Three Finger Cove: The Twins ~ Book Four

When the motorcoach arrived at Four Corners, Mr. Ken began waking up the boys. They were close to home and he wanted them somewhat awake for their parents. The boys stirred but many just went right back to sleep. Mr. Ken had the driver turn the overhead lights on so the lads had them shining down into their faces. By the time the bus pulled into The Cove, the boys were all up, stretching and pretty much awake.

The boys' parents were all waiting inside The Cove property for their lads to come home from their SeaWorld adventure. The guards were told by Mr. Ken, before they left, to let the parents into The Cove when they came by to collect their boy. The bus driver turned the motor coach around before opening the door for the passengers to depart.

The chaperones got off the large bus first, followed by the 10-year-olds and then the two older teenagers. Charles and his friends got off next with Robert and his friends getting off last. The parents hugged their son, or sons as was the case of the Cheryl and Leo Henchler, who had both Conner and Cooper on the trip, and Carol and Harry Fletcher who had to retrieve Trevor and Terran, and Lily and Adam Symons who had Chuck and Sam.

"How are my sons? Did you two have a good time? I hope you two didn't fight with one another!" Asked Cheryl Henchler, as she grabbed both her boys and hugged them.

Both boys were a bit embarrassed at the questions and attention they got until they saw and heard almost the same thing from the other mothers greeting their sons.

With the reunions going on, Mr. Ken stood back and listened to the boys talk to their parents about their trip. The lads focused mainly on the haunted areas, but a few told about their rides on the roller coasters, but especially the water coaster, Journey to Atlantis. The parents listened to the tales and then they excused themselves from their son and went over to Mr. Ken and thanked him profusely for giving their boy such a great adventure.

Joyce Campbell was there to pick up Camm and seeing Mr. Ken standing to the side, went over to the man and apologized for cancelling out on the man. Mr. Ken said to her that everything worked out so there was no harm done. She thanked him for being so understanding and then walked away and got Camm and the two got into their car and headed out of the estate.

Many of the boys were leaning on one parent or the other which told everyone the boys wanted to go to bed. They may have gotten some sleep on the bus, but that was not anything like what they could get in their own warm, soft bed. The parents said their goodbyes to everyone else and they all got into the vehicles and headed on home.

Just before the driver took the bus out of the estate, Mr. Ken walked back in and gave the driver a $100.00 tip. The man was very appreciative and stood up to shake the man's hand. He told him he never received such a good tip and again thanked Mr. Ken for it.

Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne, along with the four Cover lads, waved to the driver as he exited the estate. The six people then walked back to the house and as soon as they entered, Chief was there waiting and wagging her tail and not knowing which person to go to first. Chief decided on Mr. Ken.

The boys all scratched behind Chief's ears and then dragged themselves up to the bathroom to relieve their bladders and then they were all off to bed. Mr. Ken told Wayne to have a good sleep and he went to his en-suite to go to bed as well. Wayne decided he'd better get to bed, as well, as he had to be at work at twelve, noon. Chief went to lay down in the twin's bedroom.

When morning came, Ken Thomas' internal alarm clock had him up at 8 AM. Sure it beats getting up at 6 AM, but he still could feel the effects of his long day the day before. He went and got his morning newspaper and met Chief coming up the stairs from the Great Room when he came in through the Foyer Door. The man stopped and scratched behind her ears, which she loved, and then she went up the stairs to the boys' bedroom.

The lads were all downstairs in the Kitchen Nook by 9:30. Mr. Wayne was five minutes behind them. Mr. Ken asked them all if they wanted to go to the Four Corners Diner for breakfast. The boys asked him which vehicle they would take. Wayne told his host he'd meet them over there as he had to be at work by noon.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Everyone was still feeling the full day and late night effects of their SeaWorld trip and none of them had any real energy to want to talk about their previous day's adventure. Mr. Wayne thanked Mr. Ken for breakfast and told the man he'd talk to him later that night. He then said Goodbye to the lads and left to go to work at the new homes office.

When the five Covers returned to The Cove a few of the boy's friends were waiting outside the Main Gate for them. As the Covers drove into the estate grounds the lads followed in behind them.

"'Dad', I thought we were going to go shopping for Halloween costumes today," said Kyle.

"We will Kyle, but after your friends, all leave later. We'll go out to dinner and then stop to look at what they have available. You might not like what they have and we may have to order it for you," replied Mr. Ken. "Will, that work for you?"

"Yes sir, that's good. And maybe, later, we can go to a ... a restaurant we've never been to before?" responded Kyle with hopeful eyes. Mr. Ken just laughed at the lad and told him he'd think about it.

All the Cover lads' friends arrived for the day's skating and hopefully some swimming. Kevin was very happy his and Kyle's friends' parents allowed them to come back, but he remembered talking to 'Dad Ken' about visiting his mom that weekend. He searched out the man, found him in his Study, and asked him if they were going to go visit his mom.

Mr. Ken took Kevin aside and told him, "Kevin ... you know the detective is still investigating your dad and ... well, he hasn't called to let me know if it was OK to go visit your mom, at least. I'll tell you what, though, I'll call Detective Carrier, you've met him, and find out what the story is there. If he says it isn't a good time to visit this weekend, maybe we can call her later with you and Kyle talking to her?"

"I would really like to go visit her," replied Kevin. "We asked you earlier in the week like you asked us, too!"

"Yes, Kevin, you and your brother did ask me early enough, but I also told you that your dad is being investigated for some bad things he did not only to you, and your twin, but with other boys, too. We have to go by what the authorities asked us to do, and until Mr. Joel says it is OK to visit your mom, we'll have to wait. I know that is NOT what you want to hear, but we can call her later if Detective Carrier says for us to wait," explained 'Dad Ken'.

Tears began to leak from Kevin's eyes and Mr. Ken grabbed the boy and pulled him close to him. That caused the dam to burst and Kevin just melted into his arms and cried hard.

"I ... I (hic) don't want my dad (hic) to go to jail!" wailed Kevin.

'Dad Ken' couldn't do anything but hold onto the lad, and let him get whatever was in him out. He never remembered Kevin crying like he was and now he felt there was something going on with the boy. Mr. Ken kept rubbing the lad's back hoping the boy would soon calm down.

Kyle was outside with all their friends and when Kevin didn't return right away he went looking for him. He found his twin in the Study being held by 'Dad Ken', and he saw his twin was crying really hard. Kyle went over to his brother and asked him what was wrong, and all Kevin could say as he continued to cry was, "I don't want our dad to go to jail!"

Kyle grabbed onto his twin and began crying, too. Mr. Ken now had both boys crying and he had no clue what he could do. It was then Robert came in looking for the twins.

"'Dad' ... have you seen the twi ... ohhh ... is ... there anything ... I can do?" asked Robert.

Kyle heard Robert's voice and he quickly jumped out of Mr. Ken's grasp and ran to Robert and hugged him tight. "Kevin doesn't want our dad to go to jail," cried Kyle.

"Oh, Kyle ... there's nothing we can do about that. He made a mistake and now he ... he has to pay for it. I didn't want my mom to go to jail either, but she ... she didn't do anything to stop ... to stop my dad from renting me out," said Robert, who now had tears falling out of his eyes.

"It's always going to hurt, isn't it Robert?" asked Kyle.

"Yes ... yes, it is, Kyle. ... Yes it is," cried Robert, as he held onto the twin.

Mr. Ken knew he now had his hands full. He didn't know how he was going to get all three lads to settle down and then get outside to their friends. He asked Kevin to talk to him about why he didn't want his dad to go to jail. All Kevin would tell him was that it was his fault, not his dad's. Just saying that made the lad continue to cry, more.

'Dad' Ken motioned for Robert to come over to him and bring Kyle with him. The man asked Robert why he was crying, and all the teen could say was that he knows why the twins were crying, and that it brought back the knowledge that he'll never see his parents again.

Mr. Ken said he understood. He asked the teenager what he had done to move past that thought about his parents. Robert said he hasn't moved past it. He told his 'dad' that he often thinks about what his parents did to him, and he asks why they did it. 'Dad' Ken pulled the two lads to him and Kevin.

That's how Charles and Eric found the four Covers, all in a group hug and three of the four of them crying.

"'Dad' ... why ... why are my 'brother's ... all crying?" pointedly asked Charles.

"Charles ... Kevin ... he's thinking about his dad and ... and him going to jail. He is blaming himself that his dad is in trouble. Ahh, can you two stay with them while I make a phone call?' asked 'dad' Ken.

Getting a nod from both boys, Mr. Ken took out his cell phone and walked out of the Study and away from the boys' hearing as he dialed a number.

"Doug, Ken here ... I have a situation over here with three of my lads. If you can get away and I'd really appreciate it if you can come right over," said Mr. Ken.

... ... ...

"Doug, the short of it is, Kevin is blaming himself for his dad going to jail. I think Kyle is feeling the vibes coming from his twin and he is crying, too. Robert ... well, he came in just as Kyle began crying and the twin went to the teen and asked him if it was always going to hurt. That's when Robert said it would and began to cry, too, as he thought about what his parents did to him. Doug ... he told me that he hasn't moved beyond it. I would really like it if you can come right over," finished Ken Thomas.

... ... ...

"Thanks, Doug, I'll see you in about 30 – 35 minutes. Bye," said Mr. Ken, and hung his cell phone up and walked back to his Study

When the owner of The Cove went back to his boys, all three had stopped crying, but they were still sniffling. The man asked Charles and Eric to host for the rest of the day and to, "Just tell your friends that these three are ..." was what Mr. Ken was saying when Charles spoke up.

"Are talking to their parents on the phone, and Robert is standing by?" suggested Charles.

"Yes, yes, Charles... that sounds much better than what I was thinking. Oh, you'll also see Doctor Doug enter the grounds. If the boys ask why he is here tell them ... just tell them he is here visiting me, nothing more. Okay?" finished 'dad Ken.

Charles and Eric hurried out of the house and went over to the boys. Charles immediately told the lads that the twins were trying to phone their mom and that Robert was there with them. He told them they might be a while. Then he said that with three less people skating they get to skate more. The lads all cheered and laughed.

Kevin and Kyle hugged and then they talked in their 'twin talk' they'd been seen to do a few times. After they had their conversation they broke apart and went to 'Dad Ken' and hugged him. It was Kevin who said, "I'm sorry for crying, 'dad'."

"Kevin, you have no need to apologize to me, or anyone for that matter, for crying. There are many complicated feelings building up inside of you and my bet is they all came tumbling out when you learned you couldn't go visit with your mom, today.

"Boys, that includes you, Robert, I called Doctor Doug to come over and talk to you all. He'll be able to better help you better understand what's going with each of you. I can't, in all honesty, fully comprehend all the emotions and feelings you are experiencing because of your being away from your parents. That is why I asked Doctor Doug to come over.

"Charles and Eric were here and I asked them to tell your friends that you are trying to call your parents, and Robert was going to be here with you," explained 'dad' Ken. "If your buddies see Doctor Doug come to The Cove your 'brothers' are supposed to tell them he is here to see me, so please stick to those two stories. When Doctor Doug gets here please tell him everything you are feeling about this issue. Be open and honest with the man and let your concerns out and I bet he can help you deal with all this."

As Mr. Ken finished saying that the Foyer Door opened and Chief ran to greet whoever was there. A few seconds later, Mr. Dan walked into the Study.

"Mr. Dan you're here," cried out Kyle, who then ran to the man and hugged him.

"Hello to you too, Kyle," offered Mr. Dan as he hugged the twin back. "And what do I owe this awesome welcome, to?"

"It's just that you're here," replied Kyle.

"But, I was with you all day yesterday," replied Dan Fischer.

"Yes, but you weren't with ME," said a smiling Kyle.

Mr. Dan smiled back at the lad and then asked Ken why the lads were inside and not out with their friends. Ken told his friend that the twins wanted to visit their mom, but when he told them he hadn't heard from Joel Carrier if they could and then when they couldn't call their mom the boys had a meltdown over it. Mr. Ken then told Dan that Doctor Doug would soon be there to talk to the lads.

After hearing all that, Dan said he'd call Joel and find out what the story is. The man walked out of the Study to make that call.

Mr. Ken and the three boys talked more about going to visit their mom and the owner of The Cove agreed they'd go down to BAMC tomorrow if Joel Carrier says it is okay. Kevin asked why they couldn't go down there today, but Mr. Ken told them they already have their friends over today and they'd have to send them all home. The twins agreed it wouldn't be fair to their friends and settled on visiting at least their mom tomorrow if the detective says it is OK.

Dan Fischer came back into the Study and said he'd gotten a hold of Joel Carrier, the Bandera County Detective. He told the gathered Covers that the detective asked them not to go there today, but he felt a visit to the twin's mom tomorrow would be okay as long as they do not talk to her about what is going on with their dad. He also said the detective asked they do not visit their dad. That information made the twins day.

Doug Jennings arrived as he promised Mr. Ken and he talked to Kevin first for about twenty minutes, then Robert for the same time. Doctor Doug talked to Kyle the longest. Mr. Ken was surprised they talked for that length of time but when he saw them come out of his Study they were laughing.

"Kyle was telling me all about his trip to SeaWorld yesterday. Sounds like everyone had a good time," said Doctor Doug to Ken.

"Yes, I bet they did. I wasn't with all the boys all day, but the things I was there with them for I'd say they all had a good time. Let me tell you, some of those haunted areas were intense, but all the boys got through them with no wet pants," laughed Ken Thomas.

"Ken, if you ever do that again, how about asking a single amusement park deprived doctor to go," smiled Doug Jennings. The doctor then asked who all went.

Mr. Ken told him the names of the chaperones and how Joyce had begged off at the last minute. Doug said he'd have driven over there to join them, and then laughed. But in the end, he said he'd love to get the chance to do something like that, so he reiterated he'd be game to go.

Just then Charles came in to find out what was taking his 'brothers' so long to come outside. Then seeing Mr. Dan, Mr. Doug and his 'dad' standing there talking to his brothers he knew right away why they were not out with their friends. Charles told the three Cover lads that their friends were wondering where they were and they should get on out there. The four Cover lads then went out to catch up with their friends.

Outside the lads, all gathered around the twins and asked how their mom was doing. The twins looked back and forth to one another not knowing what to say. It was Robert who spoke up and told the group they had a difficult time getting through to her as their mom was going through some kind of procedure, so they never got to talk to her. The teen did tell their friends that his 'dad' will be taking the twins down to San Antonio tomorrow.

Unfortunately, Robert also told them unless they find an adult to watch over him and Charles they will have to go with them. That brought a loud groan from the boys because they knew that if Robert and Charles had to go with their 'dad' they couldn't come over to skate tomorrow. Robert told them he'd make some calls if they can come over, but for now, they needed to make other plans for Monday.

It was then Mr. Dan came around the corner and he heard Robert telling all the Cover's friends that he needed an adult to stay with them tomorrow or they would be going with their 'dad' down to BAMC. Mr. Dan walked up to the group and told them he'd go in and talk to Mr. Ken to see if he could be their chaperone tomorrow. The boys all cheered and Mr. Dan went inside to talk to Mr. Ken.

Dan Fischer walked into the Study looking for Ken. He didn't see him there so he went looking in the Kitchen Nook and found him refilling his coffee cup. He was talking with Doug Jennings and when his cup was full he sat down. Dan joined the group and told Ken what was being discussed out at the ramps. Dan told Ken he was available to stay with the lads tomorrow if he was okay with it.

"Wait a minute. You'll let Dan here stay with the kids while you take the twins down to see their mom?" Doctor Doug wanted to know.

"Why, yes; why not?" replied Dan. "When Ken took the boys on their summer trips I stayed here with them. It was only Robert and his friends and then Charles and his friends, but we get along fine. Why? You don't think a single guy can handle a bunch of teens and pre-teens?" laughed Dan.

"Well, sure ...," got out Doug, before being interrupted by Ken.

"Doug ... remember ... Dan stayed here while he recuperated and he and the boys were good with the arrangement. I hope Kyle has told you how he clings to Dan, here, when he sees him. If he hasn't then that is something you need to discuss with him. Anyway, Dan and I have discussed me finding another responsible adult to help me out when I need to do things outside the home or leave the area.

"I did talk to Wayne about the position. I think he is interested in the job, but what he needs is some confidence the boys will listen to him. Dan, maybe I need to ask him to take the job tomorrow? He told me he'd call me later after he gets off work. But, if he doesn't will you still be available? Robert doesn't want to go near Parker Parchsons, so I'd rather let him stay home but if I can't get Wayne or you to be here then Robert and Charles will need to go," said Ken.

"Let me get this straight. You're asking Wayne Mitchell to be your stand-in 'parent' for the boys when you can't be here?" asked a perplexed Doug Jennings.

"Sure. Ever since the twins joined me I found myself stretched very thin," began Ken. "My construction foremen are constantly asking me to visit the building projects. My architect group is asking me to visit more often as it is easier to talk about the plans of my new projects when I am there. Then, on top of all that, my amusement parks are bugging me to visit them during their Spook-Tac-U-Lairs they are holding right now. And being an absent owner isn't good for business, Doug.

"I need someone I can count on to be here when I can't. Judy, as the CPS Director, is okay with either Dan or Wayne sitting in for me. Dan already has a full-time job that requires him to work odd hours and that wouldn't work for me in the long run. Whereas, Wayne doesn't have a full-time job yet, and he can be available at almost a moment's notice. If I make the job a permanent one then he could go to school and get his needed credits to work for Judy and also be here for the lads when they get back from school, when I have to be away. Now ... let me ask you your professional opinion of me doing that?"

"Wow, that is a big question. To me the unknown here is Wayne. Dan is a known quantity with his police background and the vetting he's gone through. As for Wayne, he just graduated from college and he doesn't have a track record to use to even start considering his qualifications. But, I have to admit, I've seen him interact with all the boys, at some of your picnics, and he does get along with them on their level, but is that what you want?" reasoned Doug, giving his professional opinion.

"Doug, he is at the age I was when Collin came to live with me and is only about two years younger than I am, now" laughed Ken. "Surely, he can do what I've done. You do know he was a foster kid, right? He knows firsthand what Robert, Charles and the twins are going through. All he wants to do is to make sure other kids don't have to go through all the heartaches and disappointments and bad foster homes like he's gone through. Yes, he does get along well with the boys, very well, as a matter of fact. I think they'd respond to him as their authority figure since they do respect him," explained Ken.

While the adults talked some more about Wayne as Ken's go-to-adult, some of the lads outside wanted to go swimming, while others thought it was time to cook. Robert looked at the time and realized he had spent quite a bit of time inside with the twins and Doctor Doug. He saw it was well past when they would have gotten the grill out, so he made the decision for them to cook.

With that decision made, the whole group of lads got busy getting everything ready. The twin's friends, who'd only been there once to see how the barbeque got together readily followed along with those who'd been there many, many times before. They were shown where everything was located and how to get things together and down to the grill area. With 37 boys helping there were just way too many, but the new kids needed to learn, so they all pressed on.

Kyle went in to ask the adults if they wanted a hamburger or hot dog, or both. Doctor Doug was curious as to what the twin meant, so he asked him. All Kyle told him was the kids are cooking and if they wanted something to eat then he needed to know so the cooks knew how much to make. Doug said he wanted to see this, so Ken and Dan took him outside to watch the lads get things ready.

Doug was amazed when he saw the older lads were cooking and that Ken allowed them to. He also saw the other boys were getting the tables ready for the condiments. Momma Maria knew the boys would have a bigger group skating that weekend, so she had precut tomatoes and onions and prepared lettuce in case some for the boys wanted to deck-out their burgers.

It took quite some time for the cooks to get at least 40 hamburgers ready. The hot dogs didn't take all that long, so they were ready when the lads started to fix their plates. The boys let the three adults go first and they put cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce along with mayonnaise on them before sitting down to eat. Dan didn't sit with Ken and Doug. He told Doug the boys want to talk to them and they can't if the three of them all sit together. Doug then went and sat at a different table.

While Ken was eating and talking to the boys who came and sat at his table, his phone rang. He sat there and answered it and found it was Wayne. The two talked and it was then Ken asked Wayne if he was available tomorrow to watch over the boys while he took the twins down to BAMC to visit their mom. Wayne hemmed and hawed some, but Mr. Ken told him the best way to know if the boys would accept him was to give it a try. Ken told the man to stop at his apartment and get a change of clothes in order to spend the night.

Wayne said he had lots of laundry to do and he was going to use Monday to get it done. Mr. Ken laughed and told him he had four High-Efficiency washers and dryers there at The Cove he could use while he watched over the boys and their friends. The friends' part was what Wayne said he was most concerned about. Mr. Ken put him at ease telling him the lads knew not to mess up because if they did they would be barred from the premises, but they were all good kids and would do as he asked.

Wayne thought about it for a few moments and told Ken he'd be there later. Ken told him to plan on going out to eat with them and then shopping for the twins Halloween costumes. Wayne said that sounded like a fun thing to do with the boys. He told him he'd be there by 6 PM.

The boys at the table heard only Mr. Ken's part of the conversation and when he hung up his cell phone some of the boys asked if Mr. Wayne was going to be there tomorrow, while he took the twins to visit their mom. Mr. Ken said he would and before he knew it the boys had spread the word like a wildfire.

Robert and Charles came over to their 'dad' and asked him if it was true Mr. Wayne would be there tomorrow to watch over them. Mr. Ken told them it wasn't true he'd be there tomorrow. That put a question on both lads faces, so Mr. Ken told them Mr. Wayne would be there tonight to go to dinner with them. That put a great big smile on the older 'brother's faces. The boys then spread the word their friends could stop over tomorrow as usual.

Charles then went back to his 'dad' and whispered into his ear and asked if he could ask one of his friends to spend the night. The pre-teen then whispered that he hadn't had one of his friends sleep over yet while Robert had Eric spend the night already. Mr. Ken told him he'd think about it and let him know before his friends left for home later.

When everyone had eaten, the lads gathered up the trash and put everything else away. It astonished Mr. Doug how the boys looked like a well-oiled machine as they each knew what to do and there was really no supervisor. Ken explained that over time the boys learned what to do and how to reverse it when they were all finished. He told Doug the boys were very responsible and it taught them teamwork and it's brought all the boys, no matter their age, together. Doug smiled at hearing that.

The lads didn't have time to swim that Sunday. They went back to using the ramps before it was time for them to ride their bikes home or their parents came to pick them up. Doctor Doug went out to watch the boys skate and was amazed at their abilities. He stayed longer than he had intended, but he was enjoying the day even though he was there on a professional basis.

"Ken, I want to thank you for inviting me over today. My day was going to be a boring one of house cleaning and laundry, but now it turned out to be a very rewarding and educational one, too. Sure, I was here to talk to the boys, but it turned out much better than I expected. The boys will be okay and we'll work together to get them back on looking forward and blaming the right people, not themselves.

"Thank you again, Ken, and don't forget to invite me the next time to get a trip like yesterday's on the books," a smiling Doug Jennings relayed to his host, Ken Thomas. The two men shook hands, and then Doug got into his car and drove out the Main Gate.

The Cover lads' friends began leaving soon after Doctor Doug had. Mr. Wayne arrived around that time and got to talk to a few of the boys. The thing that the lads did tell him was they were looking forward to him being there tomorrow, so he can show them more tricks on their skateboard and maybe teach them how to do them. Hearing that put a smile on the young college grad's face.

It was then that 'dad' Ken told Charles that having someone spending the night that night wouldn't work because they needed to go out to dinner then go shopping for Halloween costumes for the twins and him. Charles said he was disappointed but that he understood.

'Dad' Ken shooed his boys inside to get cleaned up, some, and change their clothes before they headed out to the Four Corners Diner. He asked Wayne to get settled in his en-suite and then meet him in the Study.

It was a little past 6 PM when the Covers and their guest went out to the Four Corner's Diner. Since Mr. Ken didn't have a vehicle he could take everyone in Wayne drove his own car. Robert asked if he could ride with him. Then, Charles said he wanted to ride back with him. Again, Wayne had a big smile on his face.

After dinner, the Covers, with Wayne following, went out to get the twins Halloween costumes. The group stopped at a number of stores to see what they had to offer. Kyle liked the headless boy costume at the first store. Kevin saw a costume which had fade-in and fade-out eyes but Mr. Ken didn't. The man told the twin he didn't like it because the view out the face was not very good, so he nixed it.

At the second store, Kyle liked the skeleton zombie child costume. He liked it because it had the bare bones of a skeleton showing, but it also had ripped clothes covering the skeleton giving it two looks. Kevin saw a psycho clown costume. He liked it because it had glow in the dark parts and a wild orange hair piece. Mr. Ken liked both costumes and asked the boys did they want them or go to another store.

"'Dad Ken', if we don't find something at the next store can we come back here and get these?" asked Kevin.

"Sure, I want you to be happy with the costume you're going to wear. We've been to two stores already and if we don't find the 'right' costume at the next store we have to decide on the ones at the first two stores. Agreed?" said Mr. Ken.

"'Dad'," began Charles, "Can ... can I get a costume, too? I want to go out and see what it is like. I never did that before, you, know, going out Trick-Or-Treating."

"Sure, why not! If you've never done that then you need to know what to expect when you send your own boys, or girls, out to beg for candy," laughed Mr. Ken.

"'Dad'!" was heard from all four lads.

Wayne Mitchell inwardly laughed at the boys' antics. He was being directly immersed in seeing how Ken treated the boys and how they had a good rapport between them. He saw how easy Ken talked to the lads, so he thought to himself that he'd say himself what he would say if he was having to do what they were doing and see how close his words would be to Ken's.

They drove to a third store with one of the twins, Kyle, riding with Mr. Wayne this time. The two talked about how Mr. Wayne and Mr. Ken got to know one another. Wayne told Kyle that he was the winning bidder on providing the Christmas Holiday decorations the first year Mr. Ken owned the estate. Mr. Wayne then told the twin he'd gotten the contract ever since.

At the third store, Kevin saw a funny dressed up clown complete with big shoes, a wild wig, a bunch of flowers and wild colors. Kyle spied a Mad Hatter costume from Alice in Wonderland. He liked the huge hat, the white gloves, the zany bow tie, knee-high pants and the two different socks. Charles also liked that one and wondered out loud if they both could go as the Mad Hatter.

Wayne said to himself, 'I don't know why not. All three of you could wear that and confuse the heck out of the people,'

Unfortunately, Robert spoke up and said they all needed to be in different costumes. He told the three that was the fun part of going out Trick-Or-Treating. He told them they each needed to be wearing distinctive costumes for the people to see how unique they were. Mr. Ken spoke up and said it would be fun to see all three of them dressed the same, but he agreed with Robert that the people handing out candy didn't want to see three of the same costumed characters.

Wayne felt like he had the right answer, but for the wrong reason. He told himself until he's been around the boys longer and interacts with them more he won't know how to ideally act. So, he decided to speak up. "I liked the Mad Hatter costume for Kyle. It is unique and all Kyle. As for Kevin, I really liked the clown costume complete with the big shoes for you. There is something about it that I think fits you.

"As for Charles, the one your 'dad', Mr. Ken doesn't like, I'm sorry to say I liked it. Let me ask you, who are you going out with?"

That caught Charles off guard. He knew not many of his friends were going out 'begging for candy' so he didn't really know and he told Mr. Wayne that. Wayne suggested he go with the twins and Robert and they could be his 'extra' eyes as he walks around. Charles looked at his 'dad' who winked at him. The pre-teen said he liked that idea and asked if they could go back to the other store to get it. Kyle said he saw one just like it in the other aisle, so the whole group went looking for it.

It looked to 'dad' Ken that he would purchase all three Halloween costumes while they were at the third store and save some time. The three lads took their costume of choice off the rack and held onto it while they checked out. Charles got the costume which had fade-in and fade-out eyes, long black robe, attached hood, gloves, giving him a classic grim-reaper look complete with a large black handled and silver colored scythe.

Kyle got his Mad Hatters costume and he was smiles ear-to-ear. Kevin got his funny dressed up clown costume complete with the big shoes, wild orange wig, big nose, a big spiral lollipop to carry and all the wild colors he could take. All three lads were happy when they got through the checkout.

Mr. Ken then looked at Robert and asked, "Robert ... would you like to have a costume, too? This way the four of you can be dressed up and people won't immediately know who is at their door?"

Robert thought about it for a few moments and then told his 'dad' that he'd like that. 'Dad' and 'son' went back to the costumes, while Mr. Wayne and the three other Covers walked out to the truck.

"What do I get 'dad'?" asked Robert.

"Did you see anything you liked when your 'brothers' were looking?" replied back Mr. Ken.

"'Dad', I liked the headless one and the psycho clown one, too. The thing with the headless one is you see the full face, so you aren't hiding behind anything and the people will know who we are. I think I'll go with the psycho clown. It has a black and white striped shirt and pants, a ring of skulls around the collar of the shirt and it also has horrifying clowns and melting zombies face mask and wild red clown hair. ... Can I 'dad'?" finished Robert.

The last two Covers walked out to the truck to catch up with the other people in their group. The three younger lads wanted to know what costume Robert got, but he wouldn't tell them. The teenager told them they'd see it when they got home, but they shouldn't tell anyone what they got only they got their costumes already.

On the way home, Ken diverted to Dairy Queen. He told the lads they deserved it after their long shopping exercise. The boys laughed knowing their 'dad' liked going there as much as they did. Mr. Wayne went along to get a feel for the things the Covers did together as a 'family'. They all got a banana split and sat down to enjoy them.

It was close to 10 PM when the shopping travelers arrived home. When they entered the house, from the garage through the Kitchen Nook, Chief was waiting there with her tail wagging and her circling with joy. Then, Mr. Ken brought out from behind his back a medium sized cup of vanilla ice cream and the resident dog lapped it up post haste.

The boys had one more day to their three-day Holiday weekend and they hoped they could talk their 'dad' and Mr. Wayne into swimming with them before bed. It was then Mr. Ken told the boys that he and the twins were heading down to San Antonio early in the morning, so they needed to get a good night's sleep. He told the lads he wanted to be gone by 9 AM, so they'd get back with the sun still shining. The twins asked if they were stopping by their house and he told them no so they could be back at a reasonable time.

The four Cover 'brothers' went up to bed while Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne talked.

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