She blinked at me. “I’m not crying because of that.”

This surprised me. “Why are you crying?” I asked.

“I’m crying because of something Hank told me, the reason why Vance went after Billy. See, when Billy kidnapped me, he beat me up pretty badly, broke some ribs. When Vance found me, I was a mess. He didn’t take to that very well, said any man who raised his hand to a woman had to pay. Hank told me he went after Billy because Vance came from a violent home. His Dad put him out of the house when he was ten because Vance tried to get in between his Dad and his Mom when his Dad was beating her. This all fits together and it makes me happy he found you but it also makes me sad that he had to live through that before he did.”

“My God, I didn’t know that,” Ally said from behind me.

“I did,” Indy replied quietly.

“You went through a lot with this Billy,” I said to Roxie, ignoring her words about Vance.

That was another thing I didn’t need. Knowing why Vance was turned out. Knowing he’d witnessed his mother’s abuse. Knowing he’d had enough strength of will, sense of self and capacity for love at age ten to go against his father in an effort to protect his mother.

I didn’t need that at all.

So I rolled it up in a big old ball and threw it in the high, chain link fenced compound that stood behind my emotional Rottweiler.

“Jules, did you hear what I said about Vance?” Roxie asked, taking me from my thoughts.

“I heard you. I know about Vance. I know he was a street kid and he’s an ex-con and recovering alcoholic.”

“Holy shit. I didn’t know that either,” Ally said again.

“I did,” Indy repeated.

“How do you know all this shit?” Ally asked.

“Lee told me,” Indy replied.

“That boy has a big mouth,” Daisy put in.

“He does not,” Indy defended Lee.

“He tells you everything,” Jet entered the conversation.

“Of course he does. We don’t have any secrets,” Indy replied.

“Oh please. You lie to him all the time,” Ally returned.

“Okay then, Lee doesn’t have any secrets,” Indy retorted.

“Excuse me girls, but can we get to the topic at hand here?” May cut in and looked at me. “When’re you gonna see him again?”

“I’m breaking up with him tonight,” I announced.

May gasped.

Daisy looked at the ceiling. “Here we go again,” she said.

“What?” I asked.

“Jet tried to break up with Eddie,” Daisy told me.

“Didn’t work,” Jet said on a smile.

I turned to Jet in surprise. “Why did you try to break up with him? I saw him last night. He’s hot.”

Jet just stared at me like she thought maybe I’d recently sustained a head injury.

“And Roxie tried to break up with Hank. That didn’t work either,” Daisy continued.

My eyes swung to Roxie. “You did? I saw him last night too, he’s lush.” I took them both in. “Are you two nuts?”

“Um… have you looked at Vance?” Jet asked me.

I shook my head. “It’s not the same thing. Anyway, it’s not about the way they look. It’s about how they act.”

“Sugar, how… exactly… is Vance acting like someone you’d wanna break up with?” Daisy queried.

“He said ‘mine’, like he was claiming me. Like I was a possession or something,” I argued.

This was true. It was just like I was a possession, a highly-valued family heirloom with treasured, precious memories attached that had gone missing and was thought never to be found but, all of a sudden, it was back.

I didn’t tell the girls that though.

“Our boys can get kind of possessive,” Indy shared but she didn’t sound too upset by it. “You get used to it, I just try to ignore it,” she advised.

I persevered. “And, he tells me what to do. All the time,” I informed them.

“Yeah, they can be bossy too,” Indy said on a sigh. “I just go my own way and ignore that too.”

“Wait until you’re branded. Eddie branded me,” Jet added.

I blinked at her. “Branded you? Like they do to cows?” I asked.

She smiled. “Not exactly like that. He just made it known that if anyone touches me, they’ll answer to him or any of his friends.”

“Lee did that with me too, in a way,” Indy threw in.

“Hank too,” Roxie said.

Damn.

“Vance has already done that. The whole Nightingale Investigation Team has thrown down on my side,” I shared.

“I knew that too,” Indy smiled.

“I didn’t! Dammit! Why am I so out of the loop?” Ally snapped.

May broke into Ally’s rant, she sounded exasperated too but at me. “Oh for goodness sake, Jules, you break up with that boy you’re off my Christmas card list.”

I just stared at her, keeping my mouth shut.

She took my stare and then pulled out the big guns. “And no birthday cake for you. I know you like your cake and your birthday is tomorrow and I had a good one all planned to make for you. But, you let go of Vance Crowe, forget it,” May went on.

“May, that’s not fair!” I protested and it was true, it wasn’t fair. It was cruel. I loved her birthday cakes. Everyone loved her birthday cakes. She made the best birthday cakes ever (even better than Auntie Reba but I’d never tell Nick that). Last year, she made me German chocolate cake with that delicious condensed milk frosting with pecans in it. It was amazing.

I carried on my argument to May. “It’s my life. I know what I’m doing!”

“Mm hmm,” was all May uttered.

The rest of the girls were looking at each other.

“Your birthday is tomorrow?” Jet asked.

“Let’s have a party!” Ally yelled.

“Great idea,” Indy said.

“No!” I broke in. “No party.”

“Too late, Sugar. Ain’t no stoppin’ the Rock Chicks when there’s a reason to party,” Daisy told me.

They started smiling.

Oh crap.

I took a deep breath.

Whatever.

Time to move on. It was obvious I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this pack.

“I have to get to work,” I told them.

“We’ll get together tonight, plan the party,” Ally decided. “Eight o’clock. Brother’s.”