Ken Thomas had a meeting scheduled with the Commissioners' Court opponents that morning, so he was up early enough to have a good breakfast, so he could be at the appointed place in time.
The residents who were tired of the current incumbent Commissioners, and disgusted with their decision to withhold the funds to rebuild the highway past the amusement park and on to the lake, and had decided to run against them, were at the meeting with Mr. Ken.
Mr. Ken was up front with those present and explained who he was, and why he was interested in supporting them against the incumbent commissioners. He told the people running against the commissioners that he would support them financially, up to the legal limits of the law, and would help them with legal counsel through Amy Ozarker, and anything else he could legally provide.
Some of the people at the meeting had also been at the first meeting which Mr. Ken attended at the Commissioners' Court, so they knew what he was saying was accurate and truthful. They asked him questions about his proposal to fund the highway. Mr. Ken told them that they, the county's residents, had voted to issue Bonds to rebuild the highway and because of that the money could only be used to fund the reconstruction of the highway.
Mr. Ken told those present, from what he understood, the Commissioners had to use the money as intended and could not spread that money around to hopefully use it to get reelected. The man added they had to coordinate with the State, in a timely manner, or the State could put their project on hold, and advance another jurisdiction's project ahead of theirs. He thanked those who jumped up and decided to oppose the incumbents. He told them he was behind them one-hundred and ten percent.
Mr. Ken asked them to work with Amy Ozarker to establish their election headquarters, appoint campaign managers and find volunteers to work for them. He mentioned they would need voter lists and much more that Amy would help them get set up. He told them they didn't have much time, but when the people hear what their opponent was up to, he was confident the residents would support them fully.
Today was the Cover boys last day of school before their summer vacation began. Their enthusiasm at the breakfast table was jubilant to say the least. Kevin was the most vocal, as he told his 'brothers' how much sleeping he was going to do.
Matthew told his 'brothers' he couldn't wait until tomorrow when his sailing lessons would begin and that he would soon be able to sail 'dads' small sailboat that was tied up to the dock.
Charles also told his 'brothers' he was looking forward to learning to sail. He then looked over to Matthew and told him they would have to 'fight' over who got to sail the Sunfish.
Matthew saw the smirk on his teen 'brothers' face, as Charles said they would have to 'fight' to see who sailed the Sunfish, and the younger Cover said, "Two out of three, right?"
Charles laughed and said, "Yea, Rock-Paper-Scissors, two out of three."
Momma Maria thought the two boys were actually going to fight over who was going to sail the small boat, after they learned to sail. She was relieved when she heard them say how they decided who sailed the small boat, and saw the smile on both boys' faces knowing they were joking with one another.
Mr. Wayne just kept on reading the morning newspaper, while smiling at what was being said between the boys. But, before the boys left the breakfast table, the Estate Master reminded them that when they were all home they would be going out to buy summer clothes.
Billy took care of Chief's needs as soon as he appeared in the Kitchen Nook. He too had a big smile on his face as it was his last day as a high school freshman. He and Mr. Wayne talked about what they would do later in the day, and the Estate Master reminded the teenager that when all six boys were home they would be going out to buy summer clothes. That put a big smile on Billy's face.
That morning, Mr. Ken also met with the three commissioners who supported him, but not at the same time. He and they didn't want to run afoul of the Open Meetings Act, and get into trouble.
Mr. Ken's primary reason for meeting with the men was to reassure them he was fully committed with expanding his Crystal Lake Amusement Park and developing the lakeside property, when he acquired it, into a residential and vacation community, once the roadway was rebuilt and expanded into the five-lane divided highway as promised.
Mr. Thomas also told the men about his meeting with the residents who will oppose the incumbent commissioners that fall. He told them he would be supporting them financially as much as he could legally do. He wanted them to know how committed he was to the area and its success and was putting his money where his businesses were.
When Mr. Chris arrived at The Cove that Wednesday morning, he got his first cup of coffee and then went to his office and called the sailing instructor to confirm they would be there tomorrow at 9 a.m. The instructor he talked to said they were ready and hoped the security guards wouldn't cause him, and his associate, any trouble when they docked at The Cove's marina.
Mr. Chris was now happy he called. The two men decided the instructors would arrive in their own power boat, and would tie up at the Three Finger Cove dock. Chris told the man he would call the guards to put that on their schedule, and that he and his associate should expect a guard to ask them for some sort of identification. Chris explained the security teams change daily and rotate through The Cove's watch points and most likely won't meet up with the same security guard he met the other day with Mr. Wayne.
Mr. Chris did call the Main Gate when his phone call was over. The Estate Manager told the guards about the sailing instructors arriving the next three days and the first three days of the following week. He told the guard to make sure the morning teams knew about the two sailing instructors coming to the dock for six days to teach the boys how to sail.
The Estate Manager, as a courtesy, also told the guard that Matthew and Charles' friends would also arrive between 8:30 and 8:45 in the morning for the sailing lessons, so for them not to be surprised when ten youngsters show up and ask to be allowed into the estate so early in the morning. The guard at the gate thanked Mr. Chris for that information and told him he'd put that into the Daily Report and note it for the next six sailing lesson dates.
School was virtually a waste of time that Wednesday for all the students. But the Texas legislature mandated that students went to school for 180 days a year and that Wednesday was considered the 180th day, even though it was only a half-day.
The five younger Covers returned home around twelve noon and Momma Maria had a simple lunch of soup and sandwiches, ready for them when they entered the Kitchen Nook. She had them wash their hands and face and then sit and eat.
It was while the boys ate and talked, the phone rang at Mr. Ken's desk. Mr. Wayne put the current call on HOLD and answered it. It was the security guard at the Main Gate, telling him there were news reporters there wanting to talk to Mr. Thomas.
Mr. Wayne asked him if he told them Mr. Ken was gone until later this evening.
The guard said he had, but they didn't believe him. The Estate Master asked the guard if he knew what they wanted to ask him. The man told him the State investigators looking into the roller coaster accident held a news conference back east an hour ago and had mentioned Mr. Thomas by name. Mr. Wayne said he'd be right there.
Wayne called Chris and told him what he just learned. He said they both should go up to the Main Gate and that Chris, as the Estate Manager, should address the media and tell them that Mr. Ken was away and wouldn't return until later tonight. Chris argued that Wayne should do that. But Wayne said he took care of the boys and that Chris was responsible for the estate.
The two men walked up to the Main Gate and talked to the guards, first. The two then walked outside the estate and Mr. Chris asked the news media if he could help them.
The reporters quickly asked to speak to Mr. Thomas to get his take on what the investigators had said about his involvement in the investigation into the Rocket roller coaster accident at the Edgewood Amusement Park over the Memorial Day weekend.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Chris Dominions, the Estate Manager for Mr. Thomas. All I can tell you is that Mr. Thomas is back east visiting his Crystal Lake Amusement Park and is not expected until later tonight. I have no knowledge about his involvement in the investigation and was not aware that he was interviewed about the accident at Edgewood, until you arrived, and asked to talk to my employer.
"I suggest you have your colleagues back east contact him at his Crystal Lake Amusement Park to get his response to whatever was said by the investigators. Otherwise, you will need to wait until tomorrow when he is here. I wish I could help you, but I only know about what is happening here at The Cove, and not what is happening out in Mr. Ken's businesses," finished Mr. Chris, who then walked back inside the estate, with Mr. Wayne following quickly behind.
The news reporters were disappointed at what they heard. They also didn't believe what the Estate Manager told them, so they decided to hang around some more to see if Mr. Thomas comes out of the estate later.
Billy's school bus stopped just then, and the teenager wondered why there were all those news reporters hanging around outside the estate. As the teen walked to enter the estate, a news reporter called out to him if he lived there. Saying he did, the reporter asked him to have Mr. Ken come out and talk to them. Billy yelled back that Mr. Ken was gone until later tonight, and the teen continued inside the estate.
The reporters heard what the teenager said. With that, they talked about staying a bit longer, but before long they all began to pack up and leave the area.
Momma Maria had a sandwich ready for Billy when he entered the Kitchen Nook. So the teen sat down to that and a bowl of soup. When the Cover was finished, the teen went to the Study to tell Mr. Wayne about the news reporters at the Main Gate.
Mr. Wayne thanked him for that piece of information, but told Billy he and Mr. Chris already addressed them. The Estate Master then asked Billy to gather up his 'brothers', so they could go out and get their summer clothes.
The Covers headed out to The Mall where the boys had initially gotten their clothes when they first arrived at The Cove. They walked around, and with boys ranging in age from eleven to fifteen they had to visit the different areas of the department stores to find the clothes they liked and fit them.
Ultimately, each boy got three pairs of different colored shorts and then four polo and/or t-shirts that either matched or complemented them. The boys also found some swimsuits they liked, so they added them to their haul. Of course, Mr. Wayne bought it all for them, knowing Mr. Ken would have if he were there.
The Covers next stop was going to be the shoe store, but Charles asked that they drive out to the Outlet Mall, where they'd have a bigger choice of brands. The rest of the boys agreed and Mr. Wayne had them all load into the Sprinter van and that was where they headed next.
Each Cover boy got another pair of sneakers for the summer and in particular for their upcoming trip. They didn't necessarily all get the same brand, but they did get a brand they liked in the color they wanted. They also got a few pairs of socks.
Billy wanted ankle socks in black or dark gray that barely showed when worn. The younger boys, Kevin, Kyle and Matthew, wanted colorful crew or calf high types. Robert and Charles said they liked the ankle high socks and chose a few different colors as well. Mr. Wayne shook his head at what the boys wanted, and just paid the bill.
After buying shoes and socks, the twins asked if they could get a nice under Armor shirt. Mr. Wayne wasn't too sure about that. But he and the boys did walk over to the store and they did look at the shirts. Mr. Wayne also asked the boys if they wanted to look at Nike and Adidas and the other brands that were at the Outlet Mall. The boys said they just wanted the Under Armor ones.
Once in the store, the twins started looking at everything the store had. Backpacks, colorful boxer briefs, polo shirts, t-shirts, gym shorts, hats, socks and more. Mr. Wayne wondered if he did the right thing by letting the boys' even look.
After a few minutes of allowing the boys to roam around the store, the Estate Master made an executive decision and told the boys it was time to leave. The twins were disappointed they had to leave and all Mr. Wayne would say was to ask for them for their birthday. Kevin quickly spoke up and told the man their birthday was back in March. But Mr. Wayne didn't budge, and none of the boys got any additional clothes.
They did stop and got soft pretzels, though. Mr. Wayne told them they each could get two pretzels and two different dipping sauces, and a soda, and to ask to share if they wanted to try what their 'brother' had gotten, and they didn't.
As the boys enjoyed their snack, Matthew suddenly asked, "What about Momma? What is she going to say when she learns we had a snack, Mr. Wayne?"
"Not to worry, Matthew," replied Mr. Wayne. "I told Momma Maria that I would probably get you guys a soft pretzel, or some sort of snack, while we were out, so I gave her the rest of the day off. But thank you for thinking about her and what she'd do to us when we got home. I heard what happened the other day when you guys forgot to come back from skating," now laughed the Estate Master.
Shopping took most of the afternoon and it was close to dinner time when the Covers returned to The Cove. Mr. Wayne had the boys take their new clothes inside and there they all talked about where they wanted to go for dinner. He told them he was buying, so to pick a place they hadn't been for a while.
The boys named a number of different places they'd been to, but not that often. The twins said they wanted to go to a fast food restaurant, but the three older teens outvoted them. They kicked around Texas Roadhouse, Applebee's, Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, and Olive Garden.
Robert then suggested they go over to the Lakeside Hotel and eat at their dad's restaurant. He reminded them how good the steaks were that night before the Grand Opening. He added that way they could also see if the service got any better or worse, and they could also check out the deserts. Robert said they could then tell their dad what they learned.
The boys remembered how good the food was that night and they all thought that was a good idea. Mr. Wayne called the hotel restaurant and made reservations for seven for 6 p.m. The Estate Master then told the boys to change into nice school clothes, since the restaurant was a high end eatery and play clothes were not appropriate. The boys agreed to change.
The Covers arrived in plenty of time for their reservation, which was in the name of Mitchell. The Hostess gave them a pager and told them it would buzz when their table was ready. The boys walked around the hotel some to see what, if any, changes had been made, while Mr. Wayne sat in a lounge chair waiting for the pager to buzz.
When it was 6:10, and the pager hadn't gone off, Mr. Wayne went to the Hostess and asked if there was a problem. The woman told him it would be a few more minutes because of the size of his party. Mr. Wayne told her he had called ahead and made a reservation and had expected to have been seated by now. She called the restaurant manager.
The restaurant manager took his time arriving at the Hostess podium. The man wanted to take Wayne Mitchell aside and talk to him about the problem and Mr. Wayne would not budge. He told the manager he had a reservation for seven for six o'clock and it was now going on 6:20 and he was not yet seated, and yet he saw many people being seated who came after he had.
The boys came looking for their Estate Master when they still hadn't been called to be seated. They found him talking with the restaurant manager and overheard him ask why his table for seven wasn't ready for when he had made a reservation. The manager said that a table for seven wasn't a regular request and they had to take two regular tables out of service to accommodate him.
Mr. Wayne was beginning to get hot under the collar, but knew as Mr. Ken's representative he needed to stay calm. He told the man to do what he needed to do and he expected his party of seven to be seated in the next five minutes. The manager said that was impossible.
Billy was surprised Mr. Wayne was having so much trouble getting them a table even after making a reservation. So, the teenager went to the man and said, "Mr. Wayne, I don't think Mr. Ken will be happy to learn that his sons can't get seated at his own hotel's restaurant. What do you think?"
The restaurant manager excused himself and told Wayne he'd see what he could do to speed things up. What he actually did was go to his computer files and call up the pictures from the night before the Grand Opening to see if that man and those boys were with Mr. Ken Thomas the hotel's owner. To his chagrin they were, and now he knew his decision to delay seating them to try to force the party of seven to decide to go elsewhere was not only foolish, but probably going to get him fired.
The manager called the Hostess and told her to seat the party of seven immediately. She balked, but when she learned who they were she quickly got the bus boys to put two tables together. She then seated Mr. Wayne and his six charges.
The restaurant manager assigned two wait staff to the table in order to speed up the order and the serving process. He apologized to Mr. Wayne for the mix up and delay, but hoped they could make up for it with outstanding service and fabulous entrees. Mr. Wayne just thanked the man and went about talking to the boys.
Robert recognized something was wrong, and after the man left, he asked Mr. Wayne why it took so long for them to be seated after they had a reservation. Mr. Wayne said it would only be speculation on his part, but he felt they didn't want a party of seven, that included six kids, in their fancy restaurant.
The boys started talking amongst themselves about what Mr. Wayne just said and what their 'dad would say when he heard how they were treated at his own hotel and restaurant. Mr. Wayne told the boys to hold their conversation down, and that he could not prove what he guessed at, but he had no other reason as to why people were being seated while they waited and waited.
The Cover's entrees that night tasted just as great as they did that first night they ate there. The boys were happy they decided to eat there, even if they had to wait longer than necessary to be seated. When it came time for desert, Mr. Wayne asked the boys to order different ones. He wanted to see if they had improved on their presentation and if they changed out some of their offerings.
It was after 8:30 when the Covers departed the Lakeside Hotel parking lot. They all talked about how long it took to get seated and Mr. Wayne asked them not to speculate why they weren't seated at their reservation time. They argued he did, but he told them he qualified his speculation, and they will never know for sure. It was Kevin who said he'd bet that his 'dad' will find out. All the boys laughed.
The boys all agreed their meal was just as awesome as it was that first night. They all loved how juicy their steak was and how good it tasted. The group then talked about the deserts and how they were presented. The boys thought the deserts were really good and looked nice on their plates. The one thing they did notice was there weren't as many selections as there were that first night.
When the Covers returned home, Chief was waiting for her men and her ice cream, but was disappointed when none of them had some for her. Billy sat down on the Nook floor with her and told her they didn't go out for ice cream that night. He hugged her as a substitute and before the teen knew it he and the resident pet were wrestling on the Kitchen Nook floor.
The rest of the Covers laughed at the two wrestling on the Nook's floor, knowing Billy often did that with Chief. After a minute, or two, Mr. Wayne called a halt to the fun and asked everyone, including Chief, to head to the Study.
The Covers took their regular seats and then Mr. Wayne asked the boys what their plans were for tomorrow and the rest of the week. A smiling Matthew told the man he was taking sailing lessons for the next six days, not counting Sunday.
Charles spoke next and said, 'What he said." Everybody laughed, including Mr. Wayne.
Billy said he didn't plan on doing anything different than if it were a Saturday, since his friends didn't have to leave before six o'clock. He added that with the new Skate Park they could skate longer and have more fun, now that they didn't have to wait in line.
Robert agreed with his older 'brother' then suggested that as the weather got warmer he and his friends would put on the wet suits and take the watercraft out on the lake. Billy asked the teen if he would show him one day how to drive the WaveRunner, so he knew what to do when he decided to take one out. Robert said tomorrow was as good a day as any day. The two smiled at one another.
Kevin said he planned to sleep in every morning he could, but he'd be up bright and early next Thursday when they leave for their trip to visit 'dad's' amusement parks. All the boys laughed at Kevin because they all knew how much the twin loved to stay in bed.
Kyle was the only one who hadn't said anything. Mr. Wayne asked the younger twin what was on his mind. The twelve-year-old said he wished they could have a sleepover at least once before they left on their trip. Mr. Wayne told Kyle that was one wish he could not grant, and that the boy would have to convince Mr. Ken to change his mind on that issue.
Kyle said he knew that, but he hoped that his 'brothers' would support him when he asks his 'dad' to let them have a sleepover this Saturday night. The twin said they hadn't had a big sleepover in a long time and that, even though their 'dad' said they could have one after they returned, he wanted one before they went too, so they could skate late on the new Park.
The boys talked amongst themselves and they agreed with Kyle. Billy said he'd go with his 'brother' to talk with Mr. Ken. The teen explained he only had Lonnie spend the night that one time, and he'd like to see how it is to have all his friends spend the night at the same time. The rest of the boys said they'd support their 'brothers' when they talked to their 'dad'.
Mr. Wayne went over the list of things that were planned for The Cove and the boys over the next few weeks. He did what his employer would have done during their meeting to try to keep everything as normal as possible for the boys.
As it was getting late, the Estate Master suggested to the boys that they head up to their rooms to settle down before going to bed. He told them since they didn't have school in the morning they could stay up a little later than usual, but that Charles and Matthew still needed to be up at least by 8:15, so they could have a good breakfast. He did remind them they didn't need a shower in the morning, since they would be in the cold lake water in the morning.
Hearing 'cold lake water' the other Cover boys began to tease the two who were taking sailing lessons in the morning, about how cold they'd be out there in the water, while they were still in the warm house, or out on the empty Skate Park. Charles began to show them the fickle finger of fate, but instead he held up his little finger. He then told them he didn't care to send them the very best. Everyone laughed, including Mr. Wayne.
While the Covers were talking, Chief alerted to something outside. The resident pet stood, walked to the windows and listened to what she heard was out there. The boys saw what Chief was doing and told Mr. Wayne.
Then, all of a sudden, Chief went barking up a storm out the Study towards the Foyer Door. Mr. Wayne told the boys to stay in the Study, while he checked out what Chief was alerting to. The boys stayed in the Study for all of about five seconds, and soon followed their Estate Master.
Chief was baking at the Foyer Door and wanting Wayne to open it, so she could get out. Mr. Wayne slowly opened the door to see what was out there, and when it was open wide enough for Chief to slip through she went out barking up a storm.
It was then Mr. Wayne spotted the limousine and saw Mr. Ken getting out that he knew the boss had returned earlier than he expected. The boys came up to the man and asked him what Chief was so agitated over. The man opened the door fully, so they could see their 'dad' had returned.
Seeing that their 'dad' was home, the six boys ran out the Foyer Door to greet him. Chief was already there jumping all over the man and they had to pull the resident pet away from their 'dad' so they could hug him, too.
"'Dad', 'dad', you're home early," shouted Matthew, as he hugged his 'dad'.
"I take it you all missed me," said a laughing Mr. Ken.
Billy carried his foster dad's bags into the house and set them down in the hallway leading to the man's private retreat. Mr. Ken thanked the teen as he turned into the Study to go behind his desk to check his messages. The boys followed him and sat in their regular chairs.
"Ahh, Mr. Ken … ahh, there were news reporters at the Main Gate when I came home from my last day at school, at lunchtime today," spoke up Billy. "They asked me to have you come out to talk to them. I told them you weren't due home until later tonight."
Mr. Wayne then told his boss how he and Mr. Chris went up there just before the boys returned from their half day at school, and told them the same thing. The Estate Master told Mr. Ken that the reporters wanted to ask him some questions about what he told the accident investigators who were looking into the Rocket's accident over the Memorial Day weekend. Mr. Wayne added that the investigators had held a news conference earlier that day, which brought the media to The Cove.
Mr. Ken wasn't aware that the investigators had held a news conference, since he was busy in meetings, with lots of people, all day long. But now that he was made aware of it, he turned his computer on and searched YouTube for the video of the news conference.
When the video began playing, all the boys hurried behind their 'dad'. They all heard and watched the lead investigator say,
"Yesterday … we interviewed the two men who inspected the Rocket steel roller coaster four and three months ago, respectively, prior to the Rocket's accident. A Mister Jason Zimms came to Edgewood Amusement Park back in January, at the behest of a Mr. Ken Thomas, to inspect the property for the potential purpose of Mr. Thomas acquiring the property.
"Mr. Zimms produced a thorough report for Mr. Thomas describing all the rides on the Edgewood property, as well as the property's buildings and surrounding grounds. The report also included hundreds of photos of the condition of all of the rides he inspected.
"That report brought Mr. Thomas to inspect the Edgewood Amusement Park himself, back in February, in order to see the property for himself and to make the decision to buy or pass on purchasing the park.
"The owners of Edgewood alluded that either Mr. Zimms or Mr. Thomas may have removed the inspection certificate from the Rocket's maintenance file, which is why we contacted the two men to interview them.
"We found both men to be open, honest and truthful with their answers and … they subsequently proved, with a video taken by Mr. Zimms, they hadn't removed the inspection certificate … as it never existed in the maintenance folder at the time of their first inspection.
"The report Mr. Zimms created for Mr. Thomas … also had multiple pictures of the Rocket's super structure, from many different angles, and showed many instances of poor maintenance and other glaring deficiencies.
"This report will go a long way in helping us finalize our report on the accident that occurred over the Memorial Day Weekend. It is rare that investigators have such reports … let alone pictures that tell a story … of what the ride looked like four months prior to the accident.
"Jason Zimms extensive report on all of Edgewood's amusement rides has caused this body to issue an order to lock out three additional rides at Edgewood until further mechanical, structural and electrical inspections can be performed to ensure their safe operation to the public.
"We want to thank Mr. Ken Thomas and Mr. Jason Zimms for not hesitating to answer our questions and volunteering their extensive report for us to use during our investigation. Also, even though their report will be a part of our official investigation, it will not … and I stress … it will NOT be available to the media … until after we issue our final report.
"As this report is the property of Mr. Ken Thomas, only he can release it in part, or in its entirety. But since he had it created, in order to decide if he wanted to buy the property … I don't see him releasing it any time soon."
The investigators then took questions from the media. It was then the Covers learned the State investigators were locking out the Para-Drop, a parachute like drop ride, the Hey-Day, which was the precursor to today's Tilt-A-Whirl and the Swinger, which were the early version of the swings similar to the ones found at amusement parks today.
The boys had loads of questions for their 'dad', but he deferred them to tomorrow as it was getting late and both Charles and Matthew needed to be up early to have breakfast and be ready for their first sailing lesson. All six boys moaned, but they knew not to argue with their 'dad'.
Mr. Ken told the boys he and Mr. Wayne would be up in a few minutes to say Goodnight to them. It was then Mr. Wayne told him there was a problem at the Lakeside restaurant that evening, but it was late and, with a smile, said that it could wait until tomorrow.
Mr. Ken wanted to hear about what happened, but Mr. Wayne said it wasn't serious and it was mostly a perception problem best handled with fresh minds and a hot cup of coffee. Mr. Ken agreed saying he was tired, and since no one was injured and the police weren't involved he'd wait to hear about it over breakfast.
The two men went upstairs to say Goodnight to the boys. The boys told their 'dad' they were happy he was back home. Robert alluded to a problem at the restaurant, but said Mr. Wayne could tell him better. Charles also said they ate at the restaurant, but it took them a long time to be seated. He did add the food was just as great as it was that first time.
Kevin started to tell him what happened at the restaurant, but Mr. Wayne told the older twin they would discuss it over breakfast and he could join them if he decided not to sleep in tomorrow. Kyle just smiled at hearing that his brother would have to get up early to tell his story.
Matthew was the most happy his 'dad' was home, and when he left the next time he would be going along with him.
At Bill's room, Mr. Ken asked the teen how he was doing. Billy told the foster dad that this summer will probably be one like he never had before, and he was looking forward to seeing what it would bring. He did tell Mr. Ken that Robert said he would show him how to ride the WaveRunner tomorrow, and he was looking forward to doing that. The teen then qualified himself by asking if that was OK with the man.
Mr. Ken ruffled the teen's hair and said now that he had passed the safety course using the personal watercraft was a right-of-passage and to have fun. Billy smiled back at the man and then hugged him for being someone he wished he knew a long time ago.
Mr. Wayne headed off to his guest bedroom and told his employer he'd be up by eight because he expected the boys to arrive around 8:30 to get ready for the sailing lessons. They said Goodnight to one another and Mr. Ken headed down to his private retreat.
Now, with Mr. Ken home, the boys slept more soundly than they had the past two nights. Mr. Ken also slept well, as he was now in his own bed and home with his family. The Cove was quiet that night.
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