Her father’s eyes remained locked with Matt’s for a long moment. “Katie’s sixteen, so it’s what I decide.”

“I told you he was an asshole,” Katie muttered, watching her father’s departing form as he walked towards the house.

Matt shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t have liked me either, if I was him.”

Katie lifted her eyes, but Matt had already turned and was getting out of the pool. “Hey, I’m out of here,” he called out to the rest of the group.

“Matt, wait!” Katie caught up to him as he stopped beside a chair and began to gather his clothes. “Where are you going?” She didn’t want him to leave.

“Why? You going to come with me?” He smiled as he looked up at her house. “I don’t think Daddy’s going to let that happen.”

At that moment she hated her dad. “Are you going to be at Emma’s tomorrow?”

“No. I’ll see you around, Hunter.”

Lina looked up as Phil entered the kitchen from the deck. “I didn’t hear your car. What are you doing home so early?”

“Megan texted me about Katie’s party. How long has it been going on?” He gestured with his thumb back over his shoulder towards the pool.

“She texted you?” Lina frowned. “Why would she text you?”

“Probably because she knew you wouldn’t. She sent me this picture.”

Lina looked down at the picture of Katie and the boy with the tattoo standing within inches of each other, his tattooed arm on full display. “I can’t believe she took that, or sent it to you for that matter.”

“You don’t think I have a right to know?”

“A right to know what? She invited some friends over. It all happened today. I would have told you when you got home.”

“Did you see that boy? I don’t want to see him around here again. In fact, I don’t want Katie around him at all.” He took a beer from the refrigerator.

“Why? Because he has tattoos? He’s probably nice.”

“He probably does drugs,” Phil said. “And he’s already out of school with no plans to go to college. He’s the last type of influence she needs.”

Lina looked out the window. “What did you do?” She searched the group for the boy with the tattoos, but he seemed to be gone, and Katie was sitting on a chair with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head down.

“I didn’t do anything.” He took a long drag from his beer. “They were all over each other when I walked up, though.”

“You met him?”

“Of course I met him. He’s in my backyard.” He frowned. “You didn’t meet him? Jesus, Lina, they’ve been here all day and you never bothered to meet them?”