Ken Thomas woke up at 8:15 that Monday morning. He took care of his morning needs and then went outside to get his morning newspaper. The man found the day was overcast and cool for such a late May date, but he knew that was Texas and the old adage was, 'Wait fifteen minutes and the weather will change.' The man laughed at his own thought, then went inside to have his first cup of coffee.
As the boys filtered down a little later, they asked him if he had put any breakfast tacos into the convection oven for them. 'Dad' Ken reminded them that if that was what they wanted for breakfast they needed to set them out the night before, so they didn't take long to warm up.
The boys complained that he was the 'dad' and it was his job to take care of them.
'Dad' Ken said he was teaching them to be self-sufficient and responsible young men and until they stopped relying on someone else to do what they themselves could and should do they would never learn the lesson.
"Dad ... if we get ready ... would you take us out to breakfast?" asked Charles.
Mr. Ken knew that question was coming. He noticed that none of the boys had attempted to get their breakfast started and had hung back behind Charles knowing he was going to ask that question.
"So, you all want to go out for breakfast, I take it?" replied 'dad' Ken.
The boys all said, "Yes!" in unison.
"OK, you have twenty minutes. Be down here and ready to go, or I will leave you behind. Go!" announced 'dad' Ken.
The boys scrambled to hurry up the stairs to get their showers and get dressed and down to the Kitchen Nook in those twenty minutes their 'dad' had given them. Billy asked if Mr. Ken would really leave them behind if they weren't ready. Kyle told him they weren't going to test that and they all hurried to get cleaned up, dressed and down to the Nook in time.
Mr. Ken went back to his private retreat to get ready. He didn't rush, but he didn't take his time. He wondered how long the boys would wait before they would send Robert to his door to tell him to hurry up.
The boys were down in the Kitchen Nook in the allotted time. But 'dad' Ken was nowhere to be found. Kevin started to complain that he told them to be down there in twenty minutes, but he wasn't and that wasn't fair.
Charles told Kevin, "Can it. He gave us twenty minutes, but he didn't say how long he was going to take. Now, just sit back and wait until he comes out. Just be happy he is taking us out at all. You know how much he'd rather sit at the table, drink his coffee and read his morning paper than go out to breakfast."
Mr. Ken came out five minutes later with a smile on his face. He asked them where they wanted to go, while reminding them their friends would be there in two and half hours. The Covers loaded into the Sprinter van while mentioning the different places they could go.
Charles called Mr. Wayne to tell him they were going out for breakfast, but they hadn't decided yet. It was the Estate Master who said to meet him at IHOP.
'Dad, Mr. Wayne said to meet him at IHOP, as he was buying," announced Charles.
'Dad' Ken smiled and drove in that direction.
The Covers all enjoyed a great breakfast. Mr. Ken especially enjoyed eating there as the building was well lit inside, the service was quick and the food was pretty good, but not as good as Momma Maria's. Another benefit of eating at IHOP was, Mr. Wayne was buying.
The Covers returned to The Cove in time to meet their friends just as they began to arrive. Billy, Robert and Charles went with their 'dad' in order to change their clothes and get the golf carts, while the other three greeted their friends. When the older three returned to the Pavilion, the younger three went to change and then returned back to the Skate Park.
Mr. Ken also changed into comfortable clothes and then called Amy Ozarker. The lawyer thanked the man for calling then telling him she was going to call him if he hadn't called. She told him she and Jason had talked and she was now looking through the report, pictures and videos to get a feel for what he'd done during that first inspection.
Mr. Ken then told the lawyer he was flying out there later that evening and would be there for two days. Ms. Ozarker was relieved to hear that, telling the man that the State Investigators contacted Jason and were planning to visit tomorrow around 10 a.m. to talk to him.
With the phone call over, Mr. Ken gave Mr. Wayne the additional items he wanted Mr. Chris to order for the beach and lifeguards to have as they watched over the swimmers that coming summer.
He also said they needed to figure a better way for the lifeguards to watch over the boys instead of using the PWCs, or personal watercraft, i.e. the WaveRunners. The man told Wayne for him and Chris to research floating lifeguards stands, and if there weren't any to see if they could have something fabricated. Mr. Ken then went back to his bedroom to pack for his trip.
Mr. Wayne saw he had his work cut out for him while the boss was away. Lucky for him Mr. Ken gave him and Chris a road map with which to follow. The Estate Master wondered to himself why last year there wasn't a need for all this new stuff, but all of sudden Mr. Ken wanted to play it safe.
Then it dawned on him; that his employer was not being safe. Last year he allowed the boys to have fun and had hired lifeguards, so they would be safe. Now, it was all about SAFETY. His insurance company was watching what he did and everything he was looking at was focused on the safety of the boys out in the cove. Now, the Estate Master understood.
The gate guard called the house and the phone rang at the Study desk, and with Mr. Ken getting ready for the day, Mr. Wayne answered it. The guard was calling to let them know the sailing instructor was approaching with his sailboats in tow, and would be tying up at the dock in about ten minutes. Mr. Wayne thanked the man and headed out to the dock.
Matthew also saw the power boat with six small sailboats being towed behind it and he told his friends who were taking the sailing lessons. He also told Charles and all twelve boys who were taking the sailing lessons went to the bottom of the driveway, so they could go over to the dock to watch the man bring the training sailboats to the cove.
The twelve boys watched the man bring the six small sailboats to the dock and tie them up. Mr. Wayne went and introduced himself to the man and explained who he was. The Estate Master then motioned the boys over, so they too could meet their instructor. After the introductions and a few words of encouragement from the instructor, the boys went away all pumped and ready for Thursday morning.
Billy and his friends were thoroughly enjoying the Cove Skate Park. They never thought that day would ever get there and now after three days they were ecstatic over the unfettered access they had to all the elements of the new Park.
Jamie and Gabe's younger brothers couldn't believe their luck to not only be invited to The Cove to skate, but to be able to come back again, day after day. Jameson, Jonathan, Damian and Xavier had talked to their other friends after the picnic on Saturday and they couldn't believe they each got a brand new Three Finger Cove embossed helmet and matching knee, elbow and wrist pads, to boot.
The friends of the four new Cover friends wondered if they'd ever get the chance to try the Skate Park out. All the Portlander and Knowlers' brothers could tell them was that the Covers were going to be away for ten days, and that they needed to wait until they returned to see if anyone else would be allowed to try it. The one thing the brothers did tell their friends was there was a release form their parents would need to sign before they could even put their skateboard on the concrete.
"Billy, do you think Mr. Ken will let you invite any of those women who hung around you after your run-in with Mr. Stanley?" asked Lonnie.
"Well, he told us not to invite anyone until after we returned from our ten-day trip. But even then, I would ask him first before I did something like that. If he did allow me, he'd probably tell me no more than two at first; just like he did with you guys," replied Billy.
"That would be so cool to have some nice-looking babes here, don't you think?" spoke up a laughing Kaden.
As the teenagers were talking about the opposite sex, one of the security guards came over to Billy and told him there was someone at the Main Gate wanting to talk to him. Billy asked the man if he knew who it was and all the man could say was that it was a few young ladies.
Billy smiled and thanked the guard. Billy and his friends quickly followed the man over to the Main Gate to see who it was. Outside the gate was Maya, Melanie and Rebecca who was called Becky. The six boys walked outside to talk to the three freshman women.
"What brings you by, ladies?" asked Billy.
Becky took the question and told Billy that she, Maya and Melanie thought they'd stop by and see the new Cove Skate Park they heard was now open. She asked if they could come in and see it.
Billy told the girls that he wasn't sure, and that he'd have to ask Mr. Ken. So, the Cover pulled out his cell phone and called his foster dad. When the man answered, Billy quickly told the man that the girls just stopped by, without him asking them too, but was wondering if he could invite them in to see the Skate Park anyway.
Mr. Ken knew the day would happen when Billy would ask if he could invite some of the girls, he knew at school over to The Cove. The owner of The Cove figured today could be a test to see how well behaved the girls would be, and if everything went well, the other boys might also ask if they could invite other friends over for a day of skating.
"Bill, yes, you can invite them in. But ... they cannot skate without their parents signing a release form! You do understand that, right? Explain that Rule to them before they are allowed to enter. And they are not to be entered into the database. And, Bill ... have fun," said Mr. Ken before he hung up the call.
"Yes, Mr. Ken said I can invite you in. But ... you cannot skate. His insurance company is requiring anyone that does intend to skate must have their parents sign a release form before they can do so. I hope you understand. Are you ready to see the new Cove Skate Park?" finished Billy.
Billy told the guards the girls were guests today only, and wouldn't be entered into the database. That done, the nine teens walked into the estate. The girls had been inside the estate as young girls for the 4th of July Picnics and Easter Egg Rolls, but this was going to be something new and different.
The girls were thoroughly impressed by what they saw. They couldn't believe Mr. Ken had built such a large and extensive Skate Park for his 'boys' and all of their friends. As the girls walked around, the other boys were surprised to see them. Not since the ramps were first built down in the Parking corral had girls come to The Cove to watch the boys skate.
The other boys talked amongst themselves, why there were girls there and they went over to Robert and Charles and asked them. Robert pulled Billy aside to ask him if his dad knew he invited the girls into the estate.
Billy told his 'brother' the guard came to him and told him the girls were outside the gate and wanted to see him. He added he called Mr. Ken to ask if he could invite them in to see the Skate Park. Billy told Robert his dad told him he could, but that they were not to skate and they were guests and not to be entered into the database.
Robert thanked Billy for the 411 and went back to his 'brothers' and friends and told them what Billy told him. The Cover said if his dad said it was OK then they should just go with it. Kevin said he thought they weren't supposed to ask anyone over until they came back from their trip. Robert said Billy didn't invite them, they just showed up.
As the freshman girls walked around the fairly large Park, Kaden and Brett began to use the deep bowl to skate to show off what they could do. The girls stood on the edge of the bowl and watched and smiled at their fellow classmates.
After a few minutes of skating, Kaden went to the girls and asked them if they wanted to give it a try. Billy was astounded that his friend would ask that even after he told the girls out at the Main Gate, they could not skate unless their parents signed a release form.
"Kaden ... do you want to be the first person banned from The Cove?" asked Billy, in a very loud vice that everyone on the Skate Park heard him.
"What? Why?" stammered out Kaden.
"You know why, Kaden! Mr. Ken said they could watch, but they couldn't skate without a signed release form. If you let them use your skateboard ... they will not only be asked to leave you will be leaving, too!" advised Billy. "And you will never be coming back for breaking a known Rule."
"You wouldn't do that ... would you?" asked a cautious Kaden.
"Yes, I would ... and Mr. Ken would expect me to. You knew from the very first time we talked about you coming over here that going against Mr. Ken's Rules would get you uninvited. No one has ever been banned from coming back. But you could be the first.
"Maya, Melanie and Becky ... I'm sorry you had to hear that, but my foster dad ... he has these Rules for us to follow for a reason. This one about skating is from his insurance company and if you were to get hurt and he didn't have the signed release then ... well, I wouldn't want to see what the fallout would be."
The Cover boys watched and heard how their older 'brother' handled Kaden and were impressed that Billy would actually ban the teenager if he had to. The rest of the boys were surprised that Kaden would be such a jerk, as to challenge a major Rule that Mr. Ken personally set in place, because of his insurance requirements.
Kaden apologized to Billy and the girls for doing what came natural and not thinking about what Mr. Ken required there at the Cove Skate Park. That admission diffused the tension and everyone went back to skating.
The three younger Covers were still uncertain about the girls being there and what happened between Billy and Kaden. Charles said they should talk about it after dinner. Matthew then reminded them that their 'dad' was going away later that afternoon and wouldn't be there after dinner. Charles countered by telling his 'brothers' that Mr. Wayne had the same authority when their 'dad' was gone, so he would help them.
Lonnie, Gabe and Jamie joined the other two freshmen in the deep skate bowl. They each took their turn and showed off to the girls. Billy decided to stand by the girls and bask in being by them, smiling the entire time.
Billy did get eventually out on the skating surface and did a few tricks to impress the girls. As he was doing that Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne decided to drive on up there and meet the new guests.
The Cover men came up to the older Cover and said, "So, Bill ... how about introducing your friends to me and Mr. Wayne."
"Oh, hi, Mr. Ken, Mr. Wayne, this is Maya, Melanie and Becky. Of course, they are in our class and they wanted to see the new Cove Skate Park," chuckled Billy, as he introduced the girls.
"Welcome to the Cove Skate Park. So, what do you think of it?" asked Mr. Ken.
The three girls looked back and forth to one another to see who would speak first. Becky decided to speak first and told the owner of The Cove that it was much better than what the County had. The young woman marveled at how the elements were spread out enough that they didn't interfere with other skaters and there were enough of them that gave the skaters a good challenge.
Maya and Melanie mimicked Becky, but added the Park would probably be very hot during the summer months to skate and the lights would make it much better to skate at night. Mr. Ken thanked them for their observation and then told them that later in the week sunshade sails would be installed over about 80% of the Park to help keep the sun off the boys. That put a smile on the girls' faces.
As the afternoon moved along, Charles came to his dad and asked him about setting up the barbeque. Mr. Ken asked him if they had been working on the Checklist like he asked them to. Charles said they hadn't because Billy had been preoccupied with the girls.
The teen's dad mentioned that Bill wasn't the only Cover and that the other five could have started without him, and then brought him into the conversation. The man then asked his son if he ever thought that the girls may have had some ideas they could have added to the List.
Charles said he thought they were supposed to do that themselves. Dad Ken reminded him that he told them to make the Checklist, but that all the boys were supposed to help. So, Mr. Ken called everyone over to the Pavilion.
"It's almost time to burn the burgers, but the one thing I asked you all to work on today hasn't been done. And that was the creation of the Start-up and Shut-Down of the barbeque and the Needed Supplies Checklists.
"Bill and Robert ... I want you to be the leaders again today. Brett and Gabe, you take the paper and pens and begin writing down the steps you see the boys take as they get the barbeque going.
"Girls, if you want, you can help them here. Since you haven't seen the process, you can tell them if you think it flows, or if the steps should be changed. Tell Brett and Gabe what you observe.
"I also see no one took ownership of filling the ice dispenser today. That should be the first thing someone does when you come over to skate. Brett, Gabe are you writing that down? Also, did anyone put the sodas on ice? The Covers did that when they were down in the garage, but they are up here now. Brett, Gabe ... write that down too.
"Has anyone filled or topped off the ketchup, mustard and relish dispensers? Brett, Gabe, again, write that down. Boys ... this is what I meant when I was talking about creating the checklists so simple things don't get overlooked for when it comes time to eat. That way you aren't scrambling and tempers flare.
"OK, who are the grill masters today?" asked Mr. Ken.
No one jumped up to volunteer. That disappointed Mr. Ken. He asked again who was going to be the grill masters. This time the boys looked around at one another to see who was going to 'burn the burgers'.
"Boys ... tell me ... why are you afraid to cook this time when you sometimes fought over who would cook?" asked Mr. Ken.
Again, the boys looked around at one another. This time it was Logan who spoke up. "Mr. Ken ... I think ... I think everyone is afraid to be the grill master because ... well, no one knows how to use the new grill. You showed Kevin, Kyle and Matthew what to do, but even they're still afraid of the new grill."
Mr. Ken looked at Mr. Wayne for some help. The Estate Master just shrugged his shoulders putting the onus back on his boss. Mr. Ken knew he needed to step up, so he asked all the teens to go with him to the grill, so he could show them what to do.
"Boys, this is just like the old grill down on the patio. The valve is in a different place, but it does the same thing. You turn it on, click the starter button, like so, and the grill burners lite. You then lite how many you think you'll need. Now, I'm going to turn this off. Watch as I turn the furthest burner off first and work my way to the first one. Then, I turn the valve off. Now I want every one of you to try this," explained Mr. Ken.
There were twenty-seven teenage boys there that day, but only twelve of them went through the startup and turning off the grill. The others said they'd partner up with someone who'd done it when it was their turn. Logan and Gordon volunteered to burn the burgers that day.
Robert chose boys to fill the dispensers and Billy chose boys to get the picnic supplies out and set on the counter. There were no tomatoes, lettuce or onions today because Momma Maria was off and she hadn't gotten the mandolin for them yet, nor taught the Covers how to use it.
The girls watched on as the barbeque was put together. They asked Billy if they did that all the time and when they learned they did, they asked how much each boy had to chip in. The girls were totally surprised that Mr. Ken paid for it all, each and every time.
Brett and Gabe wrote down everything they saw, including the steps to turn the grill on and off. They even wrote down how Logan and Gordon cooked the burgers and hotdogs. If one of the boys did it, the two teenagers wrote it down.
The girls were invited to eat with the boys. At first, they begged off, but Mr. Wayne said they were Bill's guests and should sit and eat with their friend and get to know his 'brothers', one of which will be a freshman next year.
As Bill's guests, the girls were allowed in line after Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne. They were told they could get as many hamburgers and hotdogs as they wanted, but were asked to eat everything they took. Each girl took one hamburger. Once they placed their food on a table, and before they sat down, they were shown where to get a soda and a cup for ice, if they so choose.
Mr. Ken sat near the girls and asked them what they had planned for the summer. Since none of them were sixteen, they said their getting a job would be difficult, but they would see if they could get a job as a waitress down at Four Corners.
The lifeguards came up to the Pavilion to eat, so Mr. Ken went over to Gavin to ask him how he liked working at The Cove. With a big smile on his face, the new guard told his employer he still couldn't believe he was working there. He added that the pool was bigger than he would have ever thought and he was looking forward to working out in the cove when the water was warmer, and possibly trying out those water toys, too.
The three girls knew who Gavin was, since he was a sophomore at their school, and when Mr. Ken finished eating and went back down to the house, they all went over to him to ask him how he got his job there. Gavin told them how he lucked into the job and was the happiest he'd ever been.
Gavin told the girls that when he told his other friends where he would be working, they were all jealous. He told the girls that his friends knew Todd worked as the Beach Master there at The Cove and that Mr. Thomas paid well. Gavin told the girls not to ask him what he was making, as that was between him and his employer.
Russell and Jordan were there with the new guard and they backed him up on that. They told the girls that everyone who worked for Mr. Ken, like at the Holiday Parties, got paid different amounts because they most likely performed different tasks. They did say that Mr. Ken usually hires students to work for him and they could possibly work at the next big party, if they stay in touch with Billy.
When everyone was finished eating, the barbeque needed to be put away, as they did when it was held down on the Patio. Brett and Gabe got out their paper and pens and began watching and writing down what they saw.
Robert and Billy assigned boys to put different things away and others to clean up to include the washing of the utensils and wiping down of the tables. Once that was done the leaders did a walk around to make sure everything was put away and the Pavilion looked clean.
Someone asked if they were going to go swimming now, but Billy said they had one more task they needed to do. Robert then spoke up and told everyone they needed to create a Supplies List to use to give to Momma Maria, so she could replenish the storage closet.
Cody spoke up and asked, "Why can't you two do that? I mean, you live here and all and it shouldn't take fifty of us to see what's in the room and tell you. Yes, we should help, but there's too many of us and we'd just get in the way."
Robert turned to Billy and the two talked. When they were done, Robert turned back and said, "Cody's right. We probably only need four or five of us. So how about Cody, David and ... and Nathan help us. The rest of you can head down and swim. We'll be down there in a few minutes."
The girls asked Billy what that was all about. Billy told them how they'll swim for a couple of hours, or so, before heading home by 5 o'clock, because they have school tomorrow. The Cover told his guests that since they didn't have their swimsuits, they couldn't join them.
The girls said they needed to get home anyway, as they hadn't intended to stay as long as they had. Maya told Billy to thank Mr. Ken for allowing them to see the Cove Skate Park, and for inviting them for lunch. Each girl gave Billy a hug and then Kaden and Lonnie walked them over to the Main Gate.
It took the five inventory takers about twenty minutes to create the list of things they used for their barbeques. Billy and Robert said they'd consolidate it into a work-in-progress checklist until they use it a few times and hone it to a final product. The five then hurried to catch up with the rest of the boys swimming in the indoor pool.
Mr. Ken went down to the pool to talk to his 'boys' before he left to travel back east. He wanted them to know he wouldn't leave them without saying Goodbye. He reminded them Mr. Wayne was in charge, but before they knew it he would be home Wednesday night.
The boys all hugged 'dad' Ken, including Bill, which surprised Mr. Ken. But the man accepted it as the teen's moving on with his life at The Cove and getting more comfortable being around him.
Like clockwork, the boys all departed The Cove around 5 o'clock, because they had school tomorrow. The Covers, along with Mr. Wayne, walked their friends up to the Main Gate. The parents asked where Mr. Ken was and were disappointed to learn he had to leave to attend to one of his business concerns.
When The Cove was quiet again, the Covers went out to dinner. The Four Corners Diner was their choice for the night. The boys ordered something other than hamburgers. Tonight, it was Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans, or the usual chicken fried steak, or meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn or green beans and soda.
That night, after dinner, they stopped at their favorite ice cream store. When they were there Kyle asked if their 'dad's' new ice cream store at Four Corners would become their 'new' favorite ice cream place once it opens. The boys all talked about it and decided they'd all have to wait and see.
Once back at The Cove, Charles gave Chief her favorite treat, then the boys settled in their chairs in the Study. It was quiet for the longest time, until Matthew said they needed to talk about the girls coming to The Cove today. He added that he thought they were supposed to wait until after they came home from their ten-day trip before they invited anyone over to skate.
Billy quickly spoke up and said he didn't invite his friends over to The Cove, they just showed up. He did qualify himself by telling his 'brothers' he did call his foster dad and asked if he could invite them in and he said it was OK.
Kevin then asked if he could invite some of his classmates over once school is out. Mr. Wayne said definitely no, he couldn't. That Mr. Ken still wanted them to wait until after they came back from their trip. That started an argument that Mr. Wayne had to end by telling them that was what their 'dad' wanted, and they were to tell their friends not to 'just happen by' as Bill's three girl classmates did today.
Mr. Wayne also told the boys that the girls weren't entered into the database, and that would go for any of their friends who they eventually invited over to skate. The Estate Master qualified himself, and thus Mr. Ken, by saying they had no intention of making the Cove Skate Park into the County Skate Park, and that the same friends were not to be invited back over and over.
It was while the Covers were discussing that issue as well as the coming week's end of school and the sailing lessons that Matthew's cell phone rang. Answering it the youngster learned it was his 'dad', Mr. Ken. The smile on the boy's face was priceless. Mr. Wayne motioned to the pre-teen to go out into the MRS Room to take the call.
The rest of the boys knew they would be getting a call, too, so Mr. Wayne asked them if there was anything important that they needed to talk about. Learning there wasn't, he sent them all up to their rooms to await their special phone call.
Billy and Robert talked as they waited for their 'dad' to call. They looked over Brett and Gabe's notes and they each took one or the others and said they'd type them out and compare them tomorrow after school. Billy said he'd also do the Supplies Checklist.
When Mr. Wayne came up to say goodnight to the boys later, he found them all in good spirits. Each boy had their one-on-one talk with their 'dad' and that made them feel special. Kevin and Kyle even went out of their shared room while the other had their talk with their 'dad', so it would be private.
When Mr. Wayne stopped by Bill's room, the teen told him about what he said to Kaden about being banned, if he allowed one of the girls to skate. The Estate Master was surprised at the story, but was also proud that the teen stood up to the boy who continued to scratch at the edge of the boundaries of the Rules to see how much he could get away with.
The long and busy weekend was now over and the Covers were getting settled before lying down and going to sleep for the night. Before long, The Cove was quiet and everyone slept well.
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