After Dan talked to the lads about his staying there at The Cove, he went inside and went about the chore of washing his clothes. Having four units to use at the same time made that job all that much easier. He even chose the longer settings to try to get his clothes much cleaner than the washers and dryers he uses in the apartment complex where he lives.
When Dan was finished with his wash, he searched out Ken and asked him to show him around some more. Ken took the man upstairs and had him pick which en suite he wanted to use. Ken explained the Three-Knock Rule to Dan. He explained he didn't want the deputy to arbitrarily go into one of the lads' bedrooms, without being told he could enter.
Ken then explained to Dan how the lads would cook burgers and hot dogs in the afternoon for their friends, and they knew how to do it. Ken asked him not to interfere. He explained all the boys helped get the stuff out. So, he'd see some of the lads inside getting what they needed. He told Dan the lads would set it all up and when they were done they'd also clean up after themselves and put what was left back where it belonged.
It was then Ken told Dan to get his suit on and they'd go out on the PWCs and enjoy the afternoon. The two men got down to the dock just as Todd was finishing up refueling the PWCs.
"Dan, I want you to meet my Beach Master, Todd, Todd Foster. Todd, this is Sheriff Deputy Dan Fischer and he'll be staying at The Cove the next few weeks while he recuperates from his gunshot wound," was how Mr. Ken introduced the two.
"So, Todd, what is it that you do here for Mr. Ken?" asked Dan.
"Well, I take care of the beach … well actually the whole shore line and I keep it clean. I take care of the dock and Mr. Ken's boats and the PWCs. I make sure they are full of fuel but until I get my driver's license someone has to go with me to the fuel dock.
"Mr. Ken … I hear Ryan is going away on a trip with his mom and when he gets back, he'll be getting his stuff together to go off to college. I won't have my license until September, so I want you to know an adult will have to go with me to get the fuel for the Commander and the PWCs. Just so you know, Mr. Ken," Todd explained.
"Thank you, Todd, just let me know when you need to do that. By the way, Dan will be here along with Mr. Chris, so if you need to get fuel ask one of them to go. My bet is Dan will want to go. That way he can get behind the wheel and take her out for a spin," laughed Mr. Ken.
Todd told the men the PWCs were full of fuel and the life vest locker was open. He asked them to lock the locker back up when they finished. Then, Todd went home after waving to the lads out on the water toys. The men checked out their Wave Runners, each put on a life vest and took off out onto the lake.
As they were slowly riding along so Dan could get used to the machine, Dan asked, "Ken, why doesn't Todd swim with the lads?"
"Well, Todd will be sixteen soon and the lads are all thirteen or younger. He will swim with the guys if there is someone his age, or older, there, too. He usually swims when Ryan or Collin are there, but his job is to take care of the boats, dock, and beach as well as the shore line. He's done a good job for me leveling the side yard where we park the cars during parties. Also, something you might not know is … well, it's just him and his mom. I wanted him to have this job so … well, I'd rather he have this job than someone who really doesn't need the money," was how Ken answered the question.
Back at the estate, the youngsters were getting hungry. As they usually did, they all went in to the patio, set up the grill and got out all the foods and accoutrements needed to have a successful cookout or barbeque. Charles and Robert cooked this time around. As they cooked, they kept an eye out for their 'dad' and Mr. Dan, so they could offer them something to eat as well.
Since they used a gas grill, it was easy enough for Robert to turn it back on when he saw his 'dad' and Mr. Dan coming back from their ride. The men tied up the PWCs, locked them down, put their vests back in the storage locker and locked it as Todd asked.
"Hey 'dad', Mr. Dan, how many burgers do you want?" yelled down Robert.
Ken looked to Dan to see how hungry he was and then yelled up to his 'boys', "Two each."
The men joined the lads up on the patio and as they ate their burgers, they talked to the boys. Dan was trying to learn all their names, but with fourteen lads and him knowing only about half of them, he was at a disadvantage, for now. The lads wanted to know how the Wave Runner's ran and that brought up Charles asking why they didn't use them more. The simple answer was, there were way too many kids there all the time that they couldn't make it fair for all of them to ride. That wasn't the answer Charles wanted to hear, but he knew it was true.
When it came time for the lads to head home, they congregated up at the Main Gate and waited for their parents to come and get them. Mr. Ken told Dan he didn't go up there because one of the single mothers has been trying to get him to take her out on a date. He told him the worst part was her son knew what she was trying to do and he didn't want it to happen any more than he did. Dan had a good laugh over that story.
That night, the three residents of Three Finger Cove, and their guest, went over to Four Corners Diner for dinner. The boys liked going to that side of the double-sided eatery since they didn't have to get too cleaned up to go eat. They did have to wash their hands, up to their elbows, and that brought out another funny story the boys told Dan about. The Deputy had another good laugh.
Charles again asked his earlier question, "'Dad', why don't we use the WaveRunners more? They just sit there and they are a lot of fun."
"'Son', as I mentioned earlier, there are way too many boys to make it practical for us to take them out. If it were just you and your 'brothers' then we could do it, but what about all the other lads? Can you figure out a way to make it so everyone gets to ride?" replied 'dad' Ken.
"Well, you could buy a few more," smiled Charles.
"I don't think so, since we don't even use the ones we have," teased back 'dad' Ken.
"Honestly, 'dad' can we use them some more before it gets too cold? In three weeks, well, we'll be going back to school, and then we'll only have the weekends because it will start getting darker soon," whined Charles.
"Okay, Charles, I'll see what we can do. But, I'm telling you now … your friends are NOT going to like that we go out and they stay back," honestly replied 'dad Ken.
Again, that was not what Charles wanted to hear, but it began to sink in that with sixteen boys and only three PWCs it wasn't going to work. They continued to eat and when they were finished, Robert asked if they could play some miniature golf. Dan hadn't been to that course since he had no one to take, so he was honestly looking forward to trying it out.
The boys laughed hard at Dan as he played miniature golf. Of course, the man wasn't used to the course, so he had a tendency to over hit the ball or bounce it off the wrong bumper or rock or whatever. 'Dad Ken had to laugh at the man, too, but he was happy at least the boys weren't watching him that close.
While the foursome played along, many people did come up to Dan and ask how he was doing after being shot. They sounded truly concerned, but afterwards Dan told Ken that he didn't know any of the people, who stopped by. He did admit it felt good that they at least knew who he was and what happened to him. The rest of the night went well for the man.
When they got back to The Cove, the phone line in Mr. Ken's Study was blinking indicating his answering machine had some messages. Mr. Ken decided to listen to the messages, so he'd get an idea of what the calls were all about. The first call was from Joyce. She wanted to know if she could take him out to dinner to show her appreciation for allowing her son, Camden, to enjoy all the fun things at Three Finger Cove. Mr. Ken just shook his head and Dan laughed knowing what that was all about. Charles and Robert lightly laughed, as well, because they knew that Camm felt embarrassed over the way his mom was acting around Mr. Ken.
The next four messages were all in support of his allowing Deputy Dan to recuperate from his gunshot wound at his home and also to provide additional adult supervision for the boys. The parents also hoped that Officer Dan would interact with the boys and talk to them about things that could help keep them out of trouble. All Ken could do was to look over at Dan and ask the question with his eyes. Dan smiled and said he'd do what he could.
"'Dad', what say we all go swimming?" asked Charles.
Soon, all three Covers and their guest were frolicking in the cool and clean waters of the estate's indoor pool. Mr. Ken had to remind his 'boys' that Dan was still recuperating from his gunshot wound just as Charles was still recuperating from his surgery. Mr. Ken asked the boys to not be too rough in their pool play. They swam for about two hours, and by then they all decided they were tired and decided to get out and go to bed.
Robert called Eric and they talked for another hour, so it was going on midnight when he went to bed. Charles still hadn't found as good as a best friend as his 'brother' Robert had in Eric, although he really liked Camm and James. But, he figured he still had yet to meet the rest of the 7th grade and he might yet find the right one.
Ken and Dan had a glass of wine as a nightcap and they discussed the deputy's decision for agreeing to stay with the boys as he went off on a few trips. Dan said he really did want to stay there. The man explained how he always enjoyed being around kids but he knew the pitfalls of the life of a married policemen, and that was why he hadn't gotten married yet.
Dan told Ken that he'd been thinking about how he could get involved with kids, but his job always came first. The deputy said his volunteering would give him a taste of what it is to be around a bunch of younger lads and if he really is cut out to do that, and that was his quandary. He didn't know what he could do to help or how to do it.
Ken asked him if he was involved with the Police Explorer's. Learning he wasn't, Ken asked if he had thought about being a Big Brother to a kid. Getting a negative response to that, he asked if he was ever a Boy Scout or coach for football or basketball. Dan answered in the negative for all those ideas, too, but in his defense he said his odd hours had kept him from trying any of those. Ken then asked what he wanted to do to help kids. Again, Dan wasn't sure what he wanted to do, or even could do. Ken told him to talk to Ms. Judy. He made a bet she could help point him in the right direction.
The men finished their wine and decided to head on to bed. Both men thought about their conversation some before finally drifting off to sleep.
The men were up at 8:15 and Ken laughed at Dan being an early riser. Dan just told him, that after all those years of being a police officer, he had learned to get a full eight hours of sleep no matter what time he laid down. The men enjoyed their coffee and Ken read his morning newspaper. Chief walked into the Kitchen Nook and went to Mr. Ken for some ear scratches and when the man stopped she went over to Dan and he gave her some, too. She then went out of the room and probably up to one of the lads' bedrooms.
It was a little after 9 AM when the two resident lads of The Cove came down for breakfast. They said good morning to the men and the boys hugged their 'dad'. They shook hands with Dan. Then, they saw the men hadn't had anything to eat so they asked if they all could go over to the diner to eat. The men quickly got changed to go out.
At the Four Corners Diner, the four customers from The Cove sat down at a nice booth. Their waitress stopped by with coffee in-hand and asked the small group if they knew what they wanted. Mr. Ken got his usual and so did Robert and Charles. Dan wasn't sure but when he heard Ken get the two eggs, two pancakes, two sausages, two hash browns and two bacon slices and of course coffee he asked for it, too.
"Do you three eat here often?" asked Dan.
"Not really, Dan, we might come over here for Breakfast two or three times a month and it usually is over the weekends when Momma Maria is off," answered Ken.
"It is nice to come over here," said Charles. "Here we can get something totally different than the breakfast burritos Momma Maria has waiting for us in the freezer when she isn't there."
"Yeah, she is a good cook and you'll get to experience that while you're staying at The Cove. She'll be happy she has a new guest to cook for, so don't be surprised if she makes some real good Mexican dishes," added Ken Thomas.
The lads' drinks came just before their meals, then the four ate in a quiet peace. As they finished their breakfast, Dan asked the boys if they were ready to go out on the WaveRunners. The boys looked at their 'dad' if he was going to object and seeing a smile on his face the lads readily agreed.
The car had barely stopped when the lads exited and headed to the indoor pool area to get their swimsuits on. Dan asked Ken why they ran there and he told him that the boys and their friends changed there and used the lockers for their clothes. He further explained that when they all changed at the end of the day the lads threw their wet suits and towels into the huge dryer and then they are dry and ready for the next time. Hearing that made Dan chuckle but it did make sense.
The men headed to their en suites and changed into their own swimsuits. The four met at the beach where Robert had all three PWCs unlocked and ready for the walk around and check before going out on the lake.
Christy and Megan got there just as the four were ready to head out, so Robert asked them to tell their friends they'll be back in a little while. That said, Robert and Dan got on the WaveRunners and 'dad' Ken, with Charles at the controls, slowly rode the Jet Ski. They all went out through the lagoon entrance and out to the lake. Once out on the lake the three drivers put on the gas.
The lad's friends began arriving and they went on over to the ramps as they always did. After fifteen minutes and neither Robert or Charles came out, they sent Eric to the house to find out what was going on. Eric found the house was locked up so he went around to the other side to see if the college girls knew anything. Eric found out what he needed to know, so he headed back to the ramps.
"Guys, it looks like Mr. Ken, Mr. Dan, Robert and Charles have headed out on the PWCs. The girls were told to tell us they'd be back soon. I guess we just need to ride the ramps until they get back," explained Eric.
"They could be out there all day," moaned Chuck. "You heard Charles asking why they didn't ride them more. My bet is Deputy Dan was the one who asked to go out on them."
"So, what Chuck? They deserve to ride them. I bet with us coming here every day Robert and Charles haven't gotten to do much of anything," argued Brad. "We should be happy that Mr. Ken doesn't take Robert and Charles out more than he has."
"Remember guys, next week Mr. Ken and Charles are going on a trip for at least three days and after that Mr. Ken is taking me and Robert on at least a 7 day trip. Deputy Dan will be staying here and helping Mr. Chris out watch out for us. I understand a few of you are going on your own trip, so there won't be as many guys on the ramps. Maybe we'll get some good practice in," Eric said, to tease those who would be gone.
"Yeah, and soon we'll all be back in school," spoke up Logan, "and then we'll only be able to come over on the weekend. I sure am going to miss all the fun we've had over here this summer."
The lads talked amongst themselves about the changes that were going to happen over the next few weeks. They didn't like them, but they knew time moved on and they all had to move with it. They also knew school would be starting up soon, and that sort of depressed them all, too
It was James who then spoke up and said, "Well … football practice will begin tomorrow for me, so this will probably be the last time I'm over here for the next few weeks. Our games are on Saturday mornings, so I might be able to stop over afterwards or on Sunday. I'll just have to talk to Charles at school about it."
The boys began skating but there was no enthusiasm in it. Some of the lads continued to talk amongst themselves about what was going to happen in the next three weeks and trying to figure out how things were going to change with them. Some wondered if they were still going to be allowed to come over and skate.
Soon, they all heard the scream of the PWCs come around and head towards The Cove. Then the engine noise cut way back, so they knew Robert and Charles were back. They all headed over to the beach to welcome them back.
"That was a lot of fun, 'dad'" the kids heard Charles yell to Mr. Ken. "Thanks for suggesting that Mr. Dan."
"Boys, help us tie up the PWCs. Maybe the lads who have passed the Coast Guard Course will want to take them out. What do you say men? Remember lads, if you do take the PWCs out you have to be 18 to carry someone on with you. And don't stray too far as we used up a good amount of the fuel on our trip," called out Mr. Ken, when he got off his Jet Ski.
"Do you mean it, Mr. Ken?" asked Eric.
"Sure, you guys took that course and haven't had the opportunity to ride them all summer, so why not now. I'm sorry I didn't let you guys ride them more this summer but … well, they'll be here for you to use, but remember to stay close," added Mr. Ken. "And don't forget to tell Todd to gas them up."
Hearing they could ride the PWCs, the guys who took the course back in the spring headed to the house to get into their suits. Unfortunately, Mr. Ken hadn't unlocked the pool door, so they had to wait for him to get up there. When he did Eric, Chuck, Trevor, Brad and Gordon ran inside to change and get out there. The first three would get to ride first.
Robert and Charles stayed down with the PWCs and Eric, Brad and Chuck were the lucky ones to get there first. They put on a Life vest, checked the fuel, inspected their machines and then started them up. Robert said they should only go for about fifteen minutes so the others don't have to wait so long.
While the lucky teens got to ride the PWCs the rest headed up to get changed and then they all went out to the water toys. Without a machine to watch from, the lifeguards had to swim out and stand on the platform to watch over the lads. The first three came back after about fifteen minutes and then Trevor and Gordon and Robert jumped on. The six lads traded off once more before Robert and Eric put the machines up for the day.
Dan went inside and changed and then went down to the dock to watch the boys play on the water toys. He also got to watch the six lads ride the PWCs and he saw how careful they were and treated the machines like they were their own.
When it came time to cook, Dan asked if he could do the honors. The lads said "Thank you, but NO Thanks," as that was what they did and they enjoyed doing it. They told Mr. Dan that none of their parent's allow them to cook and this is the only place they get to do it. They told him Mr. Ken treats them like they are responsible kids. They told him they appreciated the trust Mr. Ken has in them and they want to show him that they are.
So, Dan sat back and watched the boys set up the grill, get out the burgers and hot dogs and begin to cook. He also watched the other lads get out the cold sodas and utensils and set up the serving table. The deputy couldn't believe how organized the lads were and how they knew what they were doing. There was no one in actual charge, but he did notice the lads did defer to Robert and Charles, but neither of those boys claimed to be the boss.
One lad was asked to go up to get Mr. Ken when it was time to eat. When the owner of The Cove came down, he thanked the lads for cooking. The lads let Mr. Ken and Mr. Dan go first and after that the lads just fixed their plates and ate in small groups. Some of the lads came over to Mr. Ken and thanked him for letting them cook and for providing the burgers and hot dogs all summer.
Some of the lads also came over and thanked Mr. Ken for making The Cove a great place for them and allowing them to come there all summer and have fun like they never had before. Some of the younger lads even had a few tears in their eyes when they thanked the man.
Dan watched the boys ride their skateboards at the ramps and was impressed at the skills they all had. He did notice Charles was not as aggressive as many of the other lads were but he figured Charles was still holding back due to his recent surgery.
Before the lads knew it, the clock showed it was going towards 6 PM, so the boys began walking up towards the Main Gate to wait for a parent to take them home. Dan walked up with them so he could get to meet some of the lads' parents. He was still trying to remember all their names and he hoped meeting a parent or two would help him in that regard.
"Well, hello," said Joyce, when she saw Dan Fischer out at the Main Gate. "Camm told me a Sheriff's Deputy was staying here for a few weeks, so that must be you."
"Yes, ma'am," replied Dan.
"Why be so formal? My name is Joyce, Joyce Cambelle. And what might your name be?" smiled Joyce, as she looked the officer up and down and liked what she saw.
"I'm Dan, Dan Fischer," said Dan.
"Oh, yes, you were one of the officers injured during that last shoot out with the drug gang, weren't you?" spoke up Joyce.
"Yes, yes I was," stated Dan.
Some of the other parents heard the conversation between Dan and Joyce, so they walked over to introduce themselves. Dan got to meet Barbara Sullivan, Brad's mom; Ellie Orbauch, Cody's mom; and Cora Xions, Josh's mom. They all talked for a few minutes before their kids got impatient and they had to get them home and fed.
Joyce was the last parent to leave, but before she left she asked Dan about Ken and why he hadn't been up to the gate the last few times. Dan told her the man was getting ready to take his boys on some trips and was working on the final arrangements. Dan explained that one trip was 3 days long and beginning Tuesday and the other was scheduled for at least 7 days and would begin next Saturday. That seemed to satisfy the woman who ran her hands up and down Dan's arm as she talked to him. Dan had to laugh at her antics and now knew firsthand what Ken Thomas was dealing with concerning that woman.
"I met your woman friend," chuckled Dan, as he walked into the Study.
"Oh, how lucky," smirked Ken.
"She rubbed her hands up and down my arm as we talked. That was weird but sort of nice at the same time," revealed Dan.
Ken Thomas smiled at what Dan just told him as he remembered how it felt the first time the woman did that to him at JC Penney's. He now wondered that with him gone for practically the next two weeks if Dan would become her 'man of interest' during that time.
Dan watched his friend, Ken, sitting behind his desk, thinking. He wondered what the man was thinking about, but it didn't matter to him. Dan did his own thinking and thought back to the few times he'd visited The Cove and saw the inside. He compared it to what he'd been introduced to now that he was going to be a guest for the next few weeks. The next few weeks was something he was really looking forward to.
Ken looked up from his desk and said, "Dan … be careful around Joyce. From what I've learned, she has gone through a number of men, but hasn't met the man of her dreams or who she would want to be her son's new dad. If you get a chance … talk to Camm. He'll fill you in on how his mom operates and what he feels she is up to.
"I know she'd love to 'catch' me, but I am not interested in marrying a much older woman. If push comes to shove … I may have to tell her outright that I am not interested. She's been trying to get me to take her out, but the last time we talked she asked me out to pay me back for all I've given Camm."
"Yes, after talking to her … I got the distinct feeling she'd love to get to know me better. She is a very lovely gal but … well, after being a bachelor for as long as I have I am not interested in jumping into a relationship. At least, I am not leaning in that direction," laughed Dan, as he explained what he felt.
The two men talked some more when Charles entered the Study.
"'Dad' … have you made final arrangements for our trip to Dallas, yet?" asked Charles.
"I don't have all the final arrangements, Charles. I do know we'll catch the plane at San Antonio Business terminal at about 9:30 Tuesday morning. Why do you want to know, 'son'?" finished Mr. Ken.
"I was just wondering what our plans were and if you planned any rain delays into the schedule, 'dad'," answered Charles. "I know I gave you a short list of things we can do, I just hope the weatherman cooperates."
"You know 'son', all the weather man can do it tell us what to expect. He doesn't make the weather which means we'll have to deal with what we get. Have you looked at the projected weather for our time in Dallas?" queried 'dad' Ken.
"Well, I have looked ever since you told me we'd get to go, and I've seen the weather projects change from 80% rain back to 20% and now they say it's 30% for Tuesday. That's the day of the Rangers game, 'dad'. I don't want to miss it," explained Charles.
"Well, 'son' the Rangers play Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, this week, so if we miss Tuesday we'll just have to change our plans, won't we," replied 'dad' Ken.
"Yeah, I guess," sort of whined, Charles,
"Come over here 'son'," called out 'dad' Ken.
Charles went over to his 'dad' who grabbed him into a hug and pulled him onto his lap.
"Charles, I take it you are all hyped up for this trip, aren't you? I also take it you have things planned out and you want this to be the best trip of your life, don't you, 'son?" stated 'dad' Ken.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I've never been on a trip of any kind, 'dad', and I want us to do everything we can in the short time we'll be there," confirmed Charles.
"Yes, 'son' I understand what you are saying. I totally get that you want this to be the best thing you've ever had the chance to do. … And, you know what? I want it to be the best for you, too and I'll do whatever I can to make it that way. We could have gone down to Houston but as I told you I took Collin and then Robert there, so I need to do something different as well. And, you also know what? You were the one who looked up the things for us to do so that will make it even all that much better because we're doing what you want not what I want, like I did for Collin and Robert.
"Charles, keep in mind this will not be the only trip we'll take. You know I took Robert and Eric on a Disney cruise and that is what I did with Collin, too. Looking forward, it is very likely we'll do a cruise, too, one day, but that is something we'll have to wait to see when that can happen.
"Now, tomorrow, you and I are going out to buy you some new clothes for this trip. And, when I get back with your two 'brothers' … we're going out to get you more new clothes for school. What do you say about all that?" declared Mr. Ken.
"Thanks, 'dad' for talking with me about this trip. Yes, I am anxious about going and I feel my insides are going to explode because I can't wait for us to go. I am looking forward to it just being you and me, 'dad'. Sure we've sat and talked but … well, there will be no friends or Robert getting in the way," said Charles.
'Dad' and 'son' hugged and Charles left the Study. Dan raised his eyebrows at his friend Ken and Ken just smiled back.
"So, that's what it is like to have a lad around 24/7?" started Dan. "How did you know what to say and how to say it? I watched, and I had no clue how I would have handled that," offered Dan Fischer.
"Dan … you need to remember, I learned from Collin and then from Robert on what to say and how to say it. Sometimes, I wing it, but mostly I think about what the lad needs to hear and I have to adjust what I want to say to what needs to be said. After a time it sort of comes easy, at least, that's how I view it. You should try it," smiled and then laughed Ken Thomas.