Rock Chick Reckoning (Rock Chick #6)(165)

His mind was somewhere else.

Jane briefly wondered where it was.

Then her eyes moved to Al y who was in one of the armchairs across from the couch. Stevie was in the other one, his dog Chowleena on her bel y beside his chair taking a snooze.

Tod was on a flight. Seeing as he was a flight attendant, that frequently happened which meant he often missed the action. This annoyed him and he let this be known as only Tod could do. Then again, he had drag queen outfits to buy and something had to pay for them so off he went, grumbling and/or throwing attitude al the way.

Jane found this amusing.

Then again, Jane found a lot that happened in Fortnum’s amusing.

Her eyes moved again and she saw Roam and Sniff sitting at a table, coffee cups in front of them. Roam was lounged back, one long leg bent, foot to floor, one long leg stretched out. He had his phone to his ear. Sniff was sitting across from him, shoving the contents of the bag of fast food he’d brought with him into his mouth.

Three girls around Roam’s age were at an arrangement of chairs two tables away from him. Al of the girls had been in before. Al of them frequently. Al of them were now staring at Roam which was what they did if they were lucky enough to time their visit when he was hanging. And al of them were doing it in a way that it was clear they wished it was the other way around.

Jane knew why. When she first saw Roam some months ago, she thought you had to be blind not to see the promise of good looks. They were stamped on him. In just months, this had grown with his confidence, the bulking out of his body along with his understanding of what it could do, his quick and acute awareness of his surroundings, his alert eyes that held a wealth of experience far beyond his age and just simply the fact that he was maturing into his looks.

It was plain to see he was going to be beautiful mostly because he was nearly there now.

It was also plain to see he was fol owing close in the footsteps of his Hot Bunch mentors. Jane knew this because he was oblivious to the looks he was getting.

Completely.

The girl who caught Roam’s eye and held it would not look. She would do the opposite and he would thril to the chase.

It was just the way of the Hot Bunch.

They didn’t do easy.

Wel , that wasn’t true. They did a lot of easy they just didn’t instal it in their bed for a lifetime.

Jane’s eyes continued to move and she saw Tex and Duke behind the espresso counter, bickering. About what, Jane couldn’t hear at that moment but, with practice, eyeing them for a moment, she knew everyone would hear it in approximately two point seven five minutes.

Jane continued to scan and she saw Eddie standing at the end of the espresso counter, Jet in his arms. Jane couldn’t see Jet’s face and only could see Eddie’s profile.

His head was bent and he was whispering in her ear. As he did, Jane watched observantly and noted Jet pressed closer then closer.

And Jane knew, for Eddie and Jet, the world had ceased to exist. There was Eddie and al there was for him was Jet.

Then there was Jet and al there was for her was Eddie.

Jane decided in that second that Eddie and Jet were going to be her favorites for the day. She changed them every day depending on what she witnessed. Sometimes it was Lee and Indy. Other times, Hank and Roxie. Others, Jules and Vance or Luke and Ava and now Mace and Stel a.

Today it was Jet and Eddie.

Jane’s eyes moved from them back to the couch, they fel on Stel a and Mace and she instantly changed her mind.

Stel a was leaned into Mace, her arms wrapped around the one he had at her stomach, her head had fal en back on his shoulder, turned slightly so her temple was pressed to the side of his throat.

Jane studied them.

Mace looked content.

Stel a looked wel beyond that.

This would be surprising for normal folk considering a week ago Stel a’s apartment and most of her belongings had been blown to smithereens and Mace’s Dad lost his life to save Stel a’s.

Then again, the two things most important in her life, both of which breathed, weren’t blown to bits so with the Rock Chicks at her back ( sans Indy, who was stil in Barbados on her honeymoon and would be for another week), Stel a did what she could with what was left and was now living with Mace at his house.

That was to say, she was doing this in the short-term considering they were already searching for a new place and had arrived at Fortnum’s thirty minutes ago after spending the morning viewing three properties.

No matter what, life for the Rock Chicks and Hot Bunch always just went on.

As for Preston Mason dying, Jane had listened (as she always listened, avidly) and she knew, although it wasn’t nice to think, his life ending was not a big loss to the world.

And she knew from experience that whatever Stel a was enduring due to a man dying so she could live and Mace was enduring because he lost his father, they’d make it through and they’d do it because they had each other.

Preston Mason bequeathed his vast holdings to his son.

His son had turned them over to his mother and stepmother. They were in turn making enormous donations to a variety of charities.

Most of them having to do with the arts.

And most of those having to do with giving underprivileged children opportunities to learn to dance.

Jane, stil unnoticed, always unnoticed and liking it that way, continued to study them.

She had watched Kai Mason now for months and months. Jane had spent most of her life being quiet and watching. Therefore she saw things others didn’t. On the rare occasion, she had noted Mace showing humor but that was rare.