employer what he intended to do. Mr. Ken told his Estate Master he had Jason gather all the information they had on the Edgewood Amusement Park and put it on a fresh flash drive. Mr. Ken said he needed to know what the state intended to do and how they would conduct their investigation.

Mr. Wayne asked his boss if he shouldn't just offer them what he had and let them take it from there. Mr. Ken told his Estate Master he needed to talk to Bill Jackson first, so he knew what his options and his legal obligations were.

Robert and Charles had heard about the major ride accident at Edgewood and they too wanted to know what their dad had planned to do. They knew their dad had wanted to buy that amusement park, but had passed on it.

Billy heard his 'brothers' talking about it to their friends, so he asked them to tell him more. Of course, his friends, but especially Kaden, wanted to know more, as well. All Robert and Charles could tell them was their dad had an inspector look over Edgewood and then they both looked the amusement park over one more time. But their dad passed on buying the property. They said they didn't know any more than that.

The Cove's guests enjoyed the beautiful day, the standard picnic foods and the great conversation. Jules and Eleanor grew to know one another better, as the day moved along, and they even exchanged phone numbers.

What the boys, and the other kids invited to the Memorial Day Picnic, loved the best of the new Cove Skate Park was there were two bowls to skate in and the quarter-pipe area was a large half-circle that gave just about everyone a place to practice on a sloop of some kind.

The older boys, including the Police Explorers, particularly loved the 8-foot deep bowl because it gave them lots of speed they could rise above the rim and then come back onto the bowl. But because of the boys wanting to try those special tricks only one skater could go at a time.

As for the other elongated bowl, it started high, at about 6 feet, and worked its way to a lower end which gave the skater the opportunity to go back-and-forth and up-and-down the sides of the bowl. That way when one skater pushed off another one could wait a few moments and then go themselves.

Some of the skaters also took advantage of the stair steps, the flat rails, the banked extensions, a spine transfer, the grind box, the hubba, a pyramid, and much, much more. The Skate Park gave every level of skater a place where they could go to have fun and not be in the way of the more experienced skaters.

Many of the parents went out onto the skate park and watched their child try to perfect their moves. They smiled when the child did well and cringed when the child fell. But overall, the family group had fun and that was what the picnic was all about.

Mr. Ken did make it a point to go and talk to Drew Whittier. He told the man he was sorry for being there when his mom ragged on him. Drew told his host that his mom was right. That he needed to stop placating his wife and start being more assertive in their marriage.

Drew told Mr. Ken that his wife kept telling him she would divorce him and take the boys with her if he didn't do what she wanted. He laughed and said after today she would probably see a lawyer and start the proceedings.

Mr. Ken told Drew to head her off at the pass and on Tuesday he needed to see his own lawyer. He then gave the man a phone number to call. Drew laughed and asked Mr. Ken if he had the same problem. Mr. Ken said he was still single, but already had two teenage sons. The owner of The Cove then had to give his guest the Reader's Digest version of how they became his sons.

Luke and Toby came looking for their dad. They wanted him to watch them as they skated. The man thanked Mr. Ken for talking to him and for the phone number. The three Whittier's then headed over to the quarter-pipe area of the skate park where the young boys felt conformable on their skateboards.

Before they left him, Mr. Ken told Drew that now that they were in the database the boys could come over to The Cove any time the Covers would be home. The two boys were flabbergasted by hearing that. They both looked at their dad and asked if they really could come back.

Mr. Ken suggested that Gramm be volunteered and that Robert and Matthew would be their contacts here and for the boys to bring their new skating equipment and a swimsuit and towel for some possible swimming. The boys walked away excitedly talking about coming back.


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