Page 100 of Break Out

“When you run into him again.”

“Right. So, at the bonfire, do you use one of those big, open-air things set away from the actual fire?”

“You mean the tee-pees?”

“Yeah.”

“Not normally, but we can do that if you want.”

I nodded.

He lowered his face toward mine. “If you start something with me though, I will drape a tarp over it so nobody sees us.”

I grinned. “You wore me out, honey. I just want to watch your brothers and see the stars.”

It could have been that everyone gave us a wide berth because Steel ‘never came out to the bonfires,’ or it might have been the way he kicked another couple out of the tee-pee.

True to my word, I didn’t start anything. It had been a long day that would soon take its toll. I enjoyed sitting back and watching the dynamics of this club while occasionally staring up at the stars.

Steel shifted next to me on the cushion. “When you look out there, what do you see?”

The fire light made his features appear more pronounced. His stubble sharper, lips fuller, and his eyes looked more intent.

I glanced back to the wide field before us. “I see a much larger club than what I’m used to. This group is definitely rowdy, and they’re younger than I expected.”

He laughed. “Younger?”

I smiled up at him. “Yeah. There’s at least half a dozen guys over there who are in their twenties. Most of the members in Dad’s club are well over thirty.”

“That’s still young.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Okay, I’ll put it this way, I don’t see many veteran members around.”

His arm around my shoulders gave me a squeeze. “We’ve got those members too, they prefer to stay away from the bonfires.”

I shook my head. “But why?”

He grinned. “Most of them have kids that are either teens or will be soon. They don’t need to be around this crowd – not like this.”

I nodded. “Yeah, the obvious drug use would be a problem.”

That was one thing that put me off. The scent of marijuana in the air was one thing, but seeing people doing cocaine was something else entirely.

“That bothers you.”

My eyes met his. “The police attention it gets bothers me.”

A brother with a head full of brown curls trudged by and stopped. In the dim light, I saw his name patch read, ‘Nelson.’

“This is crazy, Prez! You never hang out here. You wander around and hide out in your room during bonfires. I don’t know who she is, but she’s good for you, man.”

If Steel had anything to say to that, I’d never know because Nelson delivered that and moved to the fire pit.

“He might be nice,” I muttered.

Steel chuckled. “Nice and sloshed, sure.”

I shrugged. “Better than being mean and sloshed.”

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