Four of their men are in the brawl. It's short-lived but terrifying,
The fifth positions himself in front of the girls. If they crossed the Spindrift's threshold and were harmed, he couldn't forgive himself.
It's a new feeling—not unpleasant, albeit unfamiliar.
Still, he's unsure, and doesn't know which man to talk to, so one evening he asks if he could speak to them all.
He says everything, uninterrupted. When he's done they offer their thoughts. They concur: he's growing up.
While this is exciting, the thought that he could be out with them in the next fracas is not.