Everyone’s eyes moved to Tex and he shrugged then said, “They’d locked me in. I had to get out somehow.”

“So you blew up the building?” Stel a asked.

“I just meant to blow open the door. But, like I said, the place was fil ed with chemicals,” Tex replied.

“So once you blew open the door, the entire building blew up,” Stel a said, clearly not able to take it in.

Tex shrugged again. “Shit happens.”

The bel over the door went and Al y shouted, “We’re closed!”

Everyone turned to the door as the unwitting male customer muttered, “But, it’s Friday. Everyone’s open on Friday.” He pointed at Tex. “And it says in the papers his coffee is the best in Denver. Maybe even America.”

“He just blew up a building,” Al y told the customer. “He might stil be contaminated with chemicals. Like the sign on the door says, we’re closed.”

At Al y’s words, the customer’s eyes grew round and then moved through al of us.

Final y, he breathed, “It’s true, everything they say about al of you is true.” His eyes focused on Stel a. “Oh my God.

You’re Stel a Gunn.”

“Dude. Do you n o t know what ‘closed’ means?” Al y snapped.

Lee walked toward the customer and his eyes skittered to Lee.

“Wow, I know you. Saw your picture in the paper. You scored

the

redhead

and

you

own

Nightingale

Investigations,” the customer said, wide eyes on Lee and I couldn’t help it, I had to laugh a little because he was looking at Lee like he was an honest to goodness movie star. “Are you gonna, like, throw me out?” he asked Lee as if he wanted him to do it.

“No, you’re gonna walk out, like, right now.” Lee answered.

The customer’s mouth dropped open at Lee’s deep voice and threatening tone then he whispered, “Have you ever kil ed anyone?”

Lee leaned in threateningly. “Do you mean today?” At that, the customer took the hint, did another store swipe with his eyes then he took off.

Lee locked the door behind him.

“It’s like that al the f**kin’ time,” Tex boomed. “I’m gonna kil whoever’s talkin’ to the papers. Either they act star struck, like I’m Paul Fuckin’ Newman, or they expect me to be nice to them, like I f**kin’ care they’re breathin’. Only good thing about it is the tip jar needs to be emptied three times a day. I’m thinkin’ about getting one of those kitty water bowls that refil with fresh water al the time, like a kitty fountain.”

Stel a was stil staring at Tex who had, not five minutes ago, talked about blowing up a building and now he was talking about kitty water fountains.

Nobody else thought this was unusual.

Mainly because it wasn’t.

There came knocking at the door and Daisy, Lana and Chloe were there with Mace. Lee opened the door and they rushed in.

“Any of you hug me, I’m gonna snap your neck,” Tex boomed.

Lana skidded to a halt. Chloe went pale. Daisy ignored Tex total y, powered through the store, shouldered through the people behind the counter and threw her short arms as far as she could get them around his wide bulk.

“Woman!” Tex shouted, aggrieved.

“Shut up,” Daisy whispered but her voice broke in the middle and we heard a muted sob.

The room went stil . Everyone looked at everyone else and I saw Roxie’s eyes fil with tears.

Tex relaxed and his arms moved around Daisy.

“I’m okay, darlin’,” he muttered.

That’s when Daisy reared back and started hitting him with her little fists.

“Don’t you scare me like that again, Tex MacMil an, or I’l kick your ass!” she yel ed.

For a second, Tex looked surprised.

Then he let out a bark of laughter.

“Shit woman, like you could kick my ass,” Tex hooted.

Roxie pul ed Daisy away and suggested, “Why don’t you let Uncle Tex make you a latte?”

“Damn straight,” Daisy snapped. “Mocha, double chocolate,” and then she swiped at her running mascara.

“Maybe you should go to the bathroom and do that,” Jet suggested.

Daisy whirled on Tex and pointed in his face. “Now you’ve ruined my mascara!”

On that, she stomped off to the back of the store where there was a staff, Rock Chicks and Hot Bunch Only bathroom.

“It’s okay. We’re not normal y this crazy,” Jet told Lana and Chloe.

“Yes we are,” Al y muttered.

“What am I standin’ here for, my health?” Tex boomed, already banging out Daisy’s mocha. “Anyone need a f**kin’

coffee?”

Duke moved forward to take Lana and Chloe to the counter.

I turned and saw Mace had claimed Stel a. She was tucked to his front, her head under his chin, her arms around his waist, his arms around hers. Then one of his hands lifted and his fingers curled around her neck. Her head tilted back and he smiled down at her. I’d only seen Mace smile a few times in our acquaintance but I’d never seen him smile like that. You could actual y see her body melt into his as she returned his smile.

I turned my eyes away because I found something about this too intimate to watch.

I’d known Mace for months but he was the only Nightingale Man I didn’t know wel . Now, knowing his story, I knew why.

Everyone

thought

Vance

and

my

story

was

heartbreaking but Mace’s made ours look like we’d grown up with Ozzie and Harriet.

Stel a was a flat out miracle worker.

“Never thought I’d see that, ” Ava whispered to me, a jerk of her head indicating Mace and Stel a but her eyes weren’t on them either.

“Nope,” I agreed.

“It’s good to see,” she went on and I grinned at her.

“Yep,” I agreed.

* * * * *

Vance came home late that night, climbing up to the platform where our bed was and waking me. I usual y slept hard and deep but I always woke when Vance got home, even if it was for a few moments.

“Hey,” I whispered.

“Go back to sleep,” he muttered, fitting himself to my back from shoulders to heels and putting his hand to my bel y.

I rol ed and Boo, who was tucked into the crook of my lap, got up on a disgruntled, “Meow!” and stalked off the end of the bed.

Vance shifted so I could press us together front-to-front.