Chapter 205

Cruise

Fourth of July

"Do you need my help?" I ask Tank as I sit around a patio table at his parent's house. The entire MTF and their families have descended upon their pool, and have taken over their bar-b-cue. Somehow all of us got the afternoon and night off. Many of us worked the early morning and previous overnight hours, so there's some tired faces but we're all extremely happy to be spending this holiday together.

"Nah, I got it." He closes the lid to the grill and heads back into the kitchen.

I'm glancing around, half paying attention, with my arm around Ruby, when a conversation starts that gets my interest. Renegade and Whitney are talking about a teenage boy Renegade found stealing at a local department store.

"I don't doubt that," Ruby is saying at my side, in response to whatever is being discussed. My girl is fired up about whatever this is, because she's leaned forward in her seat, away from my arm around her shoulder. The tank top she wears pulls at the back,