“Ulrich is hardly a kid. Actually, I think he’s only three years younger than you.”

And a little too damn pretty for her to trust her life with. “He’s the best you can do?”

“He’s the best. So are you in or out?”

She shrugged. “In.”

He grinned. “Are you always this enthusiastic?”

“Pretty much. Like my daddy.”

“He was one of our best.”

“He still is.”

Van Holtz nodded and said, “Welcome to the Group, Dee-Ann.”

Dee-Ann looked out the window to watch the city move by. She didn’t know if it would be her home forever, but it would do for now.

Gwen grabbed her mother’s purse and dug around until she found the aspirin. Roxy never needed headache medication for herself, but she usually kept a small bottle in her bag for Gwen.

She poured two in her hand, glanced at her mother, who was “yoo-hooing” over at Lock’s uncles, and went ahead and poured out another three.

Blayne placed a bottled water in front of her and climbed over the back of the booth to get into the seat.

“Figured you could use this.”

“Thanks.” Gwen downed the five pills in one swallow and chased them with the water. “Between the singing and my mother…”

“I know, I know. Still…better than the club.”

“Only because my mother yelled more while we were there.”

Gwen closed her eyes and waited for the pills to take effect, but that was when she heard Blayne fidgeting.

“What, Blayne?”

“What what?”

“Your leg is bouncing, so I know it’s something.”

“I don’t know what you—”

Gwen put her hand on Blayne’s knee, forcing her leg to stop bouncing up and down on the ball of her foot. It was a habit she’d had for years.

“Spit it out, Thorpe.”

And she did, in one long sentence: “Cherry wants you to stay on the team and she definitely wants you to stay with us through Nationals because we’ll be going up against the Texas Long Fangs and I heard they’re really mean and I know you said you were only doing this for one bout, but you were so in it, and it was so you and you and me are the most rockin’ team ever and…and…and you’re not saying anything.”

“I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“Come on, Gwenie!”

“You already know what I’m going to say.”

Blayne’s face scrunched up as she squeaked out, “You’ll say…yes?”

Gwen shrugged. “Yeah, all right.”

The squeak turned to a loud squeal and she hugged Gwen while the wolves and felines glared at Blayne and the dogs barked.

Putting her knees on thebooth seat, Blayne looked over at her teammates, now Gwen’s teammates.

“She’s in!”

The Babes clapped and cheered and Gwen couldn’t help but smile until she saw her mother leering at her from the other end of the booth. At the moment, her mother sported a lovely black eye courtesy of Sharyn McNelly. It was a black eye that Roxy deserved, too, since she’d snatched off McNelly’s wig in front of everybody outside the stadium.

“Just wipe that look off your face,” she told her mother. “I still haven’t forgiven you.”

“Why can’t you simply admit you’re blessed to be the daughter of Roxy ‘The Rocker’ O’Neill?”

“When did this become about you?

How did this become about you? This is about me.” Gwen pointed at her chest. “Me, me, me. For once…me.”

“Selfish,” her mother muttered, turning away from her to hit on Lock’s Uncle Hamish.

Gwen’s mouth dropped open that her mother

dared toss that word at her when Blayne elbowed her.

Still glaring, Gwen faced forward and blinked up at Lock. “Uh…Lock?”

“What did I miss?” her bear asked. “I heard applauding.”

“Gwen’s joined the Babes,” Blayne cheered, hugging Gwen again.

Lock grinned. “I had a feeling that was coming. You looked way too happy out there.”

“Yeah, but Lock—”

“I know, I know. And believe me, I didn’t mean

any of the stuff I said to you in the hallway. But based on your family dynamic, I knew coddling wouldn’t work, so I gave you the proverbial kick in the pants you needed. Don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad, it’s just…look at your hands.”

Frowning, Lock looked down at his hands. “Oh, gosh!” He dropped the Shaw brothers, both lion males grunting when they hit the floor. “I did it again.”

“Again?” Blayne asked.

“Remember? Bears beat up their prey, then drag them into the bushes to feed,” Gwen explained.

“Ohhh. That’s why Daddy always said never let them take you to a secondary location.”

“I think he was talking about serial killers, sweetie.”

“Oh…it still sorta applies, though.” Blayne jumped up and over the back of the booth. “I’m going to circulate.” She kissed Gwen on the cheek. “You’re totally, like, the best friend

ever,” Blayne teased.

“You say that now, but you won’t when I kick your ass in training, heifer.”

Head down, Blayne walked away but Gwen yelled after her, “None of that sloppy skating when we go to Nationals!”