The day that all of the boys had been waiting for had finally arrived, but the boys were nowhere to be seen. They were all still in bed. Mr. Ken figured that with everything they were involved in all week, they needed the extra sleep.
He was glad the boys were catching up on their rest. He knew the day would be a long and tedious one and they needed all the rest they could get. Then he wondered what happened with the trial. He knew he should have made some phone calls about it, but he was busy with his own endeavors and just plain forgot.
It was around 9 a.m. when the phone rang. The owner of The Cove figured it was Wayne calling to tell him he was sick or something to try to get out of helping with the project. The man laughed to himself and then answered the call.
"Hello," said Mr. Ken, with a knowing smile.
"Mr. Ken? George Morris. I hope I didn't catch you at an inconvenient time," replied DA Morris.
"No, George ... and, what may I ask is the reason for your call?" asked Ken Thomas.
"Well ... I wanted to call and tell you about the trial. We ran into a snag at the last minute. Julian Hankers ... he fired his attorney right after we chose a jury. The judge gave him until Monday, and Tuesday at the latest, to find another one to represent him.
"I also wanted to call you to ask if you would have your four boys at the courthouse at 9 a.m. Wednesday. I also plan to call the other boys' parents and have them bring their sons to the courthouse at the same time.
"I plan to have the boys give their testimony after Stanley Vahnn. He was one of the men with Hankers but decided to testify for us in exchange for a better deal. I hope that with them just there Hankers will see that I mean business and will accept the plea bargain I offered him. It is a sweetheart deal, to him at least. What he doesn't know, yet, is that when this trial is over he will be transferred down to Bandera County.
"The DA there will charge him with about 100 counts of indecency with a minor, sexual misconduct with a minor, pornography, conspiracy to kidnap the twins and Robert, and much, much more.
"You see, Stanley Vahnn, the man who turned state's evidence against Hankers and his partners for us, has also talked to the Bandera DA and revealed a whole lot more about Hankers and his co-conspirator, Parker Parchsons, the twins' father.
"What about the boys' mom?" quickly asked Mr. Ken.
"Ken ... I don't know anything about her situation. I know she was arrested, but ... well, I'm not sure if she was complicit in what Parchsons and Hankers were up to. I take it the boys want to be reunited with her," answered George Morris.
"I guess that will all depend on what her outcome will be. The boys are twelve now, and if she were to be found guilty of anything significant, they may be graduating from high school when she is released. Even if she gets a lesser sentence, I'm not sure if Kyle would want to go back to her, though" replied 'dad' Ken.
"So, I take it the boys ... they know about her being arrested, then?" asked DA Morris.
"Yes, they know," said Mr. Ken. "They visited her right after the Holidays and ... and from what I know ... it didn't go well. That's why I said Kyle ... that he might not want to go live with her when she is released if she goes to trial and is found not guilty."
As Mr. Ken was finished with the call with George Morris, Charles and Matthew came into the Kitchen Nook. They asked their 'dad' if he heated up any breakfast tacos for them as he did the last time he was up early.
Learning he hadn't, Charles decided to have cereal. Matthew went to the freezer to get out some tacos to heat up. When he turned to go back to the counter, he saw Charles cutting a banana into his cereal bowl and thought that looked good. He returned the tacos and went and got a bowl and joined his 'brother'
"Hmmm, this is good. Did Billy show you how to do this?" asked Matthew.
"Yea, he did when he first came here. Did you ever see him add strawberries or blueberries to his cereal? He says it helps make the cereal taste better and it does. But I just like using the banana," replied Charles, who then ate a spoonful of cereal with a piece of banana.
While the two Covers ate, the twins came into the Nook. They said good morning to their 'dad' and went to the freezer to get some breakfast tacos. They passed by Charles and Matthew, and saw they were eating cereal, and wondered why they weren't eating Momma's tacos.
"'Dad', you were up early, why didn't you heat up some breakfast tacos for us?' asked Kyle.
"Well, if YOU wanted breakfast tacos you should have set some out last night," teased 'dad' Ken.
Both boys yelled, "'Daaaaaaad'."
"Boys, if you wanted breakfast tacos this morning... then you needed to get them out of the freezer last night. Now, go and get what you want and put them in the microwave. Or ... you can have cereal as your two 'brothers' are eating," recommended 'dad' Ken.
Just then Robert and Billy came into the Kitchen Nook. They said 'Good Morning' to 'dad' Ken and asked him what was for breakfast. The twins called out, "Don't ask!" Then they laughed.
Charles told his older 'brothers' what that was all about. Billy went and got cereal and cut up a banana into the bowl. Robert didn't really care for cereal, but he could either eat that or wait until the breakfast tacos were thawed in the microwave. He'd rather them from the convection oven as then they were crisp and not gummy as the microwave tended to make the tortillas.
Robert opted for cereal that morning.
"Boys ... I received a phone call from DA Morris, this morning. He told me that Julian... that Hankers fired his attorney, so that ... so that has delayed the trial. He did tell me that the judge gave him until Tuesday to get a new one.
"He also told me to have you four (Mr. Ken pointed to Robert, Charles, Kevin, and Kyle at the courthouse at 9 a.m. Wednesday. He said he'd have the other five boys there, as well.
"DA Morris intends to have all nine of you there to testify in the hopes ... in the hopes that Hankers will see you all and accept the plea bargain he offered him. I hope that he does, too. You all have gone through so much because of him. It is time he got what is due him.
"Now ... let's put that to rest, for now. We can all talk about it later. What we all need to do now is get cleaned up and ready for your friends. Clean up your mess, put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, then head up and get your showers. Now, git!" laughed 'dad' Ken.
All the Covers met in the Study just before 11 a.m. 'Dad' Ken asked the boys to tell him how they saw the locker build teams. The twins said they had never done anything like that and had no idea what he meant. Charles said there should be an equal number of people of all different ages on each of the teams.
Robert asked his dad how many teams he thought there should be. The teen added that would determine how many people were on each team. Billy second that. The older teenager recommended that he and each of his friends be on each team. Robert then asked if Todd and Conner were coming over. Hearing they were ensured there would be eight older teens.
"'Dad'," began Matthew, "that means (The boy was counting on his fingers)... there will be over fifty of us. Actually, counting you and Mr. Wayne, there will be 56 people working on building the lockers. Won't that be way too many?"
Everyone looked at one another after hearing the number and the question. Mr. Ken said they'd watch the teams and if there are too many working together, he may break some boys off and let them use the ramps. Kyle spoke up and said he thought that it wouldn't be fair.
Billy jumped into the conversation and said, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Some boys might get tired of kneeling and bending over all the time and having to deal with all those small nuts and bolts. They may even get bored with it all. Let's wait and see how it goes."
'Dad' Ken put an end to the discussion and had the boys go up to the Pavilion and start opening boxes to see what was where and how to stage them, if possible. Robert was sent to get the box cutter knives so they could cut open the cardboard boxes.
While the Covers were opening boxes, Mr. Wayne drove up and then joined them. He brought along with him the electric screwdrivers, box wrenches, and work gloves. Mr. Ken explained that their plan was fluid and a work in progress.
When the boys opened one of the boxes that held the locker back panels, Mr. Ken told the boys not to pick them up without using the gloves. Mr. Wayne had Robert help him take one panel out to see what sort of space they'd need for the teams to work.
While those two Covers checked the needed space, Mr. Ken had Billy and Charles take one of the locker sides and bring it around to the back wall. The owner of The Cove wanted to see how level the poured concrete was. He felt they would need some pressure-treated wood to level out the lockers before they mounted them.
Now, Mr. Ken felt he had a problem. He had Wayne look at what he was seeing to get the Estate Master's opinion. Mr. Wayne went over to the trash container to see if there was any wood in there, he could use to see what they might need.
By then, the boys' friends began to arrive and they gathered at the Pavilion. They first looked over the new tables and benches, but their main interest was what was in the opened boxes of locker parts and pieces.
Just then Mr. Ken's phone rang. When he answered it, he learned he had visitors at the Main Gate and they needed to be signed in since they weren't in the database. Mr. Ken walked over there to see who it could be. When he saw who it was, he felt relieved. There standing at the Main Gate were four of his carpenters who helped build the ramps for his 'boys'.
"Gentlemen, what brings you here?" asked a pleasantly surprised Ken Thomas.
"When you visited the office the other day you mentioned you and your boys and their friends were going to build sixty lockers and attach them to the back of some wall. We talked and figured you were way over your head, so ... we decided we'd come over and give you some helpful hands who have experience," replied Milo Gleese.
As the men walked over to where the boys were assembled, Mr. Martinez commented on the skate park. He said he knew Mr. Ken was building one for his 'boys', but he never thought it would be that big. Mr. Ken told the men that the Cove Skate Park was approximately one-half acre in size.
As the men walked, the owner of The Cove also told the men that the length of the Pavilion mimicked the width of the skate park or approximately 100 feet. The man added that the Pavilion was 80 feet wide.
"Wow, isn't that an awfully large Pavilion?" asked Arlo Gomez.
Mr. Ken explained that the building houses both men's and women's restrooms, a closet for cleaning supplies, and a storage pantry for a freezer to hold the boys' burgers and hot dogs, the boys serve every time their friends are over, as well as and shelves for the buns, and picnic supplies, a refrigerator and separate ice maker.
The man added that there was also a very large propane grill for the boys to cook with, a sink with hot and cold running water, so they can clean their cooking utensils, and a serving counter to keep the people away from the hot grill. He told them to wait and see what it looked like.
"Robert, boys, look who I found at the Main Gate," announced Mr. Ken, when he and the four men arrived at the Pavilion.
"Mr. Arlo, I didn't know you were coming over," said Robert, as he shook the man's hand
"Guys, I want you to meet Mr. Arlo Gomez, Mr. Myles Goodes, Mr. Carlos Martinez, and Mr. Milo Gleese. They were four of the eight men who helped us build the ramps. I'm sure they are here to help us do this locker build right, dad," said the Cover teen, as he introduced the men who arrived with his dad.
"Dad, did you know they were coming to help?" asked Charles.
"Boys, these men work in my construction company. They heard me mention that we were going to build these lockers today, and they figured we were way over our heads, so they have volunteered to help us out today.
"But, boys, I won't let them take over your part of the build. They may give you some helpful hints, but I know how much you want to help do this project, and I want you to do just that. Let me show them around and explain what I and Mr. Wayne had planned. In the meantime, I want you to assemble into eight teams, with an older teen on each crew and a mix of all ages on each team.
Mr. Ken explained to the four carpenters what they had planned. The man showed them the problem they had with the concrete behind the Pavilion. The men took out a level to see how far out of level the sidewalk was. They announced it was angled to allow for drainage and they would need some pressure-treated furring strips to help level the lockers and slow down the rust that will eventually happen since the lockers would be outside and exposed to the elements.
One of the carpenters said he'd go and get the one-by furring strips and some pressure-treated shims. Wayne decided to go along to answer any questions he might have about the build and to sign him back into the estate when they returned.
Mr. Ken went to the boys and asked to see who were on the work teams. He liked the fact that the Cover boys were all on different teams and that each crew consisted of at least six boys with six crews having seven workers.
It was now past 1 o'clock and none of the lockers had begun to be put together. Mr. Ken figured he needed to tell the boys they could start.
"Boys, you can start. Make sure you use the gloves to get the back panel so you don't cut yourself. If you do get cut find me and I'll see you get at least a Band-Aid. As teams, you all need to work together. You should all elect a leader and listen to his instructions. Now go! And no arguing," finished Mr. Ken.
The boys all hurried to where the back panels were, as they all needed them. The boys got in line and waited to get their first piece. But Billy, seeing the logjam, decided his team would get the end pieces and front panel and set them aside and then get the top, middle, and bottom shelf, too. Then they remembered they needed the top angled piece that helped the rain stay out of the lockers
Todd saw what Billy was doing, so he mimicked the Cover. But he also got a bag of nuts and bolts. Once the line had gone away, the Beach Master got his back panel and then he and his team discussed how they should proceed.
Mr. Ken and the carpenters could hear some arguing over how to proceed from a few teams. The men each took a different team and gave them some gentle hints on how they should get started.
Billy's team was far ahead of all the teams. He attached a few nuts and bolts at the top of all four centerpieces and then they stood the whole thing up. That gave them easy access to the rest of the holes in which to fasten the sides to the back.
But Billy made one miscalculation. He forgot he had to install the top, middle, and bottom shelves, so they had to go back and take off those nuts and bolts, install the shelves and reattach the fasteners they had to remove.
Many of the teams made the same mistake. Part of the problem was they didn't have a copy of the plans to go by. Charles went and asked his dad for the plans so his team could use them. But instead, the boy's dad had the teen go inside and make eight copies of the plans using his copier in the Study. Charles ran to the house to get that done.
"Boys, I have to apologize for not making copies of the plans for you to use to put the lockers together. I just sent Charles to my Study to make you all copies. I do see some of the teams are quite far along, but I'll ask you all to take a break until the plans are here.
"That way you can check your work against the plans, make any needed corrections and then continue on. And boys ... this is NOT, and I repeat, this is NOT ... a race to see who gets done first. There are no prizes for who finishes first. Well, maybe they get a cold drink,' laughed Mr. Ken. "Now, please stop until Charles gets back," announced Mr. Ken.
Mr. Ken and the three carpenters walked around to talk to the boys and to get a feel on how their teams were working out. Some boys said they'd never done anything like that before and it was fun. Some said their fingers were sore from holding the bolts while someone else tightened the nut. Some wished they had more tools to use.
When the men gathered back together, they all had good things to say about Billy's and Todd's team and how well they were able to proceed without the plans. The men did say the boys had to go back and redo nuts and bolts because they had forgotten to install the shelves. While the men talked, Charles came running back with all the copies.
Charles, still huffing and puffing from running back to the Pavilion, handed out copies of the plans to each team. Mr. Ken then asked the teams to review their progress and check their work.
Mr. Wayne and Mr. Martinez came back with the needed one-by furring strips, shims, and screws. The men talked about what they needed to do to level the lockers so they were supported while attached to the wall. The carpenters took some measurements of the width of the lockers so they could build a frame that would go between the lockers and the concrete base.
By three o'clock the boys were getting hungry. Some of the boys asked if they were going to burn some burgers and dogs. Mr. Ken inwardly smiled to himself and then asked the boys if they wanted to stop and eat. Some said they wanted to finish, while others said they wanted to eat.
Mr. Ken made an executive decision and told each team to provide one boy from each of their teams and they would put the barbeque together. The man did qualify that by saying the boys selected had to be someone who really knew what was needed to put the barbeque together.
Even though there were only eight crews, ten boys peeled off to set the barbeque up. Charles took three boys and they went to get the meats and sodas. Hunter took three boys and they took care of getting the picnic supplies. Logan and Josh headed to the back Patio to get the grill cleaned, warmed up, and ready for the burgers and dogs.
The teams kept putting their locker sets together even though they were down a boy or two. They knew it wouldn't be long before they heard the "Come and Get It" yell from one of the boys sent to put the barbeque together.
Billy and Todd both finished putting their three locker sets together before they went to eat. Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne, using the plans, looked over each set of three lockers to ensure they were complete. They didn't want to attach them to the wall only to find something missing.
Both teens stood by while their work was inspected. They sent their teams to go help with the barbeque if necessary and told them they'd be there soon. They also said if they needed to fix anything, they'd do that after they all ate.
The carpenters, meanwhile, were putting together the framework that would support the locker legs as they stood fastened to the Pavilion back wall. The lockers were 12 inches wide and 15 inches deep and the whole assembly, when put end-to-end, would be 30 feet long against the wall.
While Mr. Ken and the Estate Master were checking the boys' workmanship, Todd asked where the locker numbers and locks were so they could put them on, too. Mr. Ken said he wanted to wait until all the lockers were fastened to the wall before attaching those. The man explained he didn't want the numbers to be out of sequence.
"Billy, Todd ... you both did an awesome job of working your teams to get the first sets of lockers completed. There are a few nuts and bolts missing and some that need to be tightened a bit more, but overall you did a great job. Thank you both for helping me out today. Now go and catch up with your teams and eat. We'll be right there," said Mr. Ken.
"Guys, it's time to eat," announced Mr. Ken, to the carpenters. "Let's catch up with the boys and get a burger and dog or two a drink and relax some. You can finish after we eat."
The six men walked to the back Patio. There they found the boys loudly talking about how far along their lockers were as compared to the others. The men chuckled at what they heard. They knew if they were that age again, they'd be doing exactly the same thing. Boasting about what they'd accomplished.
"Did you save us anything to eat?" asked Mr. Ken.
Logan asked the men to fix their plate with burger and hot dog buns and he'd meet them at the grill. Each man took a burger and a hot dog and said they'd come back for more if they were still hungry. Logan said he'd guard them so the other boys didn't scarf them all up. The men all laughed.
As the men ate, the boys came over to talk to the carpenters. The boys wanted to know about the time they built the ramps and how they stayed so good after all that time. The carpenters told them that it was in the way they built the ramps that made the difference.
The men added that Mr. Ken bought quality materials and they used heavy-duty screws, and lots of them to fasten everything together. They told the boys it was fun to do something else other than construction work every day. The men also told the boys that Mr. Ken treated them to a fantastic picnic for all of their help.
The boys who were there, told their friends how the carpenters came to The Cove with all their tools and let many of them use them, with the men looking over their shoulders. Sam and Terran also told the other boys, how they were allowed to help that day and how much fun they had, working with their dads and brothers.
After everyone had eaten, Mr. Ken asked ten different boys to do the cleanup. He then talked to the boys about what they'd accomplished so far that day and how proud he was of them. The man told them that for them having to work with people they may not be too familiar with, they all had done a great job.
Mr. Ken told them that Billy and Todd had their lockers together, but they had a few things to fix. The man reminded the boys that the locker build was not a race. He said that doing a great job was important and that the lockers needed to be put together properly as they would be out in the elements for a long time. Mr. Ken then sent them back up to work on their lockers.
Billy and Todd's teams got right to work. They added the missing nuts and bolts and tightened up the loose ones Mr. Ken found on their lockers. They then asked Mr. Ken how they would get them over to the wall. Mr. Ken smiled and walked over to the closest locker. He looked it over and picked up one end by the top shelf to see how heavy it really was.
Mr. Ken called all of Billy's friends over. He asked them to tip it back and carry it over to the back wall. It only took four teens, one on each corner, to carry it to where the carpenters were waiting at the center of the wall. The teens stood the locker up on the wood frame where the carpenters wanted it.
The men adjusted the locker against the wall and then began to drill through the back of the locker panel. The men drilled four holes, two under the top shelf and two midways down just below the middle shelf in each of the three lockers. They inserted the fasteners Mr. Wayne had bought and then tightened the lockers to the wall. The first of ten locker sets were now installed.
The boys went back to get the second completed locker set and took it back to the carpenters. The team members from Billy and Todd's teams followed along. When the teens got there, they placed it tight against the first locker set. Billy then asked if he could do the drilling that time. The men talked it over and said, "Yes."
They gave Billy protective glasses to wear. They used a spring-punch to establish where Billy was to drill. The teen was a bit tentative as he began to drill the hole. Mr. Gooders told him to put some muscle into it. Billy pushed harder and finally, the drill bit went through the metal back panel and then bit into the concrete block wall.
Billy was sweating some when the drill bit reached the collar stop on the drill bit indicating he was in the wall far enough for the fastener to work. Billy gave the drill back to the carpenter who said he had three more to do. Billy smiled and gave the drill to Todd, from the other team, for him to try.
Every boy, but one, on Billy and Todd's teams, were given the opportunity to drill the remaining eleven holes in the back panels of their lockers. The carpenters then inserted the fasteners and had each boy tighten the lockers to the wall.
"Damn that was hard," said Matthew. "But I am glad that I got the chance to try that."
The other team members agreed with their friend and were talking about it when they came back to where the other teams were still working on the locker sets. Kaden heard what they were talking about and asked how they got to do that. Billy told them, they took the first two locker sets to the back wall and the carpenters let them drill the holes for the second set.
Mr. Ken heard what the boys were talking about, so he went back to talk to the carpenters about what the teens said. The men told him, that it gave the boys some connection to what they all accomplished today. Mr. Ken asked if all the boys could do that.
Mr. Gomez said with forty-eight lockers yet to attach and four fasteners for each there was more than enough for each boy to have a chance to drill at least one and possibly two holes. That made Mr. Ken smile.
"Boys ... can I have your attention. You probably heard that everyone on Billy and Todd's teams had the chance to drill at least one hole to mount the lockers and also tighten the fasteners so the lockers were tight to the wall. The carpenters just told me that you all will get a chance to drill at least one hole.
"Now, it is getting late and if your locker set isn't completed yet, don't worry about it. We planned on this taking us two days, so, there is always tomorrow. When your lockers are ready for inspection, get with either me or Mr. Wayne. We'll check them over before you can take them back to the carpenters. Any questions?" finished Mr. Ken.
Lonnie and Brett had their lockers inspected next. They each had a few nuts and bolts loose and when they were tightened Mr. Ken told them to carry them to the back wall. This time the team itself carried the lockers to be attached to the Pavilion wall.
The carpenters had the boys do what the previous boys had done and when the lockers were ready Mr. Gomez gave each boy the chance to drill a hole. The older boy, Brett went first so the younger boys could see what it would take. When Brett finished drilling his hole he was sweating slightly. He told the boys they needed to push hard to get through the metal and then the block wall.
Lonnie and his team went next. They did what Brett's team had done to get the lockers tight to one another and then they got the opportunity to drill their holes. Once all twelve holes were drilled, each boy had the chance to tighten the locker to the wall. All thirteen boys came away smiling that they were able to do that.
Kaden and his team were next. Their lockers passed inspection and then they carried their locker set to behind the Pavilion wall. The carpenters explained to them what they needed to do and when the lockers were in the correct position, the boys got their chance to drill the holes.
It was getting close to six o'clock, so Mr. Ken had the boys stop for the day. Some of the boys said they were almost ready to have their lockers inspected and wanted to continue. Mr. Wayne nudged his boss, showed him his watch, and thus what time it was, and suggested the boys had another twenty minutes before their parents began to arrive.
Conner and his team were ready for their inspection when the parents began to arrive. Mr. Ken told them, and thus the other teams, the lockers weren't going anywhere and they would get their projects inspected first thing tomorrow and then they'd get to do what the other teams had done.
Disappointed, the boys were still enthusiastic they got the chance to help Mr. Ken out. They went up to their moms and dads all stoked about what they got to do. The boys who were also allowed to drill some holes were even more enthused about their day's work.
The parents thanked Mr. Ken for allowing their sons to help him today. Gabe's and Jamie's brothers couldn't say enough to their moms about what they were allowed to do. They told them how they each had the chance to drill a hole and were elated they got to do something their dads wouldn't let them. The dads just popped them and then smiled and hugged them.
The parents also met the carpenters and they were happy Mr. Ken had brought in some highly skilled and experienced men to supervise their sons.
Ken Thomas told the boys he'd see them tomorrow to finish the project. He reminded the parents about the Memorial Day Picnic and for them to plan to be there early and to go home late. He told the dads they needed to practice their skateboard moves so they could show up their sons.
"Hmmmm, do I sense an invite to another picnic?" chuckled Mr. Gleese.
"You know me so well," responded Mr. Ken. "Yes, men, I am having a Cove Skate Park Grand Opening, with a Memorial Day Picnic, on that Saturday of the three-day weekend. I hope you and your significant loved one and/or spouse and the entire family can attend?"
The carpenters thanked Mr. Thomas for the invite and before they departed The Cove, they told him they'd be back there tomorrow. Mr. Ken was a very happy man to hear that.
The Covers went out for dinner that night. They drove over to the Four Corners Diner and had their usual. Afterward, they drove the Go-Karts. They also stopped at their favorite ice cream store and had banana splits. Mr. Ken chose himself to give Chief her ice cream treat that night.
The boys all laughed at their 'dad' for wanting to do that. They all figured Chief wouldn't treat him any different than she does them. Even Mr. Wayne was looking forward to seeing that.
"Chief," called out Mr. Ken. "I have your ice cream treat for you. Come and get it!"
Chief learned to wait for her 'men' to come into the Kitchen Nook in order to make it look like she wasn't waiting for them to get home. She knew exactly when they opened the garage door, but she stayed back in order to make a grand entrance. When she heard her first master calling her, she went nuts.
Chief forgot who she was going to go after and she went full out to the Nook. When she saw Mr. Ken holding out her cup of ice cream she immediately put on the brakes and skidded right up to the man's feet. The resident pet sat there, waiting for him to place the concoction on the floor.
The rest of the Covers watched and couldn't believe Chief did what she just did. Billy said she did that for him, too, once, and everyone laughed.
When Mr. Ken placed the cup of ice cream down on the floor in front of Chief, she waited until he told her to "Dig in!", then she did. Afterward, she went up to him and gave him some of her cold doggie kisses as he scratched her behind her ears.
In the study, the Covers talked about the locker build and how well it went off. Mr. Wayne spoke up and said the carpenters saved their 'bacon'. Mr. Ken laughed and agreed. Billy, Robert, and Matthew were the only Covers who got to drill the holes and fasten the lockers to the wall.
Charles spoke up and said, "Kyle, Kevin, and me will get to do that tomorrow. It looked like fun."
Billy and Robert laughed and told him he had better eat his Wheaties because they had to really push hard to get the drill through the metal backing and then into the wall. Even Matthew joined in and told Charles that he wasn't sure he'd get through the metal backing, but he was glad he did, as now he had 'bragging rights'. Everyone laughed at him.
That night everyone slept exceedingly well. Even Chief slept very well as she had run back and forth, between all the boys, all day long, and she was now very tired, herself.
The first locker build day was over.
Comments are encouraged and appreciated. Just use the email address listed at the top of the page.