It was a typical summer morning at the Cover household. Mr. Ken got up at his usual time, retrieved his morning newspaper, and sat down to read it as Momma Maria brought him his first cup of hot coffee.
The boys filtered into the Kitchen Nook as they woke up, said good morning to 'dad' Ken and then sat down to a wonderful Momma Breakfast. Kevin was the last one to arrive and received a stern look from 'dad' Ken for being so.
As the Covers ate, 'Dad' Ken reminded the boys to tell their friends that The Cove was Closed for skating on Saturday due to the carnival rides being set up and the church groups coming and going as they too set up their food booths. He did tell the boys they could skate, but not to invite anyone over.
Mr. Ken then asked the boys if they'd selected a movie for that evening to show. Billy said they hadn't, but they would after they got ready for the day and before their friends arrived. Robert asked if they were restricted as to what rating they could show. 'Dad' Ken said that for them to use their good judgment, but to please not pick any triple X movies. Billy, Robert and Charles understood the inference, but the comment went right over the three younger Cover boys' heads.
After taking their showers and getting dressed for the day, the boys headed to the Theater to choose the movie for the night. They looked at Mad Max: Road Fury, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Everest, The Martian, The Peanuts Movie, San Andreas, and a bunch of others.
The boys all had different tastes, but in the end, they all agreed on The Martian. They figured the science fiction movie, which depicted an astronaut's lone struggle to survive on Mars after being left behind, and his efforts to survive, while efforts to rescue him were being amassed to bring him home to Earth, would be a good choice for all of them and their friends to watch.
They brought the movie to their 'dad' and made him responsible for it. Kyle told him not to lose it, and he quickly ran to catch up with his 'brothers', as they headed up to the Skate Park to skate before their friends arrived.
'Dad' Ken laughed at the younger twin's antics and placed the movie on the corner of his desk so he wouldn't 'lose it'.
Mr. Chris came into the Study to talk to his employer about the Picnic and to ask if the man had planned to have a Labor Day Picnic as he had last year. Mr. Ken said he did want to have one and would invite the same group of people he had for the Cove Skate Park Grand Opening. He added he also needed to check the Invitation List from last year's Labor Day Picnic and compare it to the Grand Opening to see if he left anyone off.
Mr. Ken then told Chris he was planning to hold a fall meeting of all of his amusement park operation managers at the Lakeside Hotel. He said it would be the weekend after Labor Day and would last for three days and he would not be here unless the 'sky was falling'.
Mr. Chris made a note that his boss would be gone that entire weekend. He then asked if he needed to make reservations for five rooms and reserve a conference room for that time frame. The Estate Manager said it was never too early to plan those types of things and it was only three months away. Mr. Ken told him to do that and to make sure they knew who it was for.
After Mr. Chris left to make the reservations for the Three Finger Entertainment LLC Conference, Mr. Ken called his Real Estate Group. He gave them Ben Walthers information and told them to send him some information about the schools and the different housing development areas for him and his family to start considering as they moved to the area in the fall.
Mr. Ken then realized he needed to check on the status of the office building, and to find out where they were in the final stages of its completion. He also needed to head over to the apartment complex and see how far along they'd gotten, since he visited a few weeks back.
As the Covers' friends arrived, they had their sleeping bags and extra clothes. Some even brought their pillows. The Cover whose friend they were, took them down to the house so they could set their sleeping area up for the night.
After Billy's friends had placed their sleeping bags where they wanted them, they wanted to talk to Billy before they went back outside. Billy said they could talk right there in the MRS Room as nobody ever used it.
Lonnie was the first to speak up and said the Sheriff's Deputies stopped by his house last night to talk to him about Kaden. Then Jamie and Gabe said the same thing. Brett then asked if Billy had talked to his police friend about what they talked about at the Pavilion
Billy was shocked by the question. He immediately told them he only told Mr. Ken about what they talked about and never talked to Mr. Dan. Billy then realized that maybe Mr. Ken had talked to his friend, Lt. Fischer, so he asked his friends to wait right there, as he was going to ask his foster dad if he was the one who had dropped the dime.
Billy knocked on the Study doorframe and waited for Mr. Ken to ask him in. When the teenager was asked in, Mr. Ken asked him if there was a problem. Billy said he wasn't sure, but his friends were all talked to by the Sheriff's Deputies last night about Kaden, and he wanted to know if he had talked to Mr. Dan about what he told him.
Mr. Ken knew he needed to talk to the teenagers, so he asked Billy where they were. Billy told him they were out in the MRS Room. Mr. Ken got out from behind his desk and followed Billy out to where his friends were.
"Boys … Billy here … he tells me that the Sheriff's Deputies … that they came to talk to you about Kaden. And he asked me if I had talked to my friend Mr. Dan, who is a Sheriff's Lieutenant. To be honest boys … yes, I did tell him what Billy told me you all talked about.
"I'm sorry if it caused you some embarrassment. I … you all know my stance when it comes to drugs and the misuse of prescription drugs. Billy asked all of you some questions about them before he invited you all over here. If Kaden had been truthful … he wouldn't have been invited over here, period!
"Your revelation about Kaden … and his being seen at the County's Skate Park, possibly receiving illegal drugs, needed to be made known to the Sheriff's Detectives. That was so they could follow up on that information and maybe make additional arrests.
"If I need to talk to your parents, just let me know. I will call them and apologize for getting you involved. But it is something I believe you should have volunteered … once you knew Kaden had been arrested for distributing illegal drugs.
"Billy didn't know I had talked to Lt. Fischer. I asked him to leave his name out of it, but I guess I didn't think that through enough. I'm sorry guys, but in my defense … I think they would have gotten around to you eventually.
"Dan knew Kaden had been here. He saw him at the Grand Opening of The Cove Skate Park, and so did the two detectives I had invited, Lt. Matthias and Sgt. Roberts. They would have eventually backtracked his movements and come to me to get your names and addresses.
"I hope this won't mess up your friendship with Billy. You have all proven to be good friends and I hope you can remain that way. Any questions for me?” finished Mr. Ken.
"Well, not a question, but … well, at least I now know how it all happened,” spoke up Brett. "My parents … they were upset that the Deputies came to the house. But at least they weren't in a police car and they were dressed in suits instead of their normal uniforms.
"I'll call them when I go back up to the Pavilion and explain to them what you just told me. I'm sure they will understand that I would have eventually been talked with. All I can see is that what you did was speed it up some.”
The other three teenagers essentially said the same thing. They appreciated knowing how it came about and now they could call their parents and tell them that it would have happened eventually, as well.
As the five friends were all together, Billy asked his foster dad if they could take the PWCs out. He told them they were all ready for the sleepover, and he wasn't responsible for the barbeque until Saturday, but he had cancelled it for that day and there wouldn't be one on Sunday, because of the Picnic
Mr. Ken said he didn't have a problem with them taking the watercraft out on the lake. He told them to be extra careful out there since they were all novices with them. He asked them not to play any games on them and not to speed. He mentioned the lake water is still quite cool and they probably won't be out there more than an hour, if that.
The teenagers quickly ran to load into a golf cart to ride up to the Pavilion to get their swimsuits. Then they drove back to the house and then headed to the Men's Locker Room to change into their swimsuits. From there they headed to the marina and the personal watercrafts.
Billy decided to take the Jet Ski, as he was more familiar with it. They all helped one another pre-check the PWCs, then they made sure everyone had a life vest on before starting the machines up. Billy led the group out of the cove and out onto the lake. From there they went fairly slowly five abreast, so they could talk as they rode.
The other boys up at the Skate Park heard the PWCs start up and they wondered who was using them. Charles looked around and not seeing Billy and his friends he figured that was who was using them. His hunch was confirmed when he saw the five older teenagers slowly ride the watercrafts away from the estate.
Charles' friends came over to him and asked him when they could take the PWCs out. Charles said they needed to be checked out on them first and with only five machines they would have to take turns, but he'd ask his dad when would be a good time.
Charles walked down to the house to ask his dad that question. The teen's dad asked his son if he and his 'brothers' had figured out a way to share the PWCs without there being an argument over them. Charles said they hadn't, because Billy went away for three days, and it just didn't come up until now.
The boy's dad told Charles that Billy and his friends would probably be out on the machines for about an hour, and when they came back, he could take four of his friends out for a while and then they could switch off.
Charles said there were twelve of them and that it would take a while for everyone to get a turn. Charles also said that he wanted to be sure everyone knew the procedures for starting them and he asked his dad to show them all, one more time, how to check them out before taking them out on the lake and also how to start the Jet Ski. Dad Ken said he would.
By then Mr. Wayne had arrived at The Cove, had listened in on the conversation and he told his boss that he could do that for him. Mr. Ken said they both should go down there as with twelve it could be a bit hectic.
Charles ran up to his friends to tell them what his dad just told him. They were all stoked about getting the opportunity to take the machines out on the lake. They all couldn't wait until Billy and his friends came back to The Cove.
Robert heard what his brother told his friends and was inwardly pissed he hadn't thought of it first. Then he realized he was responsible for the barbeque that day and knew his dad would be mad if he skipped it, just so he could ride the personal watercraft. He told Eric to remind him tomorrow to ask his dad if they could take the PWCs out on the lake.
Billy and his friends were back just in time for burgers and dogs. Charles and his friends had to decide if they wanted to eat or ride. They decided they wanted to ride knowing they'd have pizza later to fill their stomachs.
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne did forgo their own lunch to again orient the twelve boys on the checkout procedures of the personal watercrafts. Mr. Ken took six boys over to the Jet Ski, and Mr. Wayne took six boys to a WaveRunner. Each man explained what the boy was supposed to do before each ride and then had each boy do it. The men then switched groups.
Since there were twelve, Mr. Ken chose the five boys who were going out first. Charles was going to take the Jet Ski while James. Cooper, David and Tyler were each going to use a WaveRunner. They each put on a life vest, started their machine and slowly went out of the cove before riding around on the lake near the estate.
Mr. Ken had given them the same instructions he gave Billy and his friends. He reminded them that with seven more friends that wanted to ride the machines and have some fun, they were not to spend the rest of the afternoon out on the PWCs.
Charles and his four friends came back after about thirty minutes and then five other thirteen-year-olds put on a life vest, checked the machines as they were shown, took a slow ride out of the cove and then rode out onto the lake.
You could hear the five new riders whooping and hollering as they rode the machines back and forth near the estate. They too rode for about thirty minutes before coming in, so the last two could have the same fun as their ten friends had. But with three open machines, Charles took one while Cooper and David took the others. That way there would be five friends out on the lake having fun together.
After lunch, some of the boys decided to swim in the cove as they had the previous day. The lifeguards went down to their positions and got ready to guard the boys as they swam in the cove. The boys played their King of the Raft game and then they rode the new Rock It water toy as they liked the way it threw them off the seat.
As the day moved along, the air got cooler, so the boys decided to get out of the cove water and get a warm shower. They all knew they'd have pizza for dinner tonight, so they all headed up to the Pavilion. There they got out their skateboards and began to skate. Some decided to play the games Kyle got Mr. Ken to buy for them to play when they got tired of skating.
Billy and his friends talked about their time out on the PWCs. They were now all happy they had taken the Texas Boater Safety Course. They all had a good time out on the machines and knew as they got more comfortable driving them, they would pick up their speed and have even more fun.
Charles and his friends were all happy they got the chance to take the watercrafts out on the lake. They saw Robert and his friends take them out all last year and now they could do it, too. They did ask Charles when he thought they could talk his dad or Mr. Wayne into using the inflatable water tube and drag them back and forth out on the lake as they did last year. Charles said all they can do is ask and see what they say.
When it came time for dinner, Billy asked Mr. Wayne to call in the pizza order. Tonight, they called in an order for thirty-two pizzas. They wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat. Tonight, they ordered 5-Cheese, 5-Pepperoni, 5-Combination, 5-Ham and pineapple, 5-Sausage and Pepperoni, 3-Pepperoni and pineapple, 2-Mushroom and Sausage and 2-Pepperoni and Mushroom.
They used the same pizza store from the last time and when the man delivered the pizzas, he knew exactly where he was going and that the boys would help unload the thirty-two pizzas. Mr. Wayne again gave him a fifty-dollar tip.
The griddles were on top of the grill in case someone wanted to heat up their piece of pizza. The microwave was also there if someone wanted to use that. The three new lifeguards were totally blown away by their job. They didn't work nearly as much or as hard as their friends did at their jobs, and they got fed pretty good meals every day while they worked. The pizza being the best.
When the pizza was all gone, the boys cleaned up the Pavilion and put all the trash in the large trash bins down in the Parking Coral. With that finished, the boys headed inside to swim, but Mr. Ken reminded them that he promised them an outside movie on the Patio.
Mr. Ken told them the movie was 2 hours 24 minutes long and he wanted the movie over, by midnight, so he needed to start it no later than 9:30. He said it would be dark enough in about twenty minutes to start the movie and have it over by 10:30 which would give them 90 minutes to swim. Or, they could swim for 90 minutes and then hurry up to catch the movie.
The boys talked amongst themselves and the decision was to start the movie now and swim later.
It took Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne about twenty minutes to set the projector and popcorn machine up, while the Covers got the sodas from the Pavilion down to the Patio, so the boys had something to drink during the movie. At 8 o'clock, the movie, The Martian, began.
Some of the boys went inside and got their sleeping bags and brought them outside to lay on as they watched the movie. Those who had brought their pillows had something soft for their head instead of their hands or arms. The Covers went inside the pool area and brought out the rafts to lie on. The rest of the boys used the chairs on the Patio or sat along the short walls around the perimeter.
That night was a totally new experience for the majority of the boys. The screen Mr. Ken used was the wall under the garage which was actually the wall for the restrooms for the parties Mr. Ken had during the summer. That made the screen much larger than if they were inside the indoor pool.
As the movie played, the boys would come and get a bag of popcorn and a drink and take it back to where they were sitting, or laying on their sleeping bag. The Covers did share the rafts with a few of the boys so they had a soft place to watch the movie from.
When the movie was over, the boys picked up after themselves and put the trash where it needed to be. The boys who had taken their sleeping bags outside took them back inside and set them up for later that night. The boys then got to swim.
Just like the last time, a few of the boys changed into their sleeping togs and rested at their sleeping bags until it was time for them to have their midnight snack. Tonight, they had chocolate chip, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin cookies to choose from and a choice of plain white, chocolate or vanilla milk.
Gavin's mom arrived at twelve-thirty to pick her son up from work. Mr. Ken drove the young teen up to the Main Gate and the two adults talked for a few minutes before heading back to their own homes.
The boys talked some as they waited for the sandman to arrive and help put them to sleep. It had been another successful movie night and all of the boys were happy they were friends with the Cover boys and hadn't messed up as Kaden had.
The next morning, Billy, Robert and Charles had their alarms set for 7:45 to give them an extra fifteen minutes to get the breakfast ready. Eric woke up the three younger Covers. Today, Charles' friends, James, Cooper and David joined the Covers in getting the breakfast ready for the masses.
Robert and Eric manned the griddle as they had the first time. They had the process down to a science and this time Robert had the microwave oven he could use to reheat the already cooked bacon. But they still needed an additional person just to do that. So, Cooper joined the duo and after getting instructions, reheated the bacon and put it into the waiting pan.
The rest of the Covers and their helpers got the serving counter ready with the orange juice, white and chocolate milk, and all the plates, flatware, napkins, syrup and everything else that was needed to serve pancakes and crispy bacon.
Those extra fifteen minutes gave the Covers the time needed to have loads of pancakes ready, and the bacon all reheated and waiting for their friends as they came up to the Pavilion to eat breakfast.
This time, they were allowed to take four pancakes, instead of three, like the last time, but with the pancakes coming off the griddle faster than before they could come back sooner for their second plate. And with the extra two gallons of batter there were many more pancakes for the boys to eat.
Momma Maria also came by as it was her usual day to work. She stopped by with twelve dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and the boys hugged her for those special yummy donuts. All Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne could do was watch as the boys showed their appreciation for what she had done for them. The men almost missed out on getting their own special treat, but Momma made sure her boss, at least, wouldn't.
Clean up after the breakfast went fast. All of the boys pitched in to either wash the dirty utensils, collect the trash and take it down to the trash bins down in the Parking Coral, or wash down the tables while others helped put the counter stuff back inside the storage room.
Mr. Ken was again proud of how his 'boys' came together and put the breakfast on for almost 60 people. He did wish they had something to go along with the pancakes besides bacon, but he knew beggars couldn't be choosers, even though he was paying for it all.
Before Mr. Ken could go back down to the house, both Robert and Charles pulled him aside. Robert wanted to know if he and his friends could take the PWCs out on the lake today. Charles asked his dad when he or Mr. Wayne could use the Jet Ski and take them out on the inflatable, towable water tube and pull them behind it and drive back and forth as he did last year.
Mr. Ken told Robert that he and his friends could use the PWCs as his 'brothers' had yesterday. He gave the teenager the same instructions he gave his 'brothers' about going too fast and getting familiarized again with the machines, before they start going fast as they had last year.
As for Charles, Mr. Ken told the teen he was too busy that week to do that. He said Mr. Wayne might be persuaded to do that if none of his 'brothers' had the Jet Ski out on the lake. Charles said he'd ask Mr. Wayne later when he knew the Jet Ski wasn't being used.
Both Cover teens went to their friends and told them what they found out. Robert's friends wanted to head to the marina right then and ride, but Robert told them they should wait until the sun was warmer, or they'd get cold fast.
Charles told his friends they had to wait until the Jet Ski wasn't being used. He also told them that his dad was too busy that week with everything he had going on, and they had to persuade Mr. Wayne to take them out. David asked Charles if he'd checked the inflatable to see if it was full of air and ready itself. The twelve boys hunted down the elusive inflatable towable water tube.
When Chris came to work that Wednesday, he was surprised all of the boy's friends were already there. No one told him there was going to be a sleepover the previous night and thus the reason for almost sixty boys being up at the Pavilion skating at nine in the morning.
Mr. Chris was even more surprised when there was no breakfast being cooked when he entered the Kitchen Nook as there usually was. All he found was the hot coffee and Momma's sweet cakes. So, he went to the Study to talk to his employer, to ask why the boys were there already and what happened to breakfast.
It was then he learned there'd been a sleepover the previous night and that the boys cooked breakfast up at the Pavilion that morning and had made pancakes and bacon. He also learned Momma Maria bought twelve dozen Krispy Kreme donuts for them to have as well.
Mr. Chris was curious about the breakfast and why it happened. It was then Mr. Wayne told the Estate Manage the boys had ordered pizza last night, had a Patio movie and for lunch they will serve sub sandwiches where everyone will make their own, including him, if he wants to eat.
Mr. Ken then explained to him how the boys wanted a sleepover before they went on their big trip. The owner of The Cove explained they also wanted something different to eat and they had prepared the menu that he approved. Mr. Ken explained the boys put the whole thing on without Momma's help other than to buy the stuff and make suggestions to them for the sandwiches.
Mr. Chris was impressed that the boys had moved forward with their abilities. He figured as they get older, they would want to try different things and do them themselves. And here they were pushing forward.
Robert and his friends did get out on the watercrafts about noon that Wednesday. As there were nine of them there had to be two groups that went out. Robert took the Jet Ski as he was more familiar with the machine.
When Robert came back about an hour later, Charles asked him to keep it there, so Mr. Wayne could use it to drag them back and forth on the towing raft.
Todd was there and his constant companion Conner was there as well and they were going to take the PWCs out when Robert's second group was finished. Charles didn't care as long as they didn't take the Jet Ski and he told them why.
In the meantime, Charles had asked Mr. Wayne to take them out on the towable water tube. The Estate Master got dressed in his wetsuit and was ready when the Jet Ski was back.
Charles was the first one to experience being on the towed tube. He wanted the other boys to again see what it was all about for when they went out on it. Todd was already in his wetsuit, for when he went out on the watercrafts, so he went with Mr. Wayne to be the observer as they towed Charles. Conner took a WaveRunner to watch from out on the lake.
A few of the boys could fit into the extra wetsuits Mr. Ken had, so they chose to try the towed tube, as well. The ones who had the chance to try it said it was a blast. Billy saw how much fun it looked like, so he quickly changed into his wetsuit and he tried it too.
About ten boys got the chance to ride the towable water tube that afternoon. The lifeguards didn't have to watch any swimmers as everyone watched the boys being towed and being thrown off the tube.
The boys were also disappointed that the driver had to be at least eighteen and for the time being, Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne were the only adults at The Cove who could tow anyone. Kyle said that Mr. Dan could do it, too, but he hadn't been stopping by as much as he used to.
The boys were having so much fun riding and watching the towable tube they all forgot about lunch. It was when Mr. Ken came down to the marina and asked when lunch was, that Kevin and his team had to scramble to the Pavilion to get the lunch ready for everyone. Although lunch was late that day, everyone loved the fact they had sub sandwiches they made themselves.
Again, they had a choice between, bollito, French and Italian rolls but today they had added ciabatta rolls with which to make their sandwich. Then there was the baked ham, thinly sliced turkey and chicken breast, along with salami, pepperoni and roast beef with which to base their sandwich on.
After that, they had mayo, ketchup, mustard, cut tomatoes, patted dry lettuce, sliced onions, pickles, Swiss, provolone and American cheeses, pepper grinders and sea salt to finish off their masterpiece.
All the boys, as well as the lifeguards, were totally enjoying the change of food they were getting from their normal burgers and hot dogs they've been getting for months and months.
As everyone was eating, Mr. Ken got everyone's attention. He told them that on Saturday there would be no skating due to all the traffic that would be on the estate as the 4th of July Picnic would be ramping up. He reminded them that the Cove Skate Park would be open to all skaters on Sunday who had the proper safety equipment.
Mr. Ken asked the boys not to skate unless there were no outside skaters on the Park. The boys laughed knowing that would never happen, as all the neighborhood kids were wishing they could get the chance to try out the new Cove Skate Park.
The man thanked Logan, Brad, Cooper, Cody, Lonnie, Jamie and Gabe, who will join Billy, Robert and Charles to be the managers, or 'referees', on the Cove Skate Park from twelve noon to six o'clock on Sunday. He told them Mr. Chris would have their special 'referee' shirts on Friday along with their whistles and lanyards.
The owner of The Cove also explained there would be a sign that will state the Park will be open for six one-hour sessions and that the skaters will require a signed release form signed by a parent or legal guardian and would need to wear proper safety equipment.
Mr. Ken said the sign would also say the Park would have supervisors who could remove anyone who was too aggressive on the Park, used improper language, ignored their directions, or overstayed their session.
Mr. Ken then told the lifeguards the five of them would be needed on Sunday as the cove water toys would be open to all swimmers and last year a number of people did enjoy them. He told them they could all relax on Saturday as no swimming would take place due to all the activity that would take place setting the estate up for the Picnic. Mr. Ken asked Russell to call the missing lifeguards to tell them what he just said.
Since it was getting late, the boys helped clean up the Pavilion and put everything away before going back to skating or playing the oversized games Mr. Ken had bought for them to play.
Mr. Chris was totally impressed with the lunch, even though it was late. He thoroughly enjoyed having a sub sandwich as compared to the burgers he usually got. What was even better was he got to build his own hoagie beginning with the bread then the meat, the fixings and then the dressings.
Mr. Chris also liked there were chips and pickles to go along with the sub sandwich as well as ice in a cup for his drink. He silently wished they'd have sleepovers more often if that's what they would feed him afterwards.
The boys either skated, played the oversized games or talked about the PWCs, or their ride on the towable water tube. Many of them were experiencing the PWCs or the water tube for the first time. They all had a different take on what they experienced, and they had to tell their friends what it felt like to them.
When six o'clock came, the boys had their sleeping bags, pillows and extra clothes all ready to take to their parent's vehicles when they arrived to take them home. Mr. Ken was there to greet the parents and to also tell the moms and dads that there would be no skating on Saturday due to the Picnic being set up.
Billy's friends' parents were also there. They pulled him aside to ask him about the Sheriff's detectives coming to their houses to talk to their sons about Kaden. They wanted to know if Billy had anything to do with that.
Mr. Ken told them essentially what he told the boys earlier about his talking to Lt. Fischer. He told the parents that the Sheriff's office would have eventually gotten around to talking to the boys, as the lieutenant and the detectives had seen Kaden at the Grand Opening.
Mr. Ken apologized for any inconvenience it may have caused them, but he further said it was his civic duty to tell Lt. Fischer what he knew about Kaden and his activities. He added that if his information helped identify additional drug dealers and drug users along the way then he was going to do it every time he had the chance.
A few of the parents didn't take kindly to Mr. Ken's direct response to them about his actions with his telling the Sheriff's Department about Kaden's activities at the County Skate Park. They told him they wished he had let the Sheriffs take their collective time in coming to their homes.
Billy heard the conversation and was afraid he'd lose his only friends. Even his friends were worried their parents would end their friendship just as things between them and their Cover friend were beginning to get interesting and the summer had just begun.
Again, Mr. Ken apologized to the moms and dads. But he added that the safety of his sons and foster sons is paramount to him and that if helping take down drug dealers is a sin then he is guilty. He told them he hoped that their disagreement over this wouldn't interfere with their sons' friendship with Billy, or his younger sons, as well. Mr. Ken then walked away.
Before his friends left The Cove, Billy asked Lonnie, Brett, Jamie and Gabe to call him later to tell him how his parents reacted to his foster dad's talk. The teens said they wanted to know just as badly as he did.
The Covers were late for dinner and, as usual, Momma Maria wasn't happy. But she knew that when her boss went up to the Main Gate he would get involved with the parents and they would be late for dinner. Luckily, dinner wasn't something that would be ruined if it was over warmed or reheated a time or two.
Mr. Ken apologized to Momma for him and the boys being late. But, in his defense, he explained that Bill's friends' parents were a bit miffed at him, for having the Sheriff's detectives go talk to their sons about Kaden, and what they knew about his activities away from The Cove.
'Dad' Ken's mentioning that fact had the boys asking him all about what he told the Sheriff. Mr. Ken was reluctant to say anything, but Robert spoke up and asked if it had anything to do with Kaden at the County Skate Park.
Mr. Ken laughed that Robert knew and he figured Charles knew as well, so he told everyone what he learned and that he called Mr. Dan and told him. The man said that piece of information, had Lt. Matthias and Sgt. Roberts visit Bill's friends and their parents weren't happy about it and that was why he was talking to them so long at the Main Gate.
Momma now knew why the Covers were late for dinner. She rarely knew the reason, but today she had a better understanding and for that she was thankful that it was a legitimate reason and not that they forgot about the time, as they usually do.
The Covers met in the Study after dinner as was their habit. They talked about the sleepover and how well it went this time as compared to the first time they had the new menu. They then talked about the movie on the Patio verses the Dive-In Movie.
The boys then talked about using the personal watercrafts and then the towable water tube. The three younger boys lamented the fact they weren't old enough to drive the PWCs let alone ride on the back, because none of their 'brothers' were old enough to take them.
Charles did thank Mr. Wayne, for donning his wetsuit and driving the Jet Ski, so he and some of the boys could have fun on the water tube this afternoon. Charles said it would be awesome if they had an eighteen-year-old there every day that could do that. Billy then asked if Russell was eighteen.
Mr. Ken said he thought he was, but unfortunately, he didn't have the Texas Boater Safety Course and so he couldn't drive the Jet Ski. Charles said his dad should make him take it so he could tow them out on the lake. Dad Ken said he'd think about it, but Russell had his lifeguarding job to be responsible for right now.
The Covers talked some more about the upcoming 4th of July Picnic and the use of the Cove Skate Park. Robert still wasn't fully on board with it being open to everyone, but his dad wanted it to be, so he was resigned to being a supervising 'referee' for two hours on Sunday.
Billy was the most enthusiastic about the Picnic. He couldn't believe his foster dad was paying for a carnival to be set up on his estate for the neighbors to enjoy. He still didn't understand about the church groups, so he asked how they fit into the Picnic.
Mr. Ken told Billy that the church groups set up food booths and the people who come to the Picnic could use the tickets they get when they enter the estate to buy their foods. Mr. Ken then said he pays the groups according to how many tickets they turn in.
Robert added that each person gets the same number of tickets to use to buy food, and drinks and play the games. The Cover teen said the rides are free, but if you squander your tickets on the games there are no more tickets given out.
Billy asked, if someone uses up all their tickets and then goes out and comes back later, how they controlled that they didn't get more tickets. Mr. Ken said it was on the honor system. Billy just smiled and shook his head, knowing that some resourceful kids would probably do something just like that.
As it was getting late, Mr. Ken asked the boys if they had anything for him, or Mr. Wayne, before they went up to their rooms to relax before going to bed. Since there was nothing else to talk about, the boys all headed up to their rooms to await their 'dad's' and the Estate Masters arrival to say goodnight to them.
Mr. Ken and Wayne Mitchell talked about the sleepover and how much better-behaved the boys have become ever since they got older. They did discuss the upcoming 4th of July Picnic and the Cove Skate Park and it being opened to anyone who had a parental signed release and the proper safety equipment.
Wayne did ask his employer about the old ramps and if he had made a decision about what he was going to do with them. Mr. Ken said he was waiting on Owen and Nathan to see if they wanted them or not; otherwise, he would let the boys take them apart.
The Cover men did make it upstairs to talk to the boys before they all went to bed. The boys loved it when they got one-on-one time with their 'dad' and Mr. Wayne. It made them feel extra special.
In Bill's room, Mr. Ken asked if he'd heard anything from his friends. Billy said he hadn't, which probably meant he'd have to look for new friends when school began in late August. Mr. Ken ruffled the teenager's hair and told Bill that it might not be all that bad, and to wait to see who shows up tomorrow. Billy smiled and said he hoped everything would be OK.
After a long day of play, the Cover boys fell fast asleep. The Cover adults also slept well that night, but each in their own beds in their own homes.
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