Vance turned back around and moved the Explorer onto the road.

Jet gave me another reassuring hand squeeze.

I smiled at her and, as my eyes moved forward, I caught sight of Jules’s hand going in the direction of Vance’s thigh.

I watched her fingers curl around his thigh and I saw his I watched her fingers curl around his thigh and I saw his hand come to hers. Then I watched as he twisted his wrist and his fingers linked with hers. He rested the back of her hand on his thigh and kept driving.

I found I had something to concentrate on.

It was the dawning revelation that I knew what Mace was talking about when he said he figured out why the Hot Bunch put up with the Rock Chicks.

Preston Mason had said Vance was a felon. Grand theft auto. Now he was a private investigator married to a movie star beautiful social worker. They were having a baby and riding in an SUV to a rock gig, holding hands.

My mind went stil , my hands quit trembling and my heart settled.

It was the heart settle Mace was talking about.

He felt it too.

That’s what the Rock Chicks did for the Hot Bunch.

That’s why they put up with us.

I felt like crying, knowing I’d done that to Mace’s heart.

Then I wondered if they knew we felt it too.

“Oh shit, I think I’m gonna cry,” I announced.

Vance’s eyes went back to the rearview mirror and Jet did another hand squeeze.

“Why on earth are you gonna cry?” Jet asked.

I looked at her. “Because I think Vance is right. It’s gonna be fine.”

“Of course it’s going to be fine,” Jules told me.

I sucked in breath to control the tears. Luckily, since I didn’t have a makeup repair kit with me, this worked.

We fel silent. I saw Vance’s eyes come back to the mirror and I noticed he looked like he was smiling.

I smiled back.

Vance’s gaze went back to the road and he drove us to the club.

* * * * *

We were playing The Rose, a new club in Lowry that could hold two hundred and fifty people. The Gypsies liked it because it had a great dressing room backstage and the staff usual y left us a tin tub fil ed with ice and Fat Tire beer.

Tex met us at the backdoor and told me, “Fuck, I’m nervous as a f**kin’ jackrabbit.”

I looked up at him with surprise. Tex wasn’t the kind of guy who got nervous.

“Why?” I asked.

“Family reunions. They freak me out,” he answered.

I stopped dead. “You think I’m doing the wrong thing?” His hand settled on top of my head. “No f**kin’ way.” I let out the breath I was holding.

“Stil ,” he went on, “Mace is a big guy and f**kin’ moody as al hel . He loses it, be a bitch to lock him down.” Beautiful.

“Shut up, Tex,” Jet snapped.

“Be cool, Loopy Loo,” Tex shot back.

“Tequila,” I blurted.

Tex’s gaze came to me.

“Tequila. Right. I’m on it,” he said and peeled off, going toward the bar.

That afternoon, when Roam and Sniff got out of school, Pong, Leo and Hugo picked them up and came to get the equipment. The stage was set and I had one thing to thank Sidney Carter for, I didn’t have to lug amplifiers around town.

I knew (because Daisy cal ed and told me) that Lee and Tom had picked up Daisy, Al y, Indy, Lana and Chloe and they were already backstage.

We made it to the dressing room door and I stopped dead again and stared at the closed door.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Jet said.

I turned to her. “I don’t look like a rock ‘n’ rol freak, do I?” She smiled and shook her head then whispered, “No, Stel a, you look rock ‘n’ rol amazing. ” I nodded because she sounded like she meant it, took in a breath and opened the door.

Daisy, Al y and Indy had been joined by Floyd, Duke, Roxie and Ava.

Two women were with them.

One was petite, blonde and blue-eyed with a pretty face and sun-kissed skin. She was wearing a pair of designer boot-cut jeans, black strappy sandals on dainty french pedicured feet, a complicated woven black leather belt and a white tuxedo blouse. Her hair was pul ed back in a soft ponytail.

The other was older, tal , slim, had long, shining black hair left loose, fantastic skin, warm brown eyes and she was stunning. She was obviously one of those older women who never lost their cool, was sexy as hel and always would be until the day she died. She was wearing faded would be until the day she died. She was wearing faded jeans, black flip-flops and a black Stel a and The Blue Moon Gypsies tee, the “o’s” were little blue moons.

I didn’t know who gave her the tee but if I had to put money down on it, I would guess it was Al y.

When they saw me, both of their mouths dropped open.

I did a stupid little wave and said, “Hi, you must be Lana and Chloe. I’m Stel a.”

When I spoke, the blonde, who I was guessing was Chloe, burst into tears.

This alarmed me.

I took a step forward. She lifted her hand as if to ward me off.

Erm, not good.

I stopped and my heart started slamming in my chest.

“Chloe, sweetie,” Lana’s soft, melodic voice cal ed.

Chloe’s eyes were locked on me.

Then she whispered, “She’s perfect.”

Lana’s eyes came to me.

She smiled and said, “Yeah, she is.”

Wow.

This was good.

Way good.

Happy shiver good.

I smiled back at Lana.

“Oh crap. I’m gonna cry,” Indy blurted, her hands coming up and she started fanning her face.

Duke slid his arm along Indy’s shoulders and I moved toward Lana. As I did, she stepped toward me, her hands coming up in front of her. I took them and she held on tight.

coming up in front of her. I took them and she held on tight.

“I’m scared to death,” she told me.

I squeezed her hands and admitted, “Me too.” She started laughing, it was just as melodic as her voice and it washed over me like soothing water.

Chloe approached and I smel ed her perfume, it was a sophisticated floral scent that was like smel ing heaven.

One of Lana and my hands unlocked and both of us reached out to Chloe and she grabbed on tight.

Holding their hands and taking them in, I thought that maybe Preston Mason wasn’t the Supreme Asshole of Al Time. Instead, he had to be the Stupidest Man on the Face of This Earth.