It was ten o'clock AM Sunday, when Robert opened his eyes. He marveled how well he slept the night before and that he didn't even wake up to pee as he had a few times since arriving at Three Finger Cove.
"Oh, good morning, Chief," announced the lad, as he reached over and began scratching behind the dog's ears.
Then, deciding to scratch something else, Robert reached under the covers and into his briefs and scratched under and over his stiffy. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feelings he got as he scratched and then played some with his skin-flute. He knew he hadn't taken the time the night before to give his 'pride-'n-joy' a workout so he decided to give it a whirl right then and there.
Knowing he couldn't take care of business with everything that was laying on him, he turned down the covers and slipped down his boxer briefs so he had immediate access to his flagpole. As soon as the cool air in the room met his 'hot' rod he purred and then slowly began to raise and lower the flag.
He knew it was sort of late, but Mr. Ken did tell him to 'sleep-in' so he figured he had time to work things out and so he kept right at it. He closed his eyes and let his mind wonder about the sexy things he normally thought of as he exercised his 'willie'. The thing that he never found himself ever thinking about was what any of those men made or had him do. He never thought that what he did was sexually redeeming or satisfying to him even though he knew he did climax most of the time but only because the men had manipulated his equipment along the way.
His sexual fantasies always seemed to focus on some of the boys he knew at school, when he lived with his parents. And, as he got older, he then began to focus on the boys in the upper grades even though he never got the chance to have a sleep-over with any of them because his dad kept him busy doing 'other' things.
As Robert's mind reviewed what he'd love to do with the older boys, his mind began to focus on another lad whom he just recently met. He smiled to himself wondering if he'd ever get the chance to try to experiment with the lad or any other boy in his class for that matter.
He continued to stroke himself and he could feel the 'pressure' building but knew he needed a 'special' thought that could put him over the top. Then, Eric's smiling face came into focus. Robert felt 'something' when he was around him and then began to wonder if the boy ever did what he was doing right now. His mind narrowed its focus on what the lad might look like 'naked' and that had the desired effect as his hand began to move faster and Faster.
Robert could feel that his climax was ready to 'blast off' and it so energized his hand even more. He could feel his breathing became deeper and faster and as he could feel the oil well begin to blow, he heard a knock on his door.
"Robert … are you awake?" asked the man on the other side of the door, as he lightly knocked the first time.
Robert knew he couldn't JUST stop as he was so close.
Then the lad heard a somewhat louder knock and the man asking, "Robert … I think it's time to get out of bed.
And that was when the oil well blew. The derrick shot spurt after spurt of the liquid gold and the lad knew he had to clean up the mess and quick.
Then there was the third knock on the bedroom door and the slow turning of the door knob as Mr. Ken announced, "Robert … I'm coming in. It's time to get your day going."
And just as the door opened and the man stepped into the boy's bedroom, Robert made it appear as if he has just began to stretch and open his eyes.
"Oh … good morning, Mr. Ken … what time is it? Last night you said I could sleep-in this morning and I guess I sure did," smiled the lad.
"Yes … I did say you could sleep-in, so I'm sorry I woke you up. If you look at your clock you'll see it is ten thirty in the morning; I thought that maybe the two of us could go out again for Brunch as we did last weekend. What do you say there, son?" inquired Mr. Ken.
The lad lay there a few moments thinking and then replied, "Yes, sure … that sounds fun. How long can I have to get cleaned up?"
"How about a half hour to forty minutes … do you think you could get ready in that amount of time?" asked the Cove's owner.
"Sure, all I need is to shower and get dressed … unless you want me to go in my … ah, birthday suit," laughed the twelve year old.
Mr. Ken laughed along with the lad then went over to the lad and tussled his hair and replied, "I'll meet you down in my Study. I need to get cleaned up as well." The man continued to smile as he left the room.
Just as Mr. Ken closed the door, Robert said to Chief, "Phew … that was close! I hope I didn't get too much all over the sheets," the lad pondered, as he pulled the covers off of him and looked to see what damage there was.
Forty minutes later, Mr. Ken and Robert exited through the front door and climbed into the man's BMW X5.
That Sunday, Mr. Ken took the lad to the Outback steakhouse. After looking over the menu they decided to each get the 6 oz. Bloomin' Sirloin that came with Aussie Fries. Mr. Ken added a Side Salad and asked for a Strawberry Bull, handmade soda.
"What's that taste like Mr. Ken," asked Robert.
"Well … it has strawberries, Red Bull and ginger ale. Since I'm driving I don't want to 'Drink and Drive'," replied the boy's new foster dad.
"Oh … ahh, I think I'll just get a coke then if you don't mind," asked the boy.
As they waited for their meals, Mr. Ken asked Robert if he felt like talking about yesterday and what Eric may have said to help Robert make up his mind about staying.
Robert readily agreed to talk and he went about restating what Eric told him about the parties and the trips and all but then the boy focused on what Eric said that really that helped make up his mind. He told the man that Eric had defended him against what the lad had thought about what the man might do to him. When he saw the man had a question in his eyes, Robert alluded to what transpired in the shower last weekend and Mr. Ken knew immediately what that was all about.
"So … you asked Eric directly if any of those things actually happened," probed Mr. Ken.
Robert thought back to the previous day and what he talked about with Eric before he answered. "No … I didn't ask him anything directly. I just asked if you'd ever took a shower with them and then something about you being a single man and having all these younger kids around. I'm sorry if you're mad at me for asking," Robert hesitated, "but I know that everything you told me I could verify as being true it was that … well, I just got the opportunity to ask someone MY age and who had been around you and has gone places with you … I'm really sorry Mr. Ken that I asked. I hope you won't be mad at me," a now teary eyed twelve year old choked out.
"Robert, oh Robert … I told you the other day … I am not mad at you for you wanting to find out the answers to the questions you have in your mind about me. You told me about not knowing if those dreadful things would continue to happen with me after they happened over and over again at all the places you were sent.
"Last night it sounded like … that you were pretty sure that you had made up your mind about staying and only wanted to wait until today so we could talk about it. Look … how about you come over and sit with me so we can talk without everybody else hearing us. You okay with that?"
Robert quickly slid out of his bench seat and joined his foster dad on his large bench seat.
"Robert … can you tell me what your decision is going to be? I'm sorting of sitting here, you know, on 'pins and needles' and hoping that you will make me and Chief very happy. You ready to tell me, son?" smiled the man at his foster son with big hopeful eyes.
"Oh, YES, Mr. Ken … yes … I want to stay with you and Chief," burst out Robert, as he hugged the man ever so tight.
"I thought I knew I wanted to stay, but yesterday … the way Eric defended you when he told me about what happened out in California, you know, when he wanted to take a shower with you and you wouldn't let him. He said you said something like 'older men didn't take showers with kids his age and were not his son'. That … that was the thing that … it told me that you wouldn't ever do stuff and I wouldn't have to worry about you ever, Mr. Ken. It was how he truly trusted you and what he said that really made up my mind," finished the lad, as he continued to hug his 'new' foster father.
Ken Thomas just sat there beaming over the revelation that Robert decided to remain with him and Chief after the 'two weeks' were up. All he could do was hug the boy back and rub his shoulders as a sign of acceptance and 'love'.
It was then their server came with their entrées and seeing the man placed the lad's on his 'other' side of the table, Robert decided to slide back over there to eat his meal.
Both the man and the boy smiled at one another as they ate. With the decision now made that Robert would remain at the Cove, they each ate quietly while relishing in their own thoughts of how they would now go forward.
When they returned home, the two went into Ken's Study and Mr. Ken began jumping out of his skin and couldn't wait to call Ms. Judy. He acted like a kid who just got what he wanted for Christmas and just had to tell somebody.
"Robert … you don't mind if I call Ms. Judy and tell her your decision, do you?" an anxious Mr. Ken asked his foster son. "Or... do you want to call her?"
Robert couldn't remember if he ever saw an adult act the way Mr. Ken acted right this very minute. He thought he should be the one who was 'pinging off the walls' but his foster dad beat him to the punch.
"I'll tell you what, Mr. Ken … you can call Ms. Turner, since you know the phone number, and I don't, but then … I get the tell her MY decision. OK?" smiled the youngster as he told the man what he wanted to do.
"Oh … okay, yea, I understand," softly responded the Cove's owner. Then Robert saw the man smile and now he wondered if he could trust him NOT to tell her the news.
The man picked up the phone and punched a number and waited for the other end to be answered. The phone rang and rang and then rang some more as it seemed that no one would answer until finally a sleepy voice said, "Hello."
"Judy? I didn't wake you did I? … I've got great … no, no, that's not right, we've got … no that's not right either. Judy … okay just wait until you hear what Robert has to tell you," the happy man finally got out, as he handed the phone over to Robert.
"Ms. Turner? … Yes, Mr. Ken is acting like a little kid right now. I don't ever remember seeing an old person act this way," laughed the lad.
"Oh … why did I call … well, I thought Mr. Ken already told you the way he acted just now," teased the twelve year old.
In the background, Mr. Thomas could be heard saying, 'tell her … tell her!'
"Yes, that's Mr. Ken. … Oh, you want him to settle down so I can tell you why he called you for me," Robert said repeating exactly what Ms. Judy had said.
"Hurry up and tell her," bellowed Mr. Ken.
"Oh, yea … he's got ants in his pants for sure." Then Robert laughed at what Ms. Judy must have said to him.
"Yes, ma'am, OK, I will … well, the reason we called … I wanted to call and tell you that I've decided to stay here with Mr. Ken, at Three Finger Cove. … Yes, Ms. Judy … now you won't have to find me another place to live. … Oh, yea …" laughed the lad. "Yes … well maybe you might have to if he continues to act this way and they come to put him in a straitjacket," got out Robert before Mr. Ken said, "Give me that phone," and took the instrument away from the boy.
As he put the phone to his ear, he could hear Judy Turner laughing her head off. "What's this you two are conspiring to put me in a straitjacket," asked Mr. Ken. Then the man listened to what the woman had to say.
Robert couldn't hold back his smiles as he watched the man on the phone. He knew Ms. Judy was continuing to tease him about the way he acted during the phone call as she told him as much.
Soon, Mr. Ken sat down in his desk chair and punched a button which activated the 'speaker' function.
"Okay, now Robert can hear what you have to say, Ms. Judy."
"Hi, Ms. Judy," yelled Robert. "Is Eric there, too?"
"Yes he is, Robert. And thank you for making your decision before the two weeks were up," now teased the woman.
"Ah... you're welcome... I guess. I didn't realize the two weeks were almost up," honestly stated the lad.
"Yes Robert, the two weeks Mr. Ken gave you were to end Wednesday as that's the night I brought you over to the Cove. And again, I must thank you for making your decision and calling me to let me know. Now, when I go into work tomorrow I can just scratch that off my list of things to do. So, may I ask what one thing helped make up your mind to decide that you wanted to stay?" said Ms. Judy.
"Well … it wasn't just one thing, Ms. Judy. You see, the food here is great and Momma Maria is a great cook. Then there is the things that Mr. Ken did with me, you know, the Go-Karts, miniature golf, taking me to DQ and more. He also sat down with me and talked to me and he never ever got mad at me for what I said or didn't say. One other thing Mr. Ken did with me was … ah … ah he hugged me when I … when I began to … to cry," revealed the lad, as a few tears of remembrance came to the surface.
"Oh Robert … are those tears I hear in your voice, young man?" a concerned 'mother' asked.
"Yes, Ms. Judy but … but they're tears of joy … please believe me, OK. No one at the other foster homes ever hugged me nor did they ever show concern for me and what I was going through. Mr. Ken cared right from the beginning when he explained things to me about calling me Robert and saying I could take two weeks to decide. Plus, he bought me all those clothes and he told me on the way home after brunch that he now needs to buy me more since I am staying," Robert continued to reveal.
"That's wonderful, Robert … I am very happy for you and I know you'll enjoy living at the Cove," offered Ms. Judy.
"But there's one more thing that helped me make up my mind about staying," spoke up Robert.
"There is something else besides all those wonderful things?" inquired the woman.
"Yes, ma'am there is … it was Eric. You're probably wondering how your son, Eric, could have helped me make up my mind to stay. Well, you see … Eric and I talked quite a bit yesterday and the thing … the thing that really struck me was how Eric couldn't say enough good things about my new foster dad. Eric told me all about the parties and the teen's birthdays and then his own birthday and how Mr. Ken did this or that for him and or Collin and Ryan."
"I mean, he told me how much 'love' is here at Three Finger Cove. The way Mr. Ken took care of Collin and treated him and Ryan and Eric, too. I just knew, from everything he said that this is the place for me right now and that … that I probably won't ever … get to … live … with my parents … again," finished Robert, and then immediately broke down and cried over the thought he lost his mom and dad for essentially forever.
"Go to him, Ken and I'll call you tomorrow," said Judy, and hung up her phone.
Ken had already grabbed the boy into a big hug when Judy said what she did and punched off his phone at the same time she had. He then led the teary-eyed lad to one of the soft leather chairs and put him in his lap and allowed the boy to cry it out not knowing exactly what caused the boy to cry as hard as he did.
Chief watched the entire matter unfold in the Study. From the time the two got home from eating, through the banter and teasing on the phone to now seeing her 'boy' crying and never once did she interfere. But the one thing Chief knew, first-hand, about was crying. She often watched Collin as he did his share of crying when he lived there and she knew she 'now' had to help. As soon as her 'original' master get her 'boy' settled in his lap, she went to Robert and added her paws to his lap and began to lightly lick the tears off his face.
Ken Thomas decided to just let the lad cry it out. He knew that something the boy said, just then, caused his crying spell and he'd just wait until the right time to get the boy to open up and talk about it. Sitting with the lad, he reminded himself that Robert already met Doctor Doug and this could very well be added to the 'List' he asked the lad to make so he wouldn't forget anything important to talk about with either the doc or him.
After about twenty minutes, the Cove's owner realized the lad was fast asleep. He noticed the boy's breathing had slowed and his position looked comfortable enough to entice him to fall asleep. The man then remembered the lad had slept in this morning and had commented on how much he must have needed his sleep. Mr. Ken then decided to let the lad sleep for about ten more minutes but would then begin to raise him from the 'dead' sleep he was in.
Actually, fifteen minutes later, Mr. Ken began to wake Robert. "Robert … it's time to get up, son. You've slept for a half an hour now … and you'll ruin your night time sleep if you don't wake up," soothingly offered the man.
"Oh … is it time to wake up and go to school," asked the lad as he began to wake.
"No … Robert … you began to cry after you talked to Ms. Judy and … and then you fell asleep. I just began to wake you. It's only three thirty this afternoon. Come on, now … you need to wake up so you'll be able to sleep tonight and be wide awake in the morning when you go off to school. Come on, now … get up!" said the man a bit louder that time.
Robert understood why he needed to get up but he wondered if he could tease Mr. Ken so he said, with a smile to the man, "Do I have ta go to school?"
Ken Thomas saw the smile and heard the teasing words the lad had used previously, so he got into the act by tickling the boy and adding, "Yes, yes, you have to go to school … so, I can have some peace and quiet around here." Then he laughed to let the lad know he knew what the lad tried to do.
Robert then replied, "Ah, you're no fun," which got him tickled some more.
"Robert, before we break up our little gathering … could, would you please tell me what caused you to break down and cry that hard. It would really do us both good to kind of understand what happened there," queried the man.
Robert agreed to tell him why he began to cry and essentially he told his foster dad that after hearing his words, his own words, that he'd 'probably won't ever get to live with my parents again' hit him as how 'final' that could turn out to be. The lad further clarified he realized his decision to stay meant at least he'd be 'loved' there at the Cove and since he hadn't had any 'love' at the other three foster homes it probably meant he'd not get it anywhere else he went.
Mr. Ken hugged the boy and thanked him for his explanation and then asked the lad to add that to his List so he could remember to talk to Doctor Doug about it. Robert hugged the man back and said he would add it to his List.
Foster dad and foster son decided to swim some after dinner. Mr. Ken knew that the warm water and the swimming exercise and games they'd play would help the lad tire some and make him ready for bed when the time came.
Then at nine o'clock that night, Robert found his 'dad' in the man's Study working on a project and said his goodnights to the man. But, before the lad could get away, the man hugged him tight and Officially Welcomed him to Three Finger Cove.