At breakfast, 'dad' Ken reminded all of the boys to ask their friends to arrive for the sleepover after dinner, or around 7 p.m. with their swimsuit and towel. He added for the boys whose friend was going to the Texas Boater Safety Course Saturday morning to make sure they brought the clothes they were going to wear there.
While Billy was eating his breakfast, Momma Maria asked him how his tooth was and if the food was too hot. Billy smiled and told the woman that his tooth was fine now that Mr. Ken had taken him to get it fixed. The teen told Momma that he had more dentist appointments to get his other teeth fixed as well. Momma Maria smiled at hearing that.
"Yes, Momma," began Mr. Ken, "all of us Covers have dental appointments over the next few weeks to get our teeth checked, cleaned and fixed if need be. It is something I have overlooked, because none of the boys have complained about their teeth. I won't make that mistake again, if I ever get another foster boy."
Momma thanked her employer for telling her that and she agreed with him, that children will wait until they have a problem with their teeth, before they will say something. She then gave a knowing smile towards Billy. Billy blushed and agreed he did just that, and then went back to finishing his Momma breakfast.
At his school, Charles went and talked to his friends about any of them taking sailing lessons. He explained it would cost $100.00 for six lessons, which would be held at The Cove. He told them he needed himself and at least two more, but not more than four more if they wanted to be added to the sailing lessons and that the training would happen right after school let out for the summer. The teen Cover asked his buddies to think about it, then talk to their parents and to have them call his dad if they had any questions.
Cooper spoke up and said he'd like to take sailing lessons. He added he thought it would be fun to sail that small sailboat Mr. Ken had. He said he'd never seen anyone use it including Mr. Ken. The rest of the boys laughed at what Coop just said.
Richard said it might be fun to learn how to sail, but his younger brother, Ryan, was going to take them with Matthew, and he wasn't sure if his dad could afford to pay for him, as well, right then.
James spoke up and said there was no way his mom would pay for something like that, no matter how much he begged. A few of Charles' other friends said they'd talk to their parents and have them call Mr. Ken if they needed more information. Charles reminded them that only he and four more could join the sailing lessons class, but he needed at least two more for him to be able to take the sailing lessons.
Matthew went to Aaron, when he arrived at school and told his friend about what his 'dad' told them last night and reminded them at breakfast as to what Aaron needed to know when he came over later. Aaron was excited about spending the night. He knew they would swim later and there would only be six extra boys that night.
Aaron told Matthew he already had his stuff set aside for him to take to The Cove later that evening. Matthew's other friends were happy for Aaron, but deep inside they all wished they were the ones spending the night.
Bill met up with his friends as soon as he got off the school bus. He reminded Lonnie about what to bring that night and for him not to forget the $25.00 for the course. Lonnie laughed and pulled out his wallet and showed Billy he had the money. All the boys laughed.
Billy told his friends that Mr. Ken expected the accessories for the Cove Skate Park and Pavilion to begin arriving sometime today and that everything should be there by Tuesday. The Cover then asked Gabe and Jamie what their brothers thought about being allowed to come over with them to help the lockers together.
"I'll bet they are still talking to their friends at school, that they get to go over there," said Gabe. "My mom is tired of hearing them talk about The Cove this, and The Cove that. She can't wait until we get to go over there and they get to actually do what they hope they will."
"Yea, my brothers are the same way. But I don't think they are as bad as Gabe's," offered Jamie. "My mom told them to 'can it', and put a stop to their talking about going over there other than in their rooms. I just wonder if after the picnic they will still be allowed to go over to The Cove?"
"That is a good question," spoke up Billy. "They were invited by Mr. Ken and not by my 'brothers'. So, I'd guess if the same rules apply, that when Mr. Ken is there they can come over. But you do pose a great question. So ... I had better talk to my foster dad about that, so he knows what he may have unwittingly allowed.
"Oh, and there are these other two boys, Luke, who is ten, and Toby who is almost nine who we met at the TheaterPlex that he also invited. He also invited their grandmother, Mrs. Eleanor Whittier and the boys' parents. One of the boys said they were arguing about their Gramm taking the kids places according to one of the boys," added Billy.
"I'll bet there was an interesting conversation in the house when the Gramm told the parents about the invite and the boys constantly asking, 'Can we? Can we?'" laughed Lonnie.
"Kaden, what has you so quiet this morning?" asked Billy.
"Ahh, nothing really. It's just ... well you guys are going to the boater safety course tomorrow and I'll have nothing really to do," replied Kaden.
"Well, you could still show up. I didn't tell Mr. Ken or Mr. Chris that you wouldn't be going so ... so the seat is still there if you want to attend," offered Billy.
"Thanks, Bill. I'll think about it," answered Kaden.
Just then the first bell rang and the students headed into the building to go to their homerooms for attendance and then the start of the school day.
Mr. Ken had made a dentist appointment for himself and while he was gone, the games that Kyle wanted for the Pavilion arrived. Mr. Chris went up to the Main Gate, signed for them and now wished he had those golf carts he ordered for Mr. Ken there. That way, he could take them all down to the house, as they were quite large and heavy. He left them there and told the guards he'd be back for them later.
When Mr. Chris got back to his office, he called the Yamaha Golf Cart dealer and asked him about the delivery time for all three carts he ordered. The man told him they were due to arrive at his shop in less than two weeks.
The dealer explained he needed to inspect, clean and prepare them before he delivered them to his client. He added that as soon as they came in, he would call Mr. Chris who could come over to look them over himself. Mr. Chris wanted to know if they would be ready to go before Memorial Day. The man assured him they would be.
When Mr. Ken came through the Main Gate after his dentist appointment, the gate guard told him about the delivery and that Mr. Chris said he'd be back. Mr. Ken had the F-150 truck with him, so he had the guards load them into the truck bed. When the owner of The Cove got to his Study, he called Chris and told him he brought the boxes down from the Main Gate.
Mr. Ken, Wayne and Chris unloaded the boxes and placed them in a corner in the garage. Mr. Ken saw the shipping invoice and took it out of its sealed protective sleeve to see what came to The Cove.
"Let's see here," said Mr. Ken to his two employees and he looked over the invoice. "We have a Beanbag Toss game, Toppling Timbers, a Giant Four in a Row game and Washers. It looks like all of Kyle's games are here gentlemen.
"The Bean bag and Washers games boards are quite heavy as we can attest to. I guess that's because they are built for the elements. My bet is the boys will want to take them out and play with them before the skate park opens," laughed Mr. Ken.
Mr. Chris then told his boss about the golf carts he'd ordered and that they were due in within the next two weeks and should be delivered the week before the Memorial Day Picnic. Chris added he wished they were already there, as he would have brought the games down when they had arrived. Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne both laughed at the Estate Manager.
When the boys returned from school, they stopped by the Study to talk to their 'dad before going up to start their weekend homework before Bill came home. Their 'dad' told them some boxes arrived today and then had Mr. Wayne show them what they were.
Less than five minutes later, Kyle came running back to the Study thanking his 'dad' for buying those games. He then asked if they could play with them tomorrow. Mr. Ken looked over to Mr. Wayne to get his take on the question. The Estate Master told his boss he was taking the boating course tomorrow and he would have to help the boys out.
Kyle stood there with hopeful eyes. 'Dad' Ken winced when he heard Wayne wouldn't be there. Mr. Ken then remembered he was the one who insisted his Estate Master take the Texas Boater Safety Course, as well.
Mr. Ken relented and said he could do that for the twins and their friends. Kyle jumped at hearing that and he just had to turn to tell his 'brothers what they all just heard themselves. The older two boys just chuckled at Kyle's enthusiasm.
Matthew and Charles didn't get to eat very much of their afterschool snack as they were soon headed to the dentist for their teeth checkup and cleaning. Mr. Wayne took the boys to their appointment that late afternoon.
Dinner that evening was lively. Kyle took center stage, as all he could talk about were the games had arrived and they would get to look them over tomorrow and possibly play them. The younger twin knew that Robert would be cutting the grass and Charles and Matthew would be at the boater safety course, but their friends would be there and they could get a first look at the games
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne just inwardly smiled at the enthusiasm Kyle had over the games he argued for and were now there. It was as if he had a second Christmas the boy was so stoked up that the new games were there.
After dinner, the boys waited up at the Main Gate for their friends to arrive. While the boys were out of earshot, Mr. Wayne explained again to his employer that the dentist wants to talk to him about having Charles eventually see an orthodontist.
The Estate Master explained that Charles had a few cavities that needed attention first, but after that, the boy should be considered for braces to straighten out his teeth before he gets much older.
The two had talked about that when the trio came back from the dentist's office, but Mr. Ken wanted to wait until later to seriously discuss that possibility. They didn't want Charles to hear what they were talking about until the decision was made. The two men talked about the ramifications of doing the procedure and not doing it. But in the end, Mr. Ken said it was in his son's best interest and he'd tell the teen later.
Twelve rambunctious boys and teenagers came loudly into the house through the Foyer Door. Mr. Ken came out of his Study to see what all the hoopla was about. Matthew told him their friends were there and they were having a sleepover and were going to head to the pool to swim and he wanted to know if he and Mr. Wayne were going to join them.
Mr. Wayne told the boys he was headed home and he had the next two days off, but would be at the Texas Boater Safety Course tomorrow with him and then would see them sometime on Monday. Matthew was disappointed his mentor would not be there when he went to bed, but he knew his 'dad' would check in on him. All the boys headed down the stairs to the pool.
Mr. Ken worked on some paperwork until about 8 p.m. when he rang the bell, so the boys knew he was coming down. When he entered the pool area the boys looked as if they hadn't been skinny dipping and were happy to see he was going to join them.
Lonnie felt so stoked that he was there at The Cove swimming, at night, and that he was spending the night, as well. He didn't care if he had to arrive after dinner. Sure, he missed one of Momma Maria's great meals, but he figured eventually, he'd get to taste one.
The addition of Mr. Ken made him the odd man out. There were twelve boys and he made it thirteen. The boys began to play some of the games Russell and Jordan taught them. All Mr. Ken could do was watch and laugh at the boys' antics.
When it was close to 9:30, Mr. Ken called it quits. The boys moaned they had to stop, but he reminded them they would be up no later than 7 a.m. to get ready for the boating course that lasted all day. He told them Momma Maria had some sweet cakes ready for them before they went to bed. The man told them to quickly change into what they wore to bed and meet him in the Kitchen Nook.
Lonnie didn't know what to expect when he went into the locker room to change. There he saw that none of the boys were embarrassed to be seen naked, by him, a stranger. Yes, he may have seen some of them naked when he swam there before. But here were at least six young males, twelve and younger, who still didn't have any hair around their dicks and they didn't care who saw them.
"Bill, do you guys swim like this all the time?" asked Lonnie, as the two oldest teens changed.
Billy told his friend that they don't usually swim at night, but that night was a special occasion, since the boys had friends spending the night. The teen Cover told his friend that they usually had some sort of late-night snack before bed, but since Momma Maria made them something special that this should be something to remember.
Lonnie saw the Cover boys only dressed in their boxer briefs and a t-shirt. When he arrived at the Kitchen Nook, he also saw that was essentially how Mr. Ken dressed, but his briefs were more like real shorts.
"Boys, Momma made you guys Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies. She also made two gallons each of vanilla and chocolate milk for you to use to wash it all down. Please don't eat too much. I don't want you to get sick from all that sugar. Or, maybe have a bad nightmare from, too full of a stomach. Now dig in!" announced the owner of The Cove
"Vanilla milk?" said Lonnie, with a question on his face, to no one in particular.
"You have got to try that!" spoke up Matthew.
James and Charles were talking when Mr. Ken came over to them. James couldn't thank the man enough for making it possible for him to attend the boater course. The teen also hugged the man and when he came out of it he had a few tears falling from his eyes.
Lonnie saw what just happened between Mr. Ken and James and he asked Billy about it. Billy told him what he knew which was James didn't get to see his dad and James felt very good when he was around his foster dad. Billy then added he knows exactly what James feels.
That put a question on Lonnie's face. Billy saw it, and then told him he'd explain it when they went to bed.
Robert and Eric were the first ones to rinse their dirty milk glasses and head up to bed. The twins followed suit and then Matthew, Aaron, Lonnie and Billy weren't too far behind.
Charles and James stayed behind and collected all the dirty dishes and rinsed them and placed them in the dishwasher. They wiped down the counter and then said 'goodnight' to Mr. Ken and they too headed up to bed.
"Billy ... what did you mean by ... by what you said about your understanding, you know, what James feels?" asked Lonnie.
"Lonnie ... James ... his mom ... she made up some story about his dad and ... and, well ... she kicked him out of the house. James doesn't get to see his dad all that much, so ... so he likes it when Mr. Ken pays him some attention," explained Billy.
"But ... but how ... how do you know, you know, how he feels?" persisted Lonnie.
"Lonnie ... I don't remember my dad. My stepdad, Jody ... well ... he didn't really want a kid around, you know, because ... well, because of the drug business he was dealing in. So ...now that I am here at The Cove, I ... I appreciate what Mr. Ken does for me and how he treats me. He doesn't treat me any differently from the other boys ... including his adopted sons. ... That's what I mean," explained Billy.
All Lonnie could say was, "Oh."
Billy set his alarm clock to wake up at the time his foster dad recommended. Charles also set his alarm and when the two alarms went off the four teens got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
When Matthew and Aaron didn't show when the four teens were ready to take their showers, Billy went out in the hallway, stark naked, to his 'brothers' room. He didn't do the Three-Knock Rule he just barged in yelling it was time for them to get up.
Matthew woke up with a start, as he didn't know what was happening. Aaron also sat up in his bed and looked around. Billy, standing there stark naked, told the boys they were late and needed to get up, showered, dressed and down stairs by 7:30. The older teen then walked out of the bedroom.
Matthew and Aaron rushed into the bathroom to relieve the pressure in the bladders. When they turned the corner to go into the showers, they saw all four being used.
"Hey, make room for us," called out Matthew.
Charles and James were almost done, so they stepped aside so the two younger boys could get their showers. Charles and James then rinsed off, stepped out of the shower and dried off. The two teens then walked to Charles' room to get ready for the day.
Billy and Lonnie finished about that time leaving the two younger boys alone. They talked about Billy coming into the room all naked and scaring them. They laughed at the sight of Billy's big schlong hanging there. Then, they both agreed they were glad he didn't rip the covers off them otherwise he'd have seen their morning boners. They laughed some more as they rinsed off, dried themselves and headed to the bedroom to get dressed.
"Cutting it kinda close, are we?" said Mr. Ken, to Matthew and Aaron. "Grab a breakfast taco, or two, a glass of milk or orange juice and sit and eat. You have five minutes."
Matthew got his and Aaron's glass of milk, while Aaron grabbed two breakfast tacos each for them to eat. As they did their dance around one another, as they each got a part of their breakfast, the other four teens smiled. Mr. Ken also chuckled, but told the older boys to, "Can it!"
It was 7:35 when Mr. Ken pulled out of the garage with six students headed to the Texas Boater Safety Course. They arrived with five minutes to spare. He gave his boys $20.00 each for lunch and he told them to call him if they needed anything else. He told them, he'd pick them up around five, but for them to call if they were going to be finished before then.
"Hey, Kaden ... I thought you weren't coming?' asked a smiling Lonnie, when he saw the teenager in the group.
"Well, I figured with my luck, Mr. Ken ... he'd go out and buy one or two more WaveRunners and I'd be left out when you guys all went out riding. So, here I am!" said a laughing Kaden.
Robert and Eric got out of bed a little after 8 a.m. They wanted to get an early start so they could spend some time with their friends. They used the porcelain god, dressed in older clothes and headed down to the Kitchen Nook for breakfast.
"Hey, dad put some breakfast tacos in the convection oven for us. It looks like he also put some in for Kevin and Kyle. This will get us out sooner and finished quicker, hopefully," said Robert, as he got the tacos while Eric got the milk.
Mr. Ken returned to The Cove while his son and Eric were just finishing breakfast. They said 'Good Morning' to the man as they cleaned up their mess and headed outside to start their grass-cutting job. There the teenagers flipped a coin to see who drove the mower first. Robert won the toss, with a smile, and Eric was relegated to using the weed trimmer.
The low drumming of the mower woke the twins up. They knew what it was and, when they looked at the time, they saw it was close to 9 a.m. They decided to get out of bed, shower, get dressed and head down for breakfast.
When the twins arrived in the Nook, they saw there were two breakfast tacos each in the convection oven for them. 'Dad' Ken told them to get more out of the freezer and use the microwave if they wanted more. Kevin did just that. As the twin did that, Mr. Ken told Kevin to add two more for him. The three Covers had a good laugh.
When the twins finished their breakfast and cleaned up their, and their 'dad's', mess, Kyle asked Mr. Ken if they could open the game boxes to see what the games looked like. The younger twin also wanted to know if they could play them when their friends arrived.
Mr. Ken asked them to wait for him before they opened the boxes, so he could collect the rules and any packing lists that might be attached. The twins went out to the garage to look over the multiple boxes the four games came in and wait for their 'dad'.
About 10 a.m. Todd and Conner arrived at The Cove. Todd knew that Mr. Gray was coming with another water toy, so he waited at the Main Gate to sign the man and Jason, his worker, onto the estate grounds. When the man arrived, Todd called Mr. Ken and asked him to meet them at the beach.
Mr. Gray had Jason and the other two teens unload the new water toy. Todd got the air pump from the locker and he, Jason and Conner filled it up with air. When it came time to place the Rock-It water raft in the cove, Mr. Ken had Todd and Conner go inside and change into some wetsuits. He told them he hoped he had some big enough for them.
Jason didn't help that time, as Todd knew how to fasten the toy to the cove bottom, as it was easier if two people did it and Conner was a willing helper. The two wetsuit-clad teens used the WaveRunners to take the Rock-It into the water and positioned it where Mr. Ken thought it would be best. Then, Todd dove down with the rafts anchor to permanently attach it to the cove's bottom.
When they were through, the two teens tried it out. Watching, Mr. Ken remembered how his boys played on a similar one during their cruise. It was then Mr. Ken saw Conner rock the raft so hard that Todd went flying off. The teen came up laughing. The man was now happy Matthew talked him into getting it.
"Mr. Ken, I think you have a winner there," offered Todd, when he and Conner drove the personal watercraft back to the beach. "That was fun rocking the raft back and forth and then being thrown as I was. I know the boys will thoroughly enjoy that!"
After the teens changed, they walked up to the Parking Coral to see what was going on. Todd heard the mower and trimmer going, so he knew Robert and Eric were out in the field. He walked out to check their work.
When he and Conner walked back, they saw the garage door opened and the twins working on unpacking some boxes. They walked in to check what was going on. Mr. Ken volunteered them into helping unpack the new games. They became the first ones to try them out with the twins.
By the time the twins and Robert's friends arrived all four games were out of their boxes and set up in the Parking Coral. The boys looked them over and asked Kevin and Kyle if they were the games they told them about a few weeks ago. Kyle took the question and told everyone that they were and that he wanted something to do after they got tired of skating, so he asked his 'dad' to order them.
The younger twin told the boys these would be fun' things to do at the Cove Skate Park especially when it rained. Kyle explained the Bean Bag Toss and Washers were similar, but were played on different boards. The Cover said they had to try them to understand what they were and how to play them.
The Cover then explained that the Toppling Timbers were played like Jenga, but they could see the sticks were the over-the-top large size. Lastly, Kyle explained that the Giant Four in a Row game was played like Connect-Four, but the disks were much larger and the playing board was five feet by five feet.
Some of the boys decided to try the new Games out, while a few others went to the ramps, knowing that there wouldn't be many other boys there to compete with.
The boys at the Texas Boater Safety Course all walked to the nearby fast food restaurant to get some lunch during the noon break. The younger boys couldn't stop talking about what they had learned and what they would learn during the sailing lessons.
Billy and his friends talked about the course as well, but they all said that they knew most of that stuff anyway. They did agree that, since they were there, they needed to finish the course, so if they ever got the chance to drive the personal watercraft they'd have the certificate to do so.
The course already covered the Introduction to Boating, Boating Laws, Boat Safety Equipment, Navigation, and Safe Boating Practices. That afternoon the part of the course the teenagers were most interested in, was going to be about Jet Skis and their Proper and Safe Use. They would also hear about Boating Problems and Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat, as well as Hunting and Fishing from boats, Water-skiing and River Boating.
When the instructor got to the part about personal watercraft, all of Billy's and Charles' friends listened more intently than the younger boys who were there. That was so they could eventually drive the WaveRunners.
Robert and Eric finished their grass cutting around two o'clock. They had to clean up the mower and trimmer before they could stop and talk with their friends. The two teens played a few of the new games as they cooled down. When they felt ready, they headed into the house to take a shower and put on fresh clothes.
Mr. Ken left The Cove about 4:30 that afternoon to go to the boater course venue and wait for the boys to finish. The man left Robert in charge, but he knew there would be no problems because none of the boys were ever troublemakers and if they had been they wouldn't be there now.
Billy and his friends were waiting outside the venue along with the other boys when Mr. Ken pulled up in the van. They all greeted the man and talked to him about the course. The other boys were waiting for their parents to arrive, so they all had a good discussion about the boater course.
All Billy's friends could talk with Mr. Ken about was the chance they might get to drive the WaveRunners or the Jet Ski. Mr. Ken looked over the number of boys who just took the training just because of that chance.
The owner of The Cove knew he needed to think long and hard about getting another one or two PWCs, or personal watercrafts. He laughed to himself knowing that's what he'd do. He made a mental note to talk to Chris Monday morning. Then, he outwardly laughed, which caught the boys' attention.
The other parents began to arrive to collect their sons and, just as what happens at The Cove, they all began talking to one another. The boys talked about the course to their parents but before long everyone loaded into their vehicles and left the area.
"What took you so long?" asked Robert, when his dad finally came home with Billy, Charles, Matthew and James. Lonnie and Aaron's parents picked them up at the training site.
"Well, the parents arrived to get their boys and ... well, we all got to talking. Anyway, it is almost time for your friends to head on home. When they are all gone, we'll go out to dinner," replied Mr. Ken.
"Mr. Ken,' began James, "I ... I want to thank you ... you know, to thank you for what you did for me. I really appreciate it that you made it so I could attend the class. And ... and I want to thank you for letting me spend the night, too. Ever since I met Charles and came over to The Cove you've treated me ... well you treated me as I hoped my own dad would. ... Thank you!"
James then burst out crying and Mr. Ken pulled the teenager into him and let the boy cry it out. The man did what he usually did for his boys and let James calm down on his own. When James pulled out of the hug he apologized for crying.
"James ... you have no reason to apologize for doing what you needed to do. I am sorry you don't get to see your dad as often as you want. And, I am glad I could do for you, whatever I could. You are always welcome here. That is unless you cause trouble," finished Mr. Ken with a laugh.
The rest of the boys laughed, right along with their 'dad' and James.
Mr. Ken's phone rang just then. The gate guard called to tell him that a Mrs. Allison Whitely was there and waiting for her son, James. So, they all walked to the Main Gate to meet Mrs. Whitely.
"Mom, I'm sorry for not being up here. We got to talking and I forgot about the time," said an apologizing James to his mom.
"No, bother. I hope you had a good sleepover. Come on now. It is time to go. Tell your friends Goodbye," abruptly said Allison Whitely.
The Covers went out to eat as they usually did over the weekends. Mr. Ken made an executive decision and they went to Four Corners. The boys picked the Diner, though, in which to eat.
At dinner, the twins had to ask a zillion questions about the Texas Boater Safety Course. Billy, Charles and Matthew answered the twin's interrogations, but when the food came everyone just dug into their meal and the conversation died down.
The boys talked their 'dad' into swimming with them that evening after they returned home. It wasn't often he did that and here he was doing it two nights in a row. They played a few games, jumped off the rock ledge and just talked about the course and the new water toy Mr. Gray delivered that morning.
After their late-night snack, Mr. Ken followed the boys up to their rooms. He said goodnight to them all before heading down to his own bed for a good night's rest.
The Covers were so tired after their long day and then their late-night swim that they all fell right to sleep. The Sandman had done his job well, and all the Covers slept soundly and peacefully that Saturday Night.
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