Rock Chick Reckoning (Rock Chick #6)(145)

I didn’t have any siblings but always wanted one until seeing Lee and Al y fight.

After it went on awhile, Hank got involved, trying to be the diplomat (and failing) and then it escalated.

Then Eddie and Indy got involved and it exploded.

We al watched as the five of them shouted at each other about stuff that was so historical, no one knew what they were on about.

They were yel ing about some kegger Indy and Al y had masterminded in high school which, for some reason, ended with Hank, Lee, Darius and Eddie being picked up by the cops, when we learned that Hank, who had been at the University of Colorado, was nearly suspended (and he wasn’t happy about this, even years later).

“You haven’t changed one f**kin’ bit, either of you!” Eddie shouted, pointing at them both.

“Good!” Al y shouted back and planted her hands on her h*ps and I immediately saw where Mace was coming from with the hands-to-hips business.

“Gotta tel you, beautiful, never liked the idea of you havin’ a bachelorette party. You and Al y plus the Rock Chicks equals disaster at the best of times and these are far from the best of times. I’m f**kin’ thril ed I got a reason to cancel it,” Lee said to Indy.

Indy let out a gust of air between pursed lips and turned to me. “Tel me he did not just say that.” Instantly Mace was at my ear. “For f**k’s sake, don’t speak.”

Tex boomed, “Jesus Jones but I’m glad I wasn’t whacked last night. If I was dead, I’d’ve missed this! ”

“We’l have a party after ya’l get back from your honeymoon,” Daisy tried to play peacemaker.

“If you do, Jet’s not goin’,” Eddie announced.

Uh-oh.

“What?” Jet, who had been keeping herself removed, asked.

“Roxie either,” Hank threw down.

Uh-oh again!

“Sorry?” Roxie’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh my,” Lana, standing beside me, breathed.

“You’re not goin’,” Eddie repeated to Jet.

“You heard me,” Hank said to Roxie.

“They scare me,” Chloe, who was on the other side of Lana, whispered. “But stil , I think those boys might want to quit while they’re ahead.”

They didn’t hear Chloe and were on such a tear, without remorse, Eddie and Hank dragged Jet and Roxie into the fight and it degenerated to the point where I feared the roof would blow off Fortnum’s.

“Quiet! ” Darius al of a sudden shouted and everyone went quiet and looked at him. “Jesus, you never learn do you?” he asked the warriors.

Then he turned and pointed at Mace. “He knows.” He turned to Vance and pointed. “He knows.” Then he turned to Jules and said, “She knows too. And you al know I f**kin’

know. You gotta learn, life’s too damn short for this shit.” He got up close to Indy and Lee and snapped, “You two’ve been in love since you were kids, tomorrow, you’re gettin’ married and today you’re fightin’ about what?

What’re you fightin’ about?” Lee’s face got tight and Indy looked at her feet while Darius went on, “Eddie’s right and he’s wrong, it ain’t just Indy and Al y who’ve never changed.

It’s al you al .” His finger circled the lot of them as he continued, “How f**kin’ lucky are you, even with al the shit that’s gone down, that you haven’t learned what we’ve learned?” he asked, throwing his arm around the room and ending with his fist thumping his chest. “Rejoice, for f**k’s sake,” After that, Darius turned to Tex and said, “Good to see you’re alive, big man.” Then he turned on his boot and he was gone.

“He scares me too,” Chloe mumbled.

I stifled a giggle.

Indy bit her lip and turned to Lee. “Can we chat, um…

privately?”

Lee’s face went soft, his arm went around her shoulders and they disappeared into the books.

So did Hank and Roxie, Eddie and Jet.

Al y looked at everyone else. “So, I’m an idiot. This isn’t news,” she announced.

“Wel ! Thus ends another white people fight,” Shirleen declared.

“You!” Tex boomed and he was pointing at Lana. “And you!” His finger moved to Chloe. “Learn quick, it ain’t ever borin’ around here.”

“I’m getting that,” Lana replied and, luckily, her mouth was twitching.

Things calmed down after that. The men went off to do whatever it was they did and the women, Tod and Stevie, Duke and Tex hung around Fortnum’s chatting, gossiping and doing the minor changes they had to do so that Lana and Chloe could come to the wedding.

“Oh we couldn’t,” Chloe protested. “We barely know you.”

To which Indy replied with a smile, “Family’s family and, like it or not, the minute you got on that plane, you became family.”

This was sweet as al get out and Lana and Chloe thought so too.

Instead of a bachelorette party, we had pizza delivered and Tod and Stevie ran out and got beer. We ate pizza and drank beer at Fortnum’s, the chatting and gossip degenerated to sex talk but since Mace’s Moms were there, I kept silent on that particular subject. They were not used to drinking beer at altitude and did not. Chloe, I learned, had been married to a guy named Ben for five years. It was clear he was a good guy (in a lot of different ways). Lana was single and, apparently, enjoyed her status.